[This was first posted 2012; reposted in 2014; always relevant in the current events affecting the resurrected nation of modern Israel.—Admin1]
The Revival of Israel | KeyToTheBible
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In contrast to an earlier article about the bodies of “saints” which came out of their graves after Jesus resurrected [Revisited: What?! There were resurrected saints at Jesus’ resurrection?], this text from the Prophets [Neviim] is clear about what these bones are about.
Prophecy here has been borne out in the history of Israel to the present day.
Skeptics who challenge the authenticity and reliability of the Hebrew Scriptures refuse to connect the Book and particularly the prophecies with the nation that was “born in one day” whose people in diaspora made aliyah back to the portion of the Promised Land allotted to it. Skeptics must look at Israel today and the continuing threats to this nation’s existence and the antisemitism that prevails to this day. They must wonder at the sheer survival of these people in spite of the odds stacked against them.
These concluding verses in this chapter make an obvious connection to the current state of Israel:
My people, and I will bring you to the soil of Israel.
13 Then you will know that I am YHWH, when I open your graves and when I raise you up from your graves, My people,
14 and when I put My spirit into you, and you come to life, and I set you on your soil. Then you will know that I YHWH have spoken and I fulfilled – the word of YHWH.”
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When we are asked why we believe the Torah is the Word of God and why we accept the rest of TNK as validating the first five books?
Our simple answer: look to Israel and wonder if the people have simply learned to survive? Or if the God of Israel remains true to His promises? We believe it is both.
Ezekiel 37 [The dry bones]
[There is yet no Hebrew publication that uses the Tetragrammaton Name except perhaps for Everett Fox, except that his translation has been limited so far to the Five Books of Moses. So we have had to resort to other Hebrew translations that substitute “Hashem” (ArtScroll) or “LORD” (JPS), and write in the Name YHWH.]
1 The hand of YHWH was upon me; it took me out by the spirit of YHWH and set me down in the midst of the valley – and it was filled with bones.
2 He passed me over them all around and round; and behold, they were very numerous upon the face of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 Then He said to me: “Son of Man, can these bones come to life?” And I said, “Lord YHWH/ELOHIM, You know!”
4 He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, “O dry bones, hear the word of YHWH!
5 Thus said the Lord YHWH/ELOHIM to these bones: Behold, I bring a spirit into you, and you will come to life.
6 I will put sinews upon you, I will bring up flesh upon you, and I will coat you with skin; then I will put a spirit into you and you will come to life; then you will know that I am YHWH.’”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. There was a sound as I was prophesying. Then behold, there was a noise, and the bones drew near, each bone to its [matching] bone. The bones came alive.
8 Then I looked, and behold, upon them were sinews, and flesh had come up and skin had covered them over; but there was no spirit in them.
9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit! Prophesy, O Son of Man, and say to the spirit, ‘Thus said the Lord YHWH/ELOHIM: Come from the four directions, O spirit, and blow into these slain people, that they may come to life!’”
10 I prophesied as I had been commanded and the spirit entered them and they came to life. They stood upon their feet, a very, very great legion.
11 He said to me:
Son of Man, these bones –
they are whole House of Israel.
Behold, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried out and our hope is lost; we are doomed!’
12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus said the Lord YHWH/ELOHIM: Behold, I am opening your graves and raising you up from your graves,
My people, and I will bring you to the soil of Israel.
13 Then you will know that I am YHWH,
when I open your graves
and when I raise you up from your graves,
My people,
14 and when I put My spirit into you,
and you come to life,
and I set you on your soil.
Then you will know
that I YHWH have spoken and I fulfilled –
the word of YHWH.”
