Joel 3:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He incites the Israelites with an unwavering determination, urging them to confront the assembled foes; He encourages even those who fear the stark realities of war, suggesting they join the battle despite their preference for a life of comfort and their delight in harvests as abundant as grapes. Thus, He states: “Let the sickles be put forth, for the grapes are ripe.” This imagery of gathering grapes implies readiness for destruction; let the enemy be cut down like overripe fruit, trampled beneath your feet like chaff. “Enter in,” He commands, “trample them as one would with an axe,” indicating that multitudes have gathered for annihilation and pose no obstacle beneath your feet. “The winepresses are full,” He remarks, referencing the vast number of nations destined for ruin, as wine is often spilled during the bountiful grape harvest. The expression, “the winepresses are full,” signifies the multitude lying vanquished.

Typically, the holy prophets foretell future events and perceive occurrences that are yet to transpire, as if witnessing them firsthand. Just as Nebuchadnezzar faced slaughter in battle and Jeremiah, spiritually transported, beheld the grim reality of warfare and the countless dead, he lamented, “Woe is me, for my soul is bereft over the slain” (Jeremiah 4:31). In a similar vein, Joel seems to echo such experiences, possibly hearing the clamor of conflict; thus, he exclaims, “The voice is heard at the place of judgment.” He designates the battlefield as the place of judgment, for nations gather there solely to face severe consequences. Voices and cries are audible here; in warfare, the vanquished groan, while the victors celebrate with shouts of triumph, magnifying their victories over the defeated. “The sun and moon,” he states, “shall be darkened,” and the stars will lose their shine, not due to natural phenomena, but as if the very act of war casts darkness upon the eyes of the vanquished; for the dread of death always brings forth shadow, and the weight of unexpected tragedy distorts the mind and darkens the spirit akin to the sun's disappearance for those suffering greatly.

He declares that the Lord will summon them, as if present in battle, stirring the Israelites to confront their adversaries. It is especially pertinent to understand that at the time of the universal resurrection, the Lord will call forth, as Paul notes, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This concept is prefigured in the Law of Moses, which instructed the Israelites to sound the trumpet at the beginning of each new month, a sign that symbolizes the age to come, distinct from the previous one. The trumpet signals the all-encompassing sound that will awaken those lying in the earth, ringing loudly and unmistakably.

It is significant that the Lord Himself performed the miracle of raising Lazarus; as the Gospel reveals, “He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth’” (John 11:43). Although through the prophet it is said, “He shall not cry out, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street” (Isaiah 42:2), the act of the Savior raising Lazarus with a powerful call serves to illustrate the trumpet's sound reverberating throughout creation, resonating from heaven to the farthest reaches of the earth.

The phrase we referred to as the valley of decision, according to the translations of Aquila, Symmachus, and others, has been conveyed as 'the valley of judgment and resolution.' The Hebrew term translates to harus, which, as understood by the Jews, signifies not only beating but also gold, implying that in the valley of judgment, interpreted as Gehenna, there will remain, once sins have been purified, refined gold. The nations mentioned earlier will be assembled in this valley of decision or judgment, destined for destruction, to be cast down and subjected to the divine judgment of the Lord. Even the sun, the moon, and the stars will be unable to endure the lamentation of that day and the anguish of the lost. They will lose their brilliance and will not dare to witness the severity of the One who judges and rewards each according to their works. This does not imply that they possess greater mercy than God’s judgments but rather that all creation, when afflicted by others, fears its own judgment.