This prophecy began in chapter 34, and the overall theme is that God would destroy the enemies of His people. Isn't it interesting that the first time the Gospel appears, it is part of a curse? Genesis 3:15, also known as the Protoevangelium or "First Gospel", was not spoken to Eve, but to Satan. God tells Satan the "good news" that He will "bruise his head." The destruction of the wicked precedes the salvation of the righteous. Let's look at what follows the destruction.


We begin in a place of desolation, the wilderness and the wasteland. A world without Christ is truly a desert. There are no life-giving springs or streams, no fruit. A heathen world is a hard place to survive. But here, the whole world will be made glad, a miraculous change.


A desert rejoice? Yes, this world will someday rejoice to see the enemies of God destroyed under the feet of the reigning Christ. Beauty -- as the rose -- will blossom in this desolate place.


The phrase in Hebrew is "blossoming it shall blossom," a similar expression to the one in Genesis 2:17 "dying thou shalt die." The desert shall blossom in abundance. You do not expect roses to blossom in a desert. You also do not expect to enter a desert and hear the sounds of rejoicing. These blessings are so great as to cause that effect.

Isaiah 10:34 tells us that the glory of Lebanon was its forests of cedar. Carmel was beautiful and Sharon fertile. So, imagine a glorious forest suddenly appearing in the desert. A desert made beautiful and fertile. That is the greatness of the reign of Christ. He makes the desolate to be majestic, beautiful, and fruitful.


What should we do with such a beautiful vision? Strengthen the weak and the feeble! Go back to the first part of this prophecy in chapter 34 and assure them that God certainly will destroy his enemies. God will protect them. God has promised blessing and God is always true to His word. Such assurance should remove our enfeebling fear and strengthen us.


Here is further instruction to strengthen them. We should not fail to use all the promises of God to drive away fear and strengthen our brothers and sisters. Believers should not tremble before their enemies but claim these sweet promises to stand firm in their faith. God has shown us in chapter 34 how He will come with vengeance. In this age, we have an even fuller understanding and assurance of our final, complete deliverance. "The Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). "For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15:25).


This so clearly refers to the ministry of Christ that it seems unnecessary to comment. But it is good to think on the beauties of our Lord and be overwhelmed by His grace to us.

When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"
And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."
Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened.
Matthew 9:27-29

The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Matthew 11:5

And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
Matthew 20:30-34

Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
Mark 7:32-35, 37

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."
Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
Mark 8:22-25

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
Mark 9:25-27

As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you."
And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."
Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
Mark 10:46-52

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
Luke 4:18, 19

And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
Luke 7:21

And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.
Acts 3:2-8

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.
Acts 14:8-10

You have already seen above some instances of the dumb speaking. Perhaps you have experienced it firsthand or you've only seen in the movies how men walk through a desert. They do not merrily trot along. They do not enjoy lively conversation. The heat wearies them. Sand and pebbles grind at their feet until they walk as though crippled. Their throats are parched and they become mute. Consider, if you will, how you would feel if you with parched throat were stumbling through the desert when a spring of cool water suddenly burst forth before you. That joy you would feel is what these words express. Though you had struggled as a cripple through the desert, you would leap for the life-giving streams. Nothing in this world can satisfy like the glory of Christ. Islam does not give this joy. Humanism does not give this joy. Hinduism does not give this joy. To those dead in their trespasses, He gives life. To those blinded by Satan, he gives sight. To the weak, He gives strength. To the foolish, He gives wisdom. To those who believe in Him, He gives eternity in the presence of God our Exceeding Joy.


Islam and Humanism and Hinduism and all the other -isms may look like a pool. They may seem to be an oasis. But they are just a mirage in the parched ground. The joy they promise is always out of reach until it vanishes all together. Could you ever reach the mirage and drink of its waters, you would only drink sand. But Christ is the real pool! He is no illusion, no mirage. Hope in Christ is no false hope. He satisfies the thirsty - "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance." (Isaiah 55:1, 2) The habitation of jackals is a harsh place, fit only for scavengers. But there will be reeds and rushes, which only grow by abundant water. The most savage places on earth shall be transformed by the glorious gospel of Christ! Perhaps today, Isaiah may have said, "Las Vegas shall be the buckle of the Bible Belt." Those "deepest, darkest" places will shine as strongholds for Christ. Just consider the amazing changes we have seen in the places around the world where the Gospel has taken root.


The blessings of Christ's reign are free and open to all. Access is easy, straight up the highway -- a triumphal turnpike with no obstructions, no valleys, no hindrance at all. It is the Highway of Holiness because no unclean shall pass over it. All who come into the Kingdom of God must be holy. Only those who come into the kingdom to worship the King. I hear some people talk about heaven and they talk about who they will see there and what they will do there. They speak of their families and their friends. They go on and on with no mention of God, as if it could be heaven without Him. If they want eternity without Him, they will get eternity without Him. But heaven is for those who come to worship God. But those who do come to the kingdom to see God, they do not walk alone. They come up the highway with God. He is with them to direct them - they cannot get lost. He is with them to protect them - they cannot be lost. This highway is so designed that even a fool can cross it. God's plan of salvation is so simple that even the fools will be saved through it. The world often calls the redeemed fools, but we are fools for glory!


As Christian discovered in Pilgrim's Progress, once on the Highway there was no cause for alarm. Though there may be lions and ravenous beasts roaring beside the highway, they could not go up on it. Apollyon himself could not drag Christian from the Highway. We are redeemed by the blood of the atonement. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) Amids the trials and tribulations of this world, God has erected this Highway for His redeemed. He goes with them, directing and protecting, bringing them safely into His Kingdom and will lose none of them.


All the redeemed, all the ransomed, shall be saved. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:29, 30). It is an unbroken chain from predestination to glorification. "It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:34-39) Joy to be forgiven. Joy to live eternal.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.