Isaiah 62:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, they faced divine retribution through crop failures, afflictions of the body, and invasions by foes who devastated their land and took away all that was in the fields. As it was said to them, “You shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall press the olives, but you shall not anoint yourself with oil; and you shall not drink wine” (Micah 6:15). Therefore, if you amend your ways, declares Jerusalemite, turning to spiritual service, rejecting idolatry, embracing the teachings of Moses about Me, receiving grace through faith, and becoming a source of joy on earth—great praise, notably in reference to Christ—the Lord will affirm, by His glory (for there is none greater by which He can swear), and by His might, that no previous calamities resulting from your serious disobedience will come upon you again. You will not labor in vain in your spiritual endeavors; as divine David stated, you will reap the rewards of your efforts (Psalm 127:2), and as Paul wrote, “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap, for he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8). These words indicate that spiritual Jerusalem will reap a bountiful harvest of spiritual fruits. Those who attain this will praise the Lord, and those who partake will do so in the sanctified courts; for those who have embraced a life of virtue and have gathered the fruits of genuine and pure faith will find joy in the celestial realms.

The Divine presence speaks to Jerusalem, representing the Church of the firstfruits, which was founded by the apostles. The watchmen I set upon your walls may symbolize either angels or apostles, along with all its leaders and teachers. Their duty is to safeguard the Church's walls, defending it against the adversary, the devil, who prowls like a roaring lion, seeking to invade and plunder the flock of the Lord. These guardians must continually lift their voices in prayer, both in joy and in sorrow, imploring the Lord for mercy and protection over His flock and the walls of Jerusalem.

Thus, it is a charge to these watchmen and teachers: O you who remind us of the Lord and who stir His mercy with your fervent petitions day and night! Let your prayers never fall silent. Let the Lord not find rest, but be persistently troubled, both in and out of time, and emulate the intercessor who stands before the strict Judge. For if that intercessor, through unceasing supplication, has softened the heart of the Judge, how much more will our heavenly Father bestow blessings upon those who earnestly seek Him?

You must persist in prayer until Jerusalem, once collapsed and now a byword among the nations, is exalted and revered throughout the world. I am curious why the Septuagint, rather than the Hebrew phrase “Let Him not rest until He has made Jerusalem a glory in the earth,” instead professes something seemingly contrary: “For He is not like you, if He makes Jerusalem a glory in the earth.” This seems to aim for harmony through eloquence, conveying that those who, through their preaching, contribute to the restoration and joy of Jerusalem cannot be likened to Him.