Raising the House of Israel

Ezekiel stands in a valley of bones and prophesies.  There’s a great noise, and a rattling of bones (called a seismos by the LXX, an “earthquake”).  Soon an army is before him, but without breath ( pneuma ).  So Ezekiel prophesies again and the wind ( pneuma ) stirs up until they come to life and have breath in them (37:8-10).  So, Yahweh says, He will “open your graves” ( anoigo humon ta mnemata ) and cause Israel and Judah to emerge from exile (37:12).

Jesus is on the cross, on a mountain that is a “place of the skull.”  He cries out in a loud voice, and gives up His Spirit ( pneuma ).  There is an earthquake ( he ge eseisthe ) and graves open ( ta mnemeia aneoxthesan ) so that the dead can climb out and visit the holy city.  Thus are Israel and Judah again called from exile.