The gathering of the chosen ones (Mt 24:31-24:31)

“The Son of Man

Will send out

His angels

With a loud trumpet call.

They will gather

His elect

From the four winds,

From one end

Of heaven

To the other end.”

 

καὶ ἀποστελεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ μετὰ σάλπιγγος μεγάλης, καὶ ἐπισυνάξουσιν τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων ἀνέμων ἀπ’ ἄκρων οὐρανῶν ἕως ἄκρων αὐτῶν

 

This is almost word for word, in Mark, chapter 13:27.  The Son of Man would send out his angels (καὶ ἀποστελεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ) with a loud or great trumpet call (μετὰ σάλπιγγος μεγάλης).  Thus, the angels were the apostles or sent ones for gathering the chosen ones.  The trumpet call was another great traditional Israelite idea to gather the people for one reason or another. These angels would gather his elect or chosen ones (μετὰ σάλπιγγος μεγάλης) from the four winds (ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων ἀνέμων), from one end of the heavens to the other end (ἀπ’ ἄκρων οὐρανῶν ἕως ἄκρων αὐτῶν).  The Son of Man would send his apostolic angels to gather the chosen ones from all over the place.

The ruah spirit comes to the bones (Ezek 37:9-37:10)

“Then Yahweh

Said to me.

‘Prophesy to the spirit!

Prophesy!

Son of man!

Say to the spirit!

Thus says Yahweh God!

Come!

From the four winds!

O spirit!

Breathe

Upon these slain ones

That they may live!’

I prophesied

As he commanded me.

The spirit

Came into them,

They lived.

They stood

On their feet,

A vast multitude.”

Yahweh told Ezekiel to prophesize to the spirit. He was to tell the spirit, ruah, to come from the four winds, ruah, and breathe, ruah, on these dead fleshy dry bones. Thus, they might live. Ezekiel, as usual, did what Yahweh had asked him to do. Then the Spirit of Yahweh, ruah, came to these dried-out bones. All these dead bones got a new life. This great multitude of former dry bones stood on their feet. Mission accomplished.

Cannibalism (Ezek 5:10-5:10)

“Surely,

Parents shall eat

Their children

In your midst.

The children shall eat

Their parents.

I will execute judgments

On you.

Any of you

Who survive,

I will scatter

To every wind.”

This ideal of cannibalism in Jerusalem was attested by Jeremiah, chapter 19, and Lamentations, chapters 2 and 4, and now here in Ezekiel. Parents would eat their children, while children would eat their parents in this situation of starvation in Jerusalem. Yahweh was going to execute his judgments on those who survived. These survivors would be scattered to the four winds in every direction.