Israel’s Resurrection – Part 2

Israel will come back from a hopeless situation. If we look at the entire history of the diaspora, as well as the Nazi death camps, then we see that they will return and become one people again.

Some commentators view Ezekiel 37 as already having been fulfilled at the return from Babylonian captivity. This could indeed be one fulfillment, but did everything recorded in the chapter happen at that time?

The wind comes from all four directions, whereas the return from Babylonian exile came primarily from one. Furthermore, verse 10 speaks of “an exceedingly great army”—a phrase strongly reminiscent of the promise in Jeremiah 33:22:

“As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

But after the return from Babylonian captivity until the diaspora in 70 AD, Israel remained relatively small compared to its former population.

Another important point is found in verse 14: God Himself says that He will put His Spirit within His people. This is in direct relation to Israel’s spiritual renewal as described in the second part of Ezekiel 36. Although the return under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah could be described as a revival, complete spiritual renewal didn’t occur at this time. Even the prophets Haggai and Zechariah had to preach against indolence. Ezra and Nehemiah struggled with spiritual grievances, and Malachi finally emphasized the increasing superficiality among the priesthood and the people, along with the apostasy that came with it. And so, Ezekiel 37 was not conclusively fulfilled at that time.

I previously mentioned William Hechler and William Blackstone. Both men were convinced that the Jewish State would be reborn, based on biblical prophecies. Although it’s tempting to attribute this to the rise of Zionism, they had already developed their redemptive-historical perspective long before the beginning of that movement. The first wave of return migration to Israel (which began in 1882) was still yet to come when they had formulated their convictions.

Other professing Christians based their belief in the restoration of Israel in the last days on Scripture, despite a lack of historical evidence for it at the time. Here are two more examples:

Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) can be considered a Reformed theologian. While many aspects of Reformed theology contain valuable insights into Scripture, they also do not see a prophetic future for the land and people of Israel. Yet Spurgeon was convinced of the prophecy’s literal interpretation, and believed in the fulfillment of the promises made to Israel.

On May 9, 1878, he preached on the Vine of Israel, making it clear that he believed in Israel’s national restoration. In a sermon delivered on June 16, 1864, Spurgeon said the following regarding Ezekiel 37:1-10:

“If there be anything clear and plain, the literal sense and meaning of this passage—a meaning not to be spirited or spiritualized away—must be evident that both the two and the ten tribes of Israel are to be restored to their own land, and that a king is to rule over them.”

Even in the midst of the Downgrade Controversy, his last great struggle, Spurgeon held fast to his belief in the second coming of Jesus and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom that would follow.

Pastor Karl-August Dächsel (1818–1901) became known for his seven-volume expository series. His father, also a Protestant pastor, was godfather to Friedrich Nietzsche’s sister, and his second wife was Nietzsche’s half-sister. It’s shocking to realize that Christian witnesses were within easy reach of the godless philosopher.

Because Dächsel took the Holy Scriptures literally, he was also convinced of the restoration and salvation of Israel, which he clearly expressed in his exposition of Ezekiel 37. Here are some excerpts from his commentary:

“All interpreters agree that, according to Ezekiel’s unambiguous interpretation, this vision must be related not to the resurrection of dead bodies, but to the revival of the spiritually dead yet still living people of Israel. This irrefutably confirms the phrase, ‘These bones are the whole house of Israel.’”

He continues:

“The depiction of the resuscitation of the dead bones in two acts is explained by its reference to the story of the creation of man. It serves here, as it did for the creation of man, to vividly depict the constructive revival of Israel as a work of the almighty God.”

As I mentioned before, some interpreters consider Ezekiel 37 to have been fulfilled with the return from Babylonian exile. Dächsel writes:

“…This fulfillment was indeed prepared and initiated by the Lord’s return of a portion of the people from Babylonian exile under Zerubbabel and Ezra, as well as by the reconstruction of the destroyed order. But all this was nothing more than a pledge for Israel’s future full restoration.”

Dächsel then continues to explain why Israel’s final salvation will not take place until the full number of believers from the nations has been brought in.

THE TWO PHASES OF ISRAEL’S RESTORATION

As mentioned earlier, the plain filled with dead bones takes on even greater significance in light of Israel’s history after the diaspora of 70 AD. I’ll quote historian, Messianic Jew, and Lutheran theologian David Jaffin, one of my own teachers:

“‘The hand of the Lord was upon me,’ says Ezekiel 37, ‘and led me into a field and said to me, “Ezekiel, what do you see?” And I said, ‘As far as I can see, Lord, there are only dead bones.’ That is Auschwitz.”

He points out that most theologians reject the idea of Israel’s return. As I already mentioned, the dead bones and the hopelessness they inspire recall the bloody history of Israel’s dispersion. But the text is even more deeply moving in light of the Shoah.

Consider the gruesome discoveries the Allied soldiers made during the liberation of the concentration camps: mountains of dead bodies; skeletal, emaciated survivors; images and film footage that are almost unbearable. Think of the mass graves of the Shoah, such as Bergen-Belsen’s burial mounds. Each one is marked with the estimated number of victims: hundreds, thousands. The reality is deeply unsettling.

In verses 12-13, we read: “Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.”

Israel will come back from a hopeless situation. If we look at the entire history of the diaspora, as well as the Nazi death camps, then we see that they will return and become one people again.

Back in 1943, if anyone had dared claim that the State of Israel would be resurrected in five years following nearly 2,000 years of diaspora, they would have been declared insane. But shortly after this terrible catastrophe for the Jewish people, the unimaginable happened: Through the worldwide pandemonium of World War II, through the tremors of the Shoah, the resurrection of Israel was being prepared.

Two phases of Israel’s restoration can be identified in our text. After the first prophecy, the bones come together and are covered with flesh and skin (vv. 7-8, 12-13). The second phase comes in verse 9: Ezekiel is to prophecy once more. God’s Spirit of life enters the bodies, giving them life. In light of this, verse 14 states that the Lord will place His Spirit within them. This second phase describes the salvation and spiritual renewal of the remnant of Israel.

Whenever we think we’ve discovered something in the Bible that no one has ever noticed before, we’re treading on thin ice. But if we discover something and then find that others among God’s servants have already seen it, that’s confirmation. Spurgeon was always delighted during his sermon preparation if he came across ideas that were then confirmed in Bible commentaries. The text itself, with its two prophecies, clearly indicates two phases. This distinction is also found in Dächel’s commentary, where he writes:

“Just as the lower side first comes into being (vv. 7 ff.) followed by the higher (vv. 9 ff.) in the vision (or, more precisely, the distinction between these two sides is presented in the form of a difference in time), so too in the interpretation the political restoration (vv. 12 ff.) and spiritual restoration (v. 14) are clearly distinguished.”

Dächsel recognized the difference between Israel’s political and spiritual restoration from the text.

THE FIRST PHASE OF ISRAEL’S RESTORATION

The dead bones are being drawn together. Herzl’s Zionism brought movement to Israel’s lost hope. In 1897, the first Zionist Congress took place in Basel. Fritz Grünzweig relates from an eyewitness:

“Jews from all over Europe had come together for this Congress—tradesmen, bankers, and many others. Various possibilities for a Jewish homeland were discussed, including Madagascar and Africa. In the midst of the debate, an old rabbi called out the Psalm, ‘If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.’ These clever men rose, fell into each other’s arms, and said, ‘Come, let us go to the land of our fathers.’”

The first aliyah (wave of Jewish return to Palestine) took place between 1882 and 1903. As many as 30,000 people came in that period. The second aliyah followed between 1904 and the outbreak of World War I, bringing tens of thousands more immigrants.

The first oil field in the Middle East was discovered in 1908. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 granted Jews the right to a national homeland in Palestine, leading to a new wave of immigration between 1919 and 1932. Further large oil deposits were discovered during this period, increasing the colonial powers’ interest in the Middle East. Three more waves of return migration followed, ending when World War II broke out.

In the end, it was the events of the Holocaust which greatly accelerated the flow of Jews into Israel. Thousands returned to the land of their ancestors on ships, some of them completely emaciated concentration camp survivors.

Ezekiel’s former valley of dead bones was beginning to transform into living bodies once more. In 1948, the world witnessed Israel’s resurrection from the ashes of history. But an Israel that is spiritually renewed and redeemed is yet to come.

THE SECOND PHASE OF RESTORATION

Today, we’re living in the first phase of restoration. Israel is increasingly at the center of world events. According to Zechariah 12–14, it will ultimately be the matter of Jerusalem that triggers Jesus’ return. Jesus’ visible return will then mark the beginning of the second phase spoken of in Ezekiel.

Both Ezekiel 36 and Zechariah 12 are speaking of Israel’s spiritual renewal, and the outpouring of the Spirit that accompanies it. This hasn’t yet taken place. Today, we can see God’s chosen people before us. The first part of Ezekiel 37 is clearly being fulfilled. But Israel’s eventual salvation won’t take place until Jesus returns. Then, what we read in verse 14 will be fulfilled: God will put His Spirit within them.

The credibility of God’s Word is demonstrated in the resurrection and gathering together of Israel. What Ezekiel would have given to have witnessed God beginning to fulfill His final promises to Israel!

Therefore, let us act courageously in testifying of Christ, in building the Church, in obeying the Great Commission. This is so that the fullness of the Gentiles will come in swiftly, Jesus will return, and Israel will be saved.

The events surrounding Israel in particular serve as a reminder of what Jesus said in Luke 21:28. I summarize it this way:

Lift up your heads—our Lord is coming soon!