Thus, in all classes of Roman society, life was hard, joyless, oppressive: satiety with life, boredom, disappointment in the upper nobility, lack of rights, oppression, suffering in the lower strata. There was nowhere to look for joy, comfort, consolation. The pagan religion did not give man any relief. She did not have that grace-filled mysterious power that alone can calm, encourage and strengthen a suffering heart and a languishing spirit. In addition, the Roman religion of the time of the coming of Christ the Savior borrowed a great deal from the Eastern cults, full of voluptuousness and debauchery. In the mad, dissolute of the East, one could find intoxication, temporary oblivion, but after that the sorrow became even more acute, the despair even deeper.

Pagan philosophy also could not satisfy man, since it taught only about earthly happiness and did not free the restless spirit from the fetters of the world and matter. Two trends dominated the philosophy of that time: Epicureanism and Stoicism. The Epicureans said: the science of being happy consists in creating pleasant sensations for yourself; every excess entails painful sensations, therefore it is necessary to be moderate in everything, even in pleasures, but this moderation, as well as virtue itself, is not the goal for man, but serves only as the best means to enjoyment. The Stoics took the best sides in man. You are free, they said, so you are your only master. Your will must fully belong to you; Happiness consists in dominating oneself. Sorrows, persecutions and death do not exist for you: you belong entirely to yourself and no one will take you away from you, and this is all that a wise man needs.

What philosophy lacked was the divine element. The god whom they called nature has no advantage over the gods proclaimed by pagan religion and mythological legends. The God of the philosophers is not a living, personal God, but fate, implacable and blind, under the blows of which man falls into despair and dies.

In addition, philosophy was completely inaccessible to popular understanding and was the lot of only a small number of selected sages. Therefore, the masses could not seek consolation in her.

One might have expected that the indications of the new way and the means of reviving life would be found in the Jewish people, the only people who preserved the true religion and the exalted concepts of God and life. But Judaism itself was experiencing a severe crisis. It is unlikely that in the history of the Jewish people there are darker pages of religious and moral decline than in the period preceding the appearance of Christ the Savior. When one reads the prophetic books and the stern speeches of the prophets denouncing Jewish life, a heavy, gloomy picture is drawn.

Here are a number of excerpts from the books of the prophet Isaiah, depicting the cheerless moral and religious state of the people of Israel at that time, their ingratitude and betrayal of God, their unbelief, their depravity, their cruelty and blatant injustice.

Hear, O heavens, and hearken, O earth, for the Lord says, I have brought up and exalted sons, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, and the ass knows his master's manger; but Israel does not know me, my people do not understand. Alas, sinful people, a people burdened with iniquity, a tribe of evildoers, sons of perdition! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, and they have turned back. (I, 2–4). How did the faithful capital, full of justice, become a harlot? The truth lived in it, and now there are murderers... Thy princes are transgressors of the law, and accomplices of thieves; they all love gifts and chase after bribes; the orphans are not protected, and the widow's work does not reach them (I, 21, 23).

And among the people one will be oppressed by another, and each by his neighbor... Their tongue and their deeds are against the Lord, insulting to the eyes of His glory... My people! thy leaders deceive thee, and have corrupted the way of thy paths (III, 5, 8, 12).

The heart of this people is hardened, and with their ears they can hardly hear, and their eyes are closed, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, that I may heal them (VI, 10).

…О юношах его не порадуется Господь, и сирот его и вдов его не помилует: ибо все они — лицемеры и злодеи, и уста всех говорят нечестиво (IX, 17)…Священник и пророк спотыкаются от крепких напитков; побеждены вином, обезумели от сикеры, в видении ошибаются, в суждении спотыкаются. Ибо все столы наполнены отвратительною блевотиною, нет чистого места (XXVIII, 7, 8).

…Это народ мятежный, дети лживые, дети, которые не хотят слушать закона Господня (XXX, 9). Беззакония ваши произвели разделение между вами и Богом вашим, и грехи ваши отвращают лице Его от вас, чтобы не слышать. Ибо руки ваши осквернены кровью и персты ваши — беззаконием; уста ваши говорят ложь, язык ваш произносит неправду. Никто не возвышает голоса за правду, и никто не вступается за истину; надеются на пустое и говорят ложь, зачинают зло и рождают злодейство… Дела их — дела неправедные, и насилие в руках их. Ноги их бегут ко злу, и они спешат на пролитие невинной крови; мысли их — мысли нечестивые; опустошение и гибель на стезях их. Пути мира они не знают, и нет суда на стезях их; пути их искривлены, и никто, идущий по ним, не знает мира. Потому-то и далек от нас суд, и правосудие не достигает до нас; ждем света, вот тьма, — озарения, и ходим во мраке… Ибо преступления наши многочисленны пред Тобою, и грехи наши свидетельствуют против нас; ибо преступления наши с нами, и беззакония наши мы знаем. Мы изменили и солгали пред Господом, и отступили от Бога нашего; говорили клевету и измену, зачинали и рождали из сердца лживые слова…И честность не может войти. И не стало истины, и удаляющийся от зла подвергается оскорблению (LIX, 2–4, 6–9, 12–15).

Таким образом, и здесь, среди избранного народа Божия, та же картина нравственного мрака и разложения.

Зло сгущалось повсюду. В этой атмосфере бесправия и насилия, обмана и лицемерия, неверия и суеверия, разврата и погони за наслаждениями становилось трудно дышать. Мир, порабощенный римской политикой, униженный и доведенный до отчаяния ложными религиями, тщетно вопрошающий философию о тайне жизни и добродетели, этот мир стоял на краю могилы.

Само иудейство, изменившее своему предназначению, находилось при последнем издыхании. Никогда еще не было более критического момента в истории человечества. Чувствовалось, что человечество зашло в тупик и без посторонней помощи Кого-то Великого и Сильного выйти оттуда не может. И вот среди лучших людей того времени все упорнее и напряженнее становится ожидание появления Великого Пророка, который укажет человеку новые пути и спасет мир от гибели и разложения.