THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The day of the Lord approaches, and troubles will arise from trouble. Food has been removed from the house of your God, along with joy and gladness. 'The day of the Lord' signifies a time marked by calamities or the sending of locusts, which devastate the fields, triggering fears of famine and provoking even the dread of death. It also recalls when the Babylonians laid waste to everything, seizing towns and villages, inflicting relentless suffering, and continuously dragging the inhabitants from one misfortune to another, leaving them unable to catch their breath, with no respite for good fortune that might offer even a small measure of comfort to those overburdened by constant devastation.
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The invasion of the locusts likely occurred when the crops were ripe and the fields awaited harvest; the grapes were ready for pressing. Hence, it is said, 'food was taken from their eyes,' as what lay directly before them was snatched away, seemingly within reach, and promising immediate satisfaction. Joy and gladness were also removed from the house of the Lord, as sacrifices were made in celebration of the bountiful harvests and expressions of gratitude for the abundance of earthly goods.
We observe that those who disregarded Christ underwent a similar fate, and to a far greater degree. They had, in essence, before them 'the bread of the living,' which descended 'from heaven and gives life to the world' (John 6:35, 33), as well as the 'grain of wheat' that fell into the earth to produce a rich harvest (John 12:24), alongside the spiritual wine that nourishes the soul (John 12:24). However, due to their arrogance and refusal to cease their disobedience, this was concealed from them; it was as if the 'food' of the Spirit had been taken away since the fellowship of every good thing departed from them. From the temple present among them, 'mirth and joy' were removed, leaving them in a state of ruin, living in misery without 'king or prince, nor sacrifice, nor altar' (Hosea 3:4).
Furthermore, we can perceive that in another sense, both 'food' and 'joy' were 'taken' from their eyes. Indeed, God declared, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God' (Matthew 4:4). The true nourishment of the spirit is the Word, and it is evident that the council of the Jews lacks spiritual sustenance—they fail to comprehend Moses, as 'to this day...a veil lies over their heart' (2 Corinthians 3:15), for they reject the words of Christ. All spiritual sustenance has vanished from their midst, not because it has perished, but because they no longer welcome it, making it seem non-existent to them. Nevertheless, the Lord bestows to those who believe in Him genuine joy and comfort from divine blessings, for it is written, 'the Lord will not allow the righteous to suffer hunger, but He will thwart the desires of the wicked' (Proverbs 10:3).