Highway of Holiness

Isaiah 35:8-10

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“A highway will be there, and a road, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not pass over it, but it will be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, will not go astray.” Isaiah 35:8

The verses of this post refers to when Christ Jesus came to put sin in remission and to give eternal life, as described in the post on Isaiah 35:3-7.

In the days of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out because the Holy Spirit comes by believing in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was poured out for all people as described in Acts 2. There were few people, such as the prophets, who were working under the influence of the Spirit of God. In those days, they were living under the law of Moses, not by the Holy Spirit. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4

While there was not a Highway of Holiness in the Old Testament, Christ Jesus opened up a Highway when He brought to us the forgiveness of sin. What is Holiness? Holiness begins when we invite Jesus to govern our life and to cleanse us from the ugliness within our words, behaviors, spirit and lifestyle. Holiness is what begins as our born-again experience, and we are no longer being conformed to the power of darkness that plagues this world. In that Holiness, we grow in the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, and grow in His knowledge. Holiness is only possible through the Holy Spirit. You have the Holy Spirit if you do not speak against Christ Jesus and you are able to say that He is Lord, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

Christ Jesus was crucified on the Cross because of forgiving sin and promising eternal life. He gave His life so that whoever believes in Him will have forgiveness of sin and eternal life. That is an example of Holiness to the Lord, that through all we suffer for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we hold to the testimony of Jesus, “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” 1 Peter 4:12-15

The unclean will not be found walking on the Highway of Holiness. They are those who live for the power of darkness through the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel. They curse the name of Jesus Christ, fight against the presence of the Holy Spirit, and do not believe in God the Creator. The Highway of Holiness is for others, for us who believe Jesus is the Christ and Son of God who forgives sin and gives eternal life. “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Psalms 29:2

Whoever walks the road of Holiness, although a fool, will not go astray. “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1″26-31

“No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous beast go up on it; It will not be found there. but the redeemed will walk there,” Isaiah 35:9

Lions are known as ferocious predators who fight over territorial boundaries, fight to take over as head over a pride of lions, or fight over mating rights. We live in a world that is not living in the Light of Jesus Christ as they choose to prey on those of us who walk on the Highway of Holiness with our Lord Jesus. They fight against the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to maintain their territory as the dominion of the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel. They take over as at group events to maintain the right of the beast to rule over people. They prey on relations formed in the Holiness of Jesus Christ to keep mating rights restricted to those who bond by their opposition to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. No lion will be found on the Highway of Holiness, nor will there be a place for them in the eternal New Jerusalem. Nor will any ravenous beast go up on it, it will not be found there.

The redeemed of the Lord will be walking upon the Highway of Holiness and will be given eternal life within the New Jerusalem. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7 “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,” Psalms 107:1-2

“And the ransomed of the Lord will return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They will obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 35:10

A ransom is something paid to someone that is holding someone hostage. Every person is being held hostage to sin by Satan, and he demands a ransom to be paid. Our Lord Jesus paid that ransom with His own blood when He was crucified on the Cross. Christ Jesus went around forgiving sin and promising eternal life, and for that He was crucified, and anyone who believes in Him will be forgiven of sin and given eternal life. By His sacrifice on the Cross, the atonement for sin has been made. “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3:23-24

Why was it necessary for Christ Jesus to shed His blood on the Cross to atone for sin? That relates to the laws of the Jewish culture, which required the shedding of the blood of animal sacrifices to atone for sin. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God, who was slain to bring the atonement of sin, the final sacrifice that would ever be needed to atone for sin. Prophecies of the bible pointed to the Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God, as clearly seen in Isaiah 53. Through the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 As followers of Jesus Christ, that is our message to the world today.

“Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Hebrews 9:18-22

We who return to God, through Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, will come to Zion with singing, and Zion is the city of God, the Heavenly New Jerusalem, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant,” Hebrews 12:22-24

We come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on our heads. We will obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.
We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.
[We’re Marching to Zion]

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11