"Comfort, comfort my people, saith your God; speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and declare to her that the time of her struggle is fulfilled, that for her iniquities satisfaction has been made, for she has received double from the hand of the Lord for all her sins. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert the paths of our God; let every valley be filled, and every mountain and hill be made low, the crookedness straightened, and the rough paths made smooth; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [the salvation of God]" (Isaiah 40:1-5). This is what the prophet says about the Forerunner of Christ, John. And this is what he says about the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: "And there shall come forth a sprout from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall sprout from his root" (Isaiah 11:1). "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel," which means "God is with us" (Isaiah 7:14). "For unto us a child is born, a son is given unto us; And they shall call his name Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. To the increase of His dominion and peace there is no end in the throne of David and in his kingdom, that He may establish it, and strengthen it with judgment and righteousness from henceforth and forevermore" (Isaiah 9:6-7). "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness; and will be filled with the fear of the Lord... for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea... to the root of Jesse... the Gentiles shall be converted, and His rest shall be glory" (Isaiah 11:2-3, 9-10). "And... the mountain of the house of the Lord will be set at the head of the mountains, and will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow to it... for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:2-3). "Strengthen the weak hands, and strengthen the trembling knees; Say to those who are timid in soul: be strong, do not be afraid; behold your God... He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. Then the lame shall leap up like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing" (Isaiah 35:3-6). "Thy dead shall live, and dead bodies shall arise" (Isaiah 26:19).

This is how the prophet depicts the miracles of Christ the Savior. Let us now listen to the story of the Lord's sufferings: "I have given My back to them that smite," says the prophet on behalf of Christ, "and My cheeks to them that smite; He did not hide My face from mockery and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6). Struck by such humiliation of Christ, Isaiah in holy awe cries out: "[Lord!] who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He (Christ) ascended before Him (before God the Father) as a offspring and as a sprout out of dry land; there is neither form nor majesty in Him; and we have seen Him, and there was no form in Him that would draw the flock to Him. He was despised and rejected in the sight of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with sicknesses, and we hid our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not value Him. But He took our infirmities upon Himself and bore our sorrows; but we thought that He was smitten, chastised, and despised by God. But He was wounded for our sins, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed. We have all wandered like sheep, each one has turned to his own path; and the Lord laid upon Him the sins of all of us. He was tormented, but he suffered voluntarily and did not open his mouth; He was led to the slaughter like a sheep, and as a lamb before his shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. From bondage and judgment He was taken; but who can explain His generation? for he is cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was put to death. A tomb with evildoers was assigned to him, but he was buried with a rich man, because he had committed no sin, and there was no lie in his mouth. But it pleased the Lord to smite Him, and He gave Him over to torment; but when His soul offers the sacrifice of propitiation, He will see a lasting offspring... through the knowledge of Him (through faith in Him) He, the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify many, and bear their sins upon Himself. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great... because He gave up His life to death, and was numbered with the transgressors, while He... he became an intercessor for criminals'" (Isaiah 53:1-12).

We cannot quote here all that Isaiah foretold about Jesus Christ. But even these few extracts are enough to see how miraculously the Lord revealed the future to His chosen ones. But the world does not know how to appreciate these chosen ones of God, and the word of Christ was fulfilled over Isaiah: "It is not that a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:33). Ancient tradition says that by order of the impious king Manasseh, the prophet Isaiah was sawn with a wooden saw near the walls of Jerusalem. The Orthodox Church celebrates his memory on May 9.

202. Psalm of Hope. Psalm 90

Where is the fortunate one who is not afraid of sorrows and anxieties, whose heart is calm in all the turmoil of the stormy sea of life? Who looks without fear at every adversity, firmly convinced that no danger can harm him? This is the one who has given himself completely into the hands of God, who has relied on the Lord in everything, whom, for this complete devotion, the Almighty helps in everything – "living in the help of the Most High..." Let the noisy sea of life rage angrily around him, raising high waves of misfortunes and all kinds of misfortunes; he found himself a quiet, reliable harbor, hid himself from them under the shade, under the protection of an unearthly covering: he "will dwell in the shelter of the God of Heaven."

What should he be afraid of, when he himself abides in God, and God abides in him? (1 John 4:16). No, he is not afraid of the terrible storms of sorrows and misfortunes, his heart will not be troubled by the pernicious winds of sinful thoughts, blowing from the very depths of hell; like a strong indestructible rock, he stands calmly, trusting in the Lord, and in the difficult time of temptation, on the day of a difficult struggle with the enemies of salvation, he sighs to the Lord, and from the depths of his heart, devoted to God, "says to the Lord: Thou art my intercessor and my refuge," do not forsake me! He will boldly say also to his enemies: I myself am nothing; My God is my strong defense, "and I trust in Him" the One One! Oh, happy art thou, beloved of God, child of God: thy hope is not in vain! Trust in the Almighty, "for He will deliver you, and deliver you also from the snare of the hunter," that is, from the invisible intrigues of the cunning fisherman, the devil. and "rebellious from words" (from slander and malice of men)... If your enemies rise up against you, God Himself will stand before you, fight them in your place, and cover you with His shadow — "His splash will overshadow you" like an eagle, like a kokosh protects its offspring from the enemy, He will cover you with His almighty power, and you, like a chick of God, "hope under His krill," that is, you will be completely safe. You never betray the truth of God, you sacredly keep the commandments of God, but as a weapon, as an impenetrable shield, "His truth" (this very truth will guard and protect you from all sides) will "surround you" (this very truth). And if God is for you, who is against you? What can all your enemies do? "Fear not the fear of the night" (secret malice), "the arrow that flies in the days" (open attacks of the enemy). Thou shalt not be afraid of "things that are in darkness" (whether of the plague that walketh in the darkness, or of other misfortunes that occur in the night, of the passions of the flesh, or of the fears of demons), of the "gristles" (of the contagion of a devastating and unexpected encounter with some other calamity, or of involuntary sins falling during unforeseen trials), thou shalt not fear "the demon of the noonday," this spirit of idleness and intemperance, the spirit of despondency and vanity, the spirit of envy and covetousness... The enemy rains down his poisonous arrows on you like hail, both from the left and from the right: it is not only with obvious sins that he tempts you, more often he draws you to sin under the guise of a right deed – virtue: but you are not afraid of these arrows – God is your protection: "a thousand arrows will fall from the neck of your country", "and a thousand (tens of thousands) at your right hand, but to you" not one of them "will come near". And you will not suffer any harm, both (moreover), "look with your own eyes" (you will see with your own eyes that your enemies, whether they are people or demons, will not go unpunished) "and you will see the recompense of sinners." And then you will cry out from the depths of your grateful heart: My hope has been fulfilled, "For Thou, O Lord, art my hope!"

Yes, beloved of God, that is why the Lord cares for you so much, that you have given yourself over to the will of God, that "you have laid down your refuge for the Most High," that you have chosen Him alone as your refuge. For this reason "no evil will come to thee," no "evil or wound" (plague or other calamity) will "come near" not only to "thy body," but also to "thy dwelling itself, as by His angel," the Lord will "keep thee in all thy troubles," in all thy actions. In the difficult time of temptation for you, they will lead you by the hand, show you the right path; In a moment of danger, when you are ready to stumble over the stone of temptation and fall, they will "lift you up in their arms," lift you up, support you, "lest you dash your foot against a stone." You will not be afraid of the most terrible and powerful animals: neither the destructive adder, nor the basilisk, the terrible king of reptiles, nor the lion, the king of desert beasts, nor the dragon, the huge serpent (boa), swallowing not only people, but also oxen... Nor will you be afraid of the invisible serpents, the destroyers of demons and all kinds of human passions: "on the adder" of slander "and the basilisk" of insatiable envy you will "tread and cross", crush the heads of the lion of cruelty and the serpent, the dragon of wrath and fury. And all this will come to pass, it will certainly happen to you, a man devoted to God; for you hear, the Lord Himself proclaims about you: "For I trust in Me, and I will deliver you from every danger, I will cover you and" from every misfortune, "for I know My name alone" (He knows Me alone, worships Me alone, knows and fulfills My good will). "He shall call unto me, and I will hear him," because he will not ask of me anything unworthy; "I am with him in" temptation, in every "tribulation" and calamity; I will not only "ism" deliver him from sorrows, but "and glorify him," and I will turn his very sorrow into joy. If he asks Me for the continuation of life, I will not refuse: "By the length of days I will fulfill him, and I will show him" both in this temporal life and in blessed eternity — "My salvation..."

Wondrous words, comforting promises! It is not in vain that our holy Mother, the Orthodox Church, repeats this psalm for us daily at the noon (sixth) hour: according to the remark of the holy ascetics, around noon a person is especially seized by the spirit of despondency; and in this psalm there is so much consolation for a despondent soul in the hope of God's help and protection. This psalm is also read over the grave of the departed, according to the rite of burial, through which the comforting assurance is expressed that he who has lived in God's help in this life will not be deprived of the heavenly shelter in the next: for in the eyes of God there is no difference between the living and the dead: "But God is not dead, but living: for to Him all live" (Luke 20:38). And our Russian Christ-loving warrior, going out into the field of battle to fight with his enemies for the Orthodox faith, for the Tsar and the Fatherland, inspires himself with the same psalm of hope: so much grace-filled, strengthening, and encouraging the soul is contained in this sacred song of David!

But, brethren, my readers! David was a righteous man in the Old Testament; and we, although unworthy sinners, nevertheless by the ineffable mercy of God belong to the New Testament. The cherished name of God the Heavenly Father has been revealed to us, and we have been given the boldness to call out to Him with childlike simplicity: "Abba, Father!" (Romans 8:15); His Only-begotten Son tells us in His Holy Gospel: "If you, who are deceitful, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him" (Matt. 7:11). "Do not be afraid: you eat many birds" (Luke 12:7). "And the hair of your head shall not perish" without the will of our Heavenly Father (Luke 21:18). "Behold, this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone... believe in Him (the Son of God) to have eternal life" (John 6:40). Should we be discouraged after this? Shall we not trust in Him Who, "Being tempted Himself, (of course), is able to help those who are tempted!" (Hebrews 2:18)... If only we ourselves do not leave His Heavenly protection, if only we do not murmur in sorrows, do not become faint-hearted, and sacredly fulfill His holy will, His holy commandments; and He, the Merciful, will never take away from us this wondrous veil of His goodness..

203. Why did the Lord not destroy death on earth?

"Who is the man who shall live, and shall not see death?" (Psalm 88:49)

If Christ trampled down death by His death, then why do people die even now? There are three types of death: bodily, mental, and eternal death under hell. Bodily death is the separation of the soul from the body; the Psalmist speaks of it: "Take away their spirit, and they shall perish, and return to their dust" (Psalm 103:29). Spiritual death is the separation of God's grace from the soul, for it is only by the Holy Spirit that every soul is alive. This death comes from sin, which drives away the grace of God from the soul, as night drives away light. "O man! says St. John Chrysostom. "You weep over the body from which the soul has been separated; but you do not weep for the soul from which God has separated.."

Eternal death is the separation of the rational creature from the face of God's chosen ones and the blotting out of the book of the living, of which the Psalmist says: "Let them be consumed of the book of the living, and let them not be written with the righteous" (Psalm 68:29). So, did Christ our Saviour trample down all these types of death by His death? I answer: He trampled down, destroyed only two kinds of death: the spiritual and the eternal underworld. Do you wish, O man, to deliver your soul from the death of sin and the eternal death of hell? Flow with repentance to Christ our Saviour: He delivers sinners from these deaths. And He left bodily death in this world until the end of time.

O dearest Saviour! Why did Thou allow such a fierce beast to tear Thy people to pieces, Thy possessions, which Thou hast bought with Thy priceless Blood? And what consolation will we have in this life if such a deplorable end awaits us? "What profit is in my blood, when I descend into incorruption!" (Psalm 29:10).