What has happened back in Judah by the time Ezechiel proclaims the prophecy recorded in chapters 36 and 37? ~ Carlos Lugo
Judah was overrun by the Babylonians in 586 or 587 B.C. and most of the survivors were taken as prisoners to Babylon. Those remaining in Judah were under a Babylonian puppet ruler until he was murdered. Ezekiel was one of the prophets of the Jews in exile during the 70 years captivity. His prophecies occurred during that exile. The following commentary summarizes the Book of Ezekiel.
The collection of the prophecies placed together in this book, as forming a complete unity, falls into two main divisions:-I. Announcements of judgment upon Israel and the heathen nations, ch. 1-32; II. Announcements of salvation for Israel, ch. 33-48. Each of these main divisions is subdivided into two sections. The first, namely, contains the prophecies of judgment (a) upon Jerusalem and Israel, Ezek 3:22-24; (b) upon the heathen nations, ch. 25-32. The second main division contains (c) the predictions of the redemption and restoration of Israel, and the downfall of the heathen world-power, ch. 33-39; (d) the prophetic picture of the re-formation and exaltation of the kingdom of God, ch. 40-48; and the entire collection opens with the solemn dedication of Ezekiel to the prophetic office, Ezek 1:1-3:21. (Keil & Delitzsch)
Further, Keil & Delitzsch records respecting Ezekiel 37: “This chapter contains two revelations from God (vv. 1-14 and vv. 15-28). In the first, the prophet is shown in a vision the resurrection of Israel to a new life. In the second, he is commanded to exhibit, by means of a symbolical act, the reunion of the divided kingdoms into a single nation under one king.” This commentary also places the approximate time of Ezekiel’s prophecies in the latter part of his book at about 25 years after the 70 years captivity began, a long way yet to the end of the literal Jewish captivity in Babylon.
The prophecy in Ezekiel 37 appears to be two-fold, as Albert Barnes concluded in his commentary. “The vision was intended not only to comfort the despairing children of Israel-prefiguring the reinstatement of Israel now scattered and lifeless, as a community restored to their home, and reinvigorated with spiritual life… The prophecy concerns not only the Israel after the flesh but also the Israel of God; it points to a home in heaven and to a life of immortality.” Likewise, Adam Clarke saw in Ezekiel 36-37 references to the eventual and literal restoration of Jews from Babylonian captivity to their homeland as well as allusions to the Gospel Age and the church. However, we dispute any allusions he or others may make to premillennialism respecting this text.
This chapter treats of the same subject with the preceding, in a beautiful and significant vision. Under the emblem of the open valley being thickly strewed with very dry bones is represented the hopeless state of the Jews when dispersed throughout the provinces of the Chaldean empire. But God, contrary to every human probability, restores these bones to life, thereby prefiguring the restoration of that people from the Babylonian captivity, and their resettlement in the land of their forefathers, v. 1-14. The prophet then makes an easy and elegant transition to the blessedness of the people of God under the Gospel dispensation…
Ezekiel offered hope for people in the hopelessness of a long captivity. He also offered a glimpse of hope far beyond the mere physical restoration of a displaced people back to their homeland, making allusions to the spiritual Israel, the clearest picture of which is seen in the church Jesus came to establish.
