The Dead Live Again out of the Grave

Ezekiel 37:1-14

1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."

4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD."'"

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."'" 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.'"

The dry bones of dead Israel were made to live again out of the grave!  This was a picture and type of the resurrection to come in the final judgment as well as the rebirth of God’s nation of Israel in the immediate context.  Ezekiel was shown a vision of a field of long-dead bones which had been dried up and completely lifeless.  This immense valley of the dead seemed settled as to the end of those who died there, yet God asked the man of God, "Son of man, can these bones live?"  Ezekiel wisely answered that only the LORD knew the answer, end, and future of all men who die.  God therefore showed him by telling Ezekiel what to do on His behalf.  He first told the bones of the dead to listen and hear the word of the LORD.  He told them that God would give the breath of life to them (as in the first man, Adam in Genesis 2:7) and that this breath (which was His Spirit) would make them live again.  Then they would know that He was the LORD, the creator God of all people, and that nothing is too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:27, 17) to do according to His absolutely trustworthy word.  Then the prophet did as God commanded and spoke to the dead.  The bones reassembled and the muscles and skin covered them as before the grave took away all the coverings of flesh on the bones in the graves.  Yet they were still lifeless corpses.  Therefore, God commanded His mouthpiece to tell the breath of life (from God) to enter these who had been slain in battle of His people Israel, the defeated nation who had suffered the sword for their sins of idolatry and immortality against Him and His name.  Breath entered them as it is written.  The LORD then explained to Ezekiel and we who now read this account that the dead bones represented Israel who seemed dead, separated from God, and without any hope.  This is the state of all mankind after Adam who are dead in sin.  God then spoke His promise to open the graves of His chosen people and resurrect them to life and into their promised land, a shadow picture and foretelling of how He will resurrect all in the end of time, some to eternal life as His chosen people and some to the eternal torment (John 5:28-29) of just judgment for the unrepentant sin of disobedience and disbelief.  We know the prophets spoke of this resurrection as we read in Acts 24:14-15, but their minds were kept from understanding fully what these portents and prophecies really pointed to as the truth of God’s work to come in the end.  Jesus Christ told His apostles these things to come who told us as we now know and tell others today.  God promised to open the graves and resurrect the dead so that He could then put His Spirit of life into us and place us into His kingdom as His chosen people.  This is the hope of the gospel and not a mere rebirth of a nation long ago.  It is our rebirth with a promise of eternal life after the grave death we all face, without which we are also hopeless (1 Corinthians 15: 13-14, 17-19) and lifeless dry bones.  Thankfully we have this assurance in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 of a certain hope of resurrection from dead bones in the grave to life in Christ!  We know therefore that our change will be better than this vision of Ezekiel, for 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 assures us that we will rise and be instantly changed from dry bone to  new and living bodies which will be imperishable and that we will enter the true promised land with God Himself present as in victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:57) in Christ.  Then we also shall know that the LORD has “spoken it and performed it," as it is written.  This is a passage of hope far beyond that of one nation on earth because it is for all God’s chosen children who are found in Christ who presence in us is the mystery (Colossians 1:27) of all the scriptures from the beginning.  It is hope beyond the grave as demonstrated by Christ’s own resurrection to pave the way of faith in His life-giving work to be done in us as well.  This is the gospel which we preach of the kingdom of God in Christ.  Amen.