ISAIAH - Chapter 35 - "Blossom as a Rose"
ISAIAH – Chapter 35
“Blossom as a Rose”
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
May 27, 2014, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
This chapter is one of the choicest chapters in the Holy Bible and very dear to my heart. When the Lord called The Rose Conference in 2003, this chapter was the scripture for the conference. I preached a sermon on this chapter, but it was accidently deleted from the website--- never to be seen again.
Here we have the glory of the Kingdom of God and the blessedness of his people. This is the Day of the Church Triumphant! It is a poem of rare and superb beauty. It is a picture of the last times, when the Church after the affliction of spiritual warfare is the Glorious Church of Eph. 5:25-27. The church shines forth in all the radiance of its glory.
This chapter follows on the wonderful refreshing we had this past Sunday under the ministry of Kamal Saleem. As our friends and enemies have observed, our church has been through severe warfare. We have a core in our church body of great and faithful warriors. However, even faithful warriors, become battle fatigued. Rev. Saleem is accompanied by a huge warrior angel. The anointing of the warrior strengthened and encouraged our church body resulting in an explosion of Glory.
The Rose Conference was called by the Lord after I came out of the battle of starting the church in Texas in 2000.
This chapter is a grand climax to the section which began in Isa. 28:1. The earth, changed to welcome its Redeemer and the redeemed. The restoration of the Kingdom and the Coming of the Lord are poetically personified. With joy, the desert, (Arabah), Lebanon, Carmel and Sharon see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God; the restoration of the Land and the manifestation of the Lord.
35:1-2: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert (Arabah) shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the Excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the Excellency of our God.”
Blossoming as a rose is the principle of the Holy Ghost Baptism. Just as the natural land of Israel (through irrigation and man’s invention) has blossomed and become fruitful, so it is in the realm of reality or Sprit. The wilderness, solitary place, and desert are all described in chapter 34. In Lebanon we see the principle of the temple, --- (the cedars from Lebanon – 1 Kg. 4-8). In Carmel we see the principle of victory and conquest. Then in Sharon we see the principle of beauty and fruitfulness. (Out of Egypt- through the wilderness- into the land ---Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles --–testing, trial, promised land); those areas of our lives which constitute “the back 40” shall blossom and rejoice. These shall see His Glory. Man will return to the realm of Dominion as seen in Eden.
35: 3-7: “Strengthen you the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the death shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.”
We had a healing service this past Sunday evening and saw these words fulfilled before our eyes.
The prophet continues with retrospect upon the tribulation preceding blessing. The command is given to encourage the weak and fearful, to tide them through the darkness preceding the dawn. Messiah-King is come to punish, to reward, to deliver, and to work miracles of wonders. This is a message of hope to the weak and feeble. Through the vengeance of the former chapter, God moves to this victory. Then the glorious issues of the Kingdom are declared.
Verses 3-4 reveal the ministry of the comforter flowing in and through God’s sons in a word and ministry of reconciliation. Verses 5-6 reveal the ministry of the Comforter flowing in and through God’s sons in a word and ministry of reconciliation. Verses 5-6 reveal the power of the Holy Ghost in repairing, healing and restoring the body (in the natural and the Spirit). Verses 6-7 speak of living areas, which point to the hearts of men. Note it is the habitation (heart of men) and not the dragons that are restored. This whole passage describes and outpouring of the Holy Spirit! Men’s knees will be restored to a place of worship before their Maker. Men will see and hear the Lord. The prophetic word will be loosed in the earth. Every place where dragons now inhabit shall become the habitation and the temple of the Lord! Death shall be replaced by Life. Darkness will be displaced and dispelled by the Light.
35: 8-10: “And a 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. No lion shall be there, not any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
This will be an appointed way, a highway, a holy way, a plainly marked way, a safe way. The redeemed will return joyfully to Zion, with everlasting exultation, obtaining gladness, with sorrow and sighing fleeing away.
God is coming to bring His people home unto Zion by a safe highway. At the sight of Him everything changes! The dry and lifeless desert of the preceding chapter is burst for joy and becomes a paradise of flowing streams, great trees, and colorful flowers. Eden restored!
The ransomed of the Lord will return unto the Lord, and all darkness shall pass away.
The highway is the high calling of Phil. 3: 12-14: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
It is the Way of Life in the Heavenlies demonstrated by The Way, the Truth, and the Life –the Lord Jesus Christ, the Pattern Son! We are to be a people of the heavenlies. We can compare this highway with the path that the vulture’s eye has not seen or considered, as revealed in Job 28: 7-8. The vulture’s eye is metaphorical of Satan and the kingdom of darkness which feeds upon death.
The Way is one of Holiness. The lion (Satan) and his whelps (demons) will not be in this path, or the minds and mouths of those who walk it. It is the Highway in contrast to the low way of the dust—the serpent’s path.
This path is not in the mind or the mouth of the redeemed. This path is a person, the Lord Jesus! We find the word “there” mentioned six times here. Where is there? It is in Him! The walk is in Him!
This turnpike is for God’s army! The name of the Lord is upon the heads of
these overcomers!
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth on Isaiah by: Kelly Varner. Comments and Conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Bro. Varner.