The ultimate vision of the exiles returning home takes on a grand, universal scale. Rather than standing by as mere observers, the nations of the world become active participants in bringing the people of Israel back to their land. This monumental event begins with a public, divine signal and unfolds through a precise gathering process tailored to the unique historical exile of each part of the nation.
First, God or the Messianic King raises a prominent banner for the entire world to see. The primary approach among commentators is that this is a metaphorical sign meant to awaken the hearts of the nations. It inspires them to recognize the unfolding redemption, prompting them to escort the Israelites back to their land with great honor, even presenting them as a tribute to God [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this signal is displayed among the nations specifically so that the Israelites living among them will see it and be inspired to return home [אבן עזרא].
Beyond its practical purpose as a rallying point, raising this banner serves to broadcast God's salvation across the globe. During the ancient wanderings in the desert, each tribe marched under its own separate flag, a practice that sometimes sparked jealousy and division, particularly between the tribes of Judah and Ephraim. In the future era, however, a single, shared banner will be hoisted for everyone. This solitary flag stands as a testament to the complete unification of the nation, returning as one people united by a single faith [אברבנאל].
As the return progresses, the process is divided into two distinct methods, reflecting the different historical realities of the Ten Tribes and the Kingdom of Judah [אבן עזרא, אברבנאל]. While the descriptions of these populations represent the exiled public as a broad whole [שד״ל], they capture a fundamental difference in how each group experienced displacement.
The Ten Tribes are described as a banished group. While they were driven from their homeland and forced to wander, they managed to remain together. Because they were exiled all at once to a single, defined geographic region, their return is characterized as a sweeping ingathering. This implies bringing a collective group inward from the outside, without the need to search for individuals and piece them back together [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].
In contrast, the people of Judah and Benjamin are described as being scattered across the extreme edges of the earth [מצודת ציון]. Their exile happened in turbulent stages, primarily during the destructions of the First and Second Temples, causing them to disperse widely across the globe. Therefore, their return requires a different action: a meticulous collecting. This process involves seeking out individuals who are scattered far apart from one another and drawing them back together from the farthest corners of the world [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].