Description
Israel is portrayed as a valley of dry bones that will be resurrected and become a huge army. Israel and Judah are then portrayed as two sticks that become one, representing their restoration as one nation in the land of Israel, under Messiah's rule.
Commentary
This chapter portrays Israel as a valley of dry bones, symbolic of the nation having been cut off and all hope lost (v11). But Ezekiel prophesies to the bones and they are restored to life, becoming a huge army. Verses 12 to 14 imply this is not just a metaphorical restoration of the nation of Israel, but God will literally resurrect the people of Israel who have died, restore them to life, and make them into a great army in the land of Israel.
He then has a vision of two sticks, one representing Judah, and the other representing the northern tribes of Israel. The two sticks become one in his hand. This means God will restore all twelve tribes to the land of Israel and make them one nation again (v21-22). God will save them from their sins and purify them (v23). God's servant David (Jesus) will be their shepherd king and they will obey God (v24). They will live in the land of Israel forever, with Jesus as king over them forever (v25). God will make a covenant of peace with them, he will increase their numbers, and place his temple among them (v26). God will live with them, and the nations will know that God sanctifies Israel.
These events will be fulfilled at the second coming, and during the Millennium.
He then has a vision of two sticks, one representing Judah, and the other representing the northern tribes of Israel. The two sticks become one in his hand. This means God will restore all twelve tribes to the land of Israel and make them one nation again (v21-22). God will save them from their sins and purify them (v23). God's servant David (Jesus) will be their shepherd king and they will obey God (v24). They will live in the land of Israel forever, with Jesus as king over them forever (v25). God will make a covenant of peace with them, he will increase their numbers, and place his temple among them (v26). God will live with them, and the nations will know that God sanctifies Israel.
These events will be fulfilled at the second coming, and during the Millennium.
Tags
Places: Israel, Judah, Ephraim
Symbols: Israel as dry bones, Israel and Judah as two sticks
Tags: Restoration of Israel and Judah, Return of exiles to Israel, Jesus as Davidic ruler, Valley of dry bones, Hope for Israel, Millennium, Millennial temple, Nations know that God sanctifies Israel, Jesus will build the temple
Symbols: Israel as dry bones, Israel and Judah as two sticks
Tags: Restoration of Israel and Judah, Return of exiles to Israel, Jesus as Davidic ruler, Valley of dry bones, Hope for Israel, Millennium, Millennial temple, Nations know that God sanctifies Israel, Jesus will build the temple
The Valley of Dry Bones
1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones.
2 He made me walk all around among them. I realized there were a great many bones in the valley and they were very dry.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Lord’s message.
5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live.
6 I will put tendons on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.
9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’”
10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel.
13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people.
14 I will place my breath in you and you will live; I will give you rest in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord – I have spoken and I will act, declares the Lord.’”
15 The Lord’s message came to me:
16 “As for you, son of man, take one branch, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another branch and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and all the house of Israel associated with him.’
17 Join them as one stick; they will be as one in your hand.
18 When your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?’
19 tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick – they will be one in my hand.’
20 The sticks you write on will be in your hand in front of them.
21 Then tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from round about and bring them to their land.
22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over them all. They will never again be two nations and never again be divided into two kingdoms.
23 They will not defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, and all their rebellious deeds. I will save them from all their unfaithfulness by which they sinned. I will purify them; they will become my people and I will become their God.
24 “‘My servant David will be king over them; there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my regulations and carefully observe my statutes.
25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live in it – they and their children and their grandchildren forever. David my servant will be prince over them forever.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a perpetual covenant with them. I will establish them, increase their numbers, and place my sanctuary among them forever.
27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 Then, when my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel.’”
1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones.
2 He made me walk all around among them. I realized there were a great many bones in the valley and they were very dry.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Lord’s message.
5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live.
6 I will put tendons on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.
9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’”
10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel.
13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people.
14 I will place my breath in you and you will live; I will give you rest in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord – I have spoken and I will act, declares the Lord.’”
15 The Lord’s message came to me:
16 “As for you, son of man, take one branch, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another branch and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and all the house of Israel associated with him.’
17 Join them as one stick; they will be as one in your hand.
18 When your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?’
19 tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick – they will be one in my hand.’
20 The sticks you write on will be in your hand in front of them.
21 Then tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from round about and bring them to their land.
22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over them all. They will never again be two nations and never again be divided into two kingdoms.
23 They will not defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, and all their rebellious deeds. I will save them from all their unfaithfulness by which they sinned. I will purify them; they will become my people and I will become their God.
24 “‘My servant David will be king over them; there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my regulations and carefully observe my statutes.
25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live in it – they and their children and their grandchildren forever. David my servant will be prince over them forever.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a perpetual covenant with them. I will establish them, increase their numbers, and place my sanctuary among them forever.
27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 Then, when my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel.’”
(NET)
