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In Mark 12: 24: And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? " Replacing hard study with quick assumptions is the basic cause of this problem but we need more than just hard study. The Holy Spirit is the teacher and without his instruction concerning the Word of God we cannot know the true meaning of the scriptures that we do study. After we read this amazing story we will take a careful look at the true meaning of it.

This story found in Ezekiel 37 is very exciting and is filled with mystery and wonder.
1: 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,
2: 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.
3: And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
4: Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5: Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6: 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.
7: 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.
8: 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.
9: Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10: 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.
11: Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12: Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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.
13: And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14: 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.

When as a child in our Pentecostal churches I heard the valley of dry bones preached as a spiritual renewing or as a basis for why we needed the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I used to be a Pentecostal preacher so I can say this without reservation. In Pentecost both my elders and myself had a tendency to look for messages that would stir and bring about excitement in the church. The more excitement the better. We didn't have a good service unless everyone was shouting and praising God. We lived for this excitement over the spirit of God expecting great and mighty things to come from this. Now I am not saying that this is a bad thing because God desires sincere worship. However when it comes to our personal walk with God the excitement that we had the night before in our church service isn't enough to sustain us. Knowing the truth is the only thing that will keep us in our walk with God and this is exactly why the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is given. He is given to us to lead us into all truth and righteousness. It is good to be excited about the Spirit but it is better to be established in the truth rather than the excitement of feeling his presence. The truth will make us free and this applies to prophecy in scripture as well as the scriptures that are not prophetic. Our expectation or our understanding about what is happening in the world around us can have an effect on us in our daily walk with God.

As we study this story it will cause us to ask a very important question and that is this. Why is Israel back in the land at this time? This question will become apparent as we see the plan of God concerning Israel and their return to the land of Israel.

This story of the dry bones is often mistaken for the re-gathering of Israel that has taken place in our time. The common belief among many is that at the time Israel was established as a nation in 1948 that the fulfillment of the prophecy about the valley of dry bones had come to pass. Many theologians today are agreeing with this belief, that the fulfillment of these scriptures has been taking place since 1948. Most of the people that believe this are good people and have good intentions but absolutely do not understand the Bible prophecies concerning Israel. Israel will not be allowed to fully return to the land of Israel to possess it as an eternal possession until Israel has accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. God himself will not allow it. And this is what the valley of dry bones is all about. It is about the spiritual rebirth of Israel. The valley of dry bones is a symbolic representation of Israel's spiritual state with God. But it is no different from that of any person who is not born again. Before the new birth we are all spiritually dead in our souls. It is described as being dead in trespasses and sins. In the story of the valley of dry bones it is said that the bones were very dry (verse 2). This is to help us see just how spiritually dead Israel is in this prophecy.

Let's look at a few scriptures on this together.
Ezekiel 37: 12: Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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.
13: And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14: 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.

You must realize that this verse is the bottom line for the teaching on the valley of dry bones. It concludes by revealing the mystery of this vision. God was telling Ezekiel that there was a day coming that God would put his spirit in the hearts of the people of Israel and that they would come alive. This is exactly what he has done with every born again believer from the time of the Disciples until today. His spirit in us is what makes us alive unto God. We are born again.

There are three things that is revealed to us in these scriptures:

1. That Israel will be born again.
2. This will happen before Israel is resurrected.
3. After they are born again and resurrected from the dead, God takes them back to the land of Israel.

In verse 14 God says that he will put his spirit in them and that this would cause them to live. There are many scriptures in the Bible that says that Israel will be born again. Remember all of the promises came to Israel first and then the Gentiles were included into the plan. Paul explained this in Romans 9: 4-5 and he also expressed his desire to see Israel saved in Romans 9: 1-3, 10: 1. But, in Romans 11 he assures us that Israel will be saved and explained the plan of God concerning Israel. Paul explains in Romans the 11th chapter that it will be the Gentiles that will play a major role in this by giving them the Gospel. He said this:
Romans 11: 26: And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28: As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29: For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30: For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32: For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Paul explained that all of Israel would be saved because God had not forgotten the gifts and callings given to Israel. The gift is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ and their calling is to take the Gospel to the world. It is the same as ours, because it is the same covenant, we simply were grafted into the covenant that they rejected. But Paul explained that because of Israel's unbelief God had turned to the Gentiles and had shown us mercy. He also explained that since God saved us through Israel's unbelief that it was our job to share the Gospel with them in these latter days so that they would be saved (verse 31). In verse 32 he explained that through this plan he would have mercy on all. In other words because of Israel's unbelief he was able to graft the Gentiles into the plan. After a season the Gentiles would show mercy to the Jews by giving them the Gospel. Then all would find mercy, which means both Jew and Gentile would be saved through Jesus Christ.

In the story of the valley of dry bones God asks Ezekiel a question in verse 3:
3: And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

This question is still around today and you would be surprised how many people do not believe that Israel will come to Jesus and live. He is asking us this same question; can Israel who is dead in trespasses and sins live again? Ezekiel didn't know the answer to this question and honestly told the Lord that he didn't. But today we know that Israel not only can live but also will live. This is one reason why the Gentiles evangelize every nation in the world except Israel. Only recently in the last few years has there been any evangelism at all other than Christian Jews who are making some headway in parts of the Old Soviet Union and other places in reaching the Jews with the Gospel. The ones who are called to do this are simply sitting in their easy chairs of unbelief and ignoring that God has called the Gentiles to take the Gospel to the Jews as well as the rest of the world. Do you think that I am not telling it like it is? Then ask a Christian friend why the church doesn't take the Gospel to the Jews. You might be surprised at the answer you will get.

In the next verse God tells Ezekiel this:
4: Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

This is to say that Israel will not live again until we speak to them and tell Israel to hear the word of the Lord. This is saying that we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is the word of the Lord to Israel so that they can and will be saved. It is up to us. God could have raised the dry bones of that valley without Ezekiel's help but he chose to use Ezekiel. God can cause Israel to be saved without our help but he chooses to use us. He wants us, the Gentiles, to speak to Israel.

Ezekiel said this:
10: 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.
11: Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

After Ezekiel spoke to the bones they lived, just the same as Israel will live after we the Gentiles have given them the Gospel to be saved. This has to happen before they can be saved. Hearing the word of God saves us and this is why it must be preached. We must hear it in order to believe it. After he spoke the bones came to life.

This resurrection from the graves speaks in two ways.
13: And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

In order to be in the physical resurrection of the body we must first be born again, or resurrected in the spirit. As born again believers we are resurrected with Christ in the spirit to walk in newness of life. This is called becoming a new creature in Christ. Our old man is nailed to the cross with Jesus and our new man is resurrected spiritually so that we can walk and live with Christ while on this earth.

But, following this there will be a physical resurrection. Many Christians have left Israel out of this resurrection in their teachings for a number of reasons. Remember the Resurrection and the Rapture happen at the same time. The dead in Christ shall rise first and then we that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. This is the plan. In order to be in this promise we must be born again. Israel is promised the Resurrection and Rapture the same as any other believer. To believe other wise we would have to be racially prejudiced or to believe that God is a respecter of persons. He isn't a respecter of persons.

But many leave Israel out of the resurrection of the dead because they know that all of Israel isn't going to be saved until sometime during the Tribulation period. If they were to believe Israel is going to be in the resurrection of the dead then they would have to believe that the Resurrection could not take place before the Tribulation. So in order to believe this teaching we must exclude Israel from the promises of God. Very cold thinking I believe. By falling into this trap we find ourselves thinking just exactly the way the Gentiles were thinking in Romans 11th chapter. The Gentiles believed that God preferred them to the Jew. Paul said that this kind of thinking or boastful teaching could cause the Gentiles to be cut off as well as the Jew. Somehow because of Israel's blindness we have developed a superior feeling in our relationship with Christ. It is a sad condition of the heart and blinds millions of Gentile Christians. It is a hardened heart concerning our feelings for Israel when it comes to the Rapture.

But God says that Israel will be in the Resurrection of the dead, which means that they will also be in the Rapture.
In Daniel 12:
1: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
In verse 1 above we see that God's people Israel will be saved. This is confirmed because their names are written in the book of life. We also know that they are Jews because they are Daniel's people. God told Daniel in Verse 1, at that time thy people.

In verse 2 many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life. This is the resurrection of the just. Which is the first Resurrection and includes the Rapture of the Church. Those that are resurrected to shame and everlasting contempt will be in the resurrection of the unjust at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. But notice something else in these scriptures. Verse 3 shows Israel taking the Gospel to the world. He says that the wise among Israel speaking of those that were wise enough to accept Jesus as their savior would lead others to Christ. Israel will be saved and will be in the same covenant that we are. Remember that we only got into this covenant because of Israel's partial blindness.

Israel will return to the land after God has put his spirit in them and they have been resurrected both spiritually and physically. This is the way that this promise goes.
Ezekiel 37: 14: 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.

Notice that first he puts his spirit in them and they come alive. This is followed by God returning Israel back to the land that was promised to them. Why must it happen this way? God promised them the land of Israel through Abraham. But, they must be born again to legally possess the land that God promised. This is why they have so much trouble and instability in Israel today. Am I saying that Israel shouldn't be there? Not at all, but they are out of sink with the promise. After the Tribulation when God raptures the Church that will include the Jews at that time he will bring Israel back with Christ to the land of Israel. He will then give it to them as an eternal possession. He will give them their land at the time he judges the nations at the judgment seat of Christ that will happen after the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus said in Matthew 23:39 that the Jews would not see him again until they had accepted him as the Christ and say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Some believe that the Jews will be saved after they see Jesus, Jesus said it the other way around.

The question remains? Why are they in the land of Israel today? The answer to this question is found in the rest of Ezekiel 37 in the mystery of the two sticks. The two sticks represent two separate gatherings for Israel in the last days. Mainly speaking that Israel would be gathered for the most part in two separate countries. God does this for the name's sakes of the twelve tribes of Israel. One group is gathered into America. There are over six million Jews living in America and there is a little over 5 million living in Israel itself. God is going to bring these two groups together before he brings them back to the land of Israel. He will bring them together in Christ, but it will also be in a certain place. This is the number one reason I believe that Israel will escape to America during the last 3 and a half years to be saved. The place prepared in the wilderness is America not Petra. God is going to use Israel to spread the Gospel rather than place them in a prison in a canyon to spend the last 3 and a half years cowering in fear. It is anti-Semitic to believe that God is going to do that to Israel while giving all the glory of the ministry to the Gentiles. Rather God is going save Israel and allow them to be used for a short while before the resurrection and the Rapture of the Church.

I hope that you have received some good from this along with understanding that we have a mission to accomplish and that is to take the Gospel to the world. But while taking the Gospel to the world we cannot forsake or forget about Israel in the process. We must not only pray for the peace of Jerusalem but for their salvation as well. This is the true peace and that is to know Christ for them selves.

Yours in Christ,
Tommie Spurgeon

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