Amos 5:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, individuals in tragic circumstances, akin to wounds that cry out for cauterization, harbor a hidden yearning for retribution, even if they lack the courage to voice it directly. Therefore, he mournfully declares, woe to those who anticipate only the day of reckoning, known as the Lord's day, for it is a message from God. But why, he questions, would you desire this day characterized by darkness rather than light, as it is fraught with immense calamity? For no one will escape, and those who evade one threat will confront another; those who avoid the first peril will fall victim to the second. This illustrates the fate of narrowly evading the lion's jaws only to be ensnared by the bear. Furthermore, if someone seeks refuge in a house, they may perish from an accidental snakebite. Surely, if God has decreed destruction and torment, who can save, aid, or deliver from such punishment? And what means exists to elude evil? Undoubtedly none, for who can thwart His sovereign will (Isaiah 14:27)? If He locks His hand against mankind, who can possibly open it—and is it not affirmed in the Scriptures (Job 12:14)?

For it is written: ‘Each work shall remain as it is called, and he shall receive a reward. But if his work is consumed, he will be compensated, yet he himself will be saved, as through fire’ (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).

Therefore, woe to Judah and Israel, who proclaim, “Let the day come; let the time of restoration follow, as there is less harm in the tribulations of captivity than there is benefit in the Lord’s promised deliverance.” The prophet reveals that their expectation of what lies ahead after a prolonged period, after the arrival of the Son of God, and after seventy years of Babylonian exile, only leads to devastation, poverty, and countless hardships. When you flee from Nebuchadnezzar, depicted as a lion, you will instead face Assyria, during whose reign the account of Esther unfolds. Following the downfall of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, the Medes and Persians will rise. When you return under Cyrus's decree, and upon Darius's edict commence rebuilding the Lord's temple, placing your trust in it and resting on its walls, Alexander the Great or Antiochus Epiphanes will come, striking you like a serpent, right in your sacred land—not in Babylon or Susa but from within. This illustrates that the day you seek is not one filled with joy and light, but marked by sorrow and darkness.

This has been briefly summarized concerning historical reflections, without dismissing Jewish perspectives. Undoubtedly, when we speak of the day of darkness, we refer to the day of judgment, of which Zephaniah foretells: ‘The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and swiftly approaching: the voice of the day of the Lord is harsh and terrible’ (Zephaniah 1:14), while Isaiah proclaims: ‘Behold, the day of the Lord is approaching, a day of wrath and unhealed indignation, to bring desolation upon the earth and to eliminate sinners from it’ (Isaiah 13:9). Concurrently, the aspirations of the proud are shattered, awaiting the day of judgment, saying, “Oh, if the Lord would come, if we could be liberated and dwell with Christ!” (Philippians 1), mirroring the Pharisee in the Gospel who boasts: “O God, I thank You that I am not like other men—greedy, unjust, an adulterer, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all my earnings” (Luke 18:11-12). Those desiring what they do not fear—the day of the Lord—face judgment as no one is without sin, and even the stars are not pure in His sight (Job 25). He has confined all under sin, that He might show mercy to all (Galatians 3). Hence, since no one can rightly judge God's judgment, and we will account for every careless word (Matthew 12:36), while Job made daily sacrifices for his sons, concerned they might harbor wrongdoing against God (Job 1:5), how naive are those addressed along with the Corinthians: “You reign without us, but we desire to reign alongside you” (1 Corinthians 4:8)! Surely, had they no guilt of conscience, they should have followed Paul’s example, who lamented, “Who is weak, and I am not weak?” (2 Corinthians 11:29), and shown concern for all, as those who love themselves and aspire to rule would not wish for the suffering of others, like one longing for the subjugation of their homeland and the devastation of a city, so they may enjoy the favors of victors. In times of distress, we often say, “Oh, if I could shed this body and escape the trials of this age!” failing to realize that while we exist in this flesh, we have the chance to repent, and if we leave it, we will hear the words of the prophet, “In Sheol, who will praise You?” (Psalm 6:6). This is the earthly sorrow that leads to death, from which the apostle does not wish the man involved with his father’s wife to perish (1 Corinthians 5); this is the fate of the wretched Judas, who, overwhelmed by sorrow, allied with betrayal and took his own life, believing that death would be an end to his troubles, only to find a lion, a bear, and a serpent awaiting him. These symbols suggest various forms of punishment or the devil himself, who justly bears the names of lion, bear, and serpent. When we consider Isaiah’s exhortation: “Come, my people, enter into your chambers, close your doors behind you, hide yourself a little while until the fury of the Lord has passed” (Isaiah 26:20), it can feel as if we are sheltered from the wrath, yet we may still be afflicted by the serpent, known here as “nahash,” and in the Book of Job referred to as Leviathan. The nature of this creature and the immense fear it incites is depicted in the text. Darkness and gloom, in contrast to light and brightness, represent differing kinds of divine punishment.

I must confess, dear lady, that each time I have wished to share with you the news of your sister Basilla, who is now in eternal rest, I have instead been engulfed by sorrow, plunged into a stupor of spirit, with my senses and speech rendered numb, as the grief of her passing has taken hold of my heart.