Today we read two brief prophecies, about Assyria and about the land of the Philistines, spoken by the prophet Isaiah after the fall of Samaria. These prophecies are separated by about a quarter century, but both are similar in meaning.

For us, living 27 centuries after both of these prophecies, what matters most is that they represent an ancient, original form of apocalypse and speak about the meaning of history. The prophet sees the future and says that, despite all the intricate interests and motives of its actors, history has meaning and purpose. Despite the resistance of nations and kingdoms, despite the temporary triumph of godless empires, the Lord speaks about the future: "...as I have planned, so it shall be, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand."

This prophecy is clothed in a frightening form, but its meaning is great joy and hope. These are words that God's will, good and perfect, will surely triumph.

Our Lord compares His second coming with the drama of the flood: as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:37), and therefore it is especially important now to fix our gaze on this event, remembering this comparison made by Jesus. It is very important, because it allows us to draw nearer to an understanding of the coming Judgment. There was a world before us, but it was subjected to judgment and punishment, forgiveness and mercy. Here there is, as it were, an icon of the Lord, who has already lowered His left hand (symbolizing judgment) and raised His right hand (symbolizing mercy). And there is something parentally tender in the words: "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth." And immediately one remembers: "Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions" (Ps 24:7). The Lord forgave us then, in the days of Noah, because He knew: people still understood too little, and because of their ignorance they could be forgiven.

But the years of humanity multiply. What "age" will correspond to the final Judgment? The answer to this question is also contained in today's reading: "While all the days of the earth remain, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." That is, the Judgment will take place when all the days have been drunk to the dregs.

The covenant-union with Noah is the main event of the parable, its center of meaning. Here we no longer have simply a relationship with a particular person, but precisely a union with him and with all his descendants, and that is serious, forever - for God, unlike a human being, keeps steady and unconditional faithfulness to the obligations He has taken upon Himself and to the word once given. Not because He lacks power over His creation, but because all His promises and unions are connected with His plan. His plan does not change merely because some human being betrays Him or turns away from Him. Such is the covenant with Noah, and through him with all humanity.

Still, not with all in every sense. On the one hand, the covenant with Noah really does concern everyone; on the other, it is revealed in its fullness only in the righteous, who, like Noah, "walk before God," walking as it has been revealed to them. In this connection a question arises: why did God need anything else? Why the people of God, why the Messiah? Why is the covenant with Noah alone not enough? In the language of a modern person this question sounds somewhat different, although its meaning does not change: why is it not enough simply to be a "good person"? In that case, of course, everyone understands "good person" in his own way, but the general idea remains the same: there are many good people in the world, however one understands the expression. They are already good without any additional effort; they do not need to be Christians or even simply believers in God; they are righteous in life. So why do they, or the world in general, need anything else? The answer to this question is given in the parable of Noah.

Yes, God makes a covenant with him, but in making it He says: every intention of the human heart is evil from his youth. In the Hebrew text of the parable it is precisely intentions, not thoughts. Even a righteous person cannot change himself without special efforts specially applied by God. He can follow God in spite of his own nature corrupted by sin, overcoming the intentions of his own heart, but he cannot change his heart and his nature by himself, even if he makes every effort to do so.

Here there is an impasse: after the fall, the human person is doomed to balance all the time on the edge of a very serious spiritual collapse, and with him the whole world is likewise doomed to balance on the edge of collapse. That is why the covenant with Noah is not enough. It is only the beginning of the way, and in no sense the end or the completion, which is impossible without God. God Himself will eventually place the final point on the way of humanity's return to God, but He will not place it soon, since the whole way still lies ahead. Noah takes the first step on that way, a very important and absolutely necessary step, but only the first.