ישעיהו, פרק כ״ד, פסוק כ״א

At the end of days, when the time of redemption arrives, God will enact a sweeping, universal judgment that touches all of reality. This divine justice will not be limited to the earthly realm but will shake both heaven and earth, dismantling the familiar structures of power [שטיינזלץ]. God will hold accountable and punish both the forces above and the rulers below, demonstrating a direct link between the heavenly realm and earthly kingdoms.

The primary approach among commentators is that the heavenly forces refer to angels, specifically the appointed guardian angels of the various nations [רש״י, אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Since the power of earthly kingdoms is drawn directly from their heavenly representatives, God will first strip away the influence of these upper forces. Once the heavenly princes are powerless to help their nations, God will then punish the earthly kings themselves, including those who gather to fight in the ultimate war of Gog and Magog.

Alternatively, the heavenly targets of this judgment are understood as actual physical celestial bodies, such as stars and constellations. This could manifest as the darkening of the sun and moon, serving as a dark omen for the falling nations [רד״ק]. It also represents the complete destruction of astrological power and idolatry, forcing all of humanity to abandon their reliance on nature and recognize God's exclusive, direct rule [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

Offering a completely different perspective, [שד״ל] rejects the idea that angels are punished, noting that God's good angels do not sin. He argues that the heavenly forces are merely a poetic metaphor for powerful earthly kings, particularly the Babylonian empire, which stood out among the nations like bright stars in the sky. In this view, the events describe a historical moment when God hands nations over to Nebuchadnezzar before ultimately bringing down Babylon and returning the people of Israel to their homeland with honor. However, others maintain that this points to a distant, messianic future and the resurrection of the dead. In those days, the very laws of nature will shift, the power of both mortal kings and heavenly forces will be entirely erased, and God will rule alone with direct, personal care from Mount Zion [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].