THE VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES.
The above chapter is one of great interest to the student of prophecy, and, in response to several queries, we present this brief study. Before entering upon a detailed study of the chapter, it is well to consider the situation of the prophet and the condition of the house of Israel. The time of the vision was about B.C. 587. The ten tribes had gone into captivity more than a century and a quarter before. In 599 a portion of Nebuchadnezzar’s host had swept down upon Jerusalem and carried captive certain of the nobles and better educated, among whom was the learned priest Ezekiel. He was settled on the banks of the Chebar, in a Jewish colony, 200 miles north of Babylon. Five years later was opened before him “visions of God,” and his prophecies began, extending over a score of years. In his earlier prophecies he pointed out the sure destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter futility of all help from Egypt. He points out the sins of Israel, and shows that the only hope of the nation is individual repentance. He prophesies concerning the apostate nations around Judea. His later prophecies, after Jerusalem had fallen, were predictions of future restoration and glory, in the figures and language of the time then present. As ever and always, God longs to do all things for His people. His ways are ever right and true and just and equal, despite the questionings of unbelief. All the promises of the unchangeable God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. But if Israel shall reap the glory of these promises, she must come into the channel of their workings; she must come into harmony with God. Note particularly the character and conditions of the promises of God:— 1. Some of these promises are unconditional, irrespective of what any nation may or might do. For instance, God’s gift of His Son and the sending of that Son to the world was based on God’s love for the sinner in his need. 2. Some of God’s promises were conditioned on the attitude of His people. Nowhere is this better set forth than in Jer. 18:7–10:— “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if they do that which is evil in My sight, that they obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” The same things are stated elsewhere, over and over. If Israel were obedient, God’s promises to her were sure. If Israel would not place herself in the channel of God’s mercies, she forfeited the promise. 3. Some of these promises, essential in the fulfilment of God’s purposes, such as the peopling of the earth by a righteous people, the bestowment of the Abrahamic inheritance, etc., will not fail of fulfilment in all their completeness; but in the development of details, the process of fulfilment must shape itself according to the time and development of God’s great purpose. For instance, a promise concerning the priesthood and sacrifice fulfilled in the Levitical dispensation would apply to the Aaronic priesthood and the sacrifices of the then-existing sanctuary, but fulfilled this side of the crucifixion would apply to the priesthood of Christ and to the one Sacrifice for sins forever. 4. There are prophecies which apply to both dispensations. They were in part fulfilled when Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity, and the figures and terms used apply to that time; but the prophecy will not be completely fulfilled till a later age. Then it must be fulfilled according to the terms and conditions in the age of fulfilment. The first thing shown to Ezekiel in the chapter under consideration was a valley full of the bones of men, and the bones very dry. The Lord asks the question, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And the prophet answers, “O Lord Jehovah, Thou knowest.” Then the Lord tells His prophet: “Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah 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 Jehovah.” In obedience the prophet spoke the word. Marvelous things followed. There was a great thundering and an earthquake; then bone came to its bone, sinew and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them. Then the prophet, in obedience to God’s command, called for the breath of life, and it came, and the valley of dry bones became a great living army. This the vision; now the application and interpretation: “Then said He unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost, we are clean cut off. Therefore prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people. And I will put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it and performed it, saith Jehovah.” Certainly, on the face of it, this was a prophecy and a promise to Israel then. Right at that time God stood ready to restore their buried hopes, the dead nation. He would restore dead living ones. He would restore live dying ones. He would bring up the faithful who were sleeping; He would quicken into spiritual life the spiritually dead and discouraged. But, in order that God might do this and the work be permanent, they must be cleansed from iniquity, and be filled with His Spirit. But, in order that God might thus cleanse and fill them, they “must be ashamed and confounded” for all their ways; they must “loathe” themselves in their own sight for their “iniquities” and “abominations.” Eze. 36:31, 32. “As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live, turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Eze. 33:11. In continuance of wickedness was death to individual and nation after the flesh; turning to God with all the heart was the only hope. The conditions of chapters 33 and 36 must not be omitted from chapter 37. The Lord goes further in His promises to His people. He tells them that in that present restoration, He would restore the whole nation of Israel, Ephraim and Judah; that David would reign over them in their own land; and that God should be with them. He would set them a separated people, the literal seed of Abraham, the spiritual seed of promise,7the prevailing seed of Israel, a light, a praise, a glory among the nations of the earth. They would show forth His salvation from day to day,” and “declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples;” and thus “God would gather from among the Gentiles a people for His name who would become a part of His Israel.”},{