THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And the Lord spoke to me, saying, Son of man, proclaim to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord God, The end, the end is near upon the four corners of the earth. These corners are understood as the four regions of the world: east, west, south, and north. Regarding these regions, Isaiah also states, Lord, from the corners of the earth we hear songs of praise (Isaiah 24:16), which were shared by the apostles throughout the entire world. Concerning the saints, it is written, 'If you lie down in the midst of the limit, the dove's wing shines like silver, and between its feathers is the splendor of gold' (Psalm 67:14).
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Thus, when the Lord approached Jerusalem, He wept and said, 'How often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing' (Matthew 23:37). According to the song of Moses in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 32:11), it is He who spread His wings, lifted them, and carried them on His shoulders. Some interpret the spiritual wings of the earth that elevate us to heaven as the four categories of believers: the house of Aaron, the house of Levi, the house of Israel, and those who fear the Lord. The Psalmist praises, 'O house of Israel, bless the Lord; O house of Aaron, bless the Lord; O house of Levi, bless the Lord; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord' (Psalm 134:19-20). In this context, the house of Aaron refers to the priesthood, the house of Levi to the temple attendants, the house of Israel to the entire nation, and those who fear the Lord to the proselytes. However, it must be clarified that after the threats directed at the mountains of Israel, the prophetic utterance addresses the entire land of Israel—encompassing either the ten or twelve tribes—and the prophet does not merely predict the future but observes the approaching captivity. For Ezekiel began to prophesy in Babylon to the exiles in the fifth year of King Zedekiah's reign, and in the ninth year, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, finally capturing it in the eleventh year of Zedekiah. This indicates that the end was imminent, not only for the mountains and hills, rocks and valleys, but for the four regions surrounding Israel—not indicating the entire world if that were the case—but simply referring to the land of Israel. Indeed, he began with the declaration: thus says the Lord God, The end, the end is near upon the four corners of the earth.