Joel 2:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In His zeal for His people, He promises to generously provide all necessary resources for life and prosperity in restitution for past hardships—offering food to satisfaction and a firm pledge that they will not be handed over to their adversaries or endure a life of distress and scarcity. Furthermore, He vows to vanquish "that which is from the north," referring to those dwelling nearby, as the Assyrians are largely associated with the east. Whether the locust swarms are perceived as coming from the northern regions of Judea, this interpretation holds validity. If anyone suffers loss in spiritual riches while besieged by demonic invasions akin to swarming locusts, he should weep, reflect on repentance, and pour out his tears before the Lord. He will soon receive the compassionate words: "Behold, I give you wheat, and wine, and oil," for the Lord will transform his heart into a fruitful land, a garden flourishing with trees, a splendid vineyard. He will also bless his heart with oil ("You anoint my head with oil" (Ps. 22:5)), driving away "that which is from the north," meaning Satan, who induces a coldness of spirit, preventing those under his influence from living righteously. As the Lord said, love will grow cold "because of the increase of wickedness" (Matt. 24:12); yet the servants of Christ remain fervent in spirit, consistently rejecting worldly temptations, for "they have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24).

As the priests began to intercede for the people, pleading, ‘Have mercy, O Lord, on Thy people, and do not yield Thy inheritance to desecration,’ the people obeyed the instructions given to them: they set apart a time of fasting, proclaimed healing, gathered the congregation, consecrated the Church, appointed elders, and welcomed children. The bridegroom emerged from his chamber, and the bride from her private quarters. They turned their focus away from mere fleshly gratification towards spiritual devotion and lamentation.

The Lord’s jealousy stirred for His land, which He had once considered foreign, allowing locusts to ravage it. His grace towards those who repented was profound; He honored their cries for mercy, saying, ‘Though the locusts, worms, and cankerworms have consumed all your produce, I will send wheat and abundance as described by the prophet, and I will not deliver you into captivity.’ He promised to expel the Assyrians and Chaldeans who approached from the north, of whom it was previously written, ‘A people great and strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it’ (Joel 2:2).

He will cast them into a wilderness land, where parts of them will decay in the eastern sea and the remnants shall perish in the western sea, bringing forth evil and a stench because of their arrogance. The locusts symbolically represent the aggressive onslaught of the Chaldeans, leading to the destruction of Judea. This metaphor resonates with the reality of the time, portrayed as if it were an infestation rather than a military campaign.

In contemporary times, we observe swarms of locusts that cover Judea, yet through the Lord’s mercy and the prayers of the priests and people, offerings lifted between the narthex and altar—symbolizing the crucifixion and resurrection—a wind arose, carrying the locusts into both the first and last sea. The first sea refers to the region where Sodom and Gomorrah once thrived, now known as the Dead Sea, lifeless and barren. The last sea, located to the west towards Egypt, encompasses cities like Gaza and Joppa.

As the shores of both seas overflow with dead locusts cast ashore by the waters, a repugnant stench fills the air, producing pestilence among both livestock and mankind. An attentive reader might wonder when this prophecy concerning the Chaldeans was fulfilled. Historical accounts, particularly in Isaiah, recount the night when an angel eradicated one hundred and eighty-five thousand Chaldean troops during King Hezekiah’s reign.

In a deeper allegorical sense, every soul is the Lord’s field in which He sowed His seed. When the harvest consists of weeds rather than wheat, and the soul, having erred, repents and cries, ‘Spare, O Lord, Thy people,’ the Lord’s jealousy for His land rekindles, leading Him to bless that which had faced disdain. He assures, 'I will provide you with the wheat, of which it is truly said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”’ (John 12:24).

He offers wine that brings joy to the heart, and oil that brightens the countenance, transforming former sorrow into joyful abundance—representing virtues in their fullness—where the faithful will experience such plentiful blessings that they will feel satisfied. Having attained this, they shall no longer be subjected to desecration by the nations, of which the apostle reminds us, ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places’ (Eph. 6:12).

Moreover, regarding the threat from the north, Jeremiah proclaimed, ‘Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land’ (Jeremiah 1:14), while Solomon remarked that ‘the north wind brings forth storms.’ The Lord shall drive this threat into a desolate land devoid of His presence, where the Holy Spirit is absent.

His essence shall be found in both the first sea and the last sea, among those who remain ensnared by sin until their final days, and even in those who possess great hopes but stumble due to pride. Human frailty is never safe; as we grow in virtue, we must remain vigilant against the fall that can come from heights attained.

Though literal swarms of locusts are more likely to originate from warm climates rather than the north, the prophet, in speaking of the Assyrians likened them to locusts, thus inviting us to understand that they embody the locusts spoken of, rather than indicating the physical insects themselves.