Then he started to say to them: ‘Today this scripture that you just heard is fulfilled.’” (Luke 4:17, 18, 21; Isaiah 61:1, 2)

In his prehuman existence, he had volunteered to be sent by his Father to earth, where he would include in his preaching things that Isaiah had written. (Proverbs 8:30, 31; John 3:17, 34; 5:36-38; 7:28; 8:42; Luke 4:16-19; Isaiah 61:1)

This includes the sobering fact that “the day of vengeance on the part of our God” is near. (Isaiah 61:2)

 6, 7. (a) Isaiah 61:1-7 foretold what wonderful developments? (b) How did Jesus indicate that Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled?

⁶ Though not speaking directly of the ancient Jubilee year, a prophetic reference to a coming type of liberation was made at Isaiah 61:1-7: “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones.

Further, the words of Isaiah 61:1, 2 now applied to him: “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones.

Even after the despoiling of Babylon the Great, they must unflinchingly carry on the proclaiming of the “day of vengeance on the part of our God.”​—Isa. 61:1, 2; 59:17, 18.

If you have slowed down or even stopped altogether, is it because you have lost sight of the spiritual significance of such activities, namely, helping the anointed remnant to fulfill their commission to “proclaim the year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God”? (Isa. 61:1, 2, 5)

His witnesses on earth are commissioned to “proclaim . . . the day of vengeance on the part of our God.” (Isa. 61:1, 2)

12. How did Jesus fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, 2?

¹² As Jesus walked about proclaiming the good news he was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, 2: “The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones.

 9. Where was the prophecy that Jesus read found, and, in its first application, whose release from captivity did it indicate?

⁹ That was the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, 2, written at least 732 years Before Our Common Era.

Let us thus help them also to survive the “day of vengeance on the part of our God.” (Isa. 61:1, 2)

An Isaiah scroll, like the one found near the Dead Sea in 1947, was handed him by the attendant, and Jesus unrolled it to Isa chapter sixty-one, verses one and two, and read:

HEAL SICKNESSES OF MIND AND HEART—Isa. 61:1-3.

61:1, 2 62

Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.” (Isa. 61:1-7, AS)

Later, with Isaiah as his prophetic spokesman, God foretold that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as the principal One of the “seed,” would “tell good news to the meek ones.” (Isaiah 61:1)

First, he fulfilled his own assignment “to tell good news to the meek ones.” (Isaiah 61:1)

Because of the increasing of lawlessness we must go forward, not only with a message of love and hope, but also with a warning message regarding ‘the day of vengeance on the part of our God.’​—Isaiah 61:2.

Isaiah 61:1, 2 sets out clearly what our message is about.