Eternal Joy

Background

During this season of Advent we are looking not at the first coming of Christ but the second coming. Also we are looking at things not of this world but of the new world that will replace this one at the second coming of Christ .

All of our Hope, Peace, and Joy are Eternal!

during this time in the book of Isaiah it is a time of much fear and distress.

chapter 35 stands in sharp contrast to chapter 34.

in fact it stands as an oasis between the visionary wasteland of chapter 34 and the history of war, sickness and folly in chapters 36-39

Read Isaiah 34

Gods transformation of Nature vv1-2

God is a God of great transformation.

During this time of His regine on earth we will see the healing and restoration of the earth, it will be put back to its original form and be just like it was when God first created it.

we will see the fruitfulness that comes because of righteousness.

we will get to see Christ dwell with us forever.

Isaiah shows repeatedly in these two verses the effect of God’s transformation from death to life.

Even creation will cry out the great glory of the Lord!

Even creation will reveal the full revelation of God.

There were only two people that ever saw the true sinless and prefect earth. Adam and Eve.

Gods Transformation of the People of Earth vv3-6a

It amazing to me how something written over 3,000 years ago about the future can still be true today.

In this section we see 3 types of people that will feel the transforming power of God during His second coming.

1.) Ones with mental fears v3

There has never been a time in history when mental health was more at the forefront of peoples minds than it is today.

Have you ever been just so griped with fear that you cant move?

or have ever had a problem so big or a task so large that no matter what you do you cant see a starting point, or how it will end?

2.) Ones with anxious Hearts v4

Just as much mental issues as there are today there are also a lot of people with anxieties about different things.

i deal with this in my own life, one way to help an anxious mind is to know who controls the future.

This also deals with someone who doubts there salvation. if this is a problem all someone has to do is read Romans 8

3.) Ones with physical problems vv5-6a

There will be no physical problems after the second coming of Christ.

we will see each other in our glorified bodies and will have no pain weakness or infirmities.

during this time our eternal Joy will be having a body that is perfect and not wrecked with the byproducts of sin.

Gods Transformed People will return vv6b-10

The highway in 35:8 is an eschatological highway used by the people of God as they return to Zion to praise God in the distant future (cf. 62:9–12).

This highway has the unique name, “Way of Holiness” (haqqôdeš), a title based on the fact that only holy people will walk on it.

The unclean person, the fool, the lion, and the wild beast will not walk on this road, for it will be reserved for God’s redeemed people.

The unclean are not allowed to enter a holy place, and the fools cannot travel there because they walk in ways that are contrary to the will of God.

Neither group is morally or ritually qualified to come before God when he comes in his glory.

Those who joyfully enter Zion to fellowship and praise God are the redeemed (gĕʾûlim) and ransomed (pĕdûʾyē).

Redeemed: is used when a person delivers a blood relative from some obligation (legal, financial, social), thus those who come to Zion are pictured as the covenant relatives that God has redeemed.

Ransom: comes from the legal practice of making a payment to deliver someone from a debt, obligation, or punishment.

both of these terms show that we have been freely given the gift of salvation.

The price too high

The standard too hard

The ability not achievable.

Our salvation and the life that we will lead after we draw our last breath is because of Christ

Our Joy is in Him and Him alone. All else will fail us.