Just as God protected Israel when it came out of Egypt and wandered in the wilderness to the Promised Land, so he protects his end-time elect as they come out of “Babylon” and wander in the wilderness to Zion. Covering them with his cloud of glory, God shields them against their enemies and against the elements and lights their way through a protracted day of darkness.
Isaiah 60:2Although darkness covers the earth, and a thick mist the peoples, upon you Jehovah will shine; over you his glory shall be visible.
Isaiah 35:1–2Wilderness and arid land shall be jubilant; the desert shall rejoice when it blossoms like the crocus. Joyously it shall break out in flower, singing with delight; it shall be endowed with the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. The glory of Jehovah and the splendor of our God they shall see [there].
Isaiah 4:5–6You were a refuge for the poor, a shelter for the needy in distress, a covert from the downpour and shade from the heat. When the blasts of tyrants beat down like torrents against a wall, or like scorching heat in the desert, you quelled the onslaughts of the heathen: as burning heat by the shade of a cloud, you subdued the power of tyrants.
You were a refuge for the poor, a shelter for the needy in distress, a covert from the downpour and shade from the heat. When the blasts of tyrants beat down like torrents against a wall, or like scorching heat in the desert, you quelled the onslaughts of the heathen: as burning heat by the shade of a cloud, you subdued the power of tyrants.