Isaiah 35:1-10

35:1-2 | When God brings His peace, the desert will be transformed from a barren wilderness or wasteland into a land of streams and forests, recalling the Exodus from Egypt, where Israel traveled through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. The theme of plants springing up and blossoming recalls the fruitfulness in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 1-2).

35:2-4 | God’s glory is declared by the heavens, and God’s saving acts testify to it (Ps. 19:1). God’s people also testify by their actions and honorable character (Ps. 29:2; 96; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 3:18). The term glory of the LORD, referring to God’s splendor and worth, is used 36 times in the OT. One day God’s glory will fill the entire earth.

35:8-10 | A highway called the Highway of Holiness would lead people to Zion (Jerusalem). The people would not find their own way back; God Himself would lead them. Only those who God had redeemed from captivity would be allowed on the road. The language of this prophecy was only partially realized int eh historical return from Babylonian exile. It anticipates an event on a much grander scale prior to the establishment of the millennial kingdom (Ezek. 40-44; Rev. 21:1-4).