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Second in a Series of Prophetical Messages
By Louis T. Talbot, D.Dl
T HE thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel opens with a strange vision, which God gave to His prophet, with the interpretation thereof. This intensely dramatic scene must have made an indelible impression upon the prophet’s mind as he gazed upon it. Lis ten to the account: The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry (37:1,2). The Valley of Dry Bones As Ezekiel looked upon this valley, filled with the bones of human skeletons, bleached and dry, the horrible desolation of the scene must have caused him to wonder what message God wanted to de liver. Then the Lord Himself spoke to His prophet in the question which fol lows: Can these bones live? Ezekiel had never been more at a loss to know what to answer than when God asked him this question. Humanly speaking, there was not the slightest possibility of bringing life to this dismal scene. His answer was wise, O Lord God, thou knowest. God knew; Ezekiel did not. Ye shall live. Again God spoke to Ezekiel, saying: Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, 0 ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord (37:4-6). What a strange audience, before which to prophesy! But Ezekiel obeyed God, and as he did so, a miracle was per formed. And the bones came together. The prophet continued: So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them (37:7,8). Page Eight
The prophet looked out upon a valley full of the dead bodies of human beings. And breath came into them. Told to “ prophesy unto the wind,” Ezekiel said: Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, 0 breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army (37:9,10).
nation of Israel does not represent, as some think, a physical resurrection to a second chance. This would be contrary to all the positive teaching of the Word of God. What a man does with the Lord Jesus in this life determines forever the destiny of his never-dying soul. More over, every individual, whether Jew or Gentile, must accept Christ as his own personal Saviour if he would spend eter nity with Him. What we see in this thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel is God’s prophecy of Israel’s national resurrec tion. For many dreary centuries, the Jew has been buried in the cemetery of the Gentile nations. But the day will come; indeed, it seems to be upon us, when God will open the “graves,” so to speak; and He will lead His people back to their own homeland. National Israel has long been dead in the “ graves” of Russia, Ger many, England, France, Italy, Canada, and the United States. Her bones have been bleached throughout the passing centuries in the valley of the nations of the world. But a glorious resurrection awaits this long-despised people of God. Then they will be “the head” of the na tions of the world, “ and not the tail” (Deut. 28:13). The coming together of the dry bones, and, indeed, their being covered with “sinews” and “flesh” and “ skin,” repre sent what we are witnessing today in the Zionist Movement, a world-organiza tion to restore Palestine to the Jew. As many as are permitted to return to the land of their fathers are going back, but in unbelief. There is “no breath in them,” Spirit-given life from God. Why? Because, as a nation, they still reject their Messiah and the only Saviour. They are still “ dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). The Zionist Movement is political and national, not spiritual, but it is preparatory to the time when “breath,” spiritual breath from God, shall be given Israel, that they may live unto Him. Zechariah foretold that won derful day when he wrote, saying, “ They shall look upon me whom they have pierced . . . In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech. 12:10; 13:1). T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S The Zionist Movement— Coming Together of Dry Bones
Dr. L. T. Talbot, Pastor of the Church of the Open Door and President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles What a sight to behold! How the prophet must have wondered at the meaning of so strange a miracle! But God did not leave him in doubt, for He gave to Ezekiel also the interpretation of the vision as well. Israel's National Resurrection God’s interpretation is unmistakable: “ These bones are the whole house of Israel.” The “graves” are the nations of the world, in which Israel has been buried nationally for centuries, but the day will come when God will restore His ancient people to their own land. For a long, weary period of the world’s history the oppressed Jew has said, “ Our bones are dried, and pur hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.” But the Lord has a message for His people: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel . . . and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord (37:12-14). This vision of the restoration of the
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