THE PROPHESIES OF EZEKIEL

The Lord God came to Ezekiel the priest, and gave him two prophesies about the Nation of Israel. One is in Ezekiel Chapter 36 and one in Chapter 37.

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, and the  heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.  (The word of the 
LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.)  God said to Ezekiel, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their own doings:  their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.  Wherefore I poured fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it. 

And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings, I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name when they said to them:  These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.  But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned, among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore Ezekiel say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the LORD GOD; I do not this for your sakes, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 

And I will sanctify my great name...and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.  For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. (This prophesy was fulfilled in 1947 when the people of Israel gathered back to their own country and became a nation again.)  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit I will put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.  I will also save you from all your unclean- ness: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.  I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then you shall remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

Not for your sakes do I this...be it known unto you:  be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.  In the day that I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. Those that pass by the desolate land, will see the desolate land tilled.  And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced and are inhabited.  Then the heathen shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that which was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.  I will be enquired by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like flock, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the LORD.


The second prophesy is found in Ezekiel Chapter 37:  The vision of the dry bones!

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.
And behold, there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.  And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? and I answered, O LORD GOD, thou knowest.  Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.  Thus saith the LORD GOD unto these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.  And I will lay sinews upon you, and I will bring skin and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 

So I, Ezekiel prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a great noise, and behold a shaking and the bones came together, bone to bone.  And when I looked the sinews and the flesh came upon the bones, and the skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.  Then said God unto me, Prophesy unto the wind (breath), 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.  So I prophesied as the LORD GOD commanded me to do, and the breath came into the bones, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, and they became a great Army. 

God said to Ezekiel, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel:  They say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost:  we are cut off.  Ezekiel prophesy to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open up your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel.  And I shall put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. 

God came to Ezekiel again, Take a stick and write on it, Judah.  Then take another stick and write on it Ephraim, for Joseph.  Join the two sticks together and make them into one stick in your hand.  When the children of Israel ask you to show them what you mean by joining the two sticks together, tell the people, The LORD GOD says, Behold, I will take the Children of Israel from among the heathen and will gather them from every side, and bring them into their own land once again.  The Lord said he would make them one nation again in their homeland, Israel.  God goes on to say they will be one nation again and have only one King, who will be David his servant.  And they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.  (This prophesy was fulfilled after the Nation of Israel was divided into two Nations, Judah and Israel.  And God brought them back together with only one King, David.)  Neither will they defile themselves anymore... I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.


re-write for article in the BA.




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