Chapter 1: The Background and Setting (Ezekiel 36,37) - Part 2

The first Stage is described  in vv.7-8 as: 
1. “A noise” 
2. “A rattling sound”
3. “Bones came together, bone to bone”, 
4. “Tendons and flesh appeared”
5. “Skin covered them”
6. “But there was no breath in them” 

This forecast a gradual coming together of the bones. The body of the Jews was scattered all over the graveyard that contains the bones of other civilisations now dead - the Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medo-Persians, Greeks, Romans, etc. “The dead bones” of Israel would be different; they would gradually leave the graveyard and once again become a living nation. The resurrection of Israel in recent history was not an instantaneous miracle but one that occurred gradually until the nation was established in 1948. 

At the present time we are still in the stage of the bones coming together. As yet, Israel has not received the BREATH (SPIRIT) that can only be received through receiving her Messiah, Jesus Christ. This Regathering will only be completed at the 2nd Coming of Christ, when He will breath His Spirit (Breath) into Israel. 

Thus the setting for Ezekiel 38,39 is Israel initially regathered to her Land in the Last Days, awaiting her final spiritual restoration, which will take place at Christ’s Return. 

This is confirmed by what Ezekiel says will happen sometime after this invasion of 38:1-39:16, as described in the next Section of Prophecy (39:17-20), which describes the Battle of Armageddon (when Christ returns), followed by the final spiritual restoration of Israel (39:21-29). Immediately after that, Ezekiel 40-48 describes the Millennial Reign of Christ upon the earth. 

In conclusion, Ezekiel 38 describes an invasion from the North upon a regathered Israel before her national conversion at the 2nd Coming of Christ. Sometime after this War, God completes the physical Regathering and spiritual Restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 39:21-29) in preparation for life in the Millennium (Ezekiel 40-48). 

These 2 Stages of the Regathering are also confirmed by Daniel 9:27, where Israel makes a covenant with the antichrist at the start of the 7-year Tribulation. This proves there must be an initial partial Regathering of Israel in unbelief before the Tribulation, so that through the Tribulation, God will deal with Israel, and by the end of the Tribulation she will come to faith in her Messiah and call upon Him for salvation. Then Christ personally, at His Coming, will complete her Regathering to the Land from all nations.

Let us now study the Prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39, which could be like reading tomorrow’s newspapers!