Ezekiel Chapter 36: The Restoration Begins!

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Chapter 36 starts out with God telling Ezekiel to prophesy to Israel that because the rest of the nations have ridiculed them, and in-turn ridiculed God— that God is going to make the nations who scorned them to suffer scorn themselves. Now, this prophecy is referring to the end times prior to the rapture of the Church. We know this because in verse 8, we read, "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come."

This prophecy in verse 8 has begun in our day. Many of Israel's descendants have come home to their forefathers homeland for the first time in the past century. The first round of descendants to return home to Israel occurred in the late 1940's and 1950's, when Israel as a nation was restored. Many of Jewish descent who were living in foreign countries came back to their ancesters homeland.

Although since its inception, Israel has continued to see an exodus back to their homeland. After the collapse of communism in the early 1990's, once again we had a mass exodus of Jew's back to their homeland from the former Soviet territories as well as other territories from the north. This, what many have dubbed the modern day exodus, is not complete as of yet. So far there has not been an exodus from the western hemisphere, namely the United States and Canada. This exodus will happen as prophecy says it will, but it has not happened yet.

The reason for those Jews in the United States not going back to their homeland, is probably due to the security or comfort factor within the boundaries of the United States. Although, with this new type of enemy that we are up against, the security factor is not as secure as it once was, hence, the World Trade Center bombing of 1993 and then the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001. This new enemy is not your traditional military opponent, but a form of terrorism that is virtually invisible. These terrorists are taught to blend into our society, befriend those around them, take jobs in their communities, and act as American as they can. But, on a moments notice be ready to inflict their unexpected terror on innocent civilians and not on traditional military targets.

Thus the name "terrorist." Their job is to terrorize the population and government into a lifestyle that is not of their choosing. Terrorism is effective only when it makes a particular government change its strategy due to their terrorist activity. For example: the 2004 Madrid train bombings— which in-turn prompted the Spanish government to remove their troops from Iraq. The United States and Britain on the other hand, do not succumb to terrorist pressure. It is believed that in theory, in order to thwart the terrorist ideology, you cannot give in to terrorist activity by allowing that activity to changed anything from government policy to the way the public goes about their everyday lives.

But, if this terrorist activity broadens across the United States as well as other western countries, which I believe is inevitable, it will prompt the Jewish segment of those populations to reconsider their stay and for a large portion of those Jews to return to their homeland as the Bible predicts. There is also a time prophesied in the end times when Israel will feel a false sense of security, possibly due from a peace treaty with their enemies that will not hold. But, many Jews in the western nations, may think that peace has finally been won in there homeland and go back.

The nation of Israel has already been re-established after some 2,000 years in exile. This happened on a late afternoon in May 14, 1948 which led many thousands of Jews to re-enter their homeland, but this was just the beginning of the exodus back to Israel. Since that time the land of Israel has flourished as God said it would as we read in verses 8-12, "8) But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. 9) For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10) I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11) I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. 12) Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of children."

In verse 12, God assures Israel that no one will deprive them of their children ever again. This seems to be a reference to Pharoah who ordered every boy born to the Israelites to be killed in the time after Moses was born, and also of the future time when Herod's edict to kill all male babies up to two years old in the days after Jesus was born. This future time after Jesus is also referenced in verses 25-27, "25) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

In verse 29, God tells Israel through the prophet Ezekiel, "I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses." This refers to the fact that the animal sacrifices that the Israelites performed in order to transfer their iniquities to, was not a sufficient sacrifice. It ultimately only cleansed the people up until their next iniquity or sin. Since man is easily overcome by temptation, which leads to sin, this ritual of animal sacrifice was needed on a daily basis. God is telling them that there will come a day when those animal sacrifices will no longer be necessary. The prophesied sacrifice of the Messiah in Isaiah 53, will be the ultimate sacrifice that will fulfill these verses, 25-29. But, it will take time for the nation of Israel to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. The prophecy of Israel recognizing Jesus as their Messiah has not come to pass in our time just yet, but there is a very clear movement of the Holy Spirit among many Jews today who are witnesses of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.

God reminds us here of why He is doing this. We read in verse 32, "Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!" God is telling us here it is for His sake that He do these great things for Israel. He also mentioned this back in verses 22-23— verse 23 , reads, "And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes." God will prove to the nations as well as Israel once and for all that He is God alone!

In the remainder of chapter 36, God describes the outcome of His blessing and restoration of Israel which has already begun in 1948. Since 1948 many prophecies have been fulfilled that people do not even realize. When you put all these prophetic occurrences together you get a very clear picture of the truth of the Bible. Please watch for my study on "Prophecy Fulfilled, Proof of God Right Before Our Eyes".

In the next part of this study,  chapter 37, we will explore the prophecy of "The Valley of Dry Bones". The fascinating prophecy of God's restoration and resurrection power.

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