Isaiah 52:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet God resolves this conflict by descending from above and declaring, "Peace be with you." Did we not ourselves seek the promise of peace? He came to ensure our reconciliation, guiding us and offering gifts beyond our knowledge or imagination. Preaching salvation, He declares, “I will reveal myself to all,” proclaiming, “Zion, your God will reign,” while others affirm, “He has reigned.”

Therefore, Zion represents the Church, as previously mentioned, which Christ presented to Himself as without blemish or fault but holy and pure (Eph. 5:27). This salvation is proclaimed audibly, not hidden from any individual on earth; indeed, no one has been ignorant of salvation through Christ, as stated in the Psalms: hear this, all nations; give heed, you who inhabit the earth (Ps. 48:2). Just as the memory of the demons was silenced with a loud noise (Ps. 9:7)—the triumph over their tyranny was made known to all—so the divine and heavenly message was revealed to everyone, offering salvation to those who recognize the coming of Christ. What is the essence of this proclamation? O Zion, your God will reign. Prior to our Savior's arrival, Satan ruled over us through sin, inflicting his cruel tyranny upon all the earth. But when the King and Lord of all shone upon us, He broke our chains and cast aside the yoke of the former ruler, and we submitted to God's authority, allowing God the Father to reign over us through the Son, which initiated our sacred celebration. Thus, David proclaims: The Lord reigns. Let the earth rejoice (Ps. 96:1); and again, Sing skillfully, for God reigns over the nations (Ps. 47:8, 9). As I have indicated, our Savior called us to this, urging, Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you (Matt. 11:28, 29). Under the oppressing yoke of a cruel master and sin, we found ourselves in dire straits and suffering greatly. Yet, the powerful preaching of holiness has established the Kingdom of Christ among us, and we are now all under His rule, as He promised, saying, O Zion, your God shall reign. He then clarified how He would reign, stating: the voices of those who guard you shall be raised. The guardians are the divine disciples, or more broadly, all those who were able to guide and persuade the called to follow the righteous path, inspiring them to fulfill all that is beautiful, to burn with love for Christ, and to make a true and perfect confession of faith in Him. These individuals act as good shepherds, nurturing the flock entrusted to the Chief Shepherd while warding off predators. Their voices are undeniably heard everywhere, as Isaiah proclaimed: Go on up to the high mountain; you who bring good news to Zion, lift up your voice loudly; you who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift it up; do not be afraid (Isa. 40:9). The apostolic message will spread widely and be recognized by all; for they will thrive, and those to whom the message is directed will willingly follow their invitation. They will rejoice greatly when they witness the results of their silent efforts, as it is evident that they will rejoice with one voice since they will all share the Gospel, and many will be drawn into the mystery of faith, eagerly embracing the teachings imparted to them. This brings joy to the teachers of the faith, as Paul wrote to those who came to believe through him: Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown (Phil. 4:1). The connection between the guardians of the mysteries and the obedience of those they guide is evident to anyone familiar with the sacred and divinely inspired Scriptures. For instance, when the apostles spoke in Jerusalem to the Jewish assembly, it is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that three thousand souls were added to their number that day (Acts 2:41). Similarly, the blessed Paul and Silas, while imprisoned, sang praises to God at midnight. When a heavenly messenger appeared and freed them from their bonds, the jailer, fearing for his life, was about to take it, but upon hearing Paul call out that they were all present, he was astonished by this miracle and baptized along with his entire household (Acts 16:24-33). It is undeniable that this moment brought him great joy. Thus, he states that immediately following the calling of those invited, their obedience follows quickly, and they will direct their gaze upon them when the Lord has mercy on Zion. To whom shall they look? They will look to the Prince of Salvation, that is, Christ, for the Word became flesh, as testified in the Psalms: God comes and will not keep silent (Ps. 49:3); or they will rejoice in unison, as mentioned, and witness this with their own eyes when the Lord grants mercy upon Zion, bestowing grace upon all through faith, along with the abundant joy of divine blessings.

The Path of Christ You, a chosen generation (1 Pet 2:9), the humble of this world (1 Cor 1:27), who have abandoned everything to follow the Lord, go after Him and confound the mighty. Follow Him with beautiful feet and shine in the heavens, that the celestial realm may declare the glory of God (Ps 18:2). Discern the light of the perfect, not yet like the angels, and recognize the darkness of the insignificance, though not yet in despair. Let your light shine upon the entire earth, where the day illuminated by the sun will impart the wisdom of the word, and the night illuminated by the moon will reveal the knowledge of truth to the night.

He preached peace to those who were far away, meaning the Gentiles, as well as to those who were near, specifically the Jews, reconciling the world to Himself (Eph. 2:16-17). Concerning Him, the Psalmist sings under the name Solomon, “In His days righteousness shall flourish, and abundant peace, until the moon is no more” (Psalm 71:7). Additionally, concerning the Child born to us and the Son given to us, on whom the government rests, and who is called the angel of great counsel, it is stated: “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). For He, who made peace through the blood of His cross for everything in heaven and on earth, is our peace (Eph. 2:14). He said to His apostles, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). He revealed to us true benefits—those not deemed indifferent by philosophers, but genuine gifts from the Father to those who seek Him (Matt. 7:11), which include all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Finally, another Evangelist echoes this sentiment: “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13)? He announced the blessings that the Lord promises to those who believe: “Listen to Me, and you will eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest fare” (Isa. 55:2). Not only does He offer goodness, but also the gift of salvation, affirming to Zion, that is, to the Church, "Your God reigns." Thus, the Apostle warns the saints, “Let not sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts” (Rom. 6:12) and speaks of sinners with, “Death reigned from Adam to Moses” (Rom. 5:14). The voice of your watchmen refers to the apostles, of whom God also speaks to the Church in another place: “On your walls I have set watchmen; they shall never be silent day or night” (Isaiah 62:6)—watchmen who will raise their voices in proclamation of lofty truths. Therefore, it is said to them, “Get up to a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength; you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem” (Isa. 40:9). They will praise together and see God face to face, which the Apostle refers to as “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12); also, the Holy One sings: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord” (Ps. 24:15) and “To You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens” (Ps. 122:1). The Lord will correspondingly reward the righteous; His eyes are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cries (Ps. 33:16). The translation by the Seventy of “as beautiful are the feet of him who brings the gospel of peace” aligns with Paul’s citation in Romans, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Rom. 10:15). This refers to the Apostles, whose feet the Lord washed (John 13) that they might be made clean and beautiful for the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the earth, filling the world with the concise teachings of Christ. The term for “hour” in Greek conveys notions of both time and beauty. If understood as time, it corresponds to “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you” (Isaiah 49:8). Thus, the Apostle adds, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). In this favorable moment, while all were lost and none were righteous, He shed His blood for all, tasting death for every person, as all had sinned and fell short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). However, if we interpret this as beauty, it aligns with the psalmist’s declaration, “You are more beautiful than the sons of men” (Psalms 44:3). For what could be more splendid than having the goodness of the servant transform into the goodness of God and rule alongside Christ in heaven? The term for “hour,” given the richness of the Greek language, might also indicate care and concern, as expressed by the Holy One: “Increase my soul in Your power” (Psalms 137:3). The Greek text does indicate a plea for deep concern, paralleling another instance: “You have honored the sons of men with great care” (Psalms 11:9), which the Greek rephrases as “With much care you have dignified them.” However, this may be seen as excessive, and it is more fitting to comprehend the beautiful feet of Christ and the apostles, recognizing the shared understanding among all translators outside the Seventy, as endorsed by Paul.