Ezequiel 37

Ezequiel 37

Chart from Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Click Chart from Charles Swindoll Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. (NASB: Lockman) To help understand the context of Ezekiel's message of hope in Chapter 37, study the following diagram of the book. Another suggestion before you begin to study Ezekiel 37 is to take some time and study Dr Tony Garland's well referenced discussion of the Interpreting Symbols (From the preface of Garland's commentary on The Revelation, one of the best and most balanced commentaries from a literalistic perspective I have ever read = A Testimony of Jesus Christ - highly recommended). Irving Jensen points out that "There is a turning point in the book, made up of two parts. At Ezekiel 24:2, Ezekiel is informed by God that the king of Babylon has begun the siege against Jerusalem. At Ezekiel 33:21, the actual turning point, Ezekiel learns from a messenger that the city has fallen. Up to Ezekiel 24:2, Ezekiel’s message is mainly “The city shall be destroyed.” After Ezekiel 33:21, Ezekiel looks to the next prophetic peak, and prophesies, “The city shall be restored.” It is at Ezekiel 24 that the prophet learns that when Jerusalem falls, his tongue will be loosed to speak a new message of hope; and people, sobered by the reality of Jerusalem’s destruction, will begin to give him a hearing. (Read Ezekiel 24:25-27.) (Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament) A C Gaebelein outlines this last section of Ezekiel... EZEKIEL 37-48 1. The Vision of the Dry Bones. Judah and Israel Re-united. Chapter 37. 2. Gog and Magog and Their Destruction. Chapters 38-39. 3. The Millennial Temple and its Worship. The Division of the Land. Chapters 40-47. (From The Annotated Bible, Volume 4) PROPHECY OF JUDGMENT Ezekiel 1-32 Jehovah Departs The LORD is not there PROPHECY OF RESTORATION Ezekiel 33-48 Jehovah Shammah — The LORD is There FATE OF JUDAH Before the Siege FOES OF JUDAH During the Siege FUTURE OF JUDAH After the Siege 593-588 BC 587-586 586-571 7 YEARS OF PROPHESYING HORROR & NO HOPE 15 YEARS OF PROPHESYING HOPE Ezekiel 1-3 Ezekiel Sees the Glory & Receives the Call Ezekiel 4 -24 Judgments Against Judah Ezekiel 25-32 Judgments Against the Gloating Nations Ezekiel 33-39 Restoration of Israel to the LORD Ezekiel 40-48 Visions of the Millennial Temple THE PROPHECY OF DRY BONES Ezekiel 37:1-14 is a vision of dry bones and is is the third of four major visions in Ezekiel... Ezekiel 1:1-3:15 Ezekiel 8:1-11:24 Ezekiel 40:1-48:35 ESV Study Bible introduces this chapter noting that "This vision, Ezekiel’s third in the book, is one of the most famous passages in Ezekiel. While it stands on its own as a powerful statement of God’s power to re-create the community, the context is significant. The promised gift of new heart and spirit (Ezek 36:26-27) left questions hanging (i.e., how can this be? and can it be true...?). Chapter 37 addresses these questions. (ESV Online Study Bible Crossway) Joel Rosenberg writes that Ezekiel 36, 37 "set the stage for the “War of Gog and Magog” by describing that Israel will be reborn as a country in the last days, the Jewish people will come back to the Holy Land from exile all over the world, the Jewish people will rebuild the ancient ruins and make the deserts bloom again (Ed: I have been to Israel and this is a beautiful reality today!). These things have all happened, and this suggests we are getting closer to the fulfillment of the next set of prophecies. Related Resources - Here are 3 articles by Merrill F Unger Ezekiel 37 - Ezekiel's Vision of Israel's Restoration—Part 1 Ezekiel 37 - Ezekiel's Vision of Israel's Restoration—Part 2 Ezekiel 37 - Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s Restoration—Part 3 Hand of the LORD - 38x in 37v in NAS - In some contexts this is "good" but in others "not so good" Study the passages - Ex 9:3; Deut 2:15; Josh 4:24; 22:31; Jdg 2:15; Ruth 1:13; 1Sa 5:6, 9; 7:13; 12:15; 2Sa 24:14; 1Kgs 18:46; 2Kgs 3:15; 1Chr 21:13; Ezra 7:6, 28; Job 12:9; Ps 75:8; 118:15f; Pr 21:1; Isa 19:16; 25:10; 41:20; 62:3; 66:14; Jer 51:7; Ezek 1:3; 3:14, 22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1; Luke 1:66; Acts 11:21; 13:11 One of my favorite examples (not the exact phrase but certainly a synonym) is found in the life of Ezra... For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:9-10-see in depth discussion, cp Ezra 7:6, 28) Comment: This passage is a great example of the importance of interrogating the little preposition "for" when it is used (as it is here) as a term of explanation! What does it explain? Why was Jehovah's good hand upon Ezra? Can you see the clear application to your life? Then go forth and apply this truth, so that the good hand of Jehovah might be on your life. As an aside, does this mean you will never experience trials, troubles or tribulations? Absolutely not! This is a fallen world and every believer will experience manifold tests (1Pe 1:6-7-note) (but God always provides manifold grace [1Pe 4:10-note] to enable us to "bear up under" whatever trial He allows in our life. Indeed Luke records that "through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Acts 14:22). But Paul "buffers" this truth with the declaration that "momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison." (2Cor 4:17-note) Spirit of the LORD - Ezekiel was carried by the Spirit, and set down in a valley filled with dry bones. Sometimes God's will and way seems to be without purpose, but we are caught in time and so can see only a portion of the "tapestry" He is weaving, and remember that He is the "Master Weaver" of all the variegated threads in our lives! Spirit in Ezekiel - Hebrew = ruah/ruach in Ezekiel 1:12, 20, 21; 2:2; 3:12, 14, 24; 8:3; 10:17; 11:1, 5, 19, 24; 13:3; 18:31; 21:7; 36:26, 27; 37:1, 14; 39:29; 43:5. Ruah/ruach is translated breath in Ezekiel 37:5, 8, 9, 10. Set me down in the middle of the valley - As noted above this reflects that this section is in the form of a vision. Full of bones - This is highly symbolic language. Bones are the framework on which is "built" the human body. It follows that bones in this context speak of the framework, not of individual bodies coming to life but of the nation of Israel coming to life (as determined from the context). Remember that at the time of this prophecy, the nation, the holy city of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple all lay in ruins. God is giving a prophecy of hope, remembering His great lovingkindness or mercy in the midst of great wrath. God had made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and based on those covenant promises (especially that Israel would receive the land), God is acting in mercy by giving this hope filled promise. It is not a "hope so" type of hope, but a sure and steadfast promise that will come to fruition in the Lord's perfect plan and timing. J. Dwight