Isaiah 51:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The flood’s sign was the rainbow, while the sin of the Sodomites is symbolized by the barren land. The rainbow encircles the earth, yet the sign of Sodom's sin is not universally visible. Thus, both heaven and earth serve as signs of God’s wrath: one is perceived with the eyes, while the other is revealed to the ears of other men. The bronze serpent was a sign for the Israelites, as were the vessels of the altar. We have various indicators of divine judgment in forms of weakness, illness, and profound suffering, prompting us to anticipate future consequences. Who has not been made aware of the vengeance unleashed upon the Sodomites? Throughout various languages, it has been proclaimed. Isn’t the suffering of the Jews sufficient for us to comprehend the judgments to come? The city lies in ruins, the temple is consumed by fire, tribulation and oppression abound, and those who crucified Christ are scattered, devoid of land and city, wandering in tattered garments across the earth. Their dispersion by human hands is improbable, as at times they triumphed over the Macedonians, Persians, and Medes with divine assistance; however, it was the overwhelming force of the Crucified One that caused their scattering. When Phinehas struck down one man, he received great rewards; similarly, Moses was granted vast gifts for his actions. Yet, if they indeed vanquished an enemy of God, why then were they tormented and scattered across the earth? For those who doubt the reality of hell's punishments, let them reflect on the judgments faced by the Jews or the fates of Ananias and Sapphira, who, after dedicating their possessions to God, ultimately perished as thieves of the temple.

Such is the fate ordained by God for those who do not acknowledge Him, and dreadful judgment awaits them, for those who metaphorically drink from flames and sulfur face unavoidable and everlasting punishment. Conversely, every righteous individual rightfully asserts, I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord (Psalm 115:4); for continually knowing and invoking the Lord of all is a life-giving sustenance for those who are accustomed to it. Consequently, God, who judges justly, declares that Jerusalem was intoxicated, not by wine, but by unhealed afflictions and unbearable suffering. Yet He judges righteously, determining the fate of the good and admonishing those who fall short, so that they may improve, abandon all forms of impurity, and transform their spirits to align with His divine ordinances. Yet take away the cup of ruin from Your hand, and do not let it be given into the hands of Xenus to drink; for as has been said, he will be called to embrace the knowledge of Christ, and will partake in the supreme blessings alongside us; he himself will share in the sacred gifts and receive spiritual treasures. This is affirmed by the prophet, who states: ‘In the days of many days the children of Israel shall sit down, not to the king, nor to the prince, nor to the sacrifice, nor to the altar, nor to the priesthood, nor to the appearing: and therefore the children of Israel shall turn back, and shall call upon the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall rejoice in the Lord, and in his goodness in the last days’ (Hosea 3:4, 5). The prophetic utterance by David here alludes to Christ, who, according to the flesh, is descended from the lineage of David. This is distinctly shown by the fact that the prophecy was delivered long after King David had passed away, many generations beyond him. Therefore, even while he has not yet received grace through faith, and while the cup of wrath remains over him; when he honors Christ through faith, then this cup will be entirely lifted from him, and he will rejoice alongside other righteous individuals, of whom it is written: they shall forget their former sorrow, and it shall not come upon their heart (Isaiah 65:16), rather, everlasting joy and gladness shall crown them: sickness, sorrow, and sighing shall be banished from them (Isaiah 51:11). When this cup is removed from him, it shall be bestowed upon those multitudes who have wronged him. In what manner have they offended him? By being afforded the chance to act righteously and tread the path of purity, through which they could achieve a life pleasing to God, and, adorned with the brilliance of the evangelistic life, together with believers in Christ, ascend to the highest realm. Therefore, who can be identified as those who have wronged him? In the immediate context, it ought to be noted that primarily those who ruled over the synagogue drank the cup of wrath: for the higher joys they experienced compared to others made the consequences of their downfall all the more grievous, stripping them of honor and glory, of wealth and the comforts of existence, and even of life itself. However, if we need to delve into the deeper symbolism (and I deem it essential), we assert that the Jewish synagogue suffered not only from its leaders but also from the cruelty of the devil, which clouded their understanding, preventing them from recognizing the divine light and failing to see Him who beckons to salvation, who justifies the sinner, liberates from judgment, and releases from the bonds of death, meaning Christ. Paul attests to this when he writes: ‘But if our gospel be covered, in them that perish it is covered: in them shall the god of this age blind the minds of the unbelievers, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should shine unto them’ (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4). The Son Himself communicated to the assembly of Jews that this affliction befell them and openly rebuked them for becoming violent and rebellious under the influence of an unclean spirit, succumbing to various evils: He stated, When the unclean spirit departs from a man, it wanders through arid places seeking rest but finds none: and then it declares, I will return to my house from whence I came out. It then goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be also with this wicked generation (Matthew 12:43-45). In Egypt, they served the gods of that land, and an unclean spirit resided within them. However, when they were liberated through Moses and received the Law as a determinant of actions, they heard the clear directive, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’ (Deuteronomy 6:13): thus, the unclean spirit was expelled from their hearts. But since they lacked the reverence of God and failed to accept Jesus through faith (for He dwells in our hearts by faith, as written in Ephesians 3:17): the unclean spirit, observing that ancient dwelling empty, invaded it once more and took up residence there, leaving them in a state worse than before. It is well known that the originator of malice also instigated a traitor among the disciples; for it is written, Satan entered into him by bread (John 13:27). The synagogue of the Jews receives punishment, as Satan obscures their vision, hindering them from perceiving with their spiritual sight the Light of the world, which is Christ. After being called to repentance, the cup of divine wrath and the vessel of downfall were handed to those who had wronged them; for the evil and adversarial forces were condemned when Christ, the Savior of all, cast them into hell, binding them with chains of darkness, and delivering them to the judgment of those who were in torment (2 Peter 2:4; cf. Jude 1:6). They directed their voices to Jerusalem, ‘Bow down, let us go down.’ However, it (Jerusalem) offers the center of the earth to those who traverse it, meaning it opens itself up and lays itself low for those who wish to tread upon it. This reflects what the malevolent forces do when they perceive a soul weakened and neglecting its reason to the extent of easily yielding to their wicked and god-hating accusations.

O Jerusalem, to whom I have proclaimed, ‘Arise, arise, and seek repentance!’ Since you have consumed from the hand of the Lord the cup of His indignation and drained it completely, and your sons, scattered and captives, lie on the streets and at the crossroads, recognize that you are poor and abased, intoxicated not with wine, but with the wrath of the Lord. Thus, should you repent and rise up, understand that the cup of inebriation and downfall, or according to Symmachus and Theodotion, of torment and distress, must be removed from your hands. The container, which Symmachus translates as a vessel for dissolving wine, you shall drink no more; instead, it will be given to your adversaries, those who said to your soul: ‘Bow down that we may pass by.’ When they spoke thus, you willingly bent down, making your body or back, or according to the Seventy, your core and garments, a mere passage for those who walked over. This may reflect historical truth, indicating that Jerusalem, had she chosen to rise, would not have tasted the cup of the Lord’s fury nor would she have suffered as she did before. In a more profound sense, it speaks to the soul, worn down by vices and filled with passions, reminding her that the Lord is her judge and that she will answer for all. If she chooses to change for the better, the cup of downfall will be taken from her hands, and the vessel that contained the Lord's fury, filled with the punishments described by Ezekiel to Jerusalem: ‘You shall drink the cup of your sister Samaria, deep and wide, overflowing with drunkenness’ (Ezekiel 23:32), shall be handed over to those who have brought her low. The reference here, without doubt, is to the oppressive powers that said to her soul, ‘Bow down that we may pass by.’ It should also be noted that they did not force her, nor did they violate her dignity, so that she, who once stood tall, would be bent low; rather, they left her to her own choice. Yet, she, of her own will, did not bend from within, but succumbed to those who oppressed her from without. We find a similar account in the Gospel (Luke 13:11-13), where for eighteen years, Satan had bent a woman whom the Lord restored to her rightful state, allowing her to proclaim: I lift my eyes to the hills; from where does my help come? (Psalm 121:1); and: To You I lift my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens (Psalm 123:1).