Joel 3:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Scripture often likens the hardened idolaters and the legions of demons, who consistently oppose the saints, to these nations. Thus, it is decreed that all adversaries, like the Egyptians and Edomites, shall perish because of the assurance given by Christ that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against her’ (Mt. 16:18). Furthermore, the malevolent powers must face retribution for their transgressions against humanity, targeting anyone who disturbs others through erroneous teachings or leads ‘a reprobate mind’ (Rom. 1:28) into moral decay. This warning is clear, as those who rise against Zion will be annihilated, linked to their guilt in having spilled righteous blood, committing grievous offenses against Judah’s descendants, meaning the faithful, who are the children of confession; for Judah signifies confession. The inspired David does not state of the wrongfully slain: ‘for he that seeketh their blood I will remember’ (Ps. 9:13). He addresses Satan, depicted as Assyria, saying: ‘Just as a blood-stained garment cannot be clean, neither shall you be clean; for you have devastated my land and oppressed my people: you shall not endure forever’ (Isa. 14:20). Therefore, the adversaries of Zion will be destroyed; ‘but Judea shall endure eternally,’ and Jerusalem will thrive for generations, not referring to the ruined and burned remnants (for the Lord, who embodies truth, cannot utter falsehood), but to the spiritual, heavenly, exalted Jerusalem, and divine Zion, the splendid and magnificent city designed and constructed by God, through which we may enter by the grace of Christ.

Just as Pharaoh and his entire army, who enslaved God's people for four hundred thirty years, drowned in the Red Sea, so too will the Romans, who will hold dominion over the Jews for the same duration, face the wrath of God. These are the groundless expectations they harbor.

They struggle to comprehend why, out of all the nations on earth, only two—Egypt and Edom—will face judgment, or why the term Edom should refer to the Romans when one could equally claim it denotes the Persians, Elamites, Franks, or other groups. Nonetheless, we affirm that at the time of the Lord's resurrection, or on the Day of Judgment—which we accept as parallel events—both Egypt and Edom will meet their end, particularly that which defines them. Egypt, known as Mesraim, signifies oppression and persecution of God’s saints, while Edom represents the earthly and violent. Thus, any who persecute God's people and surrender to worldly pursuits, while committing numerous offenses and consistently shedding innocent blood—that is, the blood of the deceived—will face destruction. This is mirrored in the cries of the martyrs, who pleaded from beneath the altar, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6:10).

They experienced this fate as a divine consequence for the injustices they inflicted upon Judah, for the Prophet designated the blood of the righteous as innocent, implying that they unjustly took the lives of the Jews without any justifiable reason.