The book of Isaiah powerfully contrasts the Judgment Day state of the peoples of the nations (Chapter 34) and God’s people (Chapter 35).  These same images for the nations are echoed in Ezekiel 35, Jeremiah 49, Revelation 6, and in Jesus’ words in Matthew 24.29 and 51.  The visions for the people of God are also revealed in Isaiah 55, Revelation 7 and 21, and echoed in Jesus’ answer to John the Baptist’s disciples in Matthew 11.2-5.

Gloom and Doom should be the title of Chapter 34. Those outside of God’s family will see streams turned to pitch, soil into sulfur, and land becoming a burning pitch (v9). Verse 10 describes the inferno of hell: “Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke will go up forever.” The people will smell the stench of corpses (v3) and the land will drink its fill of blood (v7) on that great day of slaughter (v2).  Even worse, “He will stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness” (v11) – their minds will be muddled and their emotions devoted to despair.

Chapter 35 should be called Ransomed and Redeemed. The people of God will watch the desert bloom (v1), will know waters breaking forth in the wilderness (v6), and will “see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God” (v2).  Marvelous miracles will occur – “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (vs5-6).  And “they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (vs10).

It will be very good to be on God’s side on that day.