Isaiah 24:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophet affirms this truth with the declaration: The mouth of the Lord hath spoken these things. Who among us would dare claim that divine judgement lacks earnestness? High status offers no protection to those who do not yield the good fruits of a life aligned with divine law, and material wealth provides no advantage for its possessors. Ultimately, we shall all stand equally before the Judge—the great and the humble, the rich and the poor—because God shows no favoritism (Romans 2:11). The book of Job also testifies, “Small and great are there, and the servant shall not fear his master” (Job 3:19).

Regarding these wrongdoers, it is written that they will descend to the abyss, seized by the sword, and compared to the foxes (Ps. 62:10). As it is with the people, so it will be with the priest; as the servant, so will his master be; as the maid, so will her mistress be; as the buyer, so will the seller; as the lender, so will the borrower; and as the usurer, so will the debtor. Then, as the Father has prepared various places according to merit, it is stated that the saints shall ascend on clouds to meet the Lord in the air and will always dwell with Him (Jn. 14:1-4). Instead of the earth lying desolate, the LXX translates: the universe is corrupted; and instead of striking its face—meaning the earth—they say: and opening its face, allowing the dead to rise from their graves, or revealing it so that all its deeds are laid bare, and its souls scattered to different ends, destined for reward or punishment. At that time, there will be no distinction made between the noble and the ignorant, the priest and the layperson, the servant and the master, the maid and the mistress, the rich and the poor, the moneylender and the one burdened by debt, the buyer and the seller. All will stand equally before the judgment of Christ, and there will be no favoritism from God (Rom. 14; Col. 3). In nearly identical terms, Job proclaims: “The small and the great are equal, and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:19), a truth confirmed by the Savior, to whom the authority of final judgment has been entrusted, as he articulates in the Gospel. The earth shall be laid waste by desolation, and plunder shall overtake it, for the Lord has declared this. Thus, the earth will be left desolate, and all its creations brought to naught, so that once the likeness of the earthly man is destroyed, only the image of the heavenly remains. For the first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. Just as the earthy man is formed from the earth, so too are those who are of the earth; and as the heavenly man is from heaven, so too are those who are heavenly. As many as bear the image of the earthly, let us also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Cor. 15:47-49). Hence, the same Apostle states, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50), not implying that the physical nature will cease to exist, but rather that this corruptible being will be clothed in incorruption, and this mortal will be adorned in immortality. All these things shall surely come to pass, for what shall be accomplished has been spoken by the Lord through the prophets.