The Lord shall roar out of Zion - As in the destruction of Sennacherib, when he was now close upon his prey, and "shook his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, the Lord of hosts lopped the bough with terror, and the high ones of stature were hewn down, and the haughty were humbled Isaiah 10:32-33, so at the end. It is foretold of antichrist, that his destruction shall be sudden, "Then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His Coming" 2 Thessalonians 2:8. And Isaiah saith of our Lord, "He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked" Isaiah 11:4. When the multitudes of God's enemies were thronged together, then would He speak with His Voice of terror. The terrible voice of God's warnings is compared to the roaring of a lion. "The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord hath spoken, who can but prophesy?" Amos 3:8. Much more, when those words of awe are fulfilled. Our Lord then, "The Lion of the tribe of Judah" Revelation 5:5. Who is here entitled by the incommunicable Name of God, I am, shall utter His awful Voice, as it is said; "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God" 1 Thessalonians 4:16; and He Himself says, "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" John 5:28-29.

And shall utter His voice from Jerusalem - that is, either from His Throne aloft "in the air" above the holy city, or from the heavenly Jerusalem, out of the midst of the tens of thousands of His holy angels Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, and saints Zechariah 14:5; Jde 1:14, who shall "come with Him." So terrible shall that voice be, that "the heavens and the earth shall shake," as it is said, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" 2 Peter 3:10; and "heaven shall open for the coming of the saints," and 'hell shall be moved at the coming' Isaiah 14:9 of the evil. : "Nor shall it be a slight shaking of the earth at His Coming, but such that all the dead shall be roused, as it were from their sleep, yea, the very elect shall fear and tremble, but, even in their fear and trembling, shall retain a strong hope. This is what he saith immediately, 'The Lord will be the hope (or place of refuge)' of His 'people, and the strength (or stronghold) of the children of Israel,' i. e., of the true Israel, the whole people of the elect of God. All these He will then by that His Majesty at once wonderfully terrify and strengthen, because they ever hoped in God, not in themselves, and ever trusted in the strength of the Lord, never presumed on their own. Whereas contrariwise the false Israelites hope in themselves, while, 'going about to establish their own righteousness, they submitted themselves not to the righteousness of God.' Romans 10:3. The true Israel shall trust much more than ever before; yet none can trust then, who in life, had not trusted in Him Alone.

The Lord also shall roar out of Zion - His temple and worship shall be reestablished there, and he will thence denounce his judgments against the nations. "The heavens and the earth shall shake." There shall be great commotions in powerful empires and their dependencies; but in all these things his own people shall be unmoved, for God shall be their hope and strength.

The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem,.... Christ, the Lamb, shall now appear as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and utter his voice in his providence and judgments on the behalf of his church and people, signified by Zion and Jerusalem; and therefore said to roar, and utter his voice from thence; he will be heard far and near, and strike terror in the hearts of his enemies; see Jeremiah 25:30;

and the heavens and the earth shall shake; great revolutions will be made in the world, both in church and state, among the antichristian powers; and such as will also make them shake and tremble, as well as alter the form and frame of things among them; see Revelation 16:18; changes in government, civil and ecclesiastic, are sometimes signified by such phrases, Haggai 2:6;

but the Lord will be the hope of his people; the object, author, ground, and foundation of their hope of salvation here and hereafter; in whom they may hope for and expect safety and security in the worst of times; since he will be their "refuge", or their "harbour" (q) as it may be rendered; to whom they may have recourse, to shelter and screen them from the rage and wrath of their enemies, and where they will be safe, till the indignation of God be over and past; and while calamities and judgments are upon the unchristian and ungodly world, they will have nothing to fear amidst these storms, being in a good harbour:

and the strength of the children of Israel; of the spiritual Israel; of all such who are Israelites indeed, the Lord's chosen, redeemed, and called people, both Jews and Gentiles; the author and giver of their spiritual strength, the strength of their lives and of their hearts, of their graces and of their salvation; by whom they are furnished with strength to do the duties of religion; to exercise grace; to wrestle with God in prayer; to withstand spiritual enemies; to bear afflictions patiently, and to persevere to the end: or he is their "fortress" (r); their strong hold and place of defence, where they are safe from every enemy, free from all distresses, enjoy solid peace and comfort, and have plenty of provisions, Isaiah 33:16.

(q) "refugium", Tigurine version, Burkius; "receptus", Tarnovius. (r) "prsesidium", Tarnovius; "arx", Cocceius.

The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the {i} hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

(i) God assures his own against all trouble, that when he destroys his enemies, his children will be delivered.

3:16 Shall roar - He will strike the enemy with astonishment as the roaring of the lion astonishes the weaker beasts of the forest.

hope: Heb. place of repair, or, harbour

16. (Compare Eze 38:18-22). The victories of the Jews over their cruel foe Antiochus, under the Maccabees, may be a reference of this prophecy; but the ultimate reference is to the last Antichrist, of whom Antiochus was the type. Jerusalem being the central seat of the theocracy (Ps 132:13), it is from thence that Jehovah discomfits the foe.

roar-as a lion (Jer 25:30; Am 1:2; 3:8). Compare as to Jehovah's voice thundering, Ps 18:13; Hab 3:10, 11.

Lord . the hope of his people-or, "their refuge" (Ps 46:1).

3:9-17 Here is a challenge to all the enemies of God's people. There is no escaping God's judgments; hardened sinners, in that day of wrath, shall be cut off from all comfort and joy. Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and their Redeemer! The acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favour to some, will be a day of remarkable vengeance to others: let every one that is out of Christ awake, and flee from the wrath to come.