This is officially the last Java 7 compatible release, just in time for Java 7 going out of support with Oracle. Next develop build that requires Java 8 has been built and is looking good :-)
Main feature in this release might be the new server list. On the multiplayer join screen a few entries will load automatically and we can add more separately from game releases/changes. There's no formal process to have a server added to the list yet just ask us on IRC or in the forum.
Other than that there is an assortment of multiplayer usability enhancements along with various other cleanups, bug fixes, and more of the usual.
More details in the forum: http://forum.terasology.org/threads/stable-53-final-java-7-release.1274/
Edit: Just realized by releasing after having since merged the Java 8 PR into develop the attached source code actually contains the Java 8 requirement. Whoops. The zip is stable 53, source code is newer. Incidentally, broke a couple release number thus the missing 51 + 52 :-)