Isaiah 34:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Just as an abandoned item is distant from its owner, so too the sinner is estranged from the sacred presence of God, reminiscent of Cain's lament, "Behold, thou now castest me down from the face of the earth, and from thy face I shall be hid, and shall be a fugitive and a wanderer upon the earth: and whosoever shall find me shall slay me" (Genesis 4:14), echoing the truth that "He shall not look upon the majesty of the Lord" (Isaiah 26:10).

When the prophet communicates in anger, it is crucial not to think that God is swayed by such emotions. A person burdened by hardship may react with anger, unable to grasp the weight of justice when passions overwhelm them; however, this does not apply to God. So how does God express His anger? His actions in anger are always just. While we may be clouded by our own rage, God, in administering punishment, rewards everyone according to their actions, remaining untainted by anger. Although similar expressions are used concerning us and the Divine, their meanings are not equivalent: God’s nature is not one of anger; rather, we are the ones who become angry, often inflicting torment upon ourselves and others, whether or not it brings them actual harm.

He has eloquently illustrated that the assembly of the Jews would face ruin, destined to fall into the hands of those who would seize them for captivity and ravage them. He has now connected this with the calling of the Gentiles, for many who are weak will be led into bondage. He articulates a necessary proclamation to those who once had a mindset of the temple, yet have come to walk faithfully in Christ. Thus, he speaks of the coming judgment upon all, both small and great.

Therefore, he calls to the Gentiles as if they are distant, saying, "Come, O Gentiles, and listen, O rulers." Yet he means to say, "come near." As long as they remain in error, serving created things rather than the Creator, they are far from God. But when the reason for their distance is removed, they are drawn close to God and recognized as near, having been united with Him through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

So he urges, "Draw near, then, O Gentiles and rulers; let the earth and those within it, the cosmos and its inhabitants, listen." What does this reveal? The anger of the Lord is directed toward all who inhabit the earth, but not indiscriminately—rather, it falls upon those who have not rejected sin and carry sinful impurity in their hearts. The broader content of this message implies that they shall face ruin and be surrendered to destruction, defiling every place as if they were festering corpses. The mountains, it is said, will be soaked with their blood.

Following this, he clearly indicates the timing of these events by placing a prophecy about the end of the age in the midst of his speech, stating: the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, and the stars will fall like leaves, echoing what the Savior’s disciple foretold regarding the final day, when the heavens will vanish with a roar, the elements will be set ablaze, and the earth along with its works will be destroyed (2 Pet. 3:10). However, as declared in His promises, we will receive new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:13). Thus, while the heavens align and the stars fall, this may symbolize the renewal of creation. The Apostle Paul explained that the creation will be liberated from decay, entering into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:21).

Yet, when it is resolved, and when the prince of this world approaches and finds no sin within, then you will hear the comforting voice of the prophet: "You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the deadly pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you" (Psalm 90:5-7). If, however, a multitude of sins overwhelms you and you are troubled by sinful desires, and your thoughts whisper, "What shall I do?" Elisha will respond, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them," and he will pray, "Open his eyes so that he may see" (2 Kings 6:16-17). With your eyes opened, you will behold the fiery chariot that shall raise you up like Elijah to the stars, and in ecstatic wonder, you shall proclaim, "Our soul is delivered like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we are escape" (Psalms 123:7).

And because God did not spare the fallen angels, who by their rebellion brought ruin to their heavenly abode, He proclaims through Isaiah: “My sword is drunken in heaven.” Indeed, all sinful nations are destined to perish by the sword—not solely by a literal blade, for there are numerous paths to demise apart from the sword, but by the spiritual sword that will smite those who refuse to repent.

Hear this, O nations; give heed, you peoples: let the earth and all its inhabitants, the universe and every creature, listen. The wrath of the Lord is against all nations and fury against all their armies; He has overthrown them and delivered them to slaughter. The remnants of the slain shall lie in waste, and the stench of their corpses shall ascend; the mountains shall be soaked with their blood. All the host of heaven shall fade away; the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their multitudes will fall like leaves from a vine or fig tree: "For my sword is drunken in heaven." Behold, it shall come down upon Idumea and upon the people I have delivered up for judgment. The sword of the Lord is saturated with blood, dulled with fat—the blood of lambs and goats, and the fat of choice sheep. The sacrifice of the Lord is in Bozrah, and the destruction is great in the land of Edom. The wild oxen shall perish with the strong bulls. The earth shall be drenched with their blood and their fat shall rise in smoldering ashes. After the fall of Jerusalem and the ruin of the once-great ship, amidst the plunder of all its treasures, the complete devastation of the tribes and the end of the world shall be proclaimed, which will occur on the day of judgment. Thus, all tribes and peoples of the earth, along with all that fills it, the universe and all its works, the places both inhabited and desolate because of extreme cold and heat, are summoned to listen and with fear and reverence to understand what is coming. The wrath of the Lord will not only fall upon the Jewish people, the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Moabites, Ammonites, and Philistines, but upon all tribes and hosts, meaning the multitude of them shall be destroyed, and the stench of their decaying bodies shall rise high—symbolizing the sins of all nations. Thus, the mountains will be filled with corruption, uncleanness, and their blood will defile the air—the higher powers and angels that once guarded the nations shall fade away, and the heavens will be unfolded or rolled up like a scroll, with all of their host, and as the Seventy translated, the stars shall fall, like the leaves succumbing to cold from the vine and fig tree. Our Savior taught that the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven (Matthew 24:29-30). It is essential to note that He does not indicate that the heavens will perish, but rather that they will be unfolded or rolled up like a book, so that after the unveiling and examination of all sins, those that were previously visible may be hidden, and thus the sins of many will no longer be recorded there. Daniel spoke of such records: "The judgment is set, and the books are opened" (Daniel 7:10), in which everyone’s deeds are noted. The stars will fall, as many believe, according to the Revelation of John (Rev. 6:13 and Rev. 8:10) and what is written elsewhere: "All the stars will be destroyed; heaven and earth will pass away" (2 Pet. 3; Matthew 21). For the fashion of this world will fade. Some interpret this as referring to the celestial stars, intending to signify the whole through the part—such that the falling of the stars symbolizes the destruction of the heavens. Others believe that these stars that fall are those about which the Apostle Paul writes: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). It is not surprising that the demons residing in the air are referred to as heavenly, for even birds that do not dwell in the sky are described as heavenly in Scripture. Satan is depicted as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), taking the form of a star. Our Savior perceived him as lightning falling from heaven (Luke 10:18). Of him, it is allegorized, "How you have fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!" (Isaiah 14:12). All these things will come to pass, for His sword is poised in heaven—the chastisement, judgment, and retribution against wrongdoers, decreed by the Lord. This sword, according to Ezekiel, is sharpened against the wicked, and after the destruction of many, it is commanded to return to its sheath (Ezekiel 21). When it is filled and intoxicated in heaven, which commonly refers to the air in Scripture, then it will also descend upon Idumea, indicative of earthly matters, that after punishing the demons, the souls of men may likewise be judged. In our tongue, Idumea represents earthly. It was filled with blood, refined with the fat of lambs and goats and fat sheep and oxen, illustrating that both leaders and the common people will face punishment equally. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and great devastation awaits in the land of Edom. Concerning Bozrah and Idumea, the same prophet later states: "Who is this coming from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah?" (Isaiah 63:1). Some speculate that since Bozrah refers to flesh, the sacrifice in the Lord's Bozrah corresponds to the torment of all within the flesh. However, this interpretation is an innocent misconception. In this passage, it is not written with the letter indicating flesh (i.e., bosor) but rather with tsade, thus termed Bozrah, which, according to both Jesus and Jeremiah, is not located in Edom, or Idumea, but in the region of Moab (Jer. 48). In the Pasha language, Bozrah signifies a fortified and enclosed place, conveying that the universe stands firm by the will of the Lord, as stated in the psalm: "He established it upon the seas, and prepared it upon the rivers" (Psalms 23:2); and regarding the ground's stabilization in God's sight, it is said, "I have established its pillars" (Psalms 74:3). When there is to be a sacrifice of the Lord in Bozrah, and destruction in Idumea, the wild oxen will fall with the strong bulls, meaning that kings and rulers of the earth shall also be condemned, and all shall be filled with ruin, embodied by the blood and remains of those who were once powerfully rich. These words, crafted in alignment with the common human desire to instill dread in listeners, announce torment for rulers and strongmen, nations and the meek. By Bozrah, which indicates the fortified and established, and Edom, or Duma and Idumea, Jewish scholars interpret as Rome, and to this, they relate what is described in the subsequent section.