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EZEKIEL 37
LESSON #31
ILLUSTRATIONS OF RESURRECTION AND REVIVAL
v MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 11:25
v EZEKIEL 37 IS ONE OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN CHAPTERSIN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL BECAUSE OF THE NEGRO SPIRITUAL SONG, DEM BONES.HOWEVER, IT IS OFTEN MIS-INTERPRETED AND MIS-USED. IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL,GOD HAS ALREADY PROMISED THAT HE WOULD RESTORE ISRAEL BOTH PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.CHAPTER 37 GIVES US FURTHER CONFIRMATION OF THIS RESURRECTION AND REVIVAL.
v READ EZE 37:1-10 THE SIGN OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES
Ø GOD TRANSPORTS EZEKIEL TO JERUSALEM. (1)
§ REMEMBER THAT JERUSALEM HADBEEN DESTROYED IN 586 BC BY NEBUCHADNEZZAR OF BABYLON. THE BABYLONIANS TOOK THE JEWSCAPTIVE TO BABYLON FOR 70 YEARS.
§ EZEKIEL IS IN BABYLON ANDTHE HOLY SPIRIT PHYSICALLY LIFTS HIM UP AND TAKES HIM BACK TO JERUSALEM. (1)
· EZEKIEL HAD THIS SAME EXPERIENCEIN EZE 8.
Ø EZEKIEL SEES A VALLEY FILLED WITH BONES.
§ REMEMBER THAT EZEKIEL WAS APRIEST WHO WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO DEFILE HIMSELF WITH ANYTHING DEAD.
§ THESE ARE THE HUMAN BONESOF THE DEAD PEOPLE KILLED IN THE FINAL ATTACK ON JERUSALEM. THESE ARE THE BONES OF THEPEOPLE FLEEING FROM THE BABYLONIAN SOLDIERS.
· THESE JEWISH BODIES DID NOT HAVEA BURIAL. CULTURALLY, THAT WAS A HUMILIATING CONDITION FOR A JEW NOT TO HAVE A BURIAL.
§ EZEKIELS OBSERVATION:
· THESE BONES ARE VERY DRY.
¨ IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO LIFEIN THEM.
· THESE BONES ARE VERY SCATTERED.
¨ IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS NO UNIFYING ORDER TOTHEM.
Ø GODS QUESTION AND EZEKIELSRESPONSE:
§ CAN THESE BONES LIVE?(3)
§ THE IDEA IS BEYOND EZEKIELSCAPACITY TO BELIEVE. ONLY GOD KNOWS BECAUSE ONLY GOD COULD BRING LIFE TO THESE BONES.
Ø EZEKIELS MESSAGE TO THE DRY BONES:(5-6)
§ GOD WILL GIVE THE BONESBREATH.
§ GOD WILL GIVE THE BONESLIFE.
§ GOD WILL GIVE THE BONESFLESH, MUSCLE, AND SKIN.
§ GOD WILL CAUSE THE BONES TOKNOW THAT HE IS GOD.
Ø THE EARTH QUAKES AND THE BONES COME TOGETHER(7)
§ YOU CAN IMAGINE EZEKIELSSHOCK WHEN THE DRY BONES START MOVING. HE MUST HAVE BEEN VERY FRIGHTENED.
§ THEN THE SKELETONS TURNINTO DEAD BODIES. (8)
§ THE MOVEMENT OF THE WINDGIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD BODIES (9-10)
§ THE WIND INSCRIPTURE IS ANOTHER SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (GEN 2:7 ACT 2:1-4)
¨ THE HEBREW WORD, ruah, IS THE SAMEWORD FOR WIND, BREATH, AND SPIRIT.
§ THE LIVING BODIES ARE AMIGHTY ARMY OF PEOPLE.
Ø THE THREE-STAGE PROCESS:
§ 1. DRY BONES
§ 2. DEAD BODIES
§ 3. A LIVING ARMY
v READ EZE 37:11-14 THE INTERPRETATION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES
Ø WE DO NOT HAVE TO WONDER OR SPECULATE WHATTHIS VALLEY OF DRY BONES REPRESENTS BECAUSE THE BIBLE TELLS US IN VERSE 11.
§ THE DRY BONES REPRESENTTHE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL (11).
· THEY DO NOTREPRESENT THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.
· REMEMBER THAT BEFORE THEBABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY, THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO NATIONS, A NORTHERNKINGDOM AND A SOUTHERN KINGDOM.
¨ THEREFORE, THE PROPHECY IS NOT ONLY FOR THESOUTHERN KINGDOM, BUT ALSO FOR THE ENTIRE NATION.
Ø THE OPEN GRAVES (13-14)
§ GOD SAYS THERE WILL BE APHYSICAL RESURRECTION AND A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
· THIS PASSAGE DOES NOT MEAN THATGOD WILL RESURRECT THE DEAD BODIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO DIED IN 586 BC. THE REFERENCE IS TOTHE NATION.
Ø THE FULFILLMENT OF THE RESURRECTION OF THEDRY BONES:
§ THE VISION INDICATES THATTHE FULFILLMENT WILL OCCUR IN A GRADUAL PROCESS IN THREE STAGES AND IN TWO AREAS.
· THE TWO AREAS:
¨ 1. APHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
Ø THE SCATTERED JEWISH PEOPLE WILL BECOME AWHOLE NATION AGAIN.
§ THIS WAS FIRST FULFILLEDAFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. HOWEVER, THE NATION WAS NOT INDEPENDENTLY SOVEREIGN.
§ THEREFORE, THE SECONDFULFILLMENT OCCURRED IN 1948 WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A SOVEREIGN NATION.
· THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS PUTTOGETHER BONE TO ITS BONE (7).
¨ THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT STARTED IN 1881. BUT ITWAS NOT UNTIL WORLD WAR I THAT A JEWISH MAN NAMED CHAIM WEIZMANN INVENTED A CHEMICALFORMULA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TNT EXPLOSIVES AND A SMOKELESS GUNPOWDER. ENGLAND WASLOSING THE WAR AT THAT TIME. THEREFORE, HE GAVE THE INVENTION TO ENGLAND IN EXCHANGE FORDIPLOMATIC HELP FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL. THE RESULT WAS THEBALFOUR DECLARATION OF 1917 THAT ESTABLISHED ISRAEL AS A PROTECTORATE NATIONBELONGING TO ENGLAND. IN 1948 ISRAEL WAS DECLARED A SOVEREIGN NATION.
¨ 2. ASPIRITUAL RESURRECTION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
Ø WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A SOVEREIGN NATION IN1948, THERE WAS NO SPIRITUAL REVIVAL. THIS IS WHY WE MUST LOOK FOR A SECOND FULFILLMENT OFTHIS PROPHECY.
§ ISRAEL WILL BE SPIRITUALLYREBORN WHEN JESUS COMES BACK AT THE SECOND COMING. THAT WILL BE THE SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENTOF THE PROPHECY. (ZEC 12:9-13:1 ISA 66:7-9)
· THE THREE STAGES:
¨ 1. THEDRY-BONE STAGE:
Ø FOR 50 YEARS (586 BC TO 536 BC) THEISRAELITES WAITED IN BABYLON TO RETURN TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY WERE FREETO RETURN , NOT ALL JEWS RETURN ED. THE MAJORITY REMAINED IN BABYLON.
§ THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAELWAS NOT BROUGHT TOGETHER.
Ø IN 70 AD, THE ROMANS DESTROYED ISRAEL AGAINAND THE PEOPLE WERE SCATTERED.
¨ 2. THEDEAD-BODY STAGE:
Ø IN 1948 WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A SOVEREIGNNATION, IT WAS SMALL AND WEAK. (IN 1945 THERE WERE ABOUT 500,000 PEOPLE IN ISRAEL.)GRADUALLY, OVER THE YEARS SINCE THAT TIME, JEWS HAVE MIGRATED TO ISRAEL. NOW THERE AREJEWS THERE FROM ALL THE 12 TRIBES. (IN THE YEAR 2000 THERE WERE MORE THAN 5 MILLION.) THISBODY OF ISRAEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE PUT TOGETHER UNTIL CHRIST COMES AGAIN.
¨ 3. THELIVING-ARMY STAGE:
Ø WHEN JESUS CHRIST RETURN S TO THIS EARTH, THEWIND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BLOW THROUGH THE NATION OF ISRAEL.THEN JEWS WILL TURN TOJESUS CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH. THE NATION OF ISRAEL WILL BE UNITED BOTH PHYSICALLY ANDSPIRITUALLY. THEY WILL BE A MIGHTY ARMY FOR THE LORD.
v READ EZE 37:15-28 THE SIGN OF THE TWO STICKS
Ø EZEKIEL TELLS US WHAT THESE TWO STICKSREPRESENT. (16)
§ ONE STICK REPRESENTS JUDAH,THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM.
§ THE OTHER STICK REPRESENTSEPHRAIM, THE NORTHERN KINGDOM.
Ø THE JOINING OF THE TWO STICKS: (17)
§ EZEKIEL MUST JOIN THE TWOSTICKS TOGETHER INTO ONE STICK.
· IN OTHER WORDS, THE SOUTHERNKINGDOM AND THE NORTHERN KINGDOM WILL NEVER AGAIN BE TWO NATIONS. THEY WILL BE ONE PEOPLEAND ONE NATION GATHERED BY GOD OUT OF EVERY NATION. (21-22)
¨ THIS PART OF THE PROPHECY HAS BEEN FULFILLED.ISRAEL NEVER HAS BEEN TWO NATIONS SINCE THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
§ THE UNFULFILLED PART OF THEPROPHECY:
· ONE KING SHALL BE A KING TOTHEM ALL (22)
¨ THE NATION OF ISRAEL HAS NOT HAD A KING SINCETHE FALL OF JERUSALEM IN 586 BC.
¨ JESUS CHRIST WILL BE THEIR KING IN THEMILLENNIUM WHEN HE ESTABLISHES HIS KINGDOM ON THIS EARTH. THAT WILL BE THE FULFILLMENT OFTHIS PART OF THE PROPHECY.
Ø IN THE MILLENIAL KINGDOM, THE JEWS WILL BEGODS SPECIAL PEOPLE AND OUR GOD WILL BE THEIR GOD. (23)
¨ DAVID, THY SERVANT, SHALL BE KING OVERTHEM (24)
Ø JESUS CHRIST WILL BE THE KING OF KINGS IN THEMILLENNIUM. JESUS CHRIST CAME THROUGH THE LINEAGE OF DAVID. PERHAPS THIS IS WHAT VERSE 24MEANS.
Ø HOWEVER, THE PERSON OF DAVID WILL ALSO HAVEAN EXALTED ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM. PERHAPS THIS IS WHAT VERSE 24MEANS. (SEE VS. 25)
§ DAVIDS ROLE OFLEADERSHIP WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF 1,000 YEARS ON THIS EARTH. HEWILL HAVE AN ETERNAL ROLE OF LEADERSHIP. (25)
· THE COVENANT OF PEACE (26)
¨ AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD,THE NATION OF ISRAEL WILL BE SO DESPERATE FOR PEACE THAT THEY WILL BELIEVE THE ANTI-CHRISTIS THEIR MESSIAH. THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL CONFIRM A PEACE TREATY TO GUARANTEE THE PROTECTIONOF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
¨ IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, WHENTHE ANTI-CHRIST BREAKS HIS PEACE TREATY AND ATTACKS THE JEWS, THEY WILL REALIZE THEIRMISTAKE.
¨ AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, WHENJESUS CHRIST RETURN S DURING THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON, THE JEWS WILL BE READY FOR THE TRUEPEACE OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
· GODS SANCTUARY IN THE MIDSTOF THEM FOREVER (26-27)
¨ GOD PROMISES TO BUILD A NEW TEMPLE IN THEMILLENNIAL KINGDOM ON EARTH TO REPLACE SOLOMONS TEMPLE DESTROYED BY THE BABYLONIANSIN 586 BC.
Ø THE FINAL CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIELGIVE US MANY DETAILS ABOUT THIS TEMPLE.
¨ AFTER THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM ON EARTH,ETERNITY WILL BEGIN. THERE WILL BE NO TEMPLE ACCORDING TO REV 21:3, 22 BECAUSE JESUSCHRIST WILL BE THE TEMPLE, THE TABERNACLE, AND THE ETERNAL SANCTUARY.
Ø EZEKIEL CLOSES THE CHAPTER WITH THE COMMENTTHAT EVEN THE NON-BELIEVERS WILL KNOW THAT JESUS IS LORD WHEN HE RETURN S TO THIS EARTH ANDCOMPLETES THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
v APPLICATION:
Ø FREQUENTLY CHRISTIANS APPLY EZE 37 TO THERESURRECTION OF THE CHURCH AT THE RAPTURE. THIS INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THISCHAPTER PUSHES THE PASSAGE BEYOND THE SUBJECT INTENDED BY GOD AND EZEKIEL.
§ TOO MANY TIMES NEWTESTAMENT BELIEVERS ARE GUILTY OF THIS FAULTY KIND OF INTERPRETATION.
· IMPORTANT POINTS TOREMEMBER:
¨ WHEN THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT ISRAEL, IT IS NOTTALKING ABOUT THE CHURCH.
¨ WHEN THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF GODIN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IT IS TALKING ABOUT THE JEWS.
Ø YES, GENTILES ARE GRAFTED IN BUTNOT UNTIL THE NEW TESTAMENT AGE. (ROM 11:11-24)
Ø HOW CAN WE APPLY EZE 37 TO OUR LIVES TODAY?
§ WHEN WE SEE THE FULFILLMENTOF PROPHECY COME TO PASS IN THE STAGES REFERRED TO IN EZE 37, WE KNOW THAT THE FINAL STAGEOF FULFILLMENT IS NEAR.
· BY THE EXCITING FULFILLMENT OFPROPHECY, WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO HOPE.
§ WE CAN KNOW THE HOUR ON GODSCLOCK BY WATCHING WHAT GOD IS DOING WITH THE JEWS.
· THE JEWISH PEOPLE ARE GODSEXAMPLE TO US. THE WISE CHRISTIAN WILL LEARN FROM THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS.
§ THE JEWISH NATION OF ISRAELIS IN THE SECOND STAGE OF FULFILLMENT. THEY ARE LIKE DEAD PEOPLE WALKING AROUND.
· THE BIBLE SAYS THAT IF WE ARE NOTBORN AGAIN IN JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES AND SINS. (EPH 2:1 COL 2:13)
¨ THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE WALKING ONTHIS EARTH TODAY:
Ø THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALIVE IN JESUS CHRISTWITH THEIR SINS FORGIVEN AND CHOSEN FOR ETERNAL LIFE.
Ø THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE UNFORGIVEN, WALKINGDEAD HEADED FOR ETERNAL DEATH.
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 38:1-13
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
v APPLICATIONOF EZE 37
Ø PRAYTHIS WEEK FOR THE WALKING DEAD PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR.
Ø PRAYTHIS WEEK FOR THE PEACE OF ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM.
v PREPARATIONFOR EZE 38:1-13
Ø READEZE 38:1-23
§ MAGOG REFERS TOTHE NATION OF RUSSIA.
· WHYWILL RUSSIA INVADE ISRAEL? (12)
· WHENWILL RUSSIA INVADE ISRAEL? (14, 16)
v MEMORY VERSE: EZE 38:23
