by Sheri Schofield
Abrahamic Covenant
Abram (later called Abraham) lived in Ur. This city was located close to where the Euphrates River joins the Persian Gulf. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Bible tells us this:
“The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’”
The people of Ur had mostly abandoned the one true God. They worshipped the moon. God wanted Abram to move away from his environment and go to a new place. He had great plans for Abram, and they could not be fulfilled in Ur.
The Abrahamic Covenant is a forever-covenant. God sealed it with Abram in a ceremony found in Genesis 15:17-21. God gave Abram the measurements of the land he would give him. On a map, it looks roughly like a triangle. It stretches from today’s border where Syria and Turkey meet on the Mediterranean in the north; then from where the Euphrates flows into the Persian Gulf on the east; and on the south, from the Euphrates River to the Nile River. Israel has never fully occupied that area. Today, they are bound to a very small area along the Mediterranean Sea. That will change someday when God fulfills his covenant with Abraham and his descendants through Isaac, which are the nation of Israel.
Ezekiel 36:6-15
Ezekiel tells what will happen in Israel when the Israelis return from where they were scattered.
vs. 8-15 – The mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops of fruit. The Israelis will plow the ground and plant crops. God will greatly increase the population of Israel and their animals. They will be more prosperous than ever. The other nations will no longer despise them or speak evil of them. They will worship the one true God again. No one will be able to rob them. (This has not yet been completely fulfilled yet.)
vs. 35 says –“And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’”
Historical Information About the Land Prior to Israel’s return
The Arabs living in the land called Palestine were mostly the poor peasants. Their overlords who owned the land lived mainly in European cities where they could spend their great wealth. The land was neglected. It ranged from rugged mountains, to swamps filled with mosquitos, to desert land. The people were very poor.
When Israel began returning, they drained the swamps and channeled the water for crops. They planted trees to soak up the excess water. They developed farms. Many lived in kibbutzim, small communities who all worked together for the common good. The children born there in the land were called “sabras.”
In cultivating the land and bringing it into good use again, the people fulfilled much of Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapter 36 about their return.
God said he would bring this about so that everyone will know that he is the Lord. The book of Ezekiel was written between 593-571 BC. It is now being fulfilled.
How Israel Became A Nation Again
During World War II, the German Nazis murdered about six-million Jews in Europe. The Arabs worked with the Nazis in Palestine to try to destroy the Jews who had returned to their land. The massacre caused world-wide anger. The British occupied Israel during the war. They kept a kind of peace. After the war, they left. The Israeli people had to defend themselves against the surrounding Arabs who wanted to drive them out of the land. Though many nations believed the Jews should have their own land after the horrendous massacres of the war. But they did not help the Jews. They let them fight it out on their own. Gradually, the Jews were able to overcome those who were trying to kill them and establish their own country. In 1948, the United Nations voted to let the Jews have a portion of the land of Israel, dividing it between the Jews and Arabs in the region. When the Jewish nation was recognized by the whole world, they called their country “Israel.” They are not just the tribes of Judah & Levi (known as the Jews). There are now people from the other tribes of Israel living in the land also. This fulfills Ezekiel 37:15-20.
Ezekiel 37-38 –Valley of Dry Bones
In this passage, Ezekiel describes the people of Israel before their return.
“The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with dry bones. He led me all among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones become living people again?’ ‘O Sovereign Lord,’ I replied, ‘you alone know the answer to that’” (37:1-3).
The Lord told Ezekiel to speak over the dry bones and tell them to rise up, be covered with muscles and flesh, and to breathe again and come to life. The dry bones did so. Then God said to Ezekiel, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, “We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished’” (v.11). But God then said to tell Israel he would bring them back to the land, he would fill them with his Spirit, and they would know that he is the Lord and he has spoken. “David” will rule on the throne of Israel forever. “David” is generally understood to be a reference to the coming Messiah. The Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. (vs. 24-28) Currently, the Temple site is occupied by the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim temple.
This prophecy has been partially fulfilled. Yes, Israel has returned to their land. But not all of them have been filled with God’s Spirit yet. Not all worship God yet. They have not yet rebuilt their Temple, and Messiah has not returned.
At this time, I have been told there are approximately 36,000 Israeli Christians in Israel. The day is coming when all will change and Israel will know the true Messiah, Jesus.
This brings us up to present-day and the prophecies which have not yet happened. I will introduce Ezekiel 38-39:
The prophecy of Ezekiel 38 speaks of God drawing Israel’s enemies to their land. He will “put a hook in the jaw” of several enemies, led by “the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal” and his allies. Bible scholars believe Meshech and Tubal are the ares settled by two sons of Japheth, one of Noah’s sons. The area where they settled is generally in the region of Russia/Ukraine/Georgia. God will draw them and their armies to Israel to destroy them and their allies, for they are all enemies of Israel.
This battle has not yet happened. Next week I will expand on it as we look at Ezekiel 38-39.
For further reading: A good fiction book based on the early days of the Jews’ return to Israel is Leon Uris’ book, “Exodus.” Uris interviewed over 1,500 people to gather all the facts of the return and the events surrounding it. A movie starring Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint was made in the 60s based on this book. It also was called “Exodus.” The book is a remarkable account of what happened during the years of the Jews’ return to the land and when Israel became a nation again.