Ezekiel 37:1-3 (NKJV) The Valley of Bones

¹ The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. ³ And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”

The hand of the LORD came upon me… (from Ezekiel 37:1)

Ezekiel’s remarkable prophetic experience is not specifically called a vision, but that seems to be the sense of the phrase, brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD. We regard what follows as something Ezekiel saw as a vision, not with his physical sense of sight.

“The mention of the hand of the Lord indicates prophetic ecstasy and inspiration. Ezekiel was brought out in the Spirit of the Lord, that is, in vision, and set down in the valley.” (Feinberg)

…in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. (from Ezekiel 37:1)

Ezekiel saw a large expanse, a valley. This was truly Death Valley; the floor of the valley was so dense with human bones that it was described as full of bones. Ezekiel saw them all around, noticing there were very many in the open valley.

The people represented by these bones were not only dead; they were also disgraced. In the thinking of ancient Israel (and the ancient Near East), an unburied corpse with exposed remains was a shocking disgrace to the dead. These bones were obviously denied proper burial.

“The bones lay on the surface of the valley, like the remains of corpses denied a proper burial and left for scavenging buzzards. As an Israelite and especially as a priest, Ezekiel knew how important was the proper treatment of human corpses.”

“The vision may have been prompted by the actual memory of seeing the Israelite dead strewn outside Jerusalem or scattered along the desert road that led Ezekiel and his companions into exile.

Ezekiel 37:4-6 (NKJV) Speaking Life to Dead Bones

⁴ Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! ⁵ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. ⁶ I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’”

“…Prophesy to these bones…” (from Ezekiel 37:4)

In the previous verse, Ezekiel deliberately left the matter with God, to His power and wisdom. In turn, God gave the prophet something to do. God commanded him to speak, to prophesy to the dry, dead bones. By all outward observation this was a vain and foolish act.

• Many years later the Apostle Paul acknowledged that the message of the cross – God’s rescue for lost humanity in the person and work of Jesus, especially His sacrifice at the cross – was foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18).

• “If we want revivals, we must revive our reverence for the Word of God. If we want conversions, we must put more of God’s Word into our sermons; even if we paraphrase it into our own words, it must still be his Word upon which we place our reliance, for the only power which will bless men lies in that.” (Spurgeon)

“… ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!” (from Ezekiel 37:4)

Ezekiel could only preach this message full of faith in God. Yet if he was confident that he spoke the Word of the LORD, he knew God’s Word had supernatural power.

… “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.” (from Ezekiel 37:5)

God promised to fill the dry bones with breath. He promised to bring flesh upon those bones and cover them with skin. God would make the once dead and dry bones live.

Ezekiel 37:9-10 (NKJV) The second prophecy to the bones brings life and strength.

⁹ Also 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.”’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

When you look at the church you will see she has problems. She has an identity crisis. The term “crisis” means a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger:

As it was for Israel, so is it for the church.

I have heard God say numerous times “It’s time to rise church.”

There are some of you that are spiritually dead,

but God is about to take his church home.

It’s time to rise from your grave,

it’s time to live for Jesus.

You have served the flesh all your life.

Now there is a call of the Holy Spirit to Rise from your death bed.

“…Prophesy to the breath…” (from Ezekiel 37:9)

The previous verse left the valley full of revived, activated bodies that yet lacked breath. Now Ezekiel was told to call upon the breath (spirit, wind). Praying the breath/spirit would come on these slain, that they may live.

“…Come from the four winds, O breath …” (from Ezekiel 37:9)

In this vision, Ezekiel had already proclaimed God’s word to the dead and dry bones and had seen a remarkable work done. Yet it was not enough; there also needed to be a work by the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel was commanded to pray – to boldly prophesy to the Spirit – calling on the Spirit to come upon those on whom the Word of God had worked.