A Vast Army

God’s army won’t come to existence by itself. 
What God promises, He builds, and what He builds, He will finish.

Ezekiel 37:4 Then [the LORD] said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!  5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'”

Countless times throughout history and through the prophetic word, the Israelites have been evicted from their historic homeland and taken into exile in foreign lands.  They have returned, built homes, lived in peace and war, and the cycle has repeated.

Nevertheless, the plan of redemption has been announced and in the Valley of Dry Bones, the purpose has been made known: so that they will know God is the Lord of life.

Just as Adam was nothing but formed animal flesh at his creation until God breathed the breath of life into him, so it happens here. 

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

It’s skin, flesh, and bones but it’s no more living than the army depicted in the Terracotta Warriors in Shaanxi, China.  Numerous but not alive.

9 Then [the LORD] said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet– a vast army.

An army doesn’t just exist.  An army fights.  Ezekiel didn’t say a crowd, numbers of Twitter followers, a group, a protest, or a fan club.  It’s an army, and it’s a big one at that.  Vast.

Who is this army?  I’m glad you asked:

11 Then [the LORD] said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.”

Tick Tock, the end times are marching steadily onward toward their conclusion.  The whole house of Israel will be brought from spiritual death to spiritual life…and why? To fulfill the prophets.  Now, to be sure Scripture says that “not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (Romans 9:6). But it also says that there is a manner in which “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-27). And Ezekiel records for us that the whole house of Israel will be gathered as a vast army in the end to prove that God is the Lord of life.