Post by alon on Apr 21, 2016 2:02:02 GMT -8
Haftara for Par’shah Chol HaMo’ed Pesach, Ezekiel 37:1-14
The prophecies of Ezekiel concerning the final restoration of Israel was a comfort and hope to the Jews of the Babalonian exile (597 BCE) and indeed in all their later trials as well. This is a vision with eschatological implications, therefore we must primarily understand it metaphorically. The vision of the dry bones metaphorically speaks of the restoration of God’s chosen people, Israel . We who believe in Yeshua and that
still is applicable in its’ entirety are grafted into the Jewish rootstalk, and so also heirs to the promises. There is debate as to whether it would include some or all Christians and whether all observant Jews will be redeemed whether they accept Yeshua or not.
This vision is very graphic. The Jewish nation as well as the Christian Church have borne strong resemblance to those long dead bones. However since the prophet is speaking metaphorically, he in all probability doesn’t mean actual, physical resurrection of dead even though we know this will happen. The image symbolizes restoration of Israel to their land.
Jhn 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ezekiel 37:1-2 (ESV) The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
This is a vision from YHVH, and so makes use of literary adjuncts such as metaphor, which is how it should be interpreted.
Ezekiel 37:3 (ESV) And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
Only through divine power can the restoration take place.
Ezekiel 37:4-6 (ESV) Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath [spirit] to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
By the divine word life will be breathed into the nation. This depicts a step by step restructuring of Israel as a nation, as opposed to just an instant regeneration. And that is what we see today as we look at Israel. The nation is being restructured step by step, from the long dead centuries of persecution, to the birth of Zionism in the late 19th cen to the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948. Since then we have seen wars, treaties and mandates, each of which have reshaped the nation. We are literally looking at the prophecy here being fulfilled as these dry bones are being fleshed out before our eyes.
Ezekiel 37:7-10 (ESV) So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 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 may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
All life is the gift of God. The divine breath was breathed into man at creation:
Genesis 2:7 (ESV) then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
It was breathed into the written word:
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
And it was breathed upon His Sheliachim to empower them for ministry:
John 20:21-22 (ESV) Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
The purpose of the vision is outlined:
To demonstrate that Israel is elect among the nations:
Ezekiel 37:10 (ESV) So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
To revive the lost hope of Israel:
Ezekiel 37:11 (ESV) 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 is lost; we are indeed cut off.’
To settle the nation in their own land:
Ezekiel 37:12 (ESV) 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 to fulfill His word:
Ezekiel 37:14 (ESV) And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
Traditional Jewish exegetes find the resurrection of the dead before the day of judgement in the above verses. This is a fundamental belief of rabbinic Judaism:
Isaiah 26:19 (KJV) Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel 12:2 (KJV) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to
and everlasting contempt. In its plain sense meaning [metaphorically] the image symbolizes the restoration of Israel to its own land.
The Jewish people think of this in terms of a national resurrection, embracing all Jews; in other words all Jews will be saved. And this thinking is held over by many Messianics of Jewish descent. Most Meshiachim from a Christian background hold the view similar to that of Christianity that everyone will be resurrected at some point, some to eternal life and others to eternal damnation. I’d have to conclude that there are elements of truth in both, since we are seeing the rebirth of the nation of Israel right before us. However I do not see where all Jews will be saved anywhere in scripture. My personal belief is that if they reject Yeshua as HaMoshiach in this life, then they will suffer the second death.
Rev 21:8 (KJV) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
I see no exemption for Jews in the part which says “the unbelieving” there. Just the unbelieving; all unbelieving. So in my view (and I want to stress that this is just my relatively uneducated view) this prophecy just applies to the systematic rebuilding of the nation of Israel. It does not say anything about all Hebrews being resurrected incorruptible. In fact, for those to which this happy circumstance will apply, the change will be rather sudden:
1Co 15:52 (KJV) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Dan C
Resources: Rav S, JPS Study TNK, W Wiersby, FB Meyer, Unger, my father and others.
The prophecies of Ezekiel concerning the final restoration of Israel was a comfort and hope to the Jews of the Babalonian exile (597 BCE) and indeed in all their later trials as well. This is a vision with eschatological implications, therefore we must primarily understand it metaphorically. The vision of the dry bones metaphorically speaks of the restoration of God’s chosen people, Israel . We who believe in Yeshua and that
still is applicable in its’ entirety are grafted into the Jewish rootstalk, and so also heirs to the promises. There is debate as to whether it would include some or all Christians and whether all observant Jews will be redeemed whether they accept Yeshua or not. This vision is very graphic. The Jewish nation as well as the Christian Church have borne strong resemblance to those long dead bones. However since the prophet is speaking metaphorically, he in all probability doesn’t mean actual, physical resurrection of dead even though we know this will happen. The image symbolizes restoration of Israel to their land.
Jhn 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ezekiel 37:1-2 (ESV) The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
This is a vision from YHVH, and so makes use of literary adjuncts such as metaphor, which is how it should be interpreted.
Ezekiel 37:3 (ESV) And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
Only through divine power can the restoration take place.
Ezekiel 37:4-6 (ESV) Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath [spirit] to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
By the divine word life will be breathed into the nation. This depicts a step by step restructuring of Israel as a nation, as opposed to just an instant regeneration. And that is what we see today as we look at Israel. The nation is being restructured step by step, from the long dead centuries of persecution, to the birth of Zionism in the late 19th cen to the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948. Since then we have seen wars, treaties and mandates, each of which have reshaped the nation. We are literally looking at the prophecy here being fulfilled as these dry bones are being fleshed out before our eyes.
Ezekiel 37:7-10 (ESV) So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 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 may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
All life is the gift of God. The divine breath was breathed into man at creation:
Genesis 2:7 (ESV) then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
It was breathed into the written word:
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
And it was breathed upon His Sheliachim to empower them for ministry:
John 20:21-22 (ESV) Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
The purpose of the vision is outlined:
To demonstrate that Israel is elect among the nations:
Ezekiel 37:10 (ESV) So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
To revive the lost hope of Israel:
Ezekiel 37:11 (ESV) 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 is lost; we are indeed cut off.’
To settle the nation in their own land:
Ezekiel 37:12 (ESV) 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 to fulfill His word:
Ezekiel 37:14 (ESV) And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
Traditional Jewish exegetes find the resurrection of the dead before the day of judgement in the above verses. This is a fundamental belief of rabbinic Judaism:
Isaiah 26:19 (KJV) Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel 12:2 (KJV) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to
and everlasting contempt. In its plain sense meaning [metaphorically] the image symbolizes the restoration of Israel to its own land.The Jewish people think of this in terms of a national resurrection, embracing all Jews; in other words all Jews will be saved. And this thinking is held over by many Messianics of Jewish descent. Most Meshiachim from a Christian background hold the view similar to that of Christianity that everyone will be resurrected at some point, some to eternal life and others to eternal damnation. I’d have to conclude that there are elements of truth in both, since we are seeing the rebirth of the nation of Israel right before us. However I do not see where all Jews will be saved anywhere in scripture. My personal belief is that if they reject Yeshua as HaMoshiach in this life, then they will suffer the second death.
Rev 21:8 (KJV) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
I see no exemption for Jews in the part which says “the unbelieving” there. Just the unbelieving; all unbelieving. So in my view (and I want to stress that this is just my relatively uneducated view) this prophecy just applies to the systematic rebuilding of the nation of Israel. It does not say anything about all Hebrews being resurrected incorruptible. In fact, for those to which this happy circumstance will apply, the change will be rather sudden:
1Co 15:52 (KJV) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Dan C
Resources: Rav S, JPS Study TNK, W Wiersby, FB Meyer, Unger, my father and others.
