JEHOVAH used holy men of old as his instruments to accomplish his purposes. He made pictures foreshadowing the progressive steps taken in regathering the Jews to Palestine. He caused his prophets to have mental visions of things to be accomplished, and then to describe these mental visions and set them down in writing. These mental visions foreshadowed things to come.
Ezekiel was one who loved the Lord God and who was diligent in doing the will of God. He was one of the holy men of old, and God made of him a prophet. Ezekiel records the fact that on a certain occasion the spirit of the Lord was upon him, and that the Lord carried him away and set him down in the midst of a valley of dry bones. By this is to be understood that Ezekiel was in a trance and that God gave him a vision in which he saw himself seated in a valley of dry bones. Then the Lord caused Ezekiel mentally to pass around the valley about him, and Ezekiel observed that there were many bones in the valley and that they were very dry. Ezekiel did not understand the meaning of these many dry bones, which had no life whatsoever in them. Like other prophets of God he made a report of this vision and understood nothing about it except that he was told that it referred
to the whole house of Israel. How it represented Israel could not be understood until the subsequent facts were known.
God caused his prophets to write prophecy in words then not understandable, intending that in his own good time these visions should be understood by those desiring to know and to do his will. When that due time comes and the prophecy is fulfilled, then the student, in the light of prophecy and of the physical facts constituting its fulfilment, can understand the meaning thereof.
Now note the reading of this prophecy:
"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, 0 ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
"So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied there was a noise, and, behold,
a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds, 0 breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, 0 my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." —Ezek. 37:1-14.
The Lord propounded to Ezekiel the question: "Can these bones live?" Of course Ezekiel could not answer; therefore he replied: "0 Lord God, thou knowest." 'If there is any hope for them thou knowest it.' Then God told Eze-
kiel that these bones represented the entire house of Israel. The valley represents the grave of the nation of Israel, which went into national oblivion in 73 A.D. The people composing that nation were there scattered throughout the earth. They have long cried unto the Lord for help. How often have they said: "Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off!" For many centuries that people, without an altar, without a sacrifice, without a priest, without a God, have bordered on complete despair. Nothing could more fitly represent them than the valley of dry bones.
But what is the first thing that is said to them to stir up their hope? The Lord directed Ezekiel to say unto them: "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." The Lord would have Israel recognize that he is God, and that the people should hear his Word and have their hopes revived. Those who do hear the "Word of the Lord, and who believe therein and respond thereto, have the promise that they shall live. Then Ezekiel was directed to prophesy; and he says: "So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and, behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone."
What could this represent? Of course the language here used is symbolic. Bones constitute the framework of the human body. The human body is often used as a symbolism of an organization. (1 Cor. 12:12-27; Isa. 52:7)
Therefore the bringing of the bones together fitly represents the forming of the skeleton of an organization.
Now note the physical facts showing the fulfilment of this prophecy: About 1878 the persecution of the Jews became very severe in Russia, Germany, Roumania and other places of Europe. There was a great noise and a great shaking up of that people. It was indeed a shaking of dry bones. It created a desire in the hearts of the Jewish people for their homeland. The Lord was causing his Word to be sounded out that some might hear. Then the Lord raised up Theodor Herzl, a Jew who loved his people and who was glad to serve them.
Mr. Herzl said that "the miseries of the Jews" were the "propelling force" that induced the formation of the scheme of Zionism. It was this noise and shaking of persecution and agitation that caused the bones, to wit, the Jews, to come together and form the skeleton organization looking to their return to Palestine and to the rebuilding of their homeland. A human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. Zionism was organized into a body at Basel, Switzerland, in 1897; and in that congress, which perfected the organization, there were exactly 208 delegates, the same number as of bones that go to form the human body. That was not merely an accident, but a physical fact prearranged by the Lord, showing how God looks after the minutest things relative to the recovery of the Jews in bringing
them back to himself. This should arouse the hopes of Jews and bring them comfort.
A mere skeleton is an unsightly and unattractive thing. Before a skeleton can function it must have sinews and flesh, and it must have skin to make it sightly and attractive. Before the Zionist organization could function effectually it must have energetic men and money, represented by the flesh and the sinews, and must make a proper and attractive appearance before the Jews of the world. The Zionists know better than any others the fight that they have had to induce more men to join their ranks and to induce other men to subscribe money, and to induce such others to properly advertise the movement of rebuilding Palestine and to make it appear attractive and pleasing to the Jewish people. Thus we see how wonderfully the Lord pictured the necessary steps to be taken, looking to the reestablishment of the Jews in their homeland. Then the prophet adds: "And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them."
During the past few years the strenuous efforts put forth by the Jews have resulted in enlisting many men and gathering considerable money and accomplishing some results in the rebuilding of their homeland. But they realize that there is something lacking. Mr. Leon Simon, writing concerning the significance of Palestine for the Jews, says: "Palestine has not
been restored to the Jews. The Jews are not a corporate body of the kind to which a country could be given."
With all the faithful and strenuous efforts put forth by Jews of brains and money, they appreciate the great difficulty of the problem of repossessing their homeland and realize that there is something lacking in the movement. And what is it 1 The Lord answers the question in this prophecy. The bones, the flesh, the sinews and the skin are there, but there is "no breath in them". They have not yet the right spirit. This must be realized before the rebuilding of Palestine can be an accomplished fact. But the Jew should not be discouraged. In this prophecy God's prophet clearly shows that breath will come into the organization and that God will reestablish Israel in its homeland, because the time has come.
"Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds, 0 breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army." — Ezek. 37: 9,10.
"Breath" and "wind", here mentioned, are translated from the Hebrew word ruach. (Gen. 6:17) Breath or wind is both invisible and powerful. Man, when created, did not function until God breathed into him the breath of lives.
It was the invisible power of God that moved him into life and action. (Gen. 2:7) The wind or breath in this prophecy of Ezekiel pictures the spirit or moving cause which induces action, that spirit which must induce the Jews to action before their full desire can be realized. Their spirit or moving cause or motive must be in harmony with God.
The founder of Zionism said that the propelling cause for the formation of Zionism was "the miseries of the Jews". Their present motive or purpose in returning is to seek for themselves a home where they can dwell together in peace. This is a selfish motive, as all must admit. It is self-interest that is now inducing them to act. Before the Jews can succeed to all their rights and promised blessings in Palestine, they must have the spirit of the Lord; that is to say, their motive or moving cause, or invisible power that moves them to act, must be like unto that which induces God to act, to wit, unselfishness. Unselfishness is another word for love.
God's chief and first commandment to Israel was:
"Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." — Deut. 6: 3-6.
Now what is needed amongst the Jews, the nest and most important thing for them in rebuilding Palestine, is a new heart. That is to say, they must be moved to the rebuilding of Palestine because of their faith in and love for God, who has been so good to them. Faith in God and in his Word, and love for him, are of utmost importance. No one can have faith in God without loving God. And any one who loves God will have faith in him and trust him. The Lord says: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." — Prov. 3: 5, 6.
In other words, let not the selfish desire of building a powerful and rich Jewish nation be the moving cause of Zionism; but let the Jews return in faith to Palestine and rebuild their homeland because it is sacred unto them and unto their forefathers, and because God promised to give it to Abraham, and because they believe God will give it to Abraham and to his children in accordance with that promise. Let them have faith in God and in his promises, and love and worship God as the true and only God, and acknowledge him in all their ways; and he will direct their paths that they may make no mistakes. Thus doing, all the power that Satan the enemy can bring against them
will be unavailing. They will then ride victorious over every opposition and in due time will be established in their homeland and be an honor to God, who loves them.
Thus far the Jews have been regathering to Palestine in unbelief. The Lord has graciously held out his hand to them, signifying that his due time has come in which he will again show them his favor. Now they must exercise faith in his promises and rely upon them. They can not rely upon his promises unless they have knowledge. They can not have knowledge unless some one calls their attention to the great truths contained in the Word of God. The generation of Jews now on earth are in no wise responsible for the mistakes of their forefathers. The humble, honest Jews now on earth are in no wise responsible for the present-day mistakes of the rabbis who hold forth their own wisdom and whose wisdom has perished, even as the Prophet Isaiah foretold that it would. — Isa. 29:10-14; 56:10,11.
Thus far the Lord has brought many Jews into Palestine; and now he will show them something of his love and there put a new heart and spirit within them:
"Therefore, say, Thus saith the Lord God, I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things there-
of and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." — Ezek. 11:17-20.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the faithful prophets had the spirit of God. They obeyed God because they loved him. They were faithful to God, and he was pleased with them because of their faith. God promised Abraham that he and his children should have the land of Palestine. God will keep inviolate that promise. Those faithful ones shall come forth from the graves and be established in the land of Palestine. All those who have the spirit of their father Abraham, who are induced to action by reason of their unselfish devotion to God, all such God will bless with blessings abundant.
"Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, 0 my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have
spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." — Ezek. 37:12-14.
Has God spent all these years in an effort merely to establish Israel in Palestine to give them a home? No; that is not the sole purpose. God's purpose is to regather Israel into that land that they may become an honor to his name, and that through them the peoples may be brought back into harmony with God and all the families of the earth receive a blessing through Abraham's seed, as promised. And to this end God has promised to make a new covenant with the Jews.
THE NEW COVENANT
The covenant which God made with Israel in Egypt and which was afterward confirmed at Mount Sinai was for the benefit of Israel. The most important part of the decalogue is: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Without doubt, if Israel had been faithful to this command and had trusted Jehovah implicitly, he would have protected them from the baneful influence of the enemy, Satan the Devil.
In the law given to Israel God enumerated the blessings that should be enjoyed by them if obedient to his covenant, and also set forth the punishments that should be visited upon them if they disobeyed. Let any one read the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, and by the side thereof read the history of Israel, and see how remarkably closely God has kept his
promise. The Jews violated their covenant and were dispersed. They have suffered a long night of terrible warfare. Now their warfare is ended, and the Lord is returning them to their own land; and there he will make with them a new covenant even as he promised:
"Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart, and with my whole soul. For thus saith the Lord, Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them." — Jer. 32:37-42.
Wisdom means the application of knowledge according to the divine standard. Wisdom is learned by hearing and by experience. The Jews have had the Word of God. They have had much experience. The first essential to wisdom is reverence for God. "The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments." (Ps. 111: 10) The plan of God has long been a secret to men. It is made known only unto those who love and serve him. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." — Ps. 25:14.
Now God has gathered many of the people of Israel into the land of Palestine. As they begin to grow in wisdom by learning the Lord's Word, by reverencing him and striving to do his will, God will draw near unto them and make with them a new covenant as he promised:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord; but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." — Jer. 31: 31-34.
The law covenant, which God made when he took Israel by the hand and led her out of Egypt, and which was confirmed at Mount Sinai, Jehovah kept in every particular. Had Israel been able to keep that covenant on her part, and had she kept it, she would have received all the blessings that God promised. That law covenant ended because the Jews failed to keep it, and they were cast off because of their failure and their disobedience.
Now God has promised that when he brings back Israel into their own land he will make with Israel and with Judah (thus joining all the Jews in one) a new covenant. This should for ever settle in the negative the question as to whether the Anglo-Saxons are the chosen people of God. It is "with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah", that is to say, with those who are Jews because of being natural descendants of Israel and Judah, and who have faith in the promises which God made to the effect that through the house of Judah should the great Deliverer come; these are the ones with whom God will make the covenant.
What could be God's purpose in making a new covenant with Israel? That Israel may know what is required of them before they can receive the promised blessings, and that by keeping this covenant they may be blessed. And not only Israel, but all the families of the earth shall have an opportunity for a blessing. One of the reasons why the Jews did not keep the law cove-
nant was because of their own selfishness and their looking always to their selfish interests. Satan the enemy took advantage of this, magnified their selfish interests, turned their minds away from God, and caused them to worship other gods and violate their covenant.
May not the Devil likewise interfere with the terms of the new covenant and turn the peoples away from God during its administration? No; because during the administration of that covenant Satan will be restrained that he may not deceive and mislead the nations then. His wicked influence has weakened all the nations of earth. Now the prophet says of him:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." — Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:18,19.
Furthermore, the Lord says through the mouth of his prophet Jeremiah: "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." Confirming this the Lord said to them through the mouth of Ezekiel:
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I
will give yon an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."-Ezek. 36: 26-28.
The heart is a symbol of the seat of affection; also the seat of motive that induces action. One's motive is determined by his heart condition. Had Israel loved God with a pure heart, that people would not have fallen to the seductive influence of the enemy Satan. By their long experience they will have learned their lesson. Jews will learn to love God, and therefore their heart's delight will be to obey and to do his holy will. Putting forth an honest effort, with a pure heart, to keep the terms of the new covenant, the Lord will render unto them all the aid that is required to enable them to keep it. They will not do things then merely for personal, pecuniary gain, but because they will delight to do the will of God. When the law of God is written in the heart of man, then he delights to do God's will, even as it is written: "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." — Ps. 40:8.
God promised the land to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob. They are all dead. They have not had any part in the land. How can these promises be made good to them! If they remain for ever dead, the promises can not be made good to them. God has promised, how-
ever, to open the graves and bring them up out of the graves, even as it is written:
"Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves." — Ezek. 37:12,13.
The dead are not alive in any sense; they are dead, and know not anything:
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." (Eccl. 9:5,10) "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." — Ps. 115:17.
Job believed in the resurrection and testified to it:
"0 that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands." — Job 14:13-15.
The Jews have always spoken of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the fathers in Israel. When they are brought forth from the dead, under the Messiah, then "instead of thy fathers shall [they] be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth". (Ps. 45:16) Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and the prophets will be brought forth and be made leaders of the people. We may expect their return soon, because the favor of God has begun to return to Israel. It is "the time of the end", spoken of by the Prophet Daniel, at which time they "that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake". (Dan. 12:1-4) The fact that God made promise to Abraham that he would give to him the land of Palestine makes it certain that in due time he will fully establish him in that land and make him a mighty one in the earth.
If Jehovah knew that the Jews could not keep the law covenant which was confirmed at Sinai, why, then, did he make it with them?
The chief desire of every honest man is that he might have life everlasting in a state of happiness. The chief promise that the law covenant made was that they that kept the law should have life. The efforts of the Jews to keep the law, and their failure, show that only a perfect man can keep that law without the aid of a perfect mediator. The law covenant therefore clearly demonstrates to the Jews and to all others that no man can of his own effort get the coveted prize of life everlasting.
Today the world has many savants, philosophers, scientists so called, evolutionists and modernists, who claim that by the process of evolution man can get life. The experiences of Israel with the covenant confirmed at Mount Sinai is clear proof that these self-constituted wise men are wrong. Life is a gift from God. It must be accepted and received upon the terms God has provided, and upon no other terms.
The promise to Abraham was: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." The blessing promised means an opportunity for life everlasting, because no other blessing would be adequate and complete. God through his prophet Isaiah plainly declares that he made the earth for man to live upon; therefore we must conclude that God will give man an opportunity some day to live upon it for ever. (Isa. 45:12, 18; Eccl. 1:4) It is manifest, then, from these scriptures that the promised "seed" is the Messiah, of whom Moses was a type; and that the Messiah is the channel of blessing and the means of bringing life to the people.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel and the prophets all did their best to obey God. Why, then, did they not get eternal life? Because they, like all others, were born imperfect and had come under the condemnation because of Adam's sin. Before they or any one else could get life man must first be redeemed from the judgment of death which came upon Adam, and from the effects of that judgment, which brought all
the human race under condemnation. Unless God has made some provision for redemption, then there is no hope for man. Since God has made so many promises of giving a blessing to men, we may be sure that we shall find in his Word a provision for redemption.
