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The Path to Perfection Highway of
Holiness And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.—Isaiah 35:8 The establishment of a “way of holiness” for the world is a fundamental purpose of Christ’s second advent. What sets apart the truth of God’s Plan of the Ages from so many other Christian views about the work of God, is that there are two separate and distinct ages of redemption. The first is the present Gospel age, with its “high calling of God in Christ Jesus”—the most remarkable calling ever extended to anyone. The second is the blessed Millennial age, the golden age mankind has so longed for, even though they are largely unaware of God’s gracious purpose to bring about just such a thing. What God has in mind for mankind exceeds the grandest hopes of the world. Philosophers and sages have dreamed of a utopia in which deep human suffering is dispelled, all have access to food, clothing, and shelter, where productive and enjoyable employment of the nobler human qualities are pleasurably exercised for the general good, and through medical science long life is enjoyed by all. But God has much more than this in mind. Rather than simply a long life, God will offer mankind everlasting life. Rather than the relief of merely deep human suffering, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4). Rather than medical science applied to health problems, the health problems themselves will disappear. Human society will be transformed by placing a love for good, and a love for each other, as the motivating influence within each heart. And the entire world will be brought into harmony with God. This is the effect which the Highway of Holiness will produce for the world. It will operate during the Millennial age, and all these blessed results will be achieved by the close of that age, and the passing of the “little season” of testing (Revelation 20:3). Context The text heading this article is part of Isaiah chapter 35, which closes the first major portion of the book of Isaiah. Many of the preceding chapters detail God’s judgment upon wayward Israel and other nations. In particular, chapter 34 contains a prophecy against Edom, which many Bible Students see as a prophecy against Christendom. Thus the crowning touch of the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 35, depicting the Millennial age which follows the judgment of the present time, is a fitting close to that segment of Isaiah. Chapters 36 to 39 are an historical interlude about the invasion of Judea by the Assyrian King Sennacherib. This is the backdrop for the prophecies of Micah 5:5 and Joel chapter two, which apply to the rescue of Israel from her invading enemies at the outset of the kingdom. Chapters 40 to 66 speak of many other blessings to flow from the advent of Christ. Some apply to the first advent, others to the second advent, and some to both. Isaiah 35 This cherished chapter is but ten verses in length. In the King James Version it begins with these words: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them.” This seems cryptic: “Glad for them”? Glad for whom? The highly-esteemed Rotherham translation also uses the word “them.” Presumably the translators supposed the text referred back to the ones mentioned in the closing verses of chapter 34: “It shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; … there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate. Seek ye out the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate” (verses 13-16). But these creatures, as the context shows, are emblematic of the desolation of Idumea (Isaiah 34:5-7), whereas the blessings described in Isaiah chapter 35 seem to refer directly to Israel, and broadly to all whom Israel will influence for good during the kingdom. Therefore it is noteworthy that the NIV, NASB, and RVIC2000, do not include “them” in verse one. “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it will blossom profusely and rejoice” (Isaiah 35:1,2, NASB). This suggests a complete break between chapter 34 and chapter 35, the former referring to the desolation of Idumea, the latter the blessings of the kingdom for Israel, and through them, for all. Verse 4 reads, “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.” Fearful of what? Notice that the NASB refers to the Arabah. This is a specific plot of land in the Dead Sea Valley, extending southward to the Gulf of Aqaba. In other words, Israel is the setting for the prophecy. As noted earlier, chapters 36 through 39, which follow, describe an invasion of Israel by King Sennacherib, which represents the last trial of Israel before the ancient worthies are raised and initiate the Millennial blessings of the kingdom. Thus the “fearful heart” of Isaiah 35:4 refers to the fear engendered by this last wave of trouble which turns Israel back to God, and through the teaching of the ancient worthies, to recognize Christ as their Messiah. The “vengeance” of verse four is God’s retribution upon the invading enemies of Israel. They will have a just recompense for their evil schemes. But God will “come and save” Israel. Then the blessings of the Millennium begin to operate: “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5,6). Jesus brought these kinds of blessings during his earthly ministry, in partial fulfillment of these predictions. But the full application awaits the kingdom of God. The opened eyes and ears surely also have spiritual meanings in addition to physical healings, so that men and women will understand the beauties of God’s plan. Then will “the tongue of the dumb sing” the praises of God that they were formerly unable to do, because of their spiritual blindness incident to the curse. “And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isaiah 35:7). No doubt many arid lands will become fruitful. But the souls of men are also parched. In the kingdom they will become productive, each adding to the blessing of another. Verse 8 describes the wonderful “highway” intended for ease of travel, unlike the narrow road and straight gate of the present (Matthew 7:13,14). This highway will be termed “the way of holiness.” As verse nine says, “the redeemed shall walk there.” The entire world will have the opportunity to walk this highway, for all will be redeemed. If they take advantage of the opportunity, they can pass over it clean, wholesome, and purified. Lions and ravenous beasts, which elsewhere represent Satan and the governments by which he has exercised usurped dominion over mankind, will not be there. The meaning of verse eight differs among translations. The King James, with the rendering in the margin, says: “The unclean shall not pass over it; for he shall be with them.” This suggests the unclean will be there, but will be cleansed in their journey because of God’s presence among them. The next phrase, “the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein,” seems consistent with this. Other versions seem to say that the unclean and fools will not stray onto this road: “The unclean will not journey on it ... wicked fools will not go about on it” (NIV). “The perverse will not stray [thereinto]” (Rotherham). Possibly these renderings fail to grasp the subtle thought that this highway will allow the world to be corrected as they go, so that they do not continue as fools, but are reformed through their journey. In either case, the grand road for the world in the kingdom will be a holy one, with a holy influence upon them all. Verse 10 gives the wonderful conclusion: “The ransomed of the LORD shall return … to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” How close this is to the sense of another well-known text describing the blessings of the Millennium: “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying” (Revelation 21:4). |