To those people who have grown weary of their captivity and who have despaired that the time will never come when they can return to their homeland, Deutero-Isaiah has a message of comfort and of hope: The time has arrived when warfare is over; their punishment is accomplished. Yahweh declares that already the captives have been punished too much, and he has called Cyrus, the Persian king, to take appropriate steps for their liberation. Yahweh is now ready to lead them himself. He will go before them, making the rough places smooth and gently carrying in his bosom the ones who are unable to travel by themselves. Yahweh's sovereignty over the nations of the earth is illustrated in Deutero-Isaiah's conception of history. Humans may think they have complete control over the course of events, but they are mistaken. Yahweh orders events that make up the historical process. Although his order is moral rather than mechanical and allows for choice on the part of human beings, nevertheless it establishes a relationship between cause and effect that remains constant.
Yahweh's constancy forms the basis for predictions. In this connection, Yahweh's power and foreknowledge cannot be matched by any of the foreign nations' gods. Speaking about this point, Deutero-Isaiah says for Yahweh, "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
