Isaiah 46:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

With His gracious promises, He seeks to lead them back to reason and urges those who have wandered far from the truth—essentially, from God—to return to Him. It appears that along with promises of salvation for some, He implies a broader and universal salvation. He freed those taken captive by the Chaldeans, which can be regarded as a specific act of aid; however, the overarching rescue is through Christ, as promised to the ancients: "For I will bring near My righteousness; and My salvation will not be delayed." This is akin to the statement, “For the vision awaits an appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie” (Hab. 2:3), affirming that salvation is granted in Zion to Israel for glorification. In this context, Zion denotes the spiritual realm, specifically the Church of Christ, where all who belong to spiritual Israel receive His glorious salvation. Just as a Jew is not merely one of Jewish ancestry but also one who is spiritually circumcised, so too is Israel not limited to those descended from Abraham’s lineage, but includes those who have fixed their minds on God and are counted among Abraham's children according to the promise. These are what we recognize as the true Israel.

In the same vein, Stephen, a man of great learning and revered as a martyr, proclaimed to the assembly of the Jews, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you resist the Holy Spirit just like your ancestors did" (Acts 7:31). They are distanced from the righteousness of God because they have not trusted in it, even though God, in His mercy, has drawn it near and sent it to the earth without delay. He has granted salvation to Zion and glory to Israel. This prophecy anticipates the future and heralds the coming of the Lord and Savior. In a historical context, salvation is bestowed upon Zion and glory upon Israel, for God has brought His righteousness close, summoning a bird from the east and an executor of His purpose from a distant land, who will enact justice regarding the wrongs inflicted upon Israel and the devastated Jerusalem. He will conquer the Midianites and Persians, and will bring down Babylon and the Chaldeans, as the subsequent words of the prophet further attest.