Skeletons Made Living Persons

Skeletons Made Living Persons Ezekiel 37:1-14

The Israelites had been beseiged by Babylon and some of the people had been taken captive. Among the people carried off to Babylon was Ezekiel, a priest. God called him to be a prophet and showed him many visions, or dreams. Several of the visions were a promise from God that Israel would be restored. One, in particular showed that God would revive a "dead" nation:

Ezekiel dreamed that the Lord took him to a valley which was full of bones. God asked him, "Can these bones live?" and Ezekiel answered, "Only you know, Lord.".

God then commanded Ezekiel to speak to the bones and say: "You dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says 'I will put breath into you, and you shall live. I will put flesh on you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

Ezekiel did as he was told, and suddenly there was a great noise and he saw the bones fitting together to form skeletons. Then flesh and skin covered them, but there was no breath.

Then God said to him, "Speak to the wind and say, 'Thus says the Lord, come from the four winds, Oh Spirit and breathe upon these dead, that they may live.'" Ezekiel again did as he was told. The breath came into the skeletons, and they lived and stood on their feet. The valley was filled with an unusually large army.

God said to Ezekiel, "These bones are the house of Israel. They are without hope. But say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: I will open your graves, raise you up, put breath in you and you shall live. And I will settle you in your own land and you shall know that I, the Lord, have done it.'"