Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“God grabbed me. God's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them — a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain — dry bones, bleached by the sun. He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Master God, only you know that." He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!'"
God, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am God!" (Ezekiel 37:1-6, THE MESSAGE)
First of all, students of the Bible, including the men who attend yeshiva (Torah school) in Israel and beyond, know that these prophetic words, declared by the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel around the 9th century B.C. (Before Christ) were telling of the return of the scattered Jews long before the first return from Babylon and the second return beginning in 1948. They had been scattered from Judea and Samaria back then during the time of the kings of Israel, would return once, and then be scattered again, but all over the world this second time.
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| Dry bones - Gustave Dore' painting |
In 70 A.D. (Anno Domini – “In the year of our Lord”) the Almighty God of Israel again had the Jews dispersed (known as the Diaspora), using the vicious, destructive hand of the Romans. Of course, He foreknew of His Chosen Ones return. This second time of return is what we are seeing right before our eyes, in our lifetime, as Ezekiel’s prophecy is being fulfilled. The Jews, from all the nations, are being brought back. This is amazing, prophetically demonstrating the God of Israel’s glory and power, and bringing fulfillment of His promise made to the Jews.
In that 20th century year of Israel’s rebirth as a nation (though having actually begun 3000 years ago with King David establishing the Jewish capital of Jerusalem), David Ben Gurion declared Israel’s Independence for the state/nation of Israel on May 4, 1948.
It had long been a dream of the European Jew Theodore Herzl, to see the restoration of a Jewish homeland. Decades after his death in Europe, he is now honored in the Land, with his bones resting on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem. For he pressed long and hard for the Jews to have a land once again for their homeland. We all know now that that dream was fulfilled in the Land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael (Hebrew). This is long regarded as historical truth - Israel is for the Jews as their Promised Land.
The bleached, completely dried bones so prophesied are coming back together. The Jews are making aliyah (the immigration of Jews from the Diaspora to the Land) by returning to Israel by the thousands, and soon to be millions.
Which brings me to this next major inspiration. As it is with Israel, being first in the natural, with dry bones coming back together, so it is being for the Body of Christ (believing Jews and Gentiles together, the olive tree and grafted-in branches, the One New Man), now seeing restoration in the spiritual.
“However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 15:46,
NASU)
As we watch the ongoing, unfolding prophetic fulfillment of the Jewish dry bones coming back together in Israel, at the same time are seeing the restoration of Christians in bonding fellowship and unity, as our formerly “dry bones of the scattered Church of Jesus Christ” are starting to come back together, as it was in the days of the early church.
My good wife Laurie and I can give a practical life testimony of this coming back together ourselves. Four years ago as of this writing in 2018, we left a good body of believers, Antioch International Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA, under the leadership of Dr. Peter Wyns and Pastors Jesse and Elizabeth Enns. We were “dispersed” (of our own making), wandering around as if Jews ourselves, going from church to church. (As for “Jewishness” - maybe we are and don’t know it, as truly many are finding out of their Jewish ancestry and DNA in these days!)
After both Laurie and I, independently of each other, heard the Holy Spirit speak to us of the “return” to Antioch, we once again are back in full relationship, joint to joint, walking arm and arm, being planted in committed bonds of love with these, our friends and co-workers in the Lord’s Body. (And as of October 1, 2018, I was joined to the church staff team!)
Maybe you or some of your family members have been “out there”, just wandering around, or even quitting altogether, from being in life-giving joints. Your dry bones have become pretty dry.
If I was a betting man (thank God I am not), I would give all I have to see you and the so many others come back, get joined once again, and experience the joy of His restoration of relationships. He will breathe life back into your bones!
The Good Lord knows we all need Him and each other in these end times!
Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.
If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
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Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)
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Now Think On This #361 - in the year of our Lord 10.31.18 – “Restoration of Relationships - Part I)”, Wednesday, 9:00 am
