Then came the most amazing thing of all. As divinely directed, Ezekiel called upon the wind to blow upon those reconstructed human bodies. At that “breath proceeded to come into them, and they began to live and stand upon their feet, a very, very great military force.”​—Ezek. 37:9, 10.

How awe-inspiring this must have been to Ezekiel! As a “great military force” or army, those reanimated ones were no weaklings. They were able-bodied persons qualified for military service. Ezekiel was thus privileged to see in a visionary way the resurrection of the Jewish nation.

Assisted by sympathetic Israelites who could not then conveniently leave Babylon, 42,360 Israelites responded to Jehovah’s outpoured spirit and became alive to the opportunity to repeople the hills, mountains and valleys of the soil of Israel, rebuild Jerusalem and its temple and restore Jehovah’s worship there. More than 7,500 non-Israelite slaves and professional singers accepted the privilege to go with them for the united service of Jehovah. (Ezra 2:64-67) This was indeed like a “very, very great military force.”​—Ezek. 37:10.