Trouble shall come upon trouble, and rumour upon rumour, and they shall seek a vision of the prophet, and the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.
הֹוָ֤ה עַל־הֹוָה֙ תָּב֔וֹא וּשְׁמֻעָ֥ה אֶל־שְׁמוּעָ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֑ה וּבִקְשׁ֤וּ חָזוֹן֙ מִנָּבִ֔יא וְתוֹרָה֙ תֹּאבַ֣ד מִכֹּהֵ֔ן וְעֵצָ֖ה מִזְּקֵנִֽים׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
And I will transform the disgrace of captivity into the glory of the mighty. They will seek a revelation from the prophets of deceit, but it will not be found; for in the chaos of their captivity, the law, the priesthood, and the prophetic insight will be lost to the interpreters.
There will be turmoil upon turmoil and news upon news. As it is stated, Woe shall follow woe, and tidings after tidings. Just as it is conveyed to the faithful, Rejoice, and I say again, Rejoice (Philippians 4:2), and it is noted about them, They shall go from strength to strength (Psalm 84:7), implying that current blessings will be amplified by those yet to come. Likewise, for those who face adversity and have sought peace but found none, there will be turmoil upon turmoil or woe upon woe, as stated in the Revelation: ‘One woe has passed, and behold, another woe is coming’ (Revelation 9:12).
Furthermore, there will be news upon news, resonating with the words of the righteous Job: yet to this I say, a messenger has come (Job 1:16), compounding disasters and detailing the sounds of the impending Babylonians and their multitude. They will seek revelations from the prophet, but there will be no law from the priest, nor guidance from the elders. Each person seeks one thing from some and something else from others. The prophet is called to reveal what is to come. It is the priest’s role to interpret the law. A mature generation looks for wise guidance, in the spirit of what is written: In the council of the saints and in the assembly of the great works of the Lord (Psalm 111:1-2). This was not only required of prophets, priests, and elders when the Babylonian forces besieged Jerusalem but is also a daily necessity within the churches. If they lose sight of vision, law, and guidance, they foolishly assert that they possess prophets, priests, and elders.
Grief upon grief, and news upon news. Disaster shall succeed disaster, with increasingly dire reports following one after another. There will be no divine revelation from the prophet, the commandment will fade from the priest, and guidance will be absent from the elders. These conditions persist in their full force even now, as their priestly order does not align with the law, and the gift of prophecy has ceased to exist.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS