NOTES for Isa 52:7

Isaiah of Babylon was one of the first ones, who spoke about the imminent end of Babylon and about the return of the Jewish people on the land of their fathers. When he began his sermon, it seemed completely improbable: nothing indicated on the fast changes. And all the same they occurred, quickly and for the most people unexpectedly: the Persian army under Cyrus the Great command took with storm Babylon and put an end to the existence of Babylon. For the Jews it meant the possibility of returning on the land of their fathers: shortly after the end of the war with Babylon, in 517 before J.C., Cyrus published a decree about the return of the Jews on the land of their ancestors. So who was Isaiah: a predictor? A visionary seeing all that is going to happen? Probably, all the same no. It is completely possible that the prophet did not even think about the political events, when he predicted the imminent end of the captivity.

Another thing was revealed to him: he understood that the spiritual state of the people had changed, and that the period of confession was finished. Of course to understand that only by the human mind, although and penetrating, is impossible: it is necessary to see here the depths of the human heart, and not only one, but several hearts. Such a thing is possible only for God. But God can reveal His vision, to whom He wants. Well then upon the mountains sound the good news: the time of the expiation of the people had come. And at the same time came the moment of the coming of the Messiah. Actually, the Good news was, first of all, the news about the coming of the Messiah, That they waited just after the end of the captivity and the return of the people on the land of their fathers. Of course, it was still necessary to restore the city and the Temple, of which remained only the foundation, but this task turned out to the future repatriates easily practicable. The main thing was in the fact that came, finally, the time of the Kingdom of God, the time, when God will begin Himself to govern His people.

Actually, the messianic Kingdom was perceived by most of the yahvistes believers as the Kingdom of God: because in the Messiah they saw, first of all, the Ruler sent by God, Who had to restore the independent Jewish State and introduce in it laws, corresponding the Torah. It was important: for nobody of those who waited for the possibility to return on the land of their fathers, did not want to lose it again any more, because of the violation of the commandments given by God. The Kingdom of God should be in particular the Kingdom of God Himself, where He rules according to His laws through the Messiah sent and put at the head of the people by Him. Of course, such picture of the society and ideal State was a little bit schematic, and the hopes of its immediate realization - a little naïve.

And still, before the coming of the Messiah there was again not only one century. And all the same, from the captivity really returned completely already different people. The people, for whom the denial was worst than death, people, for whom the observation of the Torah was something which is obvious, as much as one did not even have to speak about it, people, who did not already want to return any more to the past, but wanted to go forward - to the Kingdom of the Messiah, Who they [ the peoples] imagined themselves in a very earthly way, but which they waited sincerely. Began a new stage of the history of the people of God, which had to end at the threshold of the New Testament.