Isaiah 24:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For He declared: "And the Lord of hosts called that day weeping and lamentation, and shaving of heads and putting on sackcloth: and these made joy and gladness, slaughtering the calves, and eating the sheep, as eating meat and drinking wine, saying, Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die" (Isaiah 22:12, 13). Through another prophet, it is said, "They that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall... that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph" (Amos 6:4, 6). Having indulged in great immorality, they revelled in luxuries at a time when they should have soaked their palms with unrestrained tears and sought forgiveness for their sins. Thus, the calamity of war was righteously inflicted upon them, and those who once reveled in excess faced unimaginable disasters. The grapes lamented—not the vine itself, but those who consumed its fruit: those who once found delight will now wail, and mourning will become their unceasing toil; for the joy of tambourines has ended, and the pride and wealth of the wicked have ceased. Arrogance is called nothing less than extreme pride—it comes to an end, along with the riches and the melodies of harps, turning bitter for those who previously lived in luxury: the cities and homes lie in ruin, for all earthly joy has vanished. However, anyone who perceives the nature of the final age, when judgment will arrive, will realize that all worldly pleasures shall fade away; instead, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who are cast into the depths of hell. Wealth will be of no benefit to those who have amassed it; every enjoyment will vanish, and all physical comforts will cease. The fleshly desires that were once sought after will lead to a sorrowful conclusion for those given over to sin, as they will have to answer to the Supreme Judge, just as the wise Paul reminds us: "for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).

When the resurrection of the righteous occurs, and the Day of Judgment arrives, even the vineyard will weep, as Moses declares, “For their grapes are the grapes of Sodom, and their clusters are bitter; their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps” (Deuteronomy 32:33). For those who drink from it, the song will not be wine; their drink will be bitter. Thus, every type of intoxicating beverage that clouds the mind and prevents awakening will transform into bitterness, deceptively masquerading as sweetness, ultimately proving to be more bitter than bile. The festive melodies of the celebrants will be replaced by weeping and lamentation. We must remind those who partake in feasts of indulgence, drenched in sweetness and intoxication, as well as auditory pleasure, that their souls are weakened through every sensation. The city of vanity will crumble, and every dwelling will be sealed with no one entering. The city of vanity will be laid to waste—whether it be every city or the spiritual Babylon that sits upon seven hills, concerning which we find accounts of its judgment in the Revelation of John (Rev. 18). He aptly refers to it as the city of vanity, for if it is stated that “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” concerning heaven, earth, and everything earthly (Ecclesiastes 1:2), how much more pertinent is this in regard to a single city, a small fragment of the world? The once resplendent houses with their gilded ceilings, clad in marble and adorned with polished ivory, will be filled with cries for wine in the streets, with joy departed and the land’s brightness extinguished. While the impoverished suffer from the cold without refuge, these homes will stand abandoned. In the streets, there will be lamentation for wine—not on the narrow path that leads to life, but on the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7). Regarding the intoxication of the delusion that has lulled the careless to sleep, they will find nothing in their hands despite their wealth (Psalm 75:6). The city lies desolate, anguish overwhelms the gates; for the joy of the earth ascends to heaven, and only desolation remains in what was once a renowned city, with its crowded entranceways now beset by the distress of its inhabitants. Thus, the looming destruction of the entire world is made evident.