Isaiah 35:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Envision that existence to the extent possible, for no language can fully articulate its essence. However, from what we gather, as if deciphering from enigmas, we gain some understanding. "Sickness, sorrow, and sighing shall be removed," says Scripture (Isaiah 35:10). What could be more blessed than such a state of being? There is no fear of poverty or illness there; no one is found to commit wrongs or suffer harm, nor is there anyone who harbors annoyance, irritation, anger, envy, or the burning lusts of the flesh. No one is anxious about acquiring life's necessities, nor is there torment from a desire for control and power. As the chaos of our passions quiets down, peace, joy, and mirth will reign, everything will be tranquil and serene, like a never-ending day filled with unparalleled light—far more radiant than anything we know now. The light there is unmarred by night or thick clouds; it does not scorch our bodies, for in that realm, there is neither night nor cold nor heat, nor any change of seasons. Instead, a state of existence unknown to the unworthy awaits. There exists no aging or its accompanying tribulations, as all things that decay are cast aside in favor of unending glory.

Most importantly, there will be unbroken communion with Christ, alongside the angels, archangels, and heavenly powers. Picture heaven and elevate your thoughts beyond it, contemplate the metamorphosis of the entire creation: it will be transformed, far exceeding our current experience in beauty and brilliance, just as gold surpasses tin. "The creation itself will be freed from the bondage of corruption" (Romans 8:21). Presently, as it partakes in decay, creation suffers many of the common afflictions; yet, in the future, liberated from such woes, it will shine with everlasting splendor. It will receive incorruptible bodies and undergo transformation into a better existence.

In that realm, conflict will cease as vast harmony flourishes among the saints, each united in spirit. There will be no fear of devilish deceptions, the tumult of Gehenna, or even death—neither that which is present nor any heavier burden, as all such fears will vanish. Just as a prince, initially raised in a humble condition, living in fear of losing his rightful inheritance, ultimately sheds his previous shame upon attaining royal dignity, so too will all the saints embrace their new glory.

To avoid mere rhetoric, let us ascend mentally to the mountain where Christ was transfigured. There, we behold Him in radiant splendor, though even then, He revealed not all the brilliance of the coming age. The Evangelist implies that what was unveiled was merely a glimpse, not the full expression of the reality. For He declared that "He shall shine as the sun" (Matthew 17:2). The light of incorruptible bodies radiates a different kind of illumination, one that surpasses what mortal eyes can perceive. On that mountain, Christ exhibited only that which could be seen without overwhelming those who gazed upon Him, and they fell to the ground in awe.

Consider, if you were brought to a brilliant gathering adorned in golden garments, and shown a figure wearing resplendent attire and a crown of precious stones, with the promise of joining this assembly—would you not strive with all your might to obtain this blessing? Now, open your spiritual eyes and behold the splendor that is not composed of ordinary men, but of those who surpass gold, jewels, and the brilliance of sunlight, along with beings far more exalted—angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, and authorities. Regarding the King, it is beyond words to express the magnitude of His beauty, goodness, light, glory, and majesty—these are beyond the comprehension of any mind.

Will we forfeit such blessings to escape minor trials? If we had to endure multiple deaths daily, even the very torments of Gehenna, to witness Christ in His glory and to be numbered among the saints, would we shy away from such endurance? Listen to the blessed Peter's words: "It is good for us to be here" (Matthew 17:4). If, having seen only a fleeting glimpse of the future, he poured out his heart in joy over what he perceived, what shall we say when the ultimate truth is unveiled, when the royal courts are opened and we can see the King face to face, no longer through a mirror or in shadow, but in the fullness of His glory?

This distinction delineates the Kingdom of God from the realm of evil. Indeed, if we view with an uplifted perspective the condition of those celestial beings residing in the Kingdom of God, we must affirm that this condition embodies eternal and boundless joy. The essence of true happiness is rooted in lasting tranquility and everlasting joy. This reality is not merely a personal opinion but is affirmed by the testimony of God Himself, who vividly describes the nature of His kingdom in these words: For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But you shall rejoice and be glad in the things that I create (Isaiah 65:17-18). Moreover, we read: Joy and gladness shall be found in him, thanksgiving and melodious song (Isaiah 51:3); and from month to month, and from Sabbath to Sabbath (Isaiah 66:23); and once again: They shall experience joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will be vanished.

If you seek a clearer understanding of life in the city of the saints, listen to what the Lord proclaims to Jerusalem: I will appoint peace as your ruler and righteousness as your overseer. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor devastation and ruin within your borders; you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

When a new challenge arises in the world, it is as if the righteous present sacred offerings of praise to God, who has deemed them worthy of such trials, while the arrogant, greedy, and avaricious complain and blaspheme against God, asking, “O God, what great wickedness have we done that we should suffer so much?” Thus, it seems that if the righteous depart from this life amidst afflictions, they are destined for eternal life, where sorrow and grief have no place. Those who do not believe struggle to accept this truth: ensnared by their love for the temporal world, they fail to grasp the true nature of life, and through their disbelief, they forfeit it.

Thus, the river of living water and all it entails directly signifies the very Source of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is written: For Thou hast the fountain of life; in Thy light we see light (Psalm 35:10).

With a joy previously unknown to them, they will embrace the faith they once rejected, entering into spiritual communion with fellow believers, joyfully uniting with them in one Church. This joy will be theirs eternally, a radiant crown symbolizing glory and delight forever shining above them. This joy will envelop them in fullness and perfection, free from any disturbances, as there will be no sickness, sorrow, or sighing present. Clearly, this refers to the joy found in the heavenly kingdom or the victorious Church in heaven, which is likewise referred to as Zion, along with the earthly Church and heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22). This joy, however, will also be anticipated while still within the earthly Church. The peace and joy imparted by the Holy Spirit to the believing soul are the initial tastes of the indescribable peace and joy that await them in heaven. This parimia is read during the feast of the Baptism of the Lord because its message is intrinsically connected to that event. It celebrates the grace of God, which was bestowed upon the Gentiles, rekindling their spiritual life that was previously dead in sin, much like the emergence of water in a parched and lifeless desert brings forth life and fruit. The redemptive power of this grace began at the time of Christ’s baptism. At His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ as a dove, filling His humanity with a wealth of His grace, so that "from His fullness we all received grace upon grace" (John 1:16). This grace was proclaimed on the day of the Holy Spirit's descent upon the Apostles, who, brimming with it, shared it with all nations. The first stirrings of this grace were communicated following Christ’s baptism to His closest disciples, called to be apostles, and then to the Gentiles through the Galileans. From that point, He commenced His proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, specifically among Galilee of the Gentiles, to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death (Matthew 4:14-17). To support the idea of reading this parimia during the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we might note the private observation that the parimia’s words about the wilderness of the Jordan flourishing and rejoicing, according to Blessed Jerome's interpretation, suggest the significance of John’s baptism of repentance in the Jordan River, an event that the Lord affirmed and sealed through His own immersion.