Today’s Devotional – February 24th (The Valley of Dry Bones!)
By admin On February 23rd, 2014.
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Today’s Devotional – February 24th
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The Valley of Dry Bones!
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There has been a general consensus among the Twentieth Century Bible teachers, that Ezekiel, Chapter 37, which speaks of the Valley of Dry Bones, concerns the nation of Israel, over there in Palestine.
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Yes, since the reforming of Israel in 1948, Bible teachers have increasingly bent the prophecies concerning Israel into the direction of National Israel in modern-day Palestine.
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The problem with this notion is, that what Ezekiel saw could not be speaking of today’s National Israel.
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Because there are a number of inconsistencies which prevents National Israel from being the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s vision.
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Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones – Gustave Dore – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
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First, Ezekiel says… “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel:” Ezekiel 37:11
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The reason this cannot be speaking of literal National Israel, is that it is certainly not the “whole house of Israel”.
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Because National Israel is the home of about 10,000,000 people of Jewish descent.
And even if it were twice that number, it only represents a tiny percentage of humans with Jewish blood!
And so, when God says this Valley of Dry Bones is the “whole house of Israel”, literal National Israel is merely a tiny portion of “Israel, after the flesh”. 1st Corinthians 10:18
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The number of people around the world who have Jewish blood, may be upwards in the neighborhood of nearly half the earth’s inhabitants, though most are not aware of their Jewish blood!
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THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST NOT ACCEPTED
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Second, God says…
“O My people…(I) 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.”
Ezekiel 37:13, 14
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And so, here is another prophecy which cannot be speaking of literal Israel in Palestine, even though it speaks here of, “your land”.
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Because, while many over there may be outwardly nice people, (and our heart yearns for their Salvation), yet they show absolutely no interest in becoming Christians, for the most part!
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They are mostly as spiritually dead as are the Palestinian people living in that same area!
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Phylacteries – Israel – Religious Jew on a Daily-Market – Wikipedia – Share-alike Lic.
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THE FIG TREE ETERNALLY CURSED!
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Third, remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree?
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Listen… “And when He (Jesus) saw a fig tree in the way,
He came to it, and found nothing thereon,
but leaves only, and said unto it,
Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.
And presently the fig tree withered away.”
Matthew 21:19.
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The general consensus among theologians is that this fig tree here in Matthew represents National Israel over by the Mediterranean Sea.
And so, this curse, “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever”, actually was a curse upon the national Israel.
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No, it was NOT a curse upon the Jewish people as individuals.
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But was a curse upon the national governmental organization of Israel itself!
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Declaration of State of Israel 1948 – Wikimedia – public domain
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JEW & GENTILE BELIEVERS ARE GOD’S HOUSE
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And so, just who does this Valley of Dry Bones represent?
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Listen…” That at that time ye (gentiles) were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel…Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Ephesians 2:12-19 (Heavily condensed for brevity)
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So now we see that we Gentile Believers have become members of the “commonwealth of Israel”, and “fellow-citizens of the household of God”!
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So, we see that both Jews and Gentiles “For through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Ephesians 2:18.
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And so, when God speaks of the whole household of God, He is speaking of both truly believing Jews and Gentiles alike!
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Brooklyn Museum – What Our Lord Saw from the Cross – James Tissot
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HARVEST PAST & WE’RE NOT SAVED!
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But why does God see us as a Valley of Dry Bones?
Are not we, the New Testament Church, zealous for God?
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Perhaps this passage might help… “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jeremiah 8:20.
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So, just who is Jeremiah speaking of in this above passage?
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Well, it is speaking of a time after the harvest.
It is a time after “the summer is ended”.
And God’s people are not saved!
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Burning a field of sugar cane – Public-Domain – Wikipedia
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WE’VE BROUGHT FORTH WIND!
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And here is another passage which further clarifies things….
“We have been with child, we have been in pain,
we have as it were brought forth wind;
we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth;
neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.”
Isaiah 26:17, 18
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Now, this seems to be speaking of the Church.
And this above passage is speaking of bringing forth Christ.
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Listen… “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,” Galatians 4:19
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So here is a complementary verse which further clarifies this concept of bringing forth Christ.
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And so, Paul himself felt the pains of labor (spiritually speaking), hoping and waiting for the Galatian churches to bring forth Christ!
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“Wherefore He saith,
Awake thou that sleepest,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.”
Ephesians 5:14
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, I have been drinking at the broken cisterns of the world. Bring me back to the fountain of the water of life, that I may freely drink of Thy Spirit…
Praying Hands – Otto Greiner – Wikimedia – .bassenge.com – Cropped image – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Crown of Revelation 12: What Is “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”?”,
…or you can also read… “March 1st (A Designer Jesus!)“
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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GUIDE US TO HEAVEN’S GATE…
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And Arcturus is that brilliant star (3rd brightest in our heavens) which leads these Gospel constellations, Summer, Fall, and Winter Constellations, to present a picture story, a heavenly allegory of sorts…
…these constellations, which together, tell of the incredible love of God.
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And Arcturus, our Host Star, will lead to an understanding of God’s Word, which will, in turn, guide God’s people up a narrow pathway; onward and upward through Heaven’s Gate itself, and ultimately into the very heavenly City of God!
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Oh don’t doubt for a moment that God cannot or will not do this! For with God, all things are possible! Listen… “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23
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And Signs Of Heaven Website will direct the Reader to God’s Word in such a way as to bring out certain Bible truths not currently recognized or emphasized in most of the current Christian theological circles.
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LOCATING ARCTURUS…
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An easy way to find Arcturus is to follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper, in the spring through fall (these are the months in which Arcturus is visible).
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Arcturus (the star that wise-men follow!)”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW:
February 25th – (No Rest Unto The Wicked
Ship in Storm – Backhuysen – Wikipedia – Public-Domain
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 
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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
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THIS STUDY #55 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain
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