The Two Roads
Isaiah 34-35
Most of us have been in situations when we suddenly realized that we were traveling on a road that was taking us exactly where we did not want to go. Chapters 34 and 35 of Isaiah describe two roads from God’s perspective. One road, Isaiah 34, is the road of God’s judgment. The other, Isaiah 35, is the road of God’s blessing. We need to make sure we are on the right road.
Chapter 34 describes four aspects of God’s judgment. First, this judgment is universal (34:1-4). The scene is akin to that of a courtroom. The Judge summons all creation to hear His announcement. He has determined to “utterly destroy” them. The death and destruction will be almost beyond human comprehension. Second, this judgment is righteous (34:5-8). Edom, the inveterate enemy of Israel descended from Jacob’s brother Esau, is given as a representative of all nations. It is the year of recompense—payback time—for the cause of Zion (34:8), as a righteous God demands a blood sacrifice (34:6-7) for the sin that must be paid for. Third, this judgment is endless (34:9-15). The land of Edom becomes utterly and everlastingly desolate. It is uninhabitable. A few desert plants grow in abandoned buildings, and various creatures, all “unclean,” inhabit the land. Finally, this judgment is certain (34:16- 17). Every word of this prophecy will come true. Isaiah 34, a description of judgment, is one of the most violent and bloody chapters in the entire Bible.
In contrast, Isaiah 35 is one of the most glorious and reassuring chapters in the Bible. It is a chapter of God’s blessing, and four aspects of this blessing are described. This blessing is glorious (35:1-2) as the desolation of Isaiah 34 is reversed. The land itself breaks forth—in a figurative sense—in singing and rejoicing. Second, this blessing is gracious (35:3-4). God Himself provides the strengthening, the recompense, and the salvation/deliverance of His people. Third, this blessing is comprehensive (35:5-9). God’s restoration touches every element of life: believers are restored (35:5-6a), supplied (35:6b-7), and protected (35:8-9). Finally, this blessing is fulfilling (35:10), as the redeemed arrive in Zion with unbreakable happiness and gladness and singing and shouting. Their blessing is complete.
So what do these chapters portray? From a premillennial, dispensational perspective, they seem to describe the culmination of the seven-year tribulation period. The church is removed, and God’s judgment leads to the establishment of the millennial kingdom, as Israel again becomes the center of God’s program,
How to these chapters apply to you and me? They show us that God must produce anything that is acceptable to Him. Are you on the right road? From the standpoint of our eternal destiny, there is only one acceptable road: the road provided by Jesus Christ and His perfect righteousness. From the standpoint of our Christian life, there is also just one acceptable road, as God Himself must work in us and through us to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus Christ is the right road. Trust in Him. Remain in Him. Depend on Him. And, in the words of Isaiah 35:10, you will obtain joy and gladness. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.