Part 7: Ephraim and Judah in the 21st century.
Ezekiel 37:1-3 Valley of dry bones.
“The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
(Valley of dry bones.)
In the first 6 parts, we’ve seen the prophetic nature of the book of Genesis both of Jesus and of of the last days. We’ve also discussed how the story of Joseph and his two sons speak of the Church. We’ve learned about some exiting things that are happening in Natural Israel as the coming of our Lord Jesus draws nearer. Now let’s turn our sights on God’ prophetic time clock; the tiniest nation of all: Israel.
The opening verses are some of the most perplexing in all of scripture, aren’t they? But just stop and think for a minute: When you read about this “valley of dry bones,” what picture comes to your mind? Think recent history, now……..A whole bunch of skeletons……one thrown on top of another…….in large pits or mass graves……..That’s right! The Holocaust. It conjures up pictures of the mass graves of Nazi Germany where 6 million Jews were murdered. Clearly, this passage is not talking about the Church in the last days but about what would happen to natural Israel at the hands of Hitler.
God prophesied the holocaust would happen. It wasn’t His will, you understand. He didn’t do it. You see, though the Jewish people have the blessing of Abraham, they don’t have the whole thing. They don’t have the all-important protection over them Who’s Name is “Jesus.”
You and I have His protection, Church. We won’t be going through any holocaust. He went through it for us. It's not because we are better than they are. Not a chance. It’s simply because of Jesus!
(Jesus wept over Jerusalem.)
Now do you understand why He wept so miserably over Jerusalem? His heart was literally breaking for them. He saw what was going to happen to them in the future. He saw their temple being destroyed in 70 A.D. He saw His people being destroyed in the holocaust. He wanted so much to protect them. But they rejected His covering over them and, in so doing, were defenseless. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Your house is left to you desolate.”
But He also prophesied they would come back to their land around the same time as the holocaust. It was that event which would precipitate their return.
Ezekiel 37:4-10
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
“So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.”
"Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.”
As though from dry bones with no life in them to a great army of living, breathing people, God literally resurrected their nation from the ashes of the holocaust and brought them back to their own land to be a people once again. In an unprecedented decision by the the United Nations, the Jews were given a place to call, “Home,” and on May 15th,1948, they began coming back to Israel!! It sent shock waves throughout the whole world!
(For more on this topic, follow the link below about the 19th Book: Psalms:
After the horrors of the Second World War, the Jewish people had nearly lost all hope. But God had not forgotten them!
Ezekiel 37: 10-14
“They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it, ” says the LORD.’ ””
Please proceed to part 8 where we’ll talk about God’s two groups of covenant people I the world, the family stick and begin to wrap this subject up: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2016/04/ephraim-and-house-of-judah-part-8-of-9.html
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