Isaiah 35:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord Himself declared through one of the holy prophets, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream" (Isaiah 66:12). Thus, this land is no longer desolate and unfruitful, but instead, it is now abundant and flourishing, united with the Bridegroom in spiritual bloom. Let those who were once in thirst rejoice and blossom like a flower, fragrant in their beauty. This sweetness is akin to the fragrance of Christ, as Paul attests in his writing, "We are the fragrance of Christ to God" (2 Corinthians 2:15). The wilderness of Jordan refers to the arid region adjacent to it. The gift of the Jordan river was not given to the disobedient Israelites, but rather to us, who have come from the Gentiles and believed in Him. In this river, we are baptized, transforming it into a sacred spring. So now, to this thirsty desert, inheriting the glorious Jordan, is bestowed the splendor of Lebanon and the honor of Carmel. Jerusalem and God's holy temple are often referred to as Lebanon and Carmel. The glory once associated with the sacred city and divine temple is now bestowed upon the Church of the Gentiles, where we witness the glory of the Lord and the greatness of God. The Jews approached the Lord (Christ) as an ordinary man, seemingly no different from others. But we perceive the extent of His glory, for we recognize Him as God, who became flesh for us, remaining truly divine.

The honor of Lebanon is transferred by the prophet from its majestic trees to the Jordan River. Just as Lebanon is remarkable for the fruitful trees that flourish there, so too is the Jordan exalted because of the individuals who are reborn within it and rooted in God’s paradise. As the Psalmist declares, they are like trees that bear fruit, whose leaves do not wither (Psalm 1:3), and God will delight in the harvest from them in due season, just as a devoted gardener takes joy in the results of his own work.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars and uncovers the oaks’ (Psalm 28:8-9), will become abundant in every way. As a result of the struggles of the deer, the creatures that once claimed these lands will be driven away from all the forests of the nations, fulfilling the words of the same prophet, ‘Sing, O barren one who has not borne; break forth and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor, for the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married’ (Isaiah 54:1). Previously parched and untraversable, lacking living water, the Lord had not walked through it; yet now it will bloom like a lily, or as Aquila interprets it more directly, χαλοχωσις, which can be likened to a blossoming rose with petals fully opened. It will indeed blossom, echoing the words of the Apostle, 'For we are the fragrance of Christ in every place' (2 Cor. 2:14-15), and drawing from the Song of Songs, ‘The flowers appear on the earth, and the time of singing has come’ (Song of Songs 7). Although the original Hebrew text does not use the phrase ‘the deserts of the Jordan shall be joyful,’ it can be inferred as relating to John's baptism of repentance in the Jordan River, which the Lord sanctified through His own immersion. Likewise, since it metaphorically references the wilderness of the nations, where John ministered, it can relate symbolically to the wilderness of the Jordan, guiding us through this wilderness toward the baptism of our Savior. Furthermore, when we read that the glory of Lebanon is bestowed upon her, alongside the beauty of Carmel and Sharon, we ought to interpret this in light of our earlier explanation, recognizing that Lebanon signifies the temple or Jerusalem, in line with Zechariah's proclamation, ‘You have opened your doors in Lebanon’ (Zechariah 11:1), and Ezekiel’s vision of ‘the great eagle of the great cry, the eagle of the nails,’ which comes into Lebanon and Carmel (Ezek. 17:3). This symbolizes the chosen people, of whom it was previously declared: ‘the wilderness shall be like Carmel, and Carmel will be regarded as a forest’ (Is. 32). Likewise, Sharon conveys a similar message, as noted in the Scriptures: ‘Sharon has become like a desert’ (Is. 33). Thus, all the glory, the honor of God, the wisdom of the circumcision, and the exceedingly fertile plains referred to as Sharon—translated by Simmachus as fields—will be granted to the church, which once existed in desolation, and its inhabitants shall behold the glory of the Lord and the majesty of our God.

However, through her gradual growth in faith and righteous deeds, she has entered into His grace, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: The desolate and impassable land shall rejoice, and the wilderness shall be glad, blooming like a lily and overflowing abundantly with the joys that the Bridegroom refers to when he proclaims: How fair and beautiful you are, beloved in joy (Song of Songs 7:7)—meaning, in the hopes of eternal life, supported by my beloved. Without His assistance, she would not rise to the highest places, for no progression in virtue or the very beginnings of faith can occur without the Lord’s grace. Consequently, Judea was taken aback by the Gentiles' conversion, believing that only she and those admitted into her covenant through the sacrament of circumcision were beneficiaries of such grace, as clearly documented in the Acts of the Apostles.

In a similar manner, the dignity of the law and its outward observances has also moved to the wilderness of Jordan; those seeking healing of the spirit have turned away from Jerusalem to the wilderness where the message of redemption has been proclaimed.

The arrival of our Savior to be baptized in the wilderness of Jordan is anticipated in these words: And my people shall see the glory of the Lord and the greatness of God.

However, in the New Testament age, the blessings of God’s chosen people will extend to the Gentile believers - they will become the people of God, His chosen ones, witnessing the unveiling of God’s glory and majesty through Christ Jesus. In His divine nature, He embodies the radiance of God the Father’s glory, and in His humanity, He possesses all authority in heaven and on earth. They will witness the outworking of this authority as it protects them and exposes the adversaries of the Church.