Isaiah 65:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, they faced various punishments; often their fields yielded no harvest, leaving them weary from futile toil and hunger, as it is written, "And the rye shall yield their fruit, and their labor their toil" (Psalm 77:46). The holy prophets also spoke to them: "You shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall pour oil, but you shall not anoint yourselves with it, and you shall not drink wine" (Micah 6:15); and in another instance, "You shall build homes, but you shall not inhabit them; you shall plant desired vineyards, but you shall not drink wine from them" (Am. 5:11). At times, calamities of war befell them; some fell by the sword, while others, fearing for their lives, abandoned their homes and native lands to seek refuge in foreign nations. The ancients endured these trials repeatedly due to their grave sins. However, those who have embraced grace through faith in Christ and have been cleansed of sin through holy baptism will not fall into their wickedness nor suffer sudden losses in their spiritual endeavors. Instead, they will rejoice in their accomplishments, as it is sung in the Psalms, "The labors of your hands shall bring you joy" (Psalms 127:2), where the term refers to the lower part of the hand. No one shall cast them out again; they will not be deprived of the dwelling God has prepared for them, for in the Father’s house are many rooms (John 14:2); nor shall they lose the inheritance reserved for them, which corresponds to their spiritual fruitfulness. Their existence shall be as the days of the tree of life, holy and pristine, reminiscent of the life experienced by the original beings before the fall, when they could partake of the tree of life, untouched by the vilest sin that defies God. The prophetic message reveals that their labors will be vindicated, establishing an unalterable order of things; for the law given through Moses to the Israelites was but a shadow, an image—a mere reflection of truth, not its fullness. But with the coming of Christ, the shadows were dispelled, and the true light arrived, leading to the obsolescence of the old covenant. Thus, the descendants of Israel could not prolong their endeavors, since the sub-legal ministry, viewed through images and types, ultimately proved ineffective. Yet Christians will continue, as no alternative law will be provided that enhances the essence of Gospel teachings. Indeed, it is stated regarding Christ, the Savior of all, through the words of the Psalmist, "Thy truth is everlasting, and thy law is truth" (Ps. 118:142). However, my chosen ones, He declares, shall not labor in vain, nor shall they bear offspring destined for destruction. He contrasts this with the Jewish teachers of old; the scribes and Pharisees, who abandoned the law and instead taught human traditions (Matt. 15:9; cf. Is. 29:18), brought forth children not unto life, but unto eternal damnation. The Savior Himself reprimanded them, saying, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves" (Matt. 23:15). Thus, they bore children destined for ruin. But my chosen ones, meaning the devoted disciples or ministers of my words, will not produce offspring for judgment or cursing, for their seed shall be blessed, blessed by God. He will attentively respond to them, bestowing gifts of mercy and kindness, readily inclining His ear to their petitions, as demonstrated in the promise that before they call upon Him, He will hear them, and while they are still speaking, He will say, "What is it?"

They will not labor in vain nor bear children for condemnation; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, with their grandchildren alongside them. And it shall be that before they cry out, I will pay attention, and while they yet speak, I will respond. The wolves and lambs shall graze together, the lion shall feast on straw as an ox does, and the serpent will be nourished by the earth. They will inflict no harm or destruction in my holy mountain, declares the Lord.

The abode and planting of the righteous shall be everlasting, so that the days of life for my people shall be as those of the tree of life, referenced in the Psalms: "The righteous shall flourish as a fig tree" (Psalm 91:13), triumphing over adversaries and bearing forth the banner of victory. The esteemed days of the tree of life, as conveyed in Hebrew, imply the tree of life in paradise. Adam was cast out to prevent him from reaching out to it and living (Gen. 3). To guard the way to the tree of life, a cherub—and a flaming sword—were put in place so that Adam, in sin and lack of awareness of his wrongs, would not consume it and incur the death of unrepentance, despair, and pride. Solomon elucidates the nature of this tree of life, declaring: "The tree of life is for those who hold it; to those who embrace it, it is a blessing" (Proverbs 3:18). This aligns with the Word of God, which embodies the path and wisdom itself, stating: "I am the life" (John 11:25), and of which the prophet proclaims: "All wisdom filled the earth with Thy creatures" (Psalm 103:24). The Apostle Paul confirms: "Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).

The endeavors of God's people shall not deteriorate but will be renewed daily, enabling them to walk not according to the old letter but in a new spirit (Rom. 7). Just as the disobedience of one man led many to become sinners, so shall the obedience of one man lead many to righteousness. Moreover, the deeds of those whose house is built on the rock will endure eternally, while those whose foundation is on sand will face destruction amidst turmoil.

The covenant speaks of both old and new—not indicating the destruction of the old but rather the absence of adherence to it. In relation to the Hebrew text, our works and those of believers in Christ yield fruits of the apostles, preserved in their treasures, for many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. 20:16). They shall not toil in vain, as the past generations did, but will partake in the fruit of their labors. They will not labor in chaos or condemnation; rather, they shall cease to exist in despair and ruin.

Scholars, such as Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, articulated the need for careful belief, much like Nathanael, who was praised for his sincerity: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit" (John 1:47). Nathanael sought the Messiah through the Scriptures and noted the prophecy regarding His birthplace. Therefore, the apostles will raise generations taught by holy scriptures, avoiding the path of the cursed, while declaring with the prophet: "For we conceive in fear of Thee, O Lord, and bring forth" (Isaiah 26:18). They are blessed: "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body" (Deut. 28:4). These are the children of Abraham, who perform righteous deeds, renowned in Old Testament history and continued in the New Testament by the apostles: Paul with Timothy, Luke, and Titus; Peter with Mark and the others, whose blessed lineage continues.

The prophet speaks: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. His offspring shall be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright shall be blessed" (Psalm 111:1-3). In another verse: "Your children shall be like olive shoots around your table. Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord" (Psalm 127:4). Conversely, of Judas Iscariot and those akin to him, it is declared: "Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow; let his children wander and beg" (Psalm 108:9). The end of the wicked generation is troubling, bringing forth lamentation and iniquity. Their vision shows the pain of unrighteousness, leading to afflictions and sin (Ps. 7:15).

Yet consider Samuel, a righteous man, who begat wicked sons that strayed from his path (1 Samuel 8), and David, from whose lineage Christ emerged, fathered Amnon and Absalom, one a murderer, the other rebellious against his father (2 Samuel 13:28; 2 Samuel 15:14). This demonstrates that children and grandchildren must be understood in context. This notion corresponds to Paul’s labor to give birth to children in faith until Christ is formed in them (Gal. 4), as he begot Onesimus in chains.

When they cry out, they will be answered swiftly, and when they speak, the Lord will declare: "Behold, I am here." We witness the literal realization of this in the Acts of the Apostles where it would not be plausible for such faith among nations to flourish so swiftly without miraculous signs sustaining it. When the apostles proclaimed, the Lord responded with miraculous works: the paralyzed were raised at Peter's prayer (Acts 9), and Paul healed Publius' father of maladies on the island of Malta (Acts 28).

The wolf and the lamb grazed together—the pursuing Paul and the instructed disciple Ananias (Acts 9). This wolf symbolizes Benjamin, described as a ravenous wolf (Genesis 49:27), whose teachings fed believers, triumphing over those defeated throughout the world. The lambs represent all those robed in purity following the Lamb wherever He leads, entrusted to Peter with the command: "Feed my sheep" (John 21:16).

The lion will consume straw, as once powerful and eloquent leaders surrender to the simplicity of Scripture, avoiding the allure of worldly rhetoric. Jeremiah illustrated this contrast: "What is chaff to the wheat?" declares the Lord (Jeremiah 23:28). It is noteworthy that it is the lion changing from fierceness to meekness, not the ox turning into a fierce creature. The serpent that once kept vigil over humanity shall no longer feast on the demise of others but will consume only dust (Gen. 3).

Thus, the transformed wicked will inflict no harm, leaving behind their past aggressiveness, not in the open but within the sanctuary of the Lord, represented as the Church, linked to the prophecy of the great mountain emanating from rocks not hewn by hand, filling the earth (Dan. 2).

Let us inquire of those who still cling to their deceit under the guise of Christian faith: What will it mean for the blessedness in the kingdom where wolves, lambs, lions, oxen, serpents, and men coexist without harm, save for those outside the holy mountain of the Lord? It follows that those outside will perish. For the entire universe will teem with life, including the holy city, where, in blessed harmony, the wolf will dwell alongside the lamb, the leopard with the goat, and children will lead them in peace (Is. 11). The basis for this blessed state is the fullness of knowledge of the Lord filling the earth.