The Valley Of Dry Bones Series

Walking Dead Series (3 of 4)

“The Valley of Dry Bones”

Ezekiel 37.1-12

October 20, 2013

Chester FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A Apocalypse of any kind is trending high right now.

1 Biological, chemical, nuclear, collapse of government/economy, zombie . . .people eat it up.

a The Walking Dead has survivors battling to survive during a zombie doomsday scenario.

b Apocalypse today has come to mean “end times.”

B The text we are in this morning is called “apocalyptic literature.”

1 It is rich in symbolism, vision, dreams . . .typically apocalyptic literature has to do with future events (eschatological in nature.)

a Ezekiel is quoted in all but ONE chapter in Revelation.

b Apocalyptic literature has a two-fold form:

aa the geographical setting the vision is in (plan, valley, battlefield.)

bb a divine interpretation is given.

Ezekiel 37:11-14 (NASB) 11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' 12 "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.13 "Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 "I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.'"

c At the time Ezekiel is given this vision (600 years before the birth of Jesus) the nation was in Babylonian captivity, without king, Temple, without a land, government.

aa The nation had fallen into apostasy (occult, paganism.)

bb A remnant remained (Ezek. 11.13-17) & God had promised to restore the faithful few into a great nation once again.

Ezekiel 11:13-17 (NASB) 13 Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?" 14 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 15 "Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Go far from the LORD; this land has been given us as a possession.' 16 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone."' 17 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."'

2 Ezekiel 37:1-12 (NASB) 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know." 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.' 5 "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 ~'I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'" 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' 12 "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.