Ezekiel 37:1-14

“And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” (Ezekiel 37:14, ESV)

The LORD brought out Ezekiel in the Spirit and set him in a valley of very dry bones. Then He asked him, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel answered, “O Lord, you know.” The LORD told Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones and say, “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” Ezekiel did as he was told, and there was a rattling noise. The bones came together—bone to bone; then sinews, flesh and skin came upon them. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, saying, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So Ezekiel prophesied, and breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

In the same way, God would open the graves of the people of Israel and cause them to live. He would gather them from the four corners of the earth and bring them back into their land. He would put His Spirit in them and make them an exceedingly great army. Then they would know that Yahweh is God and that He had not abandoned them.

We have seen this prophecy fulfilled in the last century. The Jews were scattered throughout the world for 1,900 years, and they had no homeland. Following the Holocaust it appeared that they were dead as a people. But God gathered them and brought them back into the land. In 1948, the nation of Israel was formed, and they have continued to survive ever since, even though they are surrounded by a sea of enemies hell-bent on their destruction. How could Ezekiel have known all this 2,600 years ago?

Israel was a valley of very dry bones, but God has done the miraculous. I believe this is the most definitive sign that we are living in the last days. Today we see Israel as an exceedingly great army that successfully conducts strategic military operations in order to survive. But she will survive because God is with her and will fulfill all of His words concerning her.

But this lesson does not end here, for God is in the business of bringing new life to dry bones. Are there dry bones in your life? Are there dead relationships that you think could never be restored? Are there spiritual gifts that have died because of distraction and backsliding? Has the passion you once had for Jesus grown cold as a corpse? Then prophesy to the breath of God’s Spirit and say, “Breathe on these dry bones and make them live!”