The innermost intent underlying the exile is that the exile should enable the Jewish people to attain a higher spiritual level than they had attained before it began. In fact spiritual perception in the time of the future Redemption will surpass even that in the time of the Beis HaMikdash.

Hence, even though in practice the Redemption follows the exile, nevertheless, since the entire exile exists only for the sake of the Redemption, from the point of view of the divine intent it precedes the exile.