Ezekiel 37: Of Whom Doth The Prophet Speak

Ezekiel 37

of whom doth the prophet Speak?

the church or national Israel?

by Dr. Ken Matto

For many years as I studied prophecy I would always come across a study of Ezekiel 37 and every prophecy book I read told me that Ezekiel 37 was a prophecy of the reestablishment of national Israel in 1948. As a good pre-tribber I accepted this theory for many years, since each prophecy mogul kept quoting their prophecy mentors. You know the passage: (2 Tim 3:7 KJV) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. This passage does not only apply to the evolutionist or other unbeliever but it opulently applies to those who write prophecy books. Those pre-trib prophecy books are so far from truth you would think they came right out of the newspaper. What do ya’ know? They do! It seems every time some world leader sneezes, the Antichrist is ready to be revealed. But I don’t want to get into every phase of prophecy just what pertains to Ezekiel 37 and as always we will let the Bible be its own interpreter. So put down your Jerusalem Post and your Midnight Call and pick up your King James Bible.

Ezekiel 37:1

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

Keep in mind that Ezekiel, as John who penned Revelation, is in the Spirit. (Rev. 1:10; 4:2; 17:3 ) God is giving Ezekiel a vision. No specific valley is being mentioned therefore it is a spiritual not political nor historical truth being taught. If this was national Israel, then the valley in view would have to big enough to envelop the entire nation of Israel. Notice the passage "midst of the valley." Notice it is "the valley" not "a valley." There are quite a number of specific valleys mentioned in Scripture such as: Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2); Eshcol (Deut. 1:24); Hinnom (Josh. 18:16). But in Ezekiel 37:1 there is no specific geographical valley in view.

Ezekiel 37:2

And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

(Psa 63:1 KJV) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

(Isa 53:2 KJV) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

(Mat 12:43 KJV) When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

The dry represents all those whom God plans to save. Where does God save His elect out of? The dry places where there is no water of the gospel. (Isa 35:6 KJV) Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. When a person becomes saved they become as a stream in the desert. What is the condition of the desert and wilderness? It is a very dry place where water is very scarce. As we see in Ezekiel 37:2, this valley is replete with dry bones. Is the world a dry place when it comes to the gospel?

Absolutely! This is why the psalmist in Psalm 63 seeks the Lord from a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. It is the water of the gospel he seeks. He seeks to be bathed in the waters of Christ. (Psa 105:41 KJV) He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. When Christ went to the cross for the sins of His people the Rock of God was opened and then the waters of the gospel gushed forth in the dry places after He was resurrected the third day. Those dry places are the entire world to seek out His elect in all the nations. This Ezekiel passage also points out the fact that a person is a dead bone before salvation and only God can make them live. Salvation is through grace and not free will! Do these bones have the free will to make themselves live?

Ezekiel 37:3

And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

(John 6:37 KJV) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

(John 6:40 KJV) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

(Rom 11:34 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Here God asks Ezekiel a question as to whether these bones can live or not. Ezekiel answers in the correct fashion that only God knows if they will or not. It is the same with Christianity as only God knows who will be saved and not us and this is why we take the gospel to the world, to seek out the elect. As we see in our 3 passages that God gives the believers to the Son and as a result of salvation, they have eternal life. Ezekiel knew he could not know the mind of God on such a great issue as the building up of the church but left the entire matter in God’s hands. Ezekiel was just a willing participant in the scene which was about to unfold.

Ezekiel 37:4

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

(Rom 10:17 KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Here God is using Ezekiel in a figure to prophesy over these bones. What is the method which God uses today and throughout the ages to bring His elect out of the nations? It is the preaching and proclaiming of the Gospel. As the believers are typed here as dry bones and are commanded to hear the Word of the Lord. Only those who are named from the foundations of the world will respond to that command and the one in Acts 17:30. (Acts 17:30 KJV) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Ezekiel 37:5-6

Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: {6} And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

(Gen 2:7 KJV) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

(Gen 3:21 KJV) Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Here God is likening the forming of the church to the intimate construction of a human being. For a human being to live they must be clothed in skins. For a Christian to be a Christian they must also be clothed in skins. Genesis 3:21 is a foreshadow of the clothing of the believer in the Robe of Christ’s righteousness. (Isa 61:10 KJV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Then God says that He is going to place breath in us. As Adam became a living soul with the physical breath of life, the believer becomes a spiritually living soul when we receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. (Rom 8:14 KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (1 Cor 3:16 KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Here we plainly see that we are baptized in the Holy Spirit at salvation, we then become a great part of the temple which God is building. The temple is a spiritual one and not a physical temple based on a biased misinterpretation of Ezekiel 40-48.

Ezekiel 37:7

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

(Eph 5:30 KJV) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. The body of Christ is so intimately related to Christ that we are considered to be members of His physical body. The Bible gives us a little insight into this mystery. Do you remember Saul’s encounter on the road to Damascus? What did Jesus say to him? (Acts 26:15 KJV) And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. Well Saul wasn’t persecuting Jesus personally yet Saul was accused of doing just that. These passages give us insight into the intimate relation between Christ and the Church. Notice Jesus says "whom thou persecutest" which means when a slander or other persecution comes to a true believer, the persecution is actually railed against Christ Himself.

Another interesting peculiarity about our verse in Ezekiel is that it says, "bone to his bone." Why not "bone to bone?" or why not "bone to her bone?" I believe we are gaining another insight into the intimacy between Christ and His church. When we become saved, our bones are members of His bones and where are bones in reference to the body human? They are inside! Where does the believer dwell? IN CHRIST!

(Rom 12:5 KJV) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Here is another example of the intimacy of the body of believers as we are members of one another.

(Col 1:2 KJV) To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Tim 1:1 KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

Ezekiel 37:8

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

Here we see the sinews which are the tendons and the muscular system being placed upon the bones as they began to come together. Sinews is a term also used to describe strength. Whenever we see a strong person, they are normally one of a muscular physique. In the spiritual realm one of the names of God is "The Strength of Israel." (1 Sam 15:29 KJV) And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

Ezekiel 37:9

Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

Even though these bones now had sinews and a muscular system to allow them to walk, yet there was no breath in them. God is commanding Ezekiel to prophesy over them that their breath should come from the four winds of the earth. Four is the number of universality which means the wind (in this verse is a type of the Holy Spirit) will come from all areas of the world. (John 3:8 KJV) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will begin to save God’s chosen elect from out of all the nations of the world and that evangelization of the world will come about only through the preaching of the Word. This is why we see that no one knows where the wind begins and where it ends because we do not know who God’s elect is and our responsibility is to keep preaching the Word so they will come. The four winds also play a part on the last day as Christ will send His angels to the four winds of the earth and bring in His elect.

Another interesting phrase in this passage is "upon these slain." Apparently there once was life in these bones and this was a valley of death. When was the human race slain? In the Garden of Eden! After the sin of Adam and Eve, the whole human race was plunged into spiritual death because sin was now the legacy of all humans to the next generation.

(Luke 11:49-51 KJV) Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: {50} That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; {51} From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Here is the reality of human history. All the sins that were done before our time will still be judged on the last day. Notice the length of time from Abel to Zacharias which would be a couple of thousand years. Jesus refers to the generation of evil as all of humanity from the first sin of Adam to the last sin on the last day.

Ezekiel 37:10

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

(Joel 2:11 KJV) And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

(2 Tim 2:3-4 KJV) Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. {4} No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

God speaks of His church as an army. He calls individual Christians "soldiers." Notice in the Joel passage the Bible tells us that "His" camp is very great. (Rev 7:9 KJV) After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; This passage is telling us that a great multitude is in Heaven praising the Lord. This great multitude is the church as you notice they have come out of every tribe, nation, and people of the whole world. Until the last day, God will continue to save out of the world.

Let us look at an interesting passage which we find in 1 Samuel 17. David comes to the site where Goliath is taunting the Israelites. David had great spiritual insight as the others viewed the army opposing the Philistines as the army of Israel. Note how David viewed the army.

(1 Sam 17:26 KJV) And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David viewed the army of Israel as the armies of the living God. As we become saved, we join the great army of God and we oppose the army of Satan, which is represented by the Philistines. In Revelation 19 the believers which return to earth with Christ are symbolized mounted upon horses and following the King of Kings. When speaking of the armies of Israel, the Israel in view becomes clearer in the next passage with supporting Scripture.

Ezekiel 37:11

Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

When discussing the understanding of the above term "whole house of Israel" it behooves us to see what the Bible says on that term. In other words, who is the Israel in view? I want to offer quite a number of Scripture which teaches us that the Israel in view is the church and not national Israel.

(Isa 45:17 KJV) But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

(Rom 2:28-29 KJV) For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: {29} But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

(Rom 9:6 KJV) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

(Rom 11:25-26 KJV) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. {26} And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

(Gal 3:7-8 KJV) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. {8} And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

(Gal 3:16 KJV) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

(Gal 6:16 KJV) And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

(Eph 2:12 KJV) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

(Phil 3:3 KJV) For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

As we have seen in these many verses that the whole house of Israel is not confined to one nation rather its borders reach into the entire world. The whole house of Israel contains both the saved Gentiles and Jews, otherwise known as the church universal. Abraham’s descendants would reach throughout the entire world. (Gen 17:6 KJV) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. Here is a little insight about who will be the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. Notice the Bible states that "kings" will come out of her. Who are these kings? For the answer we must go back to the Bible and find our answer.

(Rev 1:5-6 KJV) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, {6} And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Notice in these two revealing verses who the kings of the earth are? They are another name for the believers. How do I know this? What does a king do? He reigns! (Rev 5:10 KJV) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

(Rev 20:6 KJV) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

(Rev 22:4-5 KJV) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. {5} And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

So here we see that those kings, the believers, are going to reign with Christ for 1,000 years which is a figure representing the whole New Testament period which will culminate on the last day. We will reign on the earth and that reign will be forever and ever. As to what we will reign over, God has kept that to Himself and will be revealed in His timing which will probably be after the last day of recorded time. What a marvelous future for the believer.

Ezekiel 37:12-13

Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. {13} And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

Before we broach the subject of graves in these two verses, let us look at the term "land of Israel." We have already seen that Israel comprises all the saved of both physical Jews and Gentiles. To give us a basic understanding we must go back to Genesis 17:8 which gives us insight of the land of Israel.

(Gen 17:8 KJV) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Let us go to a passage which details for us the term "stranger" that we find in Genesis 17:8.

(Heb 11:8-10, 13 KJV) By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. {9} By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: {10} For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. {13} These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Here we see that Abraham and the other Patriarchs had the spiritual insight to realize that their real home was not on this earth. Here we Christians are all strangers and pilgrims. How do we know that we are strangers on earth? Because your philosophy of life is different. Be honest on the job and see if you get promoted. Decry any form of sin, even in the church, and see the reception you get. I think you know what I am getting at. To be obedient to God is to rebuke the world’s ways. Another reason we know that the Patriarchs were seeing earth as a strange land is because of the following Scripture:

(Gen 25:8 KJV) Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Here Abraham was gathered to his people after he died and not before. We see here plainly that "his people" and ours are those who are already in heaven which means our people are God’s redeemed.

The second term I want to look at in Genesis 17:8 is "Land of Canaan." We gain some insight into the Land of Canaan from Romans 4:13 "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

Notice the Bible states that the land of Canaan is an everlasting possession and when we look at Romans 4:13, we see that Abraham was to be heir of the entire world. Now we must ask the question, is Canaan limited to national Israel or is it limited to the entire world? The answer of course is the entire world as we have already seen that God is saving millions out of the entire world. Therefore, anyone who becomes saved has entered Canaan as they receive everlasting life. Those who are of faith are Abraham’s seed and the world that he will be heir of are those who are being saved throughout the entire world. Then when God remakes the heavens and the earth, the ultimate fulfillment of the Canaan prophecy will be complete as only believers will dwell in the new heavens and new earth, thus making Abraham the heir of the entire world.

Now let us return unto Ezekiel 37:12-13 and deal with the term "graves." Whenever we look at a term we try to harmonize it with the rest of the Bible. Let us look at some explanations of this term. Whenever we speak of graves we must ask the question, what does a grave hold? The answer of course is a dead body and how does God view the unbeliever and the pre-salvific believer? The answer is very simple, He views us as DEAD in our sins and we will look at a number of verses which teach this truth quite openly.

(Isa 65:1-5 KJV) I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. {2} I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; {3} A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; {4} Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; {5} Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

Now here God is telling us that these people are remaining among the graves. Is He telling us they literally remain among the graves or is He using this as a figure? He is using it as a figure as he points out the character of these people. The traits He points out are the ones associated with unsaved people: rebellious, idolatrous, eating unclean foods, holier than thou mentality, etc. God lists traits which are associated with those who are dead in their sins

(Eph 2:1-6 KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: {2} Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {4} But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, {5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Here God plainly states that the believers were once dead in their sins as we followed the wickedness of Satan, which made us spiritual corpses. But God who named His elect before the foundation of the world quickened us or made us alive unto God and even raised us up and made us sit in heavenly places with the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, God has already seen the end of wickedness and His children reigning in the new heaven and new earth.

(Col 2:13-15 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; {15} And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Here is another great verse of triumph for the believer. We were once spiritually dead but Christ took every penalty for every sin we committed, past, present, and future. Now because of Christ, there is nothing which can prevent the believer from going to heaven since every sin has been atoned for. This was the first judgment day, where Christ died for the sins of His people. The second judgment day will be the Great White Throne judgment where the unbeliever dies for his own sins

Ezekiel 37:14

And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

I would like to offer a preliminary observation on this verse. If Ezekiel 37 was a prophecy of national Israel then something is wrong. God says He was going to place His Spirit in them. Who is God’s Spirit? He is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who bears witness with our spirit to the person and work of Christ. The nation of Israel is still in rebellion against God as they still reject and hate Christ. Since this condition persists today, it is obvious that God did not place His Spirit in the unsaved Jews or else they would be walking in Christ and not rejecting Him as they continuously do. (1 John 2:23 KJV) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. So since they reject the Son, they are also rejecting the Father. (Rom 8:9 KJV) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Here God returns to the land again emphasizing that the land is not a physical land but it is the kingdom of God.

(Ezek 36:24-28 KJV) For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. {25} Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. {26} A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. {27} And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. {28} And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Here God says that He is going to bring them into their own land and then sprinkle "clean water" on them. What is the clean water he is going to sprinkle on them? (Heb 10:22 KJV) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. The water which is sprinkled on us is the water of the true gospel. This is how we are given a new heart and a new spirit. Our old dead spirit is made alive through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:26 KJV) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Here we see that the washing of water comes by the word of God which brings the true gospel to its hearers.

Let us now return again to the term "your own land," as so many choose to attribute this to the nation of Israel. Let us go back to the beginning and see where the idea of a land for Israel came from and how it has been misinterpreted and misapplied.

(Gen 12:1-3 KJV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: {2} And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: {3} And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

(Gen 12:7 KJV) And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Based upon these 2 sets of verses we can safely conclude that national Israel will have a homeland and that came to pass when they left Egypt and the land of Israel was divided among the 12 tribes which as a whole became one nation. Now let us ask the question, is this what God had in view? Again we must let the Bible be our guide.

(Gen 13:15 KJV) For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Here is another insight as we see two words which must be factored into the equation and they are" for ever." God is now beginning to add an eternal dimension while simultaneously speaking in the physical dimension. The only people in Scripture that will be dwelling in an eternal land will be the redeemed of God, therefore God does not have national Israel in view when He speaks of eternal things. Now of course, there are those who God saved out of national Israel and he is still saving many physical Jews today and bringing them into the Spiritual Israel. Let us look at one more verse which enforces this teaching and we have already looked at this verse already but it does bear repeating.

(Gen 17:8 KJV) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Any time you see any of the covenants in Scripture which have words in them which speak of eternity, you will automatically know that God is not speaking of a physical covenant but is speaking of the gospel which is an eternal covenant. God has already fulfilled His promise to Abraham in connection with the physical land. Here are some Scriptures which reveal this.

(Josh 21:43-45 KJV) And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. {44} And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. {45} There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

(Josh 23:1-5 KJV) And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. {2} And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: {3} And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you. {4} Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. {5} And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

(1 Ki 8:56 KJV) Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

(Neh 9:7-8, 23 KJV) Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; {8} And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: {23} Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

We see that the Scriptures teach that God fulfilled His word to the Patriarchs concerning the promised land. The Israelites went in and possessed the land according to the promises of God. When prophecy preachers and teachers write books and say that God still owes Israel a land, they err greatly because they are calling God a liar by evading these passages. God promised them the land, they received it but what happened?

(Ezek 33:25-29 KJV) Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? {26} Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land? {27} Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. {28} For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. {29} Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

God simply removed them because they became wicked and ran after false gods. This is why their land was taken from them and their disobedience does not constitute a debt of land being owed to them. They broke the covenant which resulted in the penalty of losing the land. Therefore, God owes them nothing and prophecy moguls who produce these false beliefs in their books are simply lying and are taking flight from the truths of the Scripture which we have seen.

Ezekiel 37:15-17

The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, {16} Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: {17} And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

Here we see that Ezekiel is commanded to take two sticks which represent the southern and northern kingdom of Israel. He is also commanded to take both sticks in his hand and as he does they shall become as one. Now for us to understand the spiritual meaning behind this we must look further in the Bible to give us understanding.

(Isa 14:1 KJV) For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

Notice in this passage that "strangers" will be joined to Jacob. Jacob is a biblical reference to the redeemed of God. Now what strangers are going to be joined to Jacob? When we go to the New Testament, we find in many places that God is going to save the Gentiles also not only a remnant out of national Israel will be saved but many Gentiles will be saved also. We read in Romans 11 about how the Gentiles were grafted into the natural tree. The truth of the Gospel came to national Israel first and many believed and into that tree were the wild olive trees or the Gentiles grafted in to salvation. The melding of both Gentiles and physical Jews to form the Israel of God is set out at the end of Romans Chapter 11

This verse has probably been the most misunderstood and misapplied verse in the New Testament. The prophecy moguls continue to use this verse as their prooftext that the entire nation of Israel will become saved at a future time. Even those who believe in free will apparently believe in predestination in that the whole nation of Israel is going to become saved. The key to understanding this verse is simple "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." We saw in Ezekiel that God is going to make one nation of Israel out of the two sticks, the southern and northern kingdoms. The spiritual principle is simple. When God begins to save the Gentiles out of many countries and when the last one is saved that is to be saved , then "ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED." The all Israel is the Church of God and not the physical nation of Israel as we have already defined who Israel is.

(2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

(John 6:39 KJV) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Here are two verses which harmonize in meaning. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that God is "not willing that any should perish." Who are these that God does not will to perish? They are His elect and He has committed Himself to save everyone which He named before the foundation of the world to salvation. In John 6:39 Jesus states that all of those the Father gives Him will come to Him and He will not lose one single soul. 2 Peter 3:9 in no way means that God does not want any to perish in hell and that He is waiting for them to accept Christ. This has nothing to do with that type of thought. If God wills something, do you think created man has the ability to abort God’s will? I think not but there are many who propose free will who believe they can command God when they want to be saved. How about this one "I gave God permission to be Lord of my Life." Arrogance, Blind Arrogance!!!!

Let us continue and look at a few more verses which give us a better understanding of the idea of combining two to make one.

(Eph 2:13-22 KJV) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. {14} For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; {16} And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. {18} For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. {19} Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; {21} In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Here we read that Christ is our peace who made one out of two, both Jews and Gentiles will be brought into the Church and as a result He makes one new man out of us. Notice the verses also state that He preached to those who were far off and near. This is another indication that the Gospel will go to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Also the Scriptures teach we both have access unto the Father by one Spirit. The teaching tells us that we all stand on the same footing and that no single race stands before God with a most favored status. We see that those who become saved are being built into a holy temple in the Lord. A while back I had mentioned the fact that Ezekiel 40-48 was not describing some "Millennium Temple" but it was describing the perfection of the church in building terms. Verse 22 reveals to us that the temple is a spiritual one and not a physical one.

Ezekiel 37:18-19

And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? {19} Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

God continues to emphasize that He is going to make one nation out of two but here He states that the two nations will become one in His hand. Let us look at a passage of Scripture which give us an understanding as to what the one stick in the hand of God will be like.

(Isa 62:1-5 KJV) For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. {2} And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. {3} Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. {4} Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. {5} For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

This passage would take another full study to dissect but we will give it just a cursory look right now. We see that the gospel is going to go forth as something that lights the way which will never burn out. We can call salvation an eternal flame. We will also be called by a name which was unknown in Isaiah’s time which may be the name "Christian." However, when one searches the Old Testament, we will find many names for the believer written there. One famous one is "Zion." This is where I got the name for my web site "Scion of Zion" which means a descendant or heir of Zion. The word "Saint" is used in the Old Testament 37 times. God will make us a crown of glory in His hand. His redeeming work is His crowning glory as all the Gentiles will see His redeeming work. It is opulently displayed today in the believer. One was a drunk and now they are saved. One was a thief but now they are saved. One was a murderer but now they are saved. Amazing Grace how sweet the sound!

Then God says we will no longer be forsaken nor our land desolate. That word desolate in verse 4 means "deserted, lifeless or barren." What was our life like before Christ came in? These 3 words describe it. Then He goes on to say that we will be married. Are not the believers the Bride of Christ? Also note in verse 4 He states that the "land" will be married. This is definitely a picture of the body of believers and the reason I can dogmatically say this is has anybody ever married land? Then in verse 5 we read how God will rejoice over us as His redeemed. This is how we are going to be in the hand of the Lord.

Ezekiel 37:20-21

And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. {21}

And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

(Ezek 34:11-13 KJV) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. {12} As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. {13} And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

Here the Lord introduces the land again. God says that he is going to seek and search for His sheep wherever they have been scattered. He will then bring them into their own land. Notice He says they will be gathered out from the countries. Where are all the redeemed coming from today? Is it Israel? The answer is no, from all nations around the world including national Israel. And of course the nation that God is planting the believers in is the Israel of God or the eternal Israel of Covenant. He will also feed them by the rivers. (Psa 1:3 KJV) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. What is the great river which will feed the believers? The believers are fed by the Holy Spirit who gives understanding in the Scriptures. The mountains of Israel are a synonym for the Kingdom of God. (Psa 121:1 KJV) I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

(Psa 72:3 KJV) The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

What mountain will bring peace to God’s people? It is not a physical mountain but the Kingdom of God which is portrayed by the term "Mountain" many times in Scripture. (Psa 87:1 KJV) His foundation is in the holy mountains.

Ezekiel 37:22

And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

After 22 verses we are finally getting to the heart of the teaching of Ezekiel 37. We read that one king shall be over them and that King is the Lord Jesus Christ. Many times we hear the term that Christ is "The King of the Jews." For many years I believed that this statement meant that He was king over the nation of Israel alone. But as I began to study the Scriptures, I realized that statement was not speaking of the physical Jews but Christ is the King of the Spiritual Jews which is the Body of Christ or the Church.

(Mat 2:2 KJV) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

(Mat 1:21 KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Who are the people of God? It is the body of Christ or His called out, redeemed, elected church. It was these He came to save and reign over. Now this is not to say that Christ does not reign over His creation as the Sovereign God but the eternal reign of Christ will be over His eternal church no matter what milieu they will be in concerning the new heaven and new earth.

Ezekiel 37:23

Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

Here is a beautiful picture of salvation as this verse shows that God has cleansed His people. (1 Th 1:9 KJV) For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

(1 Cor 6:9-11 KJV) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, {10} Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. {11} And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Here we see many more sins which God’s people were involved in before salvation but notice the term which God uses to describe their present state. He says "And such were some of you" which means that God views their sin as past sins and does not hold any sin against His elect because they were all atoned for. Ezekiel says that these people will not defile themselves anymore which means that all the sins have been atoned for and forgotten and there is not one sin which God will hold against us. (Heb 10:17 KJV) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. So then why does the believer and many clergy still view themselves and the body of Christ as sinners? Biblical ignorance that’s why! Can anyone find me one verse in the Bible where God calls His children sinners? The only ones who will not concern themselves with world and false religions are the true believers since we have the truth of Christ abiding in us. The only reason that many "seeming" Christians go into false religions is because they were never saved to begin with. If a person is saved, they will not follow another voice (John 10) but God has committed Himself to keep His redeemed.

Ezekiel 37:24

And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

Now the book of Ezekiel was written about 600 BC which would be about 400 years after the death of King David. Does this verse mean that King David will be resurrected and reign over Israel or does it mean something else? The name David means "beloved or dear." (Rom 1:3 KJV) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; David was made of the seed of Christ according to the Spirit. Christ was in the lineage of David. (John 7:42 KJV) Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

(Acts 15:16 KJV) After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: The tabernacle of David is a synonym for the building up of the church. (Acts 2:34 KJV) For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, When speaking of the resurrection of Christ this passage makes a clear declaration the David did not ascend into heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ was the one who ascended into heaven. So when God uses David in Ezekiel 37:24 he is telling us that Christ will be the one who will be King over them.

God goes on to say that this king will also be the one shepherd which will be over them. David was a shepherd of sheep but the Lord Jesus Christ is the Shepherd of His Church. (John 10:11 KJV) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. David did not give his life for the sheep but the Lord Jesus Christ did. In the balance of this verse God reiterates that those who follow the shepherd will be obedient to His statutes and laws. This type of obedience is only found in the redeemed

Ezekiel 37:25

And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

We have looked at the definition of "the land" and found biblically conclusive evidence that this land is the Spiritual Israel or Spiritual land of Canaan of which one enters only through Christ. God introduces the eternal element in this verse. First He states that David will be their prince forever. Whenever God introduces the word forever we can instantly look for His eternal salvation program and can discount any notion of a physical land location.

Notice though God speaks of generations of children are going to dwell in the new land. Is He speaking of physical children? I think we need to investigate it a little bit and the Bible gives us our definition of children. Keep in mind these children are in the realm of everlasting and not temporal.

(1 John 2:12-13 KJV) I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. {13} I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

(1 John 2:18 KJV) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

(1 John 3:18 KJV) My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

These four verses reveal that God is speaking of His children as little children. These are the believers in Christ not little children on a playground. God uses this as an endearing term toward His redeemed.

(Gal 4:26-31 KJV) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. {27} For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. {28} Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. {29} But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. {30} Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. {31} So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

We see in these passages that we are children of the free woman who is Sarah in conjunction with the New Jerusalem who is the mother of us all. What is meant here is that the body of believers being the New Jerusalem continues to bring children into the spiritual land of Canaan. Whenever we witness to someone and that person becomes saved, in essence, we as the new Jerusalem, have mothered another child for the Kingdom of God. God calls us children of promise. So the children that God has in view in Ezekiel 37:25 are the believers in the future that will continue to bring new believers into the Kingdom through the sending forth of the gospel. It is a spiritual reproduction not a physical reproduction in view. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God only spirit can.

Ezekiel 37:26

Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

(Num 25:10-13 KJV) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {11} Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. {12} Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: {13} And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

Here all the way back in Numbers which was about 1440 BC we see that God was already speaking about an everlasting covenant of a priesthood which was fulfilled in Christ. One need only look at Melchizedec in Hebrews 5-7 and see the characteristics he had. Only one person could fill that role and that is Christ. We also see in both the Ezekiel and Numbers passage we read about a "covenant of peace." What is this peace which God talks about?

(Rom 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(Psa 46:9 KJV) He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

The covenant of peace is the Gospel itself which brings peace between God and man. Unsaved man is at war with God until a person becomes saved then there is peace. (Eph 6:15 KJV) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; The wars that God makes to cease are the wars between Himself and unsaved man. When God saves someone, He ends the war and He does this all over the world as he saves His elect out of every nation and tongue.

Notice the Ezekiel passage emphasizes that the covenant of peace will be an everlasting covenant. If God was speaking about physical wars between countries or individuals, then something is wrong because as soon as one war ends another one starts somewhere. Since this is a perpetual covenant, we are on safe ground viewing this covenant as the Gospel itself.

(Rev 21:3 KJV) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

The Ezekiel passage speaks of the sanctuary of God being in the midst of the believers forever. This seals the understanding that this Chapter is not speaking of the physical Jews but rather of the Redeemed of God.

Ezekiel 37:27-28

My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. {28} And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

(2 Cor 6:14-18 KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? {15} And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? {16} And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. {17} Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, {18} And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God is saying that when we come out of the heathen and sinful practices, He will redeem us and be our God and Father forever and we will never be forsaken. Remember Isaiah 62:4? God continues to build the tabernacle of David or otherwise known as the church as we see in the Acts passage. The result of this building will be those who will seek the Lord, whom the Lord has called.

(Acts 15:15-17 KJV) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, {16} After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: {17} That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

(Rev 21:1-5 KJV) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. {2} And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. {3} And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. {4} And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. {5} And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

What a beautiful passage to end up the study of Ezekiel 37. The heathen knows when God has sanctified Israel because every born again believer is a testimony to the faithfulness of God. Remember, "I once was lost but now am found." We are found in the sanctuary in the midst of the New Jerusalem. God is our refuge and our strength.

Summation

We have come a long way in the study of Ezekiel 37 and we have safely concluded that this chapter is not speaking of the founding of Israel in 1948 nor does it apply to a future golden reign where all the physical Jews will become saved. This chapter deals specifically with the church as it is built one bone at a time. So the next time you read about Ezekiel 37 referring to national Israel, see if they go in depth as we did or if they just do a cursory "pick and choose" to make their prophecy fit into their personal molds. Will the ushers please come forward.

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