Ezek 37:11
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.

When discussing the understanding of the above term "whole house of Israel" it behooves us to see what the Bible says on that term. In other words, who is the Israel in view? I want to offer quite a number of Scripture which teaches us that the Israel in view is the church and not national Israel.

(Isa 45:17 KJV) But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

(Rom 2:28-29 KJV) For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: {29} But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

(Rom 9:6 KJV) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

(Rom 11:25-26 KJV) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. {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:

(Gal 3:7-8 KJV) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. {8} And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

(Gal 3:16 KJV) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

(Gal 6:16 KJV) And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

(Eph 2:12 KJV) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

(Phil 3:3 KJV) For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

As we have seen in these many verses that the whole house of Israel is not confined to one nation rather it’s borders reach into the entire world. The whole house of Israel contains both the saved Gentiles and Jews, otherwise known as the church universal. Abraham’s descendants would reach throughout the entire world. (Gen 17:6 KJV) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. Here is a little insight about who will be the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. Notice the Bible states that "kings" will come out of her. Who are these kings? For the answer we must go back to the Bible and find our answer.

(Rev 1:5-6 KJV) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, {6} And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Notice in these two revealing verses who the kings of the earth are? They are another name for the believers. How do I know this? What does a king do? He reigns! (Rev 5:10 KJV) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

(Rev 20:6 KJV) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

(Rev 22:4-5 KJV) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. {5} And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

So here we see that those kings, the believers, are going to reign with Christ for 1,000 years which is a figure is representing the whole New Testament period which will culminate on the last day. We will reign on the earth and that reign will be forever and ever. As to what we will reign over, God has kept that to Himself and will be revealed in His timing which will probably be after the last day of recorded time. What a marvelous future for the believer.

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Ezek 37:12-13
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,

Before we broach the subject of graves in these two verses, let us look at the term "land of Israel." We have already seen that Israel comprises all the saved of both physical Jews and Gentiles. To give us a basic understanding we must go back to Genesis 17:8 which gives us insight of the land of Israel.

(Gen 17:8 KJV) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Let us go to a passage which details for us the term "stranger" that we find in Genesis 17:8.

(Heb 11:8-10, 13 KJV) By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. {9} By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: {10} For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. {13} These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Here we see that Abraham and the other Patriarchs had the spiritual insight to realize that their real home was not on this earth. Here we Christians are all strangers and pilgrims. How do we know that we are strangers on earth? Because your philosophy of life is different. Be honest on the job and see if you get promoted. Decry any form of sin, even in the church, and see the reception you get. I think you know what I am getting at. To be obedient to God is to rebuke the world’s ways. Another reason we know that the Patriarchs were seeing earth as a strange land is because of the following Scripture:

(Gen 25:8 KJV) Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Here Abraham was gathered to his people after he died and not before. We see here plainly that "his people" and ours are those who are already in heaven which means our people are God’s redeemed.

The second term I want to look at in Genesis 17:8 is "Land of Canaan." We gain some insight into the Land of Canaan from Romans 4:13 "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

Notice the Bible states that the land of Canaan is an everlasting possession and when we look at Romans 4:13, we see that Abraham was to be heir of the entire world. Now we must ask the question, is Canaan limited to national Israel or is it limited to the entire world? The answer of course is the entire world as we have already seen that God is saving millions out of the entire world. Therefore, anyone who becomes saved has entered Canaan as they receive everlasting life.

Those who are of faith are Abraham’s seed and the world that he will be heir of are those who are being saved throughout the entire world. Then when God remakes the heavens and the earth, the ultimate fulfillment of the Canaan prophecy will be complete as only believers will dwell in the new heavens and new earth, thus making Abraham the heir of the entire world.

Now let us return unto Ezekiel 37:12-13 and deal with the term "graves." Whenever we look at a term we try to harmonize it with the rest of the Bible. Let us look at some explanations of this term. Whenever we speak of graves we must ask the question, what does a grave hold? The answer of course is a dead body and how does God view the unbeliever and the pre-salvific believer? The answer is very simple, He views us as DEAD in our sins and we will look at a number of verses which teach this truth quite openly.

(Isa 65:1-5 KJV) I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. {2} I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; {3} A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; {4} Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; {5} Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

Now here God is telling us that these people are remaining among the graves. Is He telling us they literally remain among the graves or is He using this as a figure? He is using it as a figure as he points out the character of these people. The traits He points out are the ones associated with unsaved people: rebellious, idolatrous, eating unclean foods, holier than thou mentality, etc. God lists traits which are associated with those who are dead in their sins

(Eph 2:1-6 KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: {2} Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {4} But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, {5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Here God plainly states that the believers were once dead in their sins as we followed the wickedness of Satan, which made us spiritual corpses. But God who named His elect before the foundation of the world quickened us or made us alive unto God and even raised us up and made us sit in heavenly places with the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, God has already seen the end of wickedness and His children reigning in the new heaven and new earth.

(Col 2:13-15 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; {15} And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Here is another great verse of triumph for the believer. We were once spiritually dead but Christ took every penalty for every sin we committed, past, present, and future. Now because of Christ, there is nothing which can prevent the believer from going to heaven since every sin has been atoned for. This was the first judgment day, where Christ died for the sins of His people. The second judgment day will be the Great White Throne judgment where the unbeliever dies for his own sins.

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Ezek 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.

I would like to offer a preliminary observation on this verse. If Ezekiel 37 was a prophecy of national Israel then something is wrong. God says He was going to place His Spirit in them. Who is God’s Spirit? He is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who bears witness with our spirit to the person and work of Christ. The nation of Israel is still in rebellion against God as they still reject and hate Christ. Since this condition persists today, it is obvious that God did not place His Spirit in the unsaved Jews or else they would be walking in Christ and not rejecting Him as they continuously do. (1 John 2:23 KJV) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. So since they reject the Son, they are also rejecting the Father. (Rom 8:9 KJV) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Here God returns to the land again emphasizing that the land is not a physical land but it is the kingdom of God.

(Ezek 36:24-28 KJV) For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. {25} Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. {26} A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. {27} 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. {28} And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Here God says that He is going to bring them into their own land and then sprinkle "clean water" on them. What is the clean water he is going to sprinkle on them? (Heb 10:22 KJV) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. The water which is sprinkled on us is the water of the true gospel. This is how we are given a new heart and a new spirit. Our old dead spirit is made alive through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:26 KJV) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Here we see that the washing of water comes by the word of God which brings the true gospel to its hearers.

Let us now return again to the term "your own land," as so many choose to attribute this to the nation of Israel. Let us go back to the beginning and see where the idea of a land for Israel came from and how it has been misinterpreted and misapplied.

(Gen 12:1-3 KJV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: {2} And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: {3} And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

(Gen 12:7 KJV) And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Based upon these 2 sets of verses we can safely conclude that national Israel will have a homeland and that came to pass when they left Egypt and the land of Israel was divided among the 12 tribes which as a whole became one nation. Now let us ask the question, is this what God had in view? Again we must let the Bible be our guide.

(Gen 13:15 KJV) For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Here is another insight as we see two words which must be factored into the equation and they are" for ever." God is now beginning to add an eternal dimension while simultaneously speaking in the physical dimension. The only people in Scripture that will be dwelling in an eternal land will be the redeemed of God, therefore God does not have national Israel in view when He speaks of eternal things. Now of course, there are those who God saved out of national Israel and he is still saving many physical Jews today and bringing them into the Spiritual Israel. Let us look at one more verse which enforces this teaching and we have already looked at this verse already but it does bear repeating.

(Gen 17:8 KJV) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Any time you see any of the covenants in Scripture which have words in them which speak of eternity, you will automatically know that God is not speaking of a physical covenant but is speaking of the gospel which is an eternal covenant. God has already fulfilled His promise to Abraham in connection with the physical land. Here are some Scriptures which reveal this.

(Josh 21:43-45 KJV) And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. {44} And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. {45} There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

(Josh 23:1-5 KJV) And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. {2} And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: {3} And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you. {4} Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. {5} And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

(1 Ki 8:56 KJV) Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

(Neh 9:7-8, 23 KJV) Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; {8} And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girga****es, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: {23} Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.
We see that the Scriptures teach that God fulfilled His word to the Patriarchs concerning the promised land. The Israelites went in and possessed the land according to the promises of God. When prophecy preachers and teachers write books and say that God still owes Israel a land, they err greatly because they are calling God a liar by evading these passages. God promised them the land, they received it but what happened?

(Ezek 33:25-29 KJV) Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? {26} Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land? {27} Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. {28} For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. {29} Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

God simply removed them because they became wicked and ran after false gods. This is why their land was taken from them and their disobedience does not constitute a debt of land being owed to them. They broke the covenant which resulted in the penalty of losing the land. Therefore, God owes them nothing and prophecy moguls who produce these false beliefs in their books are simply lying and are taking flight from the truths of the Scripture which we have seen.

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Continued.....

Ezek 37:15-17
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.

Here we see that Ezekiel is commanded to take two sticks which represent the southern and northern kingdom of Israel. He is also commanded to take both sticks in his hand and as he does they shall become as one. Now for us to understand the spiritual meaning behind this we must look further in the Bible to give us understanding.

(Isa 14:1 KJV) For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

Notice in this passage that "strangers" will be joined to Jacob. Jacob is a biblical reference to the redeemed of God. Now what strangers are going to be joined to Jacob? When we go to the New Testament, we find in many places that God is going to save the Gentiles also not only a remnant out of national Israel will be saved but many Gentiles will be saved also. We read in Romans 11 about how the Gentiles were grafted into the natural tree. The truth of the Gospel came to national Israel first and many believed and into that tree were the wild olive trees or the Gentiles grafted in to salvation. The melding of both Gentiles and physical Jews to form the Israel of God is set out at the end of Romans Chapter 11

(Rom 11:25-26 KJV) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. {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:

This verse has probably been the most misunderstood and misapplied verse in the New Testament. The prophecy moguls continue to use this verse as their prooftext that the entire nation of Israel will become saved at a future time. Even those who believe in free will apparently believe in predestination in that the whole nation of Israel is going to become saved. The key to understanding this verse is simple "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." We saw in Ezekiel that God is going to make one nation of Israel out of the two sticks, the southern and northern kingdoms. The spiritual principle is simple. When God begins to save the Gentiles out of many countries and when the last one is saved that is to be saved , then "ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED." The all Israel is the Church of God and not the physical nation of Israel as we have already defined who Israel is.

(2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

(John 6:39 KJV) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Here are two verses which harmonize in meaning. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that God is "not willing that any should perish." Who are these that God does not will to perish? They are His elect and He has committed Himself to save everyone which He named before the foundation of the world to salvation. In John 6:39 Jesus states that all of those the Father gives Him will come to Him and He will not lose one single soul. 2 Peter 3:9 in no way means that God does not want any to perish in hell and that He is waiting for them to accept Christ. This has nothing to do with that type of thought. If God wills something, do you think created man has the ability to abort God’s will? I think not but there are many who propose free will who believe they can command God when they want to be saved. How about this one "I gave God permission to be Lord of my Life." Arrogance, Blind Arrogance!!!!

Let us continue and look at a few more verses which give us a better understanding of the idea of combining two to make one.

(Eph 2:13-22 KJV) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. {14} For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; {16} And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. {18} For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. {19} Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; {21} In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Here we read that Christ is our peace who made one out of two, both Jews and Gentiles will be brought into the Church and as a result He makes one new man out of us. Notice the verses also state that He preached to those who were far off and near. This is another indication that the Gospel will go to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Also the Scriptures teach we both have access unto the Father by one Spirit. The teaching tells us that we all stand on the same footing and that no single race stands before God with a most favored status. We see that those who become saved are being built into a holy temple in the Lord. A while back I had mentioned the fact that Ezekiel 40-48 was not describing some "Millennium Temple" but it was describing the perfection of the church in building terms. Verse 22 reveals to us that the temple is a spiritual one and not a physical one.

(Rom 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(Psa 46:9 KJV) He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

The covenant of peace is the Gospel itself which brings peace between God and man. Unsaved man is at war with God until a person becomes saved then there is peace. (Eph 6:15 KJV) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; The wars that God makes to cease are the wars between Himself and unsaved man. When God saves someone, He ends the war and He does this all over the world as he saves His elect out of every nation and tongue.

Notice the Ezekiel passage emphasizes that the covenant of peace will be an everlasting covenant. If God was speaking about physical wars between countries or individuals, then something is wrong because as soon as one war ends another one starts somewhere. Since this is a perpetual covenant, we are on safe ground viewing this covenant as the Gospel itself.

(Rev 21:3 KJV) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

The Ezekiel passage speaks of the sanctuary of God being in the midst of the believers forever. This seals the understanding that this Chapter is not speaking of the physical Jews but rather of the Redeemed of God.

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Ezek 37:27-28
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.

(2 Cor 6:14-18 KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? {15} And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? {16} And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. {17} Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, {18} And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God is saying that when we come out of the heathen and sinful practices, He will redeem us and be our God and Father forever and we will never be forsaken. Remember Isaiah 62:4? God continues to build the tabernacle of David or otherwise known as the church as we see in the Acts passage. The result of this building will be those who will seek the Lord, whom the Lord has called.

(Acts 15:15-17 KJV) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, {16} After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: {17} That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

(Rev 21:1-5 KJV) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. {2} And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. {3} And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. {4} And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. {5} And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

What a beautiful passage to end up the study of Ezekiel 37. The heathen knows when God has sanctified Israel because every born again believer is a testimony to the faithfulness of God. Remember, "I once was lost but now am found." We are found in the sanctuary in the midst of the New Jerusalem. God is our refuge and our strength.

Summation

We have come a long way in the study of Ezekiel 37 and we have safely concluded that this chapter is not speaking of the founding of Israel in 1948 nor does it apply to a future golden reign where all the physical Jews will become saved. This chapter deals specifically with the church as it is built one bone at a time. So the next time you read about Ezekiel 37 referring to national Israel, see if they go in depth as we did or if they just do a cursory "pick and choose" to make their prophecy fit into their personal molds.

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I hope this verse by verse study has shown those who see this chapter as referring to national Israel, that this simply is not the case when held up to close examination and Biblical scrutiny. It is about the building up of all the members of the Body of Christ, which becomes God’s chosen people, Israel. All Israel will be saved!! Everyone who accepted the free gift of living water from the Creator and are born again from above. All, no matter nation, race or color.

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.