Chapter 35

     This chapter forms a compliment to the previous one and closes
out a series of three complimentary destruction/redemption chapters
as follows (the chapter breakdowns are not exactly clean, but are
general themes for the particular chapter):

     Aimed at oppressive gentiles in favor of natural Israel:
     24-25 Destruction 
     26-27 Redemption

     Aimed at wicked natural Israel in favor of righteous:
     28-29 Destruction
     30    Redemption
     31    Destruction
     32    Redemption

     (Psalmic interlude where Isaiah pleads with the Lord in
     favor of the righteous remnant [as prophets always do]:
     33    Destruction/redemption)

     Final comments, summary and synthesis aimed at rebellious
     covenant breakers in favor of the righteous covenant
     keepers:
     34    Destruction
     35    Redemption

In Hebrew there are no emphatic modifying words akin to the english
"more" or "most" or "very".  Instead, a word is repeated for
emphasis, as occurs in the "Holy, holy, holy" of 6:3.  A double
repeat would be emphatic and a triple repeat would be superlative. 
So, Isaiah uses a triple repeat in theme, with a psalmic interlude,
to establish how important these eschatological events are.  And
they are at that, seen as how it is the completion of the
fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.

     As an aside, this chapter closes out what the scholarly
community in general considers to be the writings of first Isaiah. 
Chapters 36-39 are considered to possibly be by the first Isaiah
but more likely a historical inclusion after the fact by some final
redactor.  They attribute chapters 40 to 66 to a person(s) called
"deutero-Isaiah" (i.e. the second Isaiah).  One of the primary
reasons for this is because they cannot accept that the comments
about Cyrus were prophetic, but rather were documentary.  So, this
theoretical deutero-Isaiah was a post-exilic, anonymous,
overzealous fellow who added on some historical items pretending
that they were prophetic and did it in the style of the first
Isaiah.  Too bad the Book of Mormon inclusions of passages by the
alleged "deutero-Isaiah" debunk that theory.

     Chapter 35 compliments and contrasts chapter 34 quite vividly,
so review of the symbols of that chapter is recommended.

v1-2  In the previous chapter we see Edom being made an eternal
desolation, a scrubland of hostile animals.  Here the desert is
converted into a beautifully blooming garden.  This great garden is
something of a Garden of Eden that is established at the advent of
the Millennium.  Similar themes are found all over the book of
Isaiah, cp. v. 7, 29:17, 32:15, 41:18, 43:19-20, 48:21, 49:10,
51:3, 58:11, see also Ps. 98.  This theme is the opposite of that
from 34:9-15 because this is Israel's ancestral lands being turned
into fruitful lands by blessed waters per the Lev. 26 covenant
blessings.  With the destruction of the wicked from Israel, all
that will be left is a righteous remnant that keeps its covenants. 
Thus, the Lord will be bless and prosper them in all things as a
result of their obeying Him.  The various cities referred to in v.
2 are the most agriculturally productive ones in the land of
Israel, so Isaiah is saying that the deserts will be as bountiful
as the agricultural land is now.

v3-4 presents the image of Isaiah consoling those that are weak and
without hope with the knowledge that the Lord Himself will come
with justice in His hand, cf. my comments on 34:8.  In Hosea 4:3 we
are informed that the land and all living things in it languish
when wickedness in general throughout.  Thus, those being consoled
here are the harassed and beleaguered righteous remnant oppressed
by their wicked tormentors.  They are told to "Be strong, fear not;
behold your God!", cp. 40:1-9.  The end of the verse implies a
personal appearance that christians in general would consider to be
the Second Coming.  It also favors the Jesus=Jehovah doctrine.

v5-7 present a series of statements that have obvious physical and
spiritual interpretations of the healing of both physical and
spiritual ills with the advent of the Millennium, cp. 33:23-24,
43:8.  

v5  One could develop an interpretation on this passage as it
referring to the judgments upon the wicked upon the Day of the Lord
as their self-sealed eyes will be opened to their own destruction
(cf. 6:9-10).  But, this doesn't follow the positive and upbeat
context of this chapter.  And, their judgement will be concurrent
with the Second Resurrection which will not occur until the end of
the Millennium, so they have another 1000 years to wait before
their eyes are "opened".

     Another interpretation for this verse could be derived from
its proximity to v. 4 which indicates a personal appearance of the
Lord, cp. D&C 45:51-53.

v7  See comments on v. 1-2 above.

v8-10 presents the image of righteous remnant traveling on a
special highway dedicated to the gathering of Israel in to Zion. 
This highway will be free from vicious beasts (ct. 34:34:11-15) and
while they were faint of heart (v. 3-4), now they are exuberant and
rejoicing in their redemption.

v8  The sacred highway for the gathering of the righteous remnant
is a symbol used widely in Isaiah, cp. 11:16, 19:23, 40:3, 43:19,
51:10, 62:10 and ct. 33:8.  That there are no unclean persons
traveling on it is probably a result of the Day of the Lord as they
were all wiped out.

v9d-10a presents them that walk on this road as the "redeemed" and
"ransomed" of the Lord.  For the basis of this symbolism see Lev.
25 and 27 and ct. 50:1.  As the Lord has redeemed the righteous
remnant from their merciless oppressors (as was the case in the
exodus from Egypt, cf. Lev. 25:55) he now owns them, cf. 48:20-21,
51:10-11 and cp. 40:10-11, 43:5-6.

v10 implies that Zion is both a people and a place, not one or the
other.  The righteous remnant gather together to Zion.  Compare D&C
101:74 and 119:6, Moses 7:18.