RESTORATION OF ISRAEL'S DRY BONES
The original promises given to Abram and extended to Isaac,
Jacob and then to the entire "physical" nation that God brought
into existence at The Exodus involve both a spiritual and a physical future
for that nation. Neither the physical blessings nor the spiritual blessings
have been completely fulfilled for the nation of Israel. In order for that
to take place, Israel must once again reside in the land area that God
promised to them through Abram. The statement at Joshua 21:43-45 does not
refer to a "complete" fulfillment of the promises to Abraham
but to a fulfillment of the promises made to the "fathers" at
the time the nation was delivered from Egypt some 47 years earlier. Furthermore,
the "promised blessings" are yet unfulfilled based on the information
God gave to Moses concerning the future apostasy, discipline and final
restoration of the nation of Israel.
God prophesied that the nation would be removed from their
land by divine discipline and be scattered throughout the world (Deut.
28:58-66; Lev. 26:27-39). This was fulfilled two times in the nation's
history. The first time was in 605 to 536 BC for 70 years, administered
by the Chaldean Empire and the second time was administered by Rome in
70 AD and remains in force to this very day. However, there are also promises
of restoration from this time of discipline and captivity as recorded at
Lev. 26:40-45. That was fulfilled the first time in 536 BC under the political
administration of Cyrus of Persia. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel record
for us the promises of this restoration but in addition, use language of
restoration which was not fulfilled in 536 BC. Indeed, they look to a distant
future restoration from a "different" dispersion which carries
with it the promise of NEVER, EVER being oppressed again. It is because
of these promises that Israel must once again be restored "physically"
to her land as deliverance from the Roman dispersion of 70 AD and to be
"physically" secured in her land, never to be oppressed again.
Furthermore, it is apparent that Israel needs to be in the land in order
for THE COVENANT of peace to have any significance. It is also obvious
by the nature of the covenant and the worship activity that is practiced,
that Israel will be in a spiritual condition of unbelief. Ie, occupied
with the sacrificial system instead of embracing Jesus as the Messiah.
Thus, there needs to be a re-gathering of the Jews from around the world
into the land of Palestine where they can be the recipient of the "little
help" that is offered them as we saw in Dan. 11:34. Hindsight is always
wonderful in these situations and I shall certainly take advantage of it
to recognize in some Old Testament prophecies the re-gathering of Israel
(in unbelief) for the purpose of a refining and purifying that will result
in their conversion to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Ezek. 34:11-13a,
"For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself
will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his
herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for
MY sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered
on a cloudy and gloomy day. And I will bring them out from the peoples
and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land;"
This passage tells us of a re-gathering of Israel into
their own land from a world-wide dispersion.
Ezek. 34:13b-14,
and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the
streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them
in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights
of Israel. There they will lie down in good grazing ground, and they will
feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
This speaks of great material prosperity that will exist
for the nation when they are re-gathered, although still in the condition
of unbelief. The general mineral wealth that exists in Palestine is well
known and certainly does not need to be documented here. In addition, Israel
has worked wonders in bringing agricultural stability to a land once stripped
bare and cursed by God.
Ezek. 34:15-16
I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest, declares
the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the
broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy.
I will feed them with judgment.
However, here we see that even after the re-gathering of
Israel into a land that produces great material prosperity, there still
exists the need to "purge" from among them the spiritual rebels.
"To feed them with judgment," refers to the purging process that
takes place both before and after the arrival of the Day of the LORD. Before
the Day, both prior to and during the great tribulation, the purging process
will prepare many to trust in the true Messiah after He comes on the scene
at that time. And afterwards, that purging process will continue to evangelize
the nation to prepare them to inherit the earthly kingdom over which Jesus
will reign for 1000 years.
Ezek. 34:17-24 describes the final stage of this "purging"
with the end result that there is placed over the nation "one shepherd"
in the person of "My servant David . . . to be prince among them."
And then Ezek. 34:25-31 describes the conditions on the
physical earth in a "covenant of peace" with Yahweh God in which
"they will no longer be a prey to the nations" (v. 28) and "not
again be victims of famine in the land." (v. 29). This purging process
was discussed earlier in reference to Dan. 11:35,
"And those who have insight (those who have trusted
in Jesus as the Messiah) will fall (suffer persecution) in order to refine,
purge and make them pure (evangelistic outreach to the Jews of the land),
until the end time (The Day of the LORD)."
God has been dealing with Israel and will continue to
deal with Israel, not because of any merits within that nation, but because
of God's character which is unchangeable. He has promised and will not break
"the word of His mouth" nor retract the "chosen" status
of Israel. But it will all be done for His own glory and not because Israel
deserves or merits it.
Ezek. 36:22-24,
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord
GOD, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act,
but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you
went. And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been
profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then
the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD,
when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you
from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your
own land."
It should be clear from this passage that at the time
that God begins the re-gathering of Israel, the nation is still in unbelief.
The nation is still in the condition of "profaning His name among
the nations," which has occurred because of the continued national
rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. God will carry out this re-gathering
process, not for the sake of the unbelieving, but for the sake of His holy
name.
THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES
Ezek. 37:1-8
"The hand of Yahweh was upon me, and He brought me
out by the Spirit of Yahweh and set me down in the middle of the valley;
and it was full of bones. And He caused me to pass among them round about,
and behold, {there were} very many on the surface of the valley; and behold,
{they were} very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones
live?" And I answered, "O Lord Yahweh, You know." Again
He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry
bones, hear the word of Yahweh. Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones,
Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. and
I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin,
and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I
am Yahweh." So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied,
there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together,
bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh
grew, and skin covered them; BUT THERE WAS NO BREATH IN THEM."
The vision of dry bones describes a process of coming
to life; a re-gathering into the land, but in unbelief, so that the nation
is viewed as HAVING NO BREATH. This re-gathering will precede the institution
of the M.E.P.T.A. and continue afterwards during the time of religious
toleration and peace, so that at the time that the "affliction"
(the tribulation) begins there will be a maximum number of Israelites in
the land to be recipients of God's special evangelistic outreach to them,
through not only the church (Mt.10:21-23; 24:9-14; Dan. 11:35), but the
two witnesses in Jerusalem as well (Rev.11:1-13). It is at this time that
they will seek the Lord in fulfillment of Hosea 5:15,
"In their affliction they will earnestly seek me."
But the process of coming to life will not be complete
until the nation accepts Jesus as the true Messiah. This will occur after
the Day of the LORD arrives and is seen at Ezek. 36:25-26,
"And I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you
will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all
your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give
you a heart of flesh."
It is imperative that we understand the difference between
the "gradual" return of Israel into the land of Palestine in
unbelief and the end result of that gathering which will be the establishment
of a believing remnant in the land after the Messiah accomplishes His victory
at Armageddon. Amos 9:13-15
"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD,
When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him
who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine, And all the hills
will be dissolved. "Also I will restore the captivity of My people
Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live {in them} , They
will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat
their fruit. "I will also plant them on their land, And they will
not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,"
Says the LORD your God.
The establishment of that remnant is based on the "purification"
process which begins through the evangelistic activities of the church
prior to the Day of the LORD and is culminated when God personally divides
between those of Israel who have trusted in Jesus as the Messiah and those
who have not. Most of the "restoration" passages view the gradual
gathering and the final establishment almost in one breath as it were.
But through the study of contexts we can see that there is indeed a distinction
which must be preserved. The present existence of Israel "living"
within her own land clearly fulfills not only the "necessity"
of her presence, but the prophecies of her re-gathering in unbelief. Indeed,
this very presence of Israel in the land is absolutely necessary in order
for the prophecies of the Day of the LORD to take place. Robert Van Kampen
in his book "The Sign," summarizes this present re-gathering of
Israel into her own land as follows:
The great "Diaspora" from the Promised Land
that began in 70 A.D. was the ultimate curse, scattering Israel to the
ends of the earth. As a result, Jews had no homeland for nearly two thousand
years. In 1897 a group of Jews met to discuss their common dream of a homeland
- not a homeland just anywhere in the world, but back in the land God had
promised to their forefather Abraham, where they had lived for many centuries
in ancient times. The movement born from that gathering was called Zionism,
after the name of the holy mountain on which the city of Jerusalem was
built. Zionism has never gained wholehearted support from all Jews, and
certainly not universal recognition, much less support from Gentiles. Nevertheless,
the Zionist movement that began in the late nineteenth century gradually
gained recognition from various world powers, especially Great Britain
and the United States. After the First World War, the Balfour Declaration
by Great Britain (1917) gave Jews land in Palestine to which they could
emigrate and live under Britain's protection. It was not until the middle
of the twentieth century, however, that the divinely prophesied and long-awaited
reestablishment of the "nation" of Israel materialized, when
in 1948 the United Nations officially recognized Israel as a sovereign
state (p.167-168).
Once we find Israel back in the land, in a place where
she can actually benefit from "a little help," the stage is practically
set for the seals to be opened and the plan of God to be carried out for
the final 7 years and 75 days prior to Messiah's physical reign on the
earth. It is also clear that while Israel exists in the land, there will
come a time when Palestine is viewed as possessing some great natural resources
which will be in great demand throughout the world. The only thing that
remains is the formation of a political body from where can arise a political
and military leader who can make a genuine offer of "a little help"
to the nation of Israel and bring to an end the bitter religious and military
conflicts that have been going on ever since Israel has been back in her
land.
