During this time ordained by God, it will not be weak individuals who experience humiliation but the mightiest, and His wrath will fall upon them without cease. Although they had previously endured the Lord's wrath, it lacked the finality of complete destruction.
What purpose is served by recounting the great sufferings that befell them during this and previous exiles, revealing how those who rejected God's light wallowed in darkness and despair? Those who turned deaf ears to the solemn sounds of warning encountered instead the horrific cries of battle. Regarding the fortified cities and notable towers of Judea that have been reduced to rubble, it is better to draw conclusions based on what we observe than on hearsay; those of us presently in that region can confirm the veracity of the scriptures. From the once-great cities, barely a trace of ruins remains. In Silom, where the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant once resided, only the altar's foundations are visible. Gabaiah, the renowned city of Saul, lies in ruins (Judg. 20:20). Of Ramah, Bethoron, and other illustrious cities built by Solomon, only remnants in small settlements exist now. We may consult Josephus and the prophecy of Zephaniah, which provides a historical account of these calamities.
This reflection extends beyond mere captivity; even now, treacherous mercenaries who have caused suffering to God’s servants, including the Son of God, are barred from entering Jerusalem. Thus, to mourn over the devastation of their city, they are required to pay a fee, illustrating that those who once traded in the blood of Christ now pay for their tears to ensure that even their lamentation is not without cost. On the anniversary of Jerusalem's capture and destruction by the Romans, many come forth, lamenting, as the elderly, dressed in rags, poignantly testify to the Lord's wrath in their physical form and attire. A multitude of the afflicted gathers, and while the instrument of Christ’s sacrifice radiates the light of His resurrection, and the symbol of the cross gleams like a flash of lightning from the Mount of Olives, the sorrowful people grieve over the ruins of their temple, yet invoke no compassion. Their tears stream down their faces, their hands bear crimson stains, their hair is unkempt, yet soldiers demand compensation even to allow their weeping to continue.
Who can witness this and not recognize the day marked by torment and solace, desolation and distress, darkness and gloom, mist and tempest, the day of the trumpet and war cries? Indeed, in the hour of their tribulation, they sound their trumpets, and according to prophecy, the shouts of victory turn into weeping. They mourn over the ashes of the sanctuary, the ruined altar, the once-strong cities, and the lofty temple that witnessed Jacob, the Lord's brother, being cast down. This reflection addresses the condition of the Jewish exile. However, if we equate the day of the Lord with the end of days or the death of every individual, it becomes clear that the voice of the day of the Lord is harsh, filled with unavoidable calamities and wrath, and even the strong will face torment; for even the saved shall be rescued, yet as if through fire. That day is characterized by anguish, affliction, and despair, accompanied by cries of woe, ‘Woe to us, for we are made miserable.’ The day of darkness: For the one who does evil despises the light and avoids it (John 3:20); hence, darkness inevitably follows those who hate the light. That day will indeed manifest as a day of mist and whirlwind, with the storm of the Lord descending upon it, heralded by the sound of trumpets, as the Apostle indicates in the words, ‘In the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52).’ It shall be a day of trumpet sounds and battle cries directed against the fortified cities they constructed through sin, and the high towers symbolizing the corrupt actions of those who stray from the path of the Lord. Thus, the Lord rebukes the hypocrites among the Pharisees, who pray in the street corners (Matthew 6:5). The path that leads to heaven is narrow, while the way to destruction is broad and winding (Matthew 7:13). Additionally, observe the mercy evident in the Lord’s stern declarations: this is a day of bitterness and wrath, torment and the sounds of trumpets and battle, so that cities of weak fortification and corners marked for ruin may be brought down.
THEOSIS