Steven,
I have been following your blog on prophecy and have some questions about your understanding of the sequence of events during the end times. I will ask just one for now: When do the events described in Ezekiel 37 take place?
Marshall Kibbe
MyReply
Marshall,
While a more-complete response to your question about Ezekiel 37 is found in my article, What Ezekiel 38-39 Reveals About a Future World War III (available at this website), I’ll answer briefly in this response.
The book of Ezekiel has many prophecies and each one is introduced by Ezekiel’s prophetic phrase: “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying…” (or a variant of this language). The prophecy in Ezekiel 37:1-14 (the “dry bones”‘ prophecy) is actually the end portion of a prophecy about the house of Israel that began in Ezekiel 36:16 and which ends in Ezekiel 37:14. This is a prophecy about a future time when all the deceased people of the house of Israel who ever lived will be resurrected to a new, physical life. It refers to sinews, bones, skin, flesh and “breath” so this is not a resurrection to spirit bodies. Revelation 20:5 prophecies that the deceased people of all nations (not just the Israelites) will come to life in a resurrection after the end of the millennium. That is when I think Ezekiel 37:1-14 will be fulfilled.
Ezekiel 37:15-28 is a prophecy completely distinct from the one in Ezekiel 37:1-14. Ezekiel 37:15 introduces the second prophecy of Ezekiel 37 with the words “The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying…” This prophecy (the “two sticks” prophecy) ends in Ezekiel 37:28, and it concerns the prophesied reuniting of the house of Israel and the house of Judah at a time when King David is resurrected to life to rule over them both (verse 24-25). David is among the righteous mentioned in the “faith chapter” of Hebrews 11 (see verse 32). These people will be resurrected as spirit beings when Jesus Christ/Yahshua returns and they will assist Jesus in ruling the nations for 1,000 years(Revelation 20:1-4). Therefore, Ezekiel 37:15-28 will be fulfilled at the beginning of the millennium when David and the saints are resurrected to begin positions of rulership in the millennium. Ezekiel 38-39 are not a continuation of either prophecy in Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel 38:1 has the distinctive language in the book of Ezekiel which reveals that the previous prophecy has concluded and a new one is beginning when it says “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying…”
It is easy to miss the fact that Ezekiel 37-39 contain three separate and distinct prophecies. Each has its own time context and subject matter. They are definitely not fulfilled consecutively or chronologically. Indeed, they have a reverse time chronology in their fulfillments. The “dry bones” prophecy is fulfilled at the end of the millennium, the “two sticks” prophecy is fulfilled at the beginning of the millennium and Ezekiel 38-39 is fulfilled in the “latter days” of our current age (Ezekiel 38:8 and 16).
For a detailed examination of this subject, please read my article What Ezekiel 38-39 Reveals about a Future World War III.
Steve
