TEXT: EZEKILE 37: 1- 28 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, 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.

15 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.

22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

28 And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. (KJV)

Today we would like to learn about the descriptions on Ezekiel chapter 37 with a message entitled “BONES LIVE.”

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.”

We should learn first what object these descriptions say. Basically they are about “all the house of Israel his companions,” for it is written so in the latter verse. But they are not only about that, but also they have another meaning as metaphor. It is the meaning about the prophecy for the true Church of Israel, as Paul said in Romans. It is written on Genesis as below about bones and flesh told here.

GENESIS 2: 23, 24 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (KJV)

This is the description about the first man and woman. And it refers to Christ and the Church according to Ephesians. In short, the description about the first woman, “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh,” is as for the Church. Therefore, this description of bones and flesh on Ezekiel is also guessed as for the Church.

The Bible says many kinds of expressions about the restoration of the Church in the end time.

The restoration of the city and Temple on Nehemiah, Ezra and Haggai is the example. It tells there the restoration of the Church of the end time as the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple.

And it is here told the restoration of the Church that is the body of Christ as dead bones live. They all differ in the expression but say the same thing.

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.”

It is written, “There were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.” The Church, the woman, that should be the wife of Christ and called bone of bones, was, what, very dry. Dry means in short no water, and so the Holy Spirit of water of life has left and the Church has become dry. If I say the Church is now so, there may be people who are angry with it, saying, “Such cannot be.” But the Bible says to the church in Sardis, “Thou hast a name that thou liveth, and are dead,” and to the church of the Laodiceans, “Thou art wretched, and miserable.”

3 “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord, thou knowest.”

The Lord asked here, “Can these bones live?” One of the principles of the Bible is that what God asks with intention is important thing and of point. Therefore, we know that it should be important whether these bones live or not, that is to say, the Church of no life lives again in the end tome or not.

4 “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”

The Lord says He will make these bones live. And, He commanded the prophet to say so. Some people who are commanded of God to prophesy for living again of the woman, called very dry bone of bones, the restoration of the Church, will appear in the end time.

5 “Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.”

It is written about this breath on Genesis as below.

GENESIS 2: 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV)

Man only with body is not a living soul. But when he is breathed the breath, he becomes a living soul. This breath refers to the Holy Spirit. Likewise, Christians received the Holy Spirit become living. So, the Church of dry bones is given the breath of the Holy Spirit at that time and lives again. Revival means to live again and so the revival will be brought.

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.”

Man becomes living body when he is given flesh, sinews, skin on bones. This time the Church, the body of Christ, is truly given.

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.

The body was revived according to the prophecy of Ezekiel. The Church, the body of Christ, will live again through the prophet or teacher whom the Lord has spoken.

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.”

It is here again told about the breath. So, we know it solely depends on the Holy Spirit given or nor whether the Church, the body of Christ, will live again in the end time or not.

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.”

It is written, “stood up upon their feet.” The problem of the Church now is that she does not stand on their feet, but it will be resolved on this day.

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.”

At the present age the work of the Holy Spirit and the miracle of the Lord have left the Church and our hope is about to be gone.

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.”

The dead are in graves. The Church now “hast a name that thou livest, and art dead,” as is the word below.

REVELATION 3: 1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (KJV)

Their bodies live, but their spirits are dead. Death is related to sin, for “When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

But, now, the Lord says, “I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” The people will be delivered from sin, be free, and get life. And, do pay attention to the word, “bring you into the land of Israel.” It is supposed they are far away from Israel, as long as it is said, “bring you.” Surely present Israel, the Church, is far away from the Promised Land of blessing and is in the very midst of the teachings of this world and customs. But, the Lord will bring the Church into the land where she should be on that day.

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.”

The time will come when many God’s people who are deceived by sin, customs of this world and devils are brought up out of the graves, death and sin. This may not possibly happen, but it will happen from now, for the Person who says, “I am the Lord.”

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.”

My spirit of course means the Holy Spirit. And, the great revival will come, as is written, “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live.” Many Christians who are dead will come to live in righteousness in it. The false revival which is happening now is the deception of Satan to expect this day. It is written, “I shall place you in your own land.” So, this day, right interpretation and doctrine will be restored and many Christians will return to the land of blessing.

And, it is written, “then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it.” The restoration and revival of the Church on this day is in fact prophesied many times repeatedly in the Bible. Those whose eyes are open should have read this.

The restoration and rebuilding of the city and the Temple mentioned on Ezra, Nehemiah and Haggai tell this thing. And, the restoration at the end of seventy weeks or seventy years mentioned on Daniel and Jeremiah also tell this. The Lord says this in advance, and it will be realized, for the Lord said it.

15 “The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:”

Stick should help walking and so seems to be the metaphor of the teacher now. As the God’s people were divided into two in the days of the Old Testament, the people of the New Testament are now also divided into two, the Catholic and the Protestant.

17 “And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.”

The two sticks are one now. Two tribes are one. So, the day will come when divided Catholic and Protestant are one.

20 “And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.”

As the Old Testament Israel was scattered, the God’s people now are scattered. Now there are all sects and denominations in the Church. But, God says, “I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.” This is what the Gospel says, “They shall gather together his elect from the four winds.” Not all but the elect of God will be restored to the place where they should be.

22 “And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.”

This day, the restored God’s people are no more divided into the Catholic and the Protestant but are one.

In the end time it will bring about destruction to some people with the entanglement in the false teaching that the Catholic and the Protestant come together, but for the people of God’s heart it is the time when the God’s people are one. One king mentioned here is Christ, and the Pastor’s work will begin.

23 “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.”

Idol worship, vessel worship in the Church will be swept away cleanly among the elect. And, detestable worship of Mary will also be gone. Then, we “shall be my people, and I will be their God,” on the day.

Conversely saying, many of the present God’s people can never be said as “my people, and I will be their God.”

24 “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.”

David is the sign for Christ, and it is told Christ will be only one Shepherd. The reason why it is written like that suggests that the pastors of the present Church do not have one Pastor. Yes, we should know that the present condition of the Church that people of the Church, believers or teachers are pastors are far from the heart of God. And, “They shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.” Now, there are many people who reason in the Church, but a few who do the Word. But this is also restored.

25 “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.”

It is written that the people of Israel will return to and dwell in their fathers’ land on this day. Yes, the Church will return to the straight way to life that their fathers walked in. This is the land flowing with milk and honey, the Promised Land, that is, the land to the eternal life. And it is written, “my servant David shall be their prince for ever.” The Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, will be the true Prince of the Church.

26 “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.”

The Lord says this day, “I will make a covenant of peace with them.” It means the covenant of peace broken now, “I will make a covenant of peace with them” this day. Yes, we must know the covenant of peace between God and His people is broken now.

If wife commits to her husband, the covenant between them will not be broken. And, this covenant protects her and profits her for her husband’s wealth and many others. But if wife betrays him, what will happen? The husband will be angry and break the covenant with her, won’t he? As a result, she will not be able to expect any profit from him, or far from it, she will be the object of his anger, won’t she?

It is this word of a covenant that the present God’s people of the New Testament make mistake of greatly. They misunderstand that even if they misconduct themselves, commit betrayal, even extreme one, they believe that the covenant with God is valid and God forgives endlessly and profits them unilaterally.

But, God has written in the Bible that this covenant is forsaken because of the unbelief of Israel and said that to the God’s people now.

They are foolish blind people to dream that God will keep His covenant with them even though they are extremely unbelieving, forsaking the Word and taking instead the theory of evolution and the word of Pope.

The covenant between God and them has already been annulled, but the Lord says, “I will make a covenant of peace with them” this day.

And, it is written, “will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.” It is told many times that the sanctuary, Temple and city of God will be in ruin in the end time. In fact, the present Church is in ruin. It is the saying of blind people such as, “It is not so. The great revival is happening.” If their eyes are opened, they will see that the Church, the city, is filled with spirits of the beast and the people are behaving like beasts such as horses, monkeys or lions in the false revivals. This is the fulfillment of the word of the past prophet, “I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons (jackals).” But not all the people are deceived by this spirit endlessly, and there are some people who turn back. And the ruined city and sanctuary will be restored at that time. Then, such word is fulfilled as, “I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.”

27 “My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

The people who are said of God, “not my people,” will be “my people” on that day.

28 “And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”

Do pay attention to the things written here about “the heathen” and “Israel.” They are different before God. The people of Israel are the elect of God and worship miraculous God. But the heathen who are out of Israel are not so. The Lord will do miracles through the elect of Israel and reveal clearly to the Christian Church that God is even now living and has surely sanctified and selected these people.

Therefore, we understand that such is not told on this passage of Ezekiel as the lost tribes of Israel will return to the land of Israel in Middle East in the end time.

It may be possible that the tribes that are from the blood line of the past Israel will appear, but it is no sense of faith that such tribes will physically return to the land of Middle East and the Bible does not say such a thing.

Such teachings are clever deception on God’s people of the end time. Those who had expected the literal fulfillment of the prophecy, “Son of David, Messiah as King,” were taken in a trap on the birthday of the Lord Jesus. The same will happen in the end time. We must understand parables.

As is written, “Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” the churches that do not understand parables will be miserable in the end time.

We should know that the clever trap is set to take them who do not understand parable.

Let’s do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.