Who Are “The Wayfaring Men” In Isaiah 35:8?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesA querist asks, Who are “the wayfaring men” in Isaiah 35:8 KJV?
Isaiah 35:9 KJV will answer your question:
“No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:“
Thus the wayfaring men are the “redeemed.”
In expanding on this answer, note the phrase “a way” in Isaiah 35:8 KJV and then note the phrase, “It shall be called The way of holiness…..” Now note Jesus’ teaching in John 14:6 that He is “the way.” We learn that Christians in the first century were those who taught “the way” (God’s way – Acts 18:25-26). We learn that Christians were of “the way” in Acts 24:14 KJV.
Let us now note that the highway described in verse 8 is called “The way of holiness.” In looking at 2 Peter 2:21 KJV, we see a similar description in the phrase, “the way of righteousness.” In the New Testament, Christianity is called a “way” because it is God’s course or path to follow, and it is a “way of righteousness” because righteousness characterizes those “redeemed” who walk in it (Isaiah 35:8-9 KJV).
Now, let’s go back to the “wayfaring men” and note that they are classified as “fools” in the latter part of Isaiah 35:8 KJV. In 1 Corinthians 4:10, Paul declares that “We are fools for Christ’s sake” and they were according to man’s worldly philosophy and view (Acts 17:18). Though the “redeemed” were classified as “fools” by the world, note that these “fools, shall not err therein” (Isaiah 35:8 KJV).
They wouldn’t “err” from the “way” because they would be faithful obedient followers of Christ and His teachings (cf. Matthew 11:25-27 KJV; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 KJV). They were among the “redeemed” (1 Peter 1:18 KJV) — those who were purchased by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19 KJV) — those “redeemed” who would make up the church of our Lord (Acts 20:28; cf. Ephesians 1:7-14; Colossians 1:12-18; Hebrews 9:11-15).