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Behold, a day of the LORD comes, when your plunder will be divided within you.
Verse 1. Midst. The obstinate Jews shall be destroyed. They became their own enemies. Calmet.—The Zealots committed the greatest excesses during the siege. Jos. Bel. verse 1.—Tacitus also refers to these transactions, having written thirty volumes on the Cæsars, from Augustus to Domitian’s death.” Saint Jerome
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
Verse 2. I will gather, and so forth This seems to be a prophecy of what was done by Antiochus, ( Challoner.) or of the last siege, ( Worthington.) by the Romans. Saint Jerome Theod. Eus. Dem. vi. 18. Calmet.—Vespasian collected numerous forces. Jos. Bel. iii. 1.—Titus had six legions and many auxiliaries, Arabs, and so forth Tacit. Hist. v.—Various nations composed their army. Worthington.—Rifled, or demolished. None was left standing. Jos. B. vii. 6. Heges. verse 49.—S. Jerom and others think that the city on Sion was spared, ( Calmet.) and 40,000 were permitted to dwell where they had a mind. Jos. B. vii. 15.—But it is not said that they continued at Jerusalem. Half the Jews therefore perished, and those who maintained the siege found a grave in the city. Theod.—Half only denotes a considerable part, as verse 8. Those who followed our Saviour’s admonition, retired before, and were safe ( Calmet.) at Pella. Calmet. 10:11. Septuagint “the rest of my people shall not be destroyed out of the city.”
Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Verse 3. Shall. Septuagint “will stand in battle array among,” and so forth (παραταξεται εν) though he will one day punish the victorious Romans. Bible.—Now he fought with them as Hebrew may signify. Calmet.—Various prodigies made this clear: (Jos. B. vii. 12. 16.) so that Titus would not receive the crown which was presented to him, as he looked upon himself only as the instrument employed by divine justice. Philost. vi. 14.—This sense is given by Saint Cyril and so forth Calmet.—In the days of Epiphanes, God defeated his projects. Bible.
His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, making a very great valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Verse 4. Olives. Here the tenth legion was stationed, (Jos. B. vi. 3.) on the spot where Christ had denounced this judgment, and ascended into heaven. Lu. 19:41. Acts 1:12.—South. We cannot shew the literal accomplishment. If it regard the latter times, this must be hidden. But it suffices that some great earthquake should take place, according to most interpreters; or rather, ( Calmet.) the Romans removed vast quantities of earth and stone. Jos. B. vi. 12. Grot.—Olivet has three tops; the southern one is the lowest. But whether this was caused by an earthquake we know not. The rocks are said to split, and so forth when God displays his power and affords some miraculous assistance. Psalms 17:8. Isaiah 24:8. Habakkuk 3:10.
You shall flee by the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel. Yes, you shall flee, just like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. The LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with you.
Verse 5. Flee. Whle the siege was forming many escaped, according to Josephus. Hebrew Septuagint and so forth “The vale of my mountain shall be filled up, for,” and so forth Calmet.—Yet Prot. agree with us. Bible.—Those should be “my.” Ribera. Menochius.—The next. Prot. and Septuagint “reach unto Azal.” Bible.—You shall. Septuagint and so forth “and it shall be filled, as it was filled at the earthquake,” and so forth Calmet.—The Romans had to raise many works in the vale of Cedron, so that the trees all round were cut down, and the garden walls removed thither. Jos. B. vi. 4. 14.—Ozias, when he attempted to offer incense. Jos. Ant. ix. 11. Amos 1:1 and 4 Kennicott. 15:15.—Yet the earthquake is not specified in the sacred historical books. Worthington.—On that occasion, the people retired into the vale formed by the separation of Olivet; or, if we follow the Septuagint part of that mountain fell into the valley of Cedron, which we find nowhere else specified. Calmet.—With him. Prot. “thee.” Bible.—God is attended by his angels; though the Romans may be called his saints, or people destined to execute his decrees in this war. Isaiah 13:3. Zephaniah 1:7. Deuteronomy 33:3. Joel 3:1. Calmet.
Septuagint reads “him” instead of “you”.
It will happen in that day that there will not be light, cold, or frost.
Verse 6. No light; that is in that dismal time of the persecution of Antiochus, when it was neither day nor night, (verse 7) because they neither had the comfortable light of the day, nor the repose of the night. Challoner.—Darkness denotes distress. The citizens shall be in despair. Matthew 24:29. Ezekiel 22:8. Joel 2:2. Revelation 11:2. Hebrew seems to be corrupt: “no precious light, but thick,” or a cloud. Calmet.
It will be a unique day which is known to the LORD—not day, and not night; but it will come to pass that at evening time there will be light.
Verse 7. In the time of the evening there shall be light. An unexpected light shall arise by the means of the Machabees, when things shall seem to be at the worst. Challoner.—At one period of the last siege, it was dubious what would be the event, particularly ( Calmet.) when Titus was separated from almost all his attendants, and when the besieged burned the works of the enemy. Jos. B. vi. 2. and 12.
It will happen in that day that living waters will go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. It will be so in summer and in winter.
Verse 8. Living waters; that is the gospel of Christ. Challoner.—Last: Mediterranean. Bible.—The prophet now turns to the figurative Jerusalem. The earthly city was not well supplied with water. Calmet.—It was in the most dry and barren part of the country. Saint Jerome in Is. xlix.—As much as the Mediterranean excels the Dead Sea, so much do the Gentiles surpass the Jewish converts in numbers. See Calmet. 13:1. Calmet.—The true faith is Catholic in all places, and at all times. Worthington.
The LORD will be King over all the earth. In that day the LORD will be one, and his name one.
Verse 9. One Lord. The apostles justly gave this title to Christ. John 13:14. He is possessed of all power. Matthew 28:18. Philippians 2:10. Pastors are all subject to him. Calmet.—The Pope styles himself, “servant of the servants of God,” since Saint Gregory’s time. Bible.
All the land will be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she will be lifted up and will dwell in her place, from Benjamin’s gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.
Verse 10. Return. This in some measure was verified by means of the Machabees; but is rather to be taken in a spiritual sense, as relating to the propagation of the Church and kingdom of Christ, the true Jerusalem, which alone shall never fall under the anathema of destruction, or God’s curse. Challoner.—The limits of Jerusalem were never so extensive.—Hill, or Gabaa to Remmon,” or the pomegranate. The situation is not ascertained.
Men will dwell therein, and there will be no more curse; but Jerusalem will dwell safely.
Verse 11. Anathema. It shall not be sentenced to utter ruin. The Church may suffer losses, but cannot perish. Calmet.
This will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.
Verse 12. Consume. Such judgments as these have often fallen upon the persecutors of God’s Church, as appears by many instances in history. Challoner.—This has partly been verified in persecuting emperors, (Saint Jerome) and in others, and will befall the wicked when the day of judgment shall draw near. Worthington.—Herod, who made war on Christ, and Agrippa, who attacked his Church, ( Calmet.) were both devoured by worms. Jos. Ant. xvii. 9. and xix. 7. Acts 12:13.—Nero slew himself; Maximian was eaten to death by an inward ulcer; and his colleague’s (Maximinus) eyes fell from his head. Eus. in Constant. i. 57. and 59.—It would seem as if Zacharias beheld them. He may also speak of the attempts of God, and of Epiphanes. Calmet. 2:8 and 12:9.
It will happen in that day that a great panic from the LORD will be among them; and they will each seize the hand of his neighbor, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
Verse 13. Them. The Church shall be alarmed at these wars, seeing enemies on all sides. But those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:21.—Hand. Christians shall assist each other; or rather the nearest relations will persecute them. Matthew 10:21. 36. Calmet.
Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered together: gold, silver, and clothing, in great abundance.
Verse 14. Even Juda, and so forth The carnal Jews, and other false brothers, shall join in persecuting the Church. Challoner.—The Jews shewed themselves the most virulent. 2 Corinthians 11:24. Acts 8. and so forth They insisted on the death of S. Polycarp.—Riches. Converts shewed their generosity so much, ( Calmet.) that Julian and Felix, apostates, complained of this profusion in sacred vessels. Theod. Hist. ii. 11. 12.
A plague like this will fall on the horse, on the mule, on the camel, on the donkey, and on all the animals that will be in those camps.
Verse 15. Shall be like this destruction. That is, the beasts shall be destroyed as well as the men; the common soldiers as well as their leaders. Challoner.—History does not specify the death of cattle, ( Calmet.) though in plagues this would inevitably follow; and the pagans complained that they were become more common since the propagation of the gospel. Bible.—The reverses which the troops of Dioclesian, and so forth sustained, were to punish their enmity to religion. Calmet.
It will happen that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Armies, and to keep the feast of booths.
Verse 16. Left. That is, many of them that persecuted the Church shall be converted to its faith and communion, ( Challoner.) particularly after Constantine. Calmet.—Tabernacles. This feast was kept by the Jews, in memory of their sojourning forty years in the desert, in their way to the land of promise. And in the spiritual sense, is duly kept by all such Christians as in their earthly pilgrimage are continually advancing towards their true home, the heavenly Jerusalem, by the help of the sacraments and sacrifice of the Church. And they that neglect this, must not look for the kind showers of divine grace to give fruitfulness to their souls. Challoner.—Out of the Church there is no salvation. Calmet.—Other things may be obtained. S. Cyp. Bible.—The converts shall celebrate the Christian festivals, and merit great rewards, while infidels shall remain barren and devoid of eternal happiness. Worthington.—We have no solemnity of tabernacles; but Gentiles keep the Epiphany in thanksgiving for their vocation to God’s admirable light. 1 Pet 2:9. Calmet.
It will be that whoever of all the families of the earth doesn’t go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Armies, on them there will be no rain.
Verse 17. There. Septuagint “these shall also be added to them” who perish. Bible.
If the family of Egypt doesn’t go up and doesn’t come, neither will it rain on them. This will be the plague with which the LORD will strike the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of booths.
This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of booths.
Verse 19. Sin, or punishment. Formerly various nations were excluded from the religion or assemblies of Israel. Leviticus 22:25. Deuteronomy 23:1. Now all are invited and compelled to enter the Church, so that they can have no excuse. Lu. 14:24. Calmet.—Those rejected by the Jews might still have true faith. Bible.
In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO THE LORD”; and the pots in the LORD’s house will be like the bowls before the altar.
Verse 20. Bridle. The golden ornaments of the bridle, and so forth shall be turned into offerings in the house of God. And there shall be an abundance of cauldrons and phials for the sacrifices of the temple; by which is meant, under a figure, the great resort there shall be to the temple, that is, to the Church of Christ, and her sacrifice. Challoner.—It is of a different nature, being the body and blood of Christ. But it shall not be confined to one place, nor the priesthood to one family. verse 21. Hebrew “they shall inscribe on the stables, Holy,” and so forth The most filthy places shall be purified and changed into temples; or, “what is upon the little bells for horses shall be sanctified;” or, on these “bells shall be inscribed, sacred to the Lord.” Calmet.—Metsilloth may signify a bell or bridle, and so forth Bible.—The bits were often of gold. Æn. vii. and viii. Calmet.—S. Jerom’s master said the word should be motsiluth, “trappings” and armour. Bible.
Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of Armies; and all those who sacrifice will come and take of them, and cook in them. In that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Armies.
Verse 21. Merchant; or, as some render it, the Chanaanite shall be no more, and so forth that is, the profane and unbelievers shall have no title to be in the house of the Lord; or, there shall be no occasion for buyers or sellers of oxen, or sheep, or doves, in the house of God, such as Jesus Christ cast out of the temple. Challoner. John 2:16.—All former distinction of Jew and Gentile shall cease in the Church. Past faults shall be forgotten. Calmet.
MALACHIAS
THE PROPHECY OF MALACHIAS
or, merchant