The Rambam focuses on one thing: leisure to study Torah. The messianic era removes the oppression and distraction that prevents full engagement with wisdom.
Question 2
Will nature change in the messianic era?
The Rambam states explicitly: do not imagine that nature will change. Verses about lions eating straw are metaphors. The fundamental change is political/social — freedom from oppression.
Question 3
Why did the prophets and all Israel yearn for the messianic era?
The Rambam gives this precise answer: not for luxury or revenge, but for the Torah study that persecution makes impossible. Redemption = conditions for full spiritual engagement.
Question 4
What happens to the relationship between nations in the messianic era?
Universal recognition of God is part of the messianic vision. Not through force — through the revelation of truth that comes with redemption.
Question 5
What is the Rambam's overall view of Jewish history's purpose?
The Rambam's vision is intellectual and spiritual: history's entire arc bends toward a world where wisdom and Torah are undistracted by oppression — where the human mind can fully engage with God.