Here this birth is correlated with the desolation of the earth. Apparently, the point is that after a while the Assyrians will crush both Israel and Syria. This allowed and still allows some interpreters to assert that the prophet Isaiah informed Ahaz that a young woman would give birth to a child in Jerusalem and, while he was still small, significant events would take place related to deliverance from danger. The opposite opinion was expressed by the Holy Fathers. In the writings of St. Basil the Great we find the following: "Is it surprising that one of the many women living with her husband became the mother of a child? And how could that which was born "of the lust of the flesh" be called Immanuel? Therefore, if what is given is a sign, then let the birth also be extraordinary. And if the image of the birth of the Child is ordinary, then do not call it a sign, do not call it Emmanuel" [12, part 2, p. 226].

Further, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of the birth of a son, and by God's command the name of this son is given Maher-shelal-hash-baz, that is, "hastens the plunder, hastens the booty" (Isaiah 8:1). As you can see, the ministry of the prophet does not end even within the walls of his own home, so he names his children for a certain purpose. This name should testify that before the child is able to pronounce "my father" and "my mother", the riches of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried before the king of Assyria. However, even here we cannot limit ourselves to the literal meaning. If the 7th chapter is about Christmas, then it should be understood in the same way. St. Basil the Great says that he approached in a vision and saw the fulfillment of the promise. The Mother of God was called the Prophetess, since the Holy Spirit descended upon Her, and She sang a prophetic song. The Son is Christ, who suddenly plundered the "gain" of the devil – the people who were captive by him. "And thou shalt come unto the prophetess, and be conceived in thy womb, and bear forth a son. And the Lord said unto me, His name is Thou hast taken captive, and plundered insolently" (Isaiah 8:3). "That is, by the spirit and foreknowledge of the future, I approached the prophetess. For he comprehended, as it were, drawn closer by prophetic understanding, saw her conception from afar, foreseeing by means of a prophetic gift that she had given birth to a Son, of Whom the Lord said, "Call His name: Take captive quickly, plunder insolently [hastens plunder, hastens the booty]." Soon he captured the strong, guarding his possessions, that is, those who were sold into sin and kept in the chains of death. And He took him captive, and divided his gains to His own strength, handing over the faithful for safekeeping and observance to the holy Angels, of whom He Himself said: "Ye shall see the face of My Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). For this is the one who has insolently plundered; of Him it is written, 'Ascending on high, He took captivity captive, He took wealth among men' (Psalm 67:19)" [12, part 2, p. 235]. St. Cyril of Alexandria interprets this passage in a similar way.

Сила Дамаскова – верующие из язычников, корысти Самарийския – уверовавшие от обрезания. «Еже скоро пленение сотвори корыстей, приспе бо» (Ис. 8: 1). «Ибо учение Евангельское было скоро быстрее всякой молнии, дошло до пределов вселенной; оно отъемлет корысти у князя века сего, и плененных им приводит в послушание Христово» [12, ч. 2, c. 236].

Далее пророк говорит о том, что Иудея должна уповать на Бога, а не на военные союзы, не на укрепленные города, не на свою собственную воинскую силу. Господь говорит, что «будет Он освящением и камнем преткновения, и скалою соблазна для обоих домов Израиля, петлею и сетью для жителей Иерусалима» (Ис. 8: 14). Упование на Бога – это единственное, что может спасти и защитить Иудею, никакие идолы, никакие военные союзы, ничто другое не поможет им, как не помогли, скажем, Самарии. Самария для своего времени была великолепно укрепленным городом, даже ассирийская армия потратила немалое время, чтобы этот город взять, но тем не менее взяла, сровняла с землей, так что никакие ухищрения ей не помогли. Пророчески здесь изображается спасительное упование на Христа.

И далее, в 9–й главе, содержится пророчество о возвышении Галилеи языческой: «Народ, ходящий во тьме, увидит свет великий; на живущих в стране тени смертной свет воссияет» (Ис. 9: 2), которое цитируется в Евангелии от Матфея (Мф. 4: 16), и свет воссияет, не просто солнечный свет, а Тот, Который просвещает всех, то есть явится Христос. «Ибо Младенец родился нам – Сын дан нам; владычество на раменах Его, и нарекут имя Ему: Чудный, Советник, Бог крепкий, Отец вечности, Князь мира» (Ис. 9: 6), или в славянской Библии: «Велика Совета Ангел, Чуден Советник, Бог крепкий, Властелин, Князь мира, Отец будущаго века; приведу бо мир на князи, мир и здравие ему». Эти слова нам известны по богослужению. «Чудный, Великого Совета Ангел», – совета, очевидно, того самого, о котором идет речь в 6–й главе, и Христос здесь называется действительно Ангелом, возвестившим о его исполнении. Разбирая законоположительные книги, мы говорили о явлении Ангелов, через которые открывался Сын Божий. И тогда мы ссылались на эти слова пророка Исаии, где Христос прямо назван Ангелом. И еще «Отцом будущего века». То есть жизнь будущего века, которую мы с вами чаем и воспеваем в Символе Веры, явлена через Христа. «Бог сый мира, Отец щедрот, великаго совета Твоего Ангела, мир подавающа послал еси нам. Тем богоразумия к свету наставльшеся, от нощи утренююще, славословим Тя, человеколюбче!» [Еже по плоти Рождество Господа Бога и Спаса нашего Иисуса Христа, на утрени. Канон первый, 5 песнь, ирмос // Минея, 25 декабря].

В 11–й главе говорится о дарах Святого Духа. Христос называется отраслью от корня Иессеева: «И произойдет отрасль от корня Иессеева, и ветвь произрастет от корня его; и почиет на нем Дух Господень, дух премудрости и разума, дух совета и крепости, дух ведения и благочестия; и страхом Господним исполнится, и будет судить не по взгляду очей Своих и не по слуху ушей Своих решать дела. Он будет судить бедных по правде, и дела страдальцев земли решать по истине; и жезлом уст Своих поразит землю, и духом уст Своих убьет нечестивого» (Ис. 11: 1–4). Эти последние слова пророка Исаии цитирует апостол Павел (2 Фес. 2: 8). Почему Дух Господень должен почивать на том, кто есть Бог? Потому что через Него Он откроется, через Него действия Духа наконец станут доступными для всех людей, и дары Духа, которые в совершенстве почиют на Христе, будут передаваться верующим.

Таким образом, мы видим, что на протяжении пяти глав, следующих за описанием видения Господа Саваофа, разворачивается замечательная пророческая картина, изображающая Боговоплощение и его спасительные последствия.

26.8. Prophecies about the Fate of the Gentile Nations

and about Jerusalem

Like other prophets, the prophet Isaiah's vengeance on sinners will take place on the Day of the Lord, which is depicted as a world catastrophe.

"Weep, for the day of the Lord is near, coming as a destructive power from the Almighty. That is why everyone's hands dropped, and everyone's heart melted. They were terrified, convulsions and pains seized them; they are tormented like a woman giving birth, they look at each other in amazement, their faces are aflame. Behold, the fierce day of the Lord comes, with wrath and burning wrath, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners from it. The stars of heaven and the luminaries do not give light from themselves; the sun is darkened at its rising, and the moon does not shine with its light. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquities, and I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and I will humble the arrogance of the oppressors; I will make men more precious than pure gold, and men more precious than the gold of Ophir. For this I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be moved out of its place because of the wrath of the Lord of hosts, in the day of His burning wrath" (Isaiah 13:6-13).

Among the prophecies about the punishment of certain nations, the prophecy of the fall of Babylon stands out, which appears to us as an image of the fall of Satan.

"And it shall come to pass in that day, when the Lord shall make thee out of thy sorrow, and out of fear, and out of the heavy bondage to which thou wast enslaved, thou shalt utter a song of victory against the king of Babylon, saying, 'As the tormentor is gone, the robbery is stopped!<... >Hell of hell has been stirred up for your sake, to meet you at your entrance<... >Thy pride is cast down into hell with all thy noise; a worm is laid under you, and worms are your covering. How thou hast fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the dawn! He was dashed to the ground, trampling down the nations. And he said in his heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on a mountain in the assembly of gods, at the end of the north; I will ascend to the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." But you are cast down into hell, into the depths of hell.<... >This is the decree that has been decreed for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out against all nations: for the Lord of hosts has decreed, and who can abolish it? His hand is outstretched, and who can turn it away?" (Isaiah 14: 3-4, 9, 11-15, 26-27).

In Slavonic, verse 20 reads as follows: "As a robe soaked in blood shall not be clean, so thou shalt not be clean: for thou hast destroyed My land, and hast slain My people. Thou shalt not abide in eternal time." Commenting on the above passage, St. Basil the Great says: "Here is another part of the lamentation for the prince of Babylon and for his deeds. After he who fell "from heaven Lucifer" said in his heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will be like the Most High"; in proof of how far from being likened to the Holy One who has defiled himself with all impurity and murder, he is likened to a garment, which by its nature is made for the adornment of man, but because it is soaked in blood, it cannot be taken by man for use. From this it is evident that the evil one does not have impurity in himself because of his structure, but because he has stained himself with blood, having destroyed the land of the Lord and killed people through sin" [12, part 2, p. 319].