Recognizing "Markan Sandwiches" in biblical scripture goes a long way in helping to correctly understand the passages we read.
A "Markan Sandwich" is a writing style which scholars noticed employed by Mark in his gospel, which is actually a very common writing style in scripture.
A "Markan Sandwich" in biblical literature opens with a subject, interrupts the subject with a different (but normally related) subject, and then closes with the same subject the author opened with. Sometimes the author will oscillate throughout the book between a number of subjects like this, after having initially introduced each subject. The book of Isaiah does this a lot.
There are many examples throughout biblical scripture, but let's just give two:
The closing sentence in Hosea 1, which is a major part of the theme of the prophecies discussed in this post:
Hosea 1:4-5 & 10-11
"And the LORD said to him, Call his name God Will Sow. For still in a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. And it shall be, at that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, You are not My people, there it shall be said to them, You are the sons of the living God. Then the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and shall set over themselves one head,
and they shall come up out of the land. For great shall be the day of Jezreel."
".. and they shall come up out of the land. For great shall be the day of Jezreel" is a repeat of what was said in verse 5, and closes the theme of the coming destruction of the house of Israel (i.e the Northern kingdom) and their exile from the land, and has nothing to do with the rest of the closing verses (verses 10 to 11a, which is talking about the restoration of the house of Israel and the gathering together of the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel).
Example in Ezekiel chapters 36-39
Ezekiel chapter 36 opens the theme of the restoration of the house of Israel to God and to their land, and Ezekiel 39:23-29 closes the same subject; and whereas Ezekiel 36:16-38 & Ezekiel 39:23-39 is one and the same prophecy and is referring to Israel, Ezekiel 38:1 to Ezekiel 39:22 is referring to the Gog/Magog nations.
Ezekiel 39:23-29 is repeating what was said in Ezekiel 36:16-38.
The "Markan Sandwich" employed in Ezekiel chapters 36-39 separates (a) the Gog-Magog war against the above people after they have been restored, from (b) the time of their restoration.
Also compare Hosea 1:11a and Ezekiel 37:15-28. The two passages are one and the same promise.
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