Isaiah 33-35

Bible Students have long appreciated the poetic and prophetic beauty of the 35th chapter of Isaiah. It is the chapter that speaks of the desert blossoming as the rose, the lame man leaping as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb singing. It describes the glories of restitution, resurrection, the highway of holiness, and the ransomed of the Lord returning from the grave. Brethren have come to appreciate all these beautiful truths as they provide an overview of that kingdom for which Christ taught us to pray. But there is a principle which applies whenever we study the scriptures. It is important to study in context, remembering that scripture is not given in isolated bits, here and there. For example, Isaiah 35:1 reads, “the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose.” A reasonable question to ask is, “what is it that provides gladness for the wilderness and solitary place?”

GLADNESS FOR WILD ANIMALS

To understand the meaning, it is essential to review the preceding context in chapter 34. Examining chapter 34 sees that the “them” refers to a group of wild animals that are devouring the landscape, the owl, the cormorant, the bittern and the raven. The wilderness and solitary place of chapter 35 are glad for these unusual animals.

But why would they elicit such gladness? Examining the general layout of the book of Isaiah may prove helpful. The book can be divided into three sections. Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of three kings of Israel. Chapters 1-6 take place during the reign of King Uzziah. Chapters 7-35 take place during the reign of King Ahaz. Chapter 36-66 occurred during the reign of King Hezekiah.

Chapter 34 and 35 are in the section written under King Ahaz and are called the woe chapters. They include a woe unto Babylon, woe unto Damascus, woe unto Assyria, woe unto Judah, and so forth. There are a series of some 15 woes in all. While studying Isaiah contextually, each woe must be studied separately, because each woe is a unit of prophecy tying into the larger scale of all the woes. Isaiah 35 belongs to the 15th, or final woe, and is part of the last woe section which begins in chapter 33. Chapters 33 through 35 then make up the context of our prophecy on restitution. It begins with, “Woe to thee that spoileth, and thou wast not spoiled” (33:1). It does not give this woe to a specific country, but rather to an entity described by its actions, i.e. that which spoiled but was itself not spoiled.

In looking over the scheme of world events from our perspective at the end of the age, it may not be difficult to determine who this spoiler is. The systems that fit this description are the great antichristian systems that have spoiled God’s people. Instead of facing retributive justice, they have seemingly gotten by with spoiling. In the 33rd chapter, there is a dialogue between God on the one side, and certain people, who are responsive to the Lord on the other side. It is a dialogue between God, proclaiming judgment upon the systems, and certain ones within the systems who are not supportive of the spoiler.

They are in the system but are responsive to the Lord. This dialogue encompasses the 33rd chapter. After the dialogue of chapter 33 comes the destruction of the spoiler in chapter 34, given in very graphic language. Following the destruction of chapter 34 comes the restitution described in chapter 35. It is the kingdom growing out of that which was first spoiled.

ISAIAH 33 — O LORD, BE GRACIOUS

Verse 1 continues saying, “when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.” This indicates that when the antichristian systems cease to be the oppressor of God’s people, then their punishment (their woe) would be meted out. During the Dark Ages, the tyranny of Papacy oppressed the saints with no apparent consequences for their evil. But now that system faces its judgment from God.

There is a similarity here with Revelation 18 where the saints are called to come out of a system, spoken of as Babylon the Great. Those in the system are instructed to leave lest they be partakers of her sins and receive of her plagues. Then the Revelator says, “Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (Revelation 18:6). This speaks of the retribution upon Babylon, not during the age, but after the Lord has taken the majority of his people out. Now there must be retribution upon this system and it must collapse. This proclamation is parallel to what is prophesied in Isaiah 33:1.

We find that Isaiah 33:2 describes the Lord’s true people, who are within the system at the time this judgment is pronounced. They cry out, “O LORD, be gracious unto us. We have waited for thee. Be thou their arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” People who had been identified with Babylon, the same ones who are “my people” in Revelation 18, but who may not have come out at that point in time, are here asking the Lord to be gracious to them. They recognize that the system must fall but plead for mercy, desiring that God be their salvation in the time of trouble.

In verse 3 the people flee at the noise of tumult. This corresponds to Revelation 18:4, when the people of the Lord flee Babylon upon being called out. Then Isaiah describes the destroying agents which consume the spoiler, as grasshoppers and locusts. In Joel, the first and second chapters, the prophet talks about the Lord’s great army, describing it as an army of locusts coming upon them. With them are the palmer worm, the caterpillar and the grasshopper (Joel 2:25). They are the army of discontents, the army of dissatisfied ones who have seen the oppressions and are ready to tear down the oppressing system.

Verse 6 provides practical advice to those who desire peace during these troublous times. “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.” To experience stability in this challenging time one must seek the wisdom and knowledge only the Lord can provide. Through study and meditation, one can understand that the events of our day have a wise and benevolent purpose. This process of judgment will result in the uplifting and blessing of mankind. That understanding provides stability, where trouble does not upset, and destruction does not challenge one’s faith. But those in the world who do not understand what is happening are distressed. This is described in verse 7. “Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.”

Isaiah, the prophet

For all the times in history that God’s name was defamed and credited with evil, then will come the time that his name will be exalted, as seen in verse 10. “Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.”

In verse 13, the Lord says, “Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.” The Lord is here addressing two different groups. The “far-off” may refer to heathendom, those outside the pall of Christianity. As part of society, they are involved in the process as well. They have been meshing with an evil society. They will observe the Lord’s work of judging. But he expects more from the second group, those that are near. He instructs those who are closest to him to acknowledge his might and use this opportunity to show they stand for righteousness.

In verse 14, the “sinners of Zion” express fearfulness and surprise at the destruction. They ask, “who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” The Lord answers, saying, “he that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure” (verses 15,16). This suggests there are those within Christendom who will listen. There are still those who are “my people.” How well this corresponds to the council found in Zephaniah 2:3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.”

Those desiring to please the Lord will show this by a humble character, walking uprightly and seeking righteousness. They will refuse to morally participate in a wicked system. They will not be part of the spoiler. In other words, even though they are still connected with the system that brought oppression, they will dwell on high, and have part in the high calling and come to “see the king in his beauty” (verse 17). They will come to recognize that behind this trouble, there is the Great King Jehovah and his son, King Jesus.

Isaiah 33 describes the Lord’s woe against the system that spoiled his people but whose own spoiling was reserved for the Day of Judgment. It also prophetically relates the response by the Lord’s true people.

ISAIAH 34 — HEAVENS ROLLED TOGETHER

In the 34th chapter the prophet describes one aspect of the destruction of Christendom. “ all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea” (verses 4-6).

This is a statement of the destruction of Christendom. In an endeavor to save themselves, the various systems “roll together as a scroll.” But this action will not preserve them. The slaughter of lambs and goats describes the destruction of the tare class as well as those spirit begotten ones who remained in the systems until their collapse. These “sheep” will likely be part of the Great Company.

Following the destruction, the Lord invites wild beasts into the land, shown in verses 11 to 17. The setting is still in the land of Idumea, where the Lord had his great slaughter. In essence, he says, “This land is waste. Clean it up. Go through and eat what is left because it is now wilderness. I need this to be completely laid to the ground.”

There is a parallel sequence of events in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. They describe the great conflict against Israel at the very end of the time of trouble. The armies of the north, allied with the circling nations of Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya, come against Israel and against the competing force of Sheba, Dedan and the nations of Tarshish. Suddenly, the Lord steps in and fights for Israel.

After the Lord wins the victory, we come to Ezekiel 39:17-19. There, the Lord calls all the fowls of heaven to eat up the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. This corresponds to the events in Isaiah 34. In the aftermath of trouble, the wild beasts come in and are told to clean up the mess. These wild beasts are the elements of the Lord’s Great Army that are left. They are the dissidents, the dissatisfied ones who come in and are glad for the demise of the systems. The remnants of any evil system will be removed after the greater conflicts of the time of trouble.

ISAIAH 34 — MANKIND’S HOPES

With the background of chapters 33 and 34, we come to chapter 35, the focus of our hopes. The wilderness and the solitary place will be glad for them, i.e. for the beasts of chapter 34; the bittern, the owl and the cormorant. They will be glad because of these unclean elements that have come in. They are glad because that which has preceded God’s kingdom was nothing but a counterfeit kingdom of oppression. That which preceded this kingdom has been that which oppressed the human race, drained its finances, and took away its liberties and freedoms. When this system falls, that which remains will rejoice. It was time for this evil land to be laid waste.

The wilderness and the solitary place are distinct from one another. The wilderness is identified in Ezekiel the 20th chapter as being the nation of Israel, that which has been in a wilderness condition. The Lord said, “I will bring you out from the people and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, into the wilderness of the people and there will I plead with them” (Ezekiel 20:33, 34). Those who are in this wilderness condition of natural Israel are one group that will rejoice in the fall of Christendom, which has been their oppressor all along.

The solitary place also rejoices. That lone individual, here and there, who has been in the system all along but would have no part of it, will rejoice in its removal, glad for what is happening.

BLINDNESS — SYMBOLIC AND LITERAL

Applying Isaiah 35 symbolically does not diminish its literal interpretation. This chapter is also a beautiful, literal prophecy of the earth coming back to perfection. The desert, the dried-up condition of men’s hearts, will rejoice under these new conditions. They will blossom as the rose. They will then produce character fruitage because there will be fertile ground, as the Lord begins to bring refreshing showers of truth. But the literal deserts of this world will rejoice as well because the Lord will send “streams in the desert” to bring it to life.

Streams in the Desert

Then the Lord gives instructions to, “strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees” (verse 3). The nations will learn the lesson of the permission of evil. They will grow strong in their ongoing disciplines of the kingdom and they will make straight paths for their feet. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb sing. Then, not only will literal blindness be healed, but the eyes of understanding will be opened. Then those ears, once deaf to truth and righteousness, will hear and obey. Those with no good word to say about the Lord and were once dumb, will sing aloud the praises of our God. That will come with the educational process of the kingdom. In their past wilderness condition, they were starved. There was a famine, not for bread, but for hearing the word of the Lord.

Then a highway shall be there. This is the same highway mentioned in Isaiah 19:23 as a highway from Egypt to Assyria with Israel situated between them. Israel will be a blessing in their midst. They will bring together the two polarized segments of society on a highway that will lead to holiness. The unclean will not pass over it, but it will be for their benefit, to lift them out of their foolish condition, and to reclaim them.

“No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast but the redeemed shall walk there” (verse 9). Satan, the lion, will be removed. All the ravenous beasts will be gone. This perhaps refers to the binding of the fallen angels, or even the sinful passions of men, the urge to do that which is wrong. Both will be restrained.

The redeemed, the purchased ones, shall walk there. They are the ransomed of the Lord. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

— Gleaned from a discourse by Br. Carl Hagensick

 

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