The house of our holiness, and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt with fire, and all our lovely things are turned into ruins.
הַעַל־אֵ֥לֶּה תִתְאַפַּ֖ק יְהוָ֑ה תֶּחֱשֶׁ֥ה וּתְעַנֵּ֖נוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
See v. 10 As a result, our sacred dwelling was condemned. However, it is noted that it was also consumed by flames, the temple revered by the blessed ancestors, which was once so majestic and renowned. It is said that all the splendid treasures also perished, for the holy utensils housed in God's temple were dishonored by those who looted and set fire to them.
O Lord, You are our Creator, and we are like clay in Your hands, crafted by Your guidance. Please do not let Your wrath be kindled against us excessively, and do not hold our transgressions against us. Look upon us, for we are Your people. The city that is Your sacred dwelling is in ruins; Zion lies desolate, and Jerusalem is forsaken. Our place of sanctification and glory, where our ancestors honored You, has been consumed by fire, and everything we cherished has become ashes. Will You remain silent, O Lord? Will You withhold Your voice and strike us down with overwhelming force?
And now we plead with You, for we are all made in Your image. We acknowledge that if we weighed our actions, we would find no ground for hope. Yet we understand that Your discipline is an act of love towards those whom You receive as Your own. You have called us, Your people, even as You declared Israel to be Your firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). While we are but clay, and You are our Creator, we dare to implore You not to let Your anger be overwhelming. We do not deny the reality of Your judgment, but we request that You temper Your wrath and not remember our sins in this time of reckoning. Instead, remember Your people, who were once known as Your own, and have compassion on the city of Your holiness where Your name was revered.
Zion and Jerusalem, once filled with righteousness and peace, now lie desolate. The temple of our sanctification and glory has crumbled into ruins, rendered powerless by fire. No offerings are made there, nor is Passover celebrated, nor any of the commands You have given observed; instead, our most cherished possessions have turned to dust. Will You, O Lord, continue to extend Your mercy to us, remaining silent before our adversaries who mock us, and strike us down in an extraordinary manner?
The Jews may claim that the fulfillment of these troubles occurred in the days of the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, yet we understand that the Savior speaks through our trials: "I was revealed to those who did not ask Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me" (Isa. 65:1). This references the time of the Roman dominion, which was chronicled by Josephus in his accounts of the Jewish captivity. The reality is evident, as all we held dear has been destroyed, and the once-great temple has become a mere shadow, a refuge for owls, while those in the synagogues mourn in vain.
These afflictions we endure may also be spoken of in the Church or seen within the soul of a righteous person, which embodies the fullness of the divine presence through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet, if through our sins Zion is abandoned by You, it becomes vulnerable to the fiery darts of the enemy. Adulterous hearts are like crucibles in conflict, and when the coolness of purity is lost, the flames of desire ignite. The glorious and renowned aspects of our lives may then fall into devastation, just as Your Word warns: "Thy sanctuary shall be burned with fire; the dwelling place of Thy name shall be defiled in the earth" (Psalms 43:7). Only the One from whom rivers of living water flow can quench this inferno.
The absence of the temple If we are unworthy, declares the prophet, to be identified as ‘Your people,’ then the city merits the compassion of its Creator, for it has fallen into ruin (Is 64:10). Through the remembrance of His name, Isaiah appeals for mercy. The location where it is stated that the house of our sanctification has become a detestation (Is 64:10-11) is understood by some as a ‘vanishing.’ The malediction of the adversary and the offering of our afflictions, for we often say: this person is prone to the passions. Thus, a renowned temple, abundant in holiness, esteemed by all, and destroyed by foes in conflict, serves as a representation of the curse.
Hear what the prophetic Spirit communicates regarding the devastation of the land of the Jews. His message expresses the lament of a people grappling with their circumstances. It goes like this: 'Zion has become desolate, just as Jerusalem lies in ruin; our home, our sanctuary, is cursed, and the glory our ancestors honored has been consumed by flames, and all His magnificent treasures have fallen. Yet You have endured all these events, remaining silent, and have humbled us severely.' It is evident that Jerusalem stands in ruins, as prophesied.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS