20. What new Israel came into existence in the first century C.E.?

²⁰ In Jehovah’s due time, another Israel, a spiritual one, came into existence. (Galatians 6:16) Jesus set the stage for the birth of this new Israel during his earthly ministry. He restored pure worship, and with his teachings, waters of truth began to flow once again. He healed the sick, both physically and spiritually. A joyful cry went forth as the good news of God’s Kingdom was proclaimed. Seven weeks after his death and resurrection, the glorified Jesus established the Christian congregation, a spiritual Israel made up of Jews and others redeemed by Jesus’ shed blood, begotten as God’s spiritual sons and brothers of Jesus, and anointed by holy spirit.​—Acts 2:1-4; Romans 8:16, 17; 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

21. Regarding the first-century Christian congregation, what events may be viewed as a fulfillment of certain features of Isaiah’s prophecy?

²¹ When writing to the members of spiritual Israel, the apostle Paul referred to the words of Isaiah 35:3 by saying: “Straighten up the hands that hang down and the enfeebled knees.” (Hebrews 12:12) Evidently, then, in the first century C.E., there was a fulfillment of the words of Isaiah chapter 35. In a literal sense, Jesus and his disciples miraculously gave sight to blind ones and hearing to deaf ones. They enabled ‘lame ones’ to walk and speechless ones to regain their speech. (Matthew 9:32; 11:5; Luke 10:9) More important, righthearted ones escaped from false religion and came to enjoy a spiritual paradise within the Christian congregation. (Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17) As in the case of the Jews returning from Babylon, these escapees found that a positive, courageous spirit was essential.​—Romans 12:11.

23, 24. In what ways have Isaiah’s words been fulfilled among God’s people since 1919?

²³ In 1919, however, things changed. Jehovah brought his people out of captivity. They began to reject the false teachings that had earlier corrupted their worship. As a result, they enjoyed a healing. They came to be in a spiritual paradise, which even today continues to spread throughout the earth. In a spiritual sense, the blind are learning to see and the deaf, to hear​—becoming fully alert to the operation of God’s holy spirit, constantly aware of the need to stay close to Jehovah. (1 Thessalonians 5:6; 2 Timothy 4:5) No longer mute, true Christians are eager to “cry out,” declaring Bible truths to others. (Romans 1:15) Those who were spiritually weak, or “lame,” now display zeal and joy. Figuratively, they are able to “climb up just as a stag does.”

25. Will there be a physical fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 35? Explain.

²⁵ What of the future? Will Isaiah’s prophecy ever be fulfilled in a physical way? Yes. The miraculous healings by Jesus and his apostles in the first century demonstrated Jehovah’s desire and ability to perform such healings on a large scale in the future. The inspired Psalms speak of everlasting life in peaceful conditions on earth. (Psalm 37:9, 11, 29) Jesus promised life in Paradise. (Luke 23:43) Down to its very last book, the Bible provides hope for a literal paradise. At that time, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the speechless will be healed physically and permanently. Grief and sighing will flee away. Rejoicing will indeed be to time indefinite, even forever.​—Revelation 7:9, 16, 17; 21:3, 4.