Texts in Conversation
In the Didache, an early church manual, the community asks God after the meal to gather the church from the four winds into his kingdom. In Mark, the Son of Man sends angels to gather his elect from the four winds, a hope first held for Israel.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Mark 13:27
New Testament
24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
Didache 10:5
Early Christian
3 'You, Lord Almighty, created all things for the sake of Your Name and provided food and drink for people to enjoy, so they might thank You. But You have blessed us with spiritual food and drink and eternal light through Your Child.' 4 'Above all, we thank You because You are mighty. May You be glorified forever.' 5 'Remember, Lord, Your Church, and protect it from all evil. Perfect it in Your love, and gather it together in holiness from the four winds into Your kingdom that You have prepared. Yours is the power and the glory forever.' 6 'Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not, let him repent. Our Lord, Come! Amen.'
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Notes and References
“... The gathering of the gentile church is a basic concept of earliest Christianity, and because this theme figures prominently in the eucharistic prayers, it calls for a more elaborate comment at this point of our discussion. As has been shown above, the longing for a Christian gathering parallels the Jewish hope for the restoration of Israel and the gathering of the people. The idea of the assembling of the church is already reflected in the (later stages of?) the gospels. In the so-called Synoptic Apocalypse in Mark, it says that when the Son of Man comes, "he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven" (Mark 13:27; cf. Matt 24:31). In John 11:52, the Jewish aspect is linked with the speculation about the gentile believers: Jesus did not come only for the Jewish nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one (cf. also John 10:15-16). ...”
Sandt, Hubertus W., and David Flusser
The Didache: Its Jewish Sources and Its Place in Early Judaism and Christianity
(p. 326) Royal Van Gorcum, 2002
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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