The Zohar says Moshiach’s full revelation must come by year 6000, and that from year 5500 two explosions would begin: the wellsprings of inner Torah would open, and the gates of secular wisdom would open too.

That’s exactly what we saw — Chassidus revealed Torah’s deepest secrets right as science and technology exploded.

And it’s this very era of upheaval that is called _ikvisa d’Meshicha_ — meaning both “the heels of Moshiach” and “the footsteps of Moshiach.” The Rebbe explains: this is the lowest point, spiritually and physically, but it’s precisely because the darkness is so thick that we can hear Moshiach’s footsteps.

In this darkness, serving G-d through self-sacrifice is what draws Moshiach’s light down. The closer we get, the more signs of Moshiach we see!

(See Zohar Vayera:1 117a, Sefer Hasichos 5751:2 761)