| Highlights of Dawn | June 1951 |
Israel’s National Resurrection
“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off.” —Ezekiel 37:11
NO STUDENT of biblical prophecy today can properly ignore the outstanding developments occurring in Palestine in connection with the rebirth of the nation of Israel. And these events, in turn, are sequentially related to what has been happening to the Jewish people all over the world during the last half century, and more. Indeed, God’s dealings with his ancient people are among the most tangible evidences we have confirming the inspiration of the Bible, and particularly its prophecies pertaining to this end of the age—the biblical “end of the world.”
Israel lost its independence as a nation in 606 B.C., when its last king, Zedekiah, was overthrown and the people taken captive to Babylon. Though later the people were permitted to return to Palestine, they continued to be subject to Gentile nations. In the days of Jesus the nation was being held in bondage to Rome, and the Master prophesied that they would continue to “be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”—Luke 21:24
There is scriptural evidence to substantiate the fact that the “times of the Gentiles’ was to be a period of 2,520 years. Beginning in 606 B.C., this period would, of course, end in A.D. 1914. It was the events set in motion by the World War, which began in 1914, that led to the rebirth of Israel in 1948 as a free and independent nation, no longer trodden down as a subject people to Gentile nations. Indeed, Israel has been admitted as a full fledged member of the United Nations.
This is a marvelous development, and an accurate fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy. His statement that Israel would be trodden down by the Gentiles until a certain time implies that Gentile nations would still exist after Israel ceased to be trodden down. True, these foretold developments are closely allied with the establishment of Christ’s kingdom and the complete overthrow of all humanly constituted rulership in the earth; nevertheless, it would seem that in the transition from Satan’s empire to the kingdom of Christ, there was to be a brief period when Israel, reborn as a nation, would enjoy independent status among the other nations, as implied by Jesus’ words.
Less than forty years after Jesus uttered his prophecy the subject nation of Israel was completely overthrown by their captors, the Romans, and the people dispersed into all nations. From that time until within the last half century they have been a hated and persecuted people in all lands” where they have been driven. So far as their national hopes were concerned they have, indeed, as the Prophet Ezekiel so graphically foretold, been a people whose hope was lost.
There are many prophecies in the Old Testament, however, which foretold a change in their lot, that they would be rooted out of the nations where they had been domiciled, and returned to their own land. These prophecies clearly indicate that this great change was due to occur at the close of the present Gospel Age, and would synchronize with events having to do with the downfall of Gentile rulership and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ.
Since the return of God’s favor to Israel is associated with the setting up of Christ’s kingdom, it would seem natural to conclude that it would mark the end of all trouble for this suffering people. However, the prophecies reveal that this would not immediately be the case, that instead, their return to the Promised Land would be marked temporarily by increased trouble. Through the Prophet Jeremiah the Lord foretold the regathering of Israel, but said that he would send fishers and hunters among them. (Jer. 16:14-18) The symbolism of “hunters” strongly suggests severe, driving methods to be used in effecting the return of this people to their own land.
Through the Prophet Ezekiel the Lord uses even stronger language, saying, “Surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: and I will bring you out from the people, and gather, you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.”—Ezekiel 20:33-35
Prior to 606 B.C., God ruled over Israel through David, Solomon, and others, including Zedekiah. But when Zedekiah was overthrown this typical kingdom of the Lord came to an end. But in the prophecy just quoted the Lord tells us that he would rule over this people with “a stretched out arm.” Isaiah 52:10 and 53:1 identify Jesus as the “arm” of Jehovah, so the” reference of Ezekiel’s prophecy is evidently to the time of Christ’s second presence and to the authority of his kingdom. It is interesting, therefore, to notice that the uprooting of the people of Israel from the lands where they had been driven is spoken of as being done under the rulership of the Lord’s “arm,” and also that it would be accomplished by circumstances described as great “fury.”
And how true to the facts is another feature of this prophecy. It states that they would be brought out of the various lands where they were domiciled, “into the wilderness of the people.” The remainder of this chapter reveals clearly that they would need to be purified before they could receive the full favor of the Lord; but meanwhile, and even now—yes, even though many of them have actually reached the Holy Land and have set up their own government—they are still in the “wilderness of the people,” still in the confusion and fear that is blighting the whole world. They have not yet found rest. This is particularly true of those who, having lost their homes in Europe, have not yet been able to reach Palestine.
Another prophecy of the awakening of Israel and the return of God’s favor to them is Ezekiel 37:1-14, from which our text is taken. This is the prophecy in which Ezekiel is given a vision of a valley of dry bones, with the explanation that these bones are the “whole house of Israel.” After the prophet saw these bones the Lord asked him if they could live. His answer was, “O Lord God, thou knowest.” There is a suggestion here that as the prophet saw it, the situation looked hopeless, and so, it seemed to all the Jewish people throughout the long centuries of the Gospel age, and the more so as time went on. The “wailing wall” in Jerusalem continued to be a fitting symbol of their faded hopes.
But the Lord assured the prophet that there was hope for Israel, that he would cause these bones to come together, that he would put flesh upon them, and then put his Spirit in them that they might live. Then the Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy to this end. When he did, there was a “noise,” and a great “shaking, and the bones came together, and flesh came upon them. The sequence here indicates that out of the “noise” came the assembling of the “bones,” and that when the “shaking” occurred, flesh came upon them.
The Hebrew word here translated “noise” is the one used in the Old Testament for “thunderings,” and the shaking, according to the Hebrew text, is that of an earthquake. Obviously here are symbolisms of events which were to occur when God’s time came for these dried bones of Israel’s hope to be revived and for them to be brought out of their national graves. These events were to occur at the end of the age, and another prophecy informs us concerning this time that God’s lightnings would enlighten the earth, and that as a result the earth, that is, the social order, would tremble from the thunderings which follow lightning.—Psalm 97:1-5
Jehovah’s lightnings are symbolic of the foretold “increase of knowledge” which was to take place at the end of the age, and which the whole world has experienced. (Dan. 12:4) This has caused a shaking of the social structure of civilization; and it has been during this experience, and as one of its results, that Israel’s “bones” began to stir. Other prophecies point out that this shaking and final overthrow of the “present evil world” would take place in spasms, and we might think of the first World War as one of these; and as we have already noted, the first visible stir among the Jews, the first shaking of the “bones,” as it were, came about as a direct result of that war. Out of that war came the opening of Palestine to the Jews; the Balfour Declaration; the Hebrew University on mount Sopus; and the beginning of the rehabilitation of the land.
This might well correspond with the coming together of the “bones.” But as yet they had no flesh on them. Another spasm of the great “time of trouble” must occur to bring about this development, which is described by Ezekiel as shaking, or an earthquake. It is generally conceded that in prophecy an earthquake symbolizes revolution; and now it is almost universally claimed that the second world struggle ushered in a period of world revolution. Out of this shaking of a world has come form to the reassembled “bones” of the house of Israel—they are now a nation, having been covered with flesh.
But Israel, in the real sense, has not yet received life; for the new nation does not recognize God in its affairs, nor claim allegiance to him. In other words, Israel has not yet been fully resurrected from the “grave” which resulted from the loss of God’s favor. The “breath” or Spirit of the Lord has not yet been received. This final step in the “resurrection” process must await, according to the prophecy, another and final spasm in the great time of trouble by which the old world is being destroyed.
This final phase of the trouble is described by the prophecy as the “four winds.” (vs. 9) These may well be the same “four winds” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3, where they are represented as being held back until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The sealing work here described is that of the Holy Spirit during the present Gospel age, and since the “four winds,” when allowed to blow, bring this work to a close, they evidently are a symbol of the final phase of the great time of trouble which terminates the work of the Gospel age.
Another description of this trouble, then, would be that given us in Ezekiel 38 and 39:1-7. Here we are told of mighty forces which attempt to destroy restored Israel, but the Lord intervenes, saves Israel, and destroys their enemies. Resulting from this is the opening, of Israel’s eyes to behold the glory of the Lord, and also the recognition of God’s glory by all the nations. The Lord declares, “So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen [nations] shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.”—vs. 7
Obviously this development will mark the full end of the great “time of trouble,” and the full manifestation of Christ’s kingdom governing in the affairs of men. By this time the Gospel age work of the Holy Spirit will have been finished; and in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise, his Spirit will be poured out upon “all flesh.” Then Israel will receive his Spirit and as a result, will live. Thus will be fulfilled the promise:
“Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live.”—Ezekiel 37:12-14