
Ezekiel 37:1-28
37:9-10 | Only God can bring genuine life, and so these resembled bodies (the slain, in God’s terms) do not come alive until God places His own breath in them – much as Adam did not become a living soul until God breathed into him the breath of life (Gen. 2:7; Ps. 104:30). The appearance of life is there, the promise of life is there, but life does not come until God Himself breathes His own life into the slain.
37:11-14 | God Himself interprets the vision for the people. The whole house of Israel (the northern and southern kingdoms) had been ejected from its land and vast numbers of the people had died because of their rebellion, yet one day God would bring a remnant of His people back to the Promised Land. Then He would begin to prosper them, and finally He would bring about a nationwide revival in which He would restore their hearts to Himself (Rom. 11:26-27).
37:16-22 | Another object lesson: in joining the two sticks – one labeled Judah and the other labeled Ephriam – into one stick, God was promising to gather His people back and join them into one nation, instead of two. There would not be a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah), but one nation known once more as Israel.
37:24-28 | Ezekiel again describes the Messianic kingdom of the Millennium, when Jesus Christ (referred to here as David My servant) will rule His people from Israel and enable them to live in peace and safety. Other nations will continue to exist, but only Israel will have the promise of the Lord’s sanctuary in her midst.