CH 17 The Last Days: The Third Day
We understand that Jesus has given us four signs from the Gospels which reveal we are in the very last days. First, the Fig Tree has budded, secondly, the Times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled, third & fourth, we are living in days like Noah’s & days resembling Lot’s.
In addition, the Bible has four other prophecies, spoken to us by other spirit-filled men which also tell us we are in the last days. We have already articulated Isaiah’s inspired words telling us that Zion would be born in one day, that day occurring on March 14th, 1948. If Jesus’ & Isaiah’s words were not enough, let’s listen to Ezekiel, Hosea & David.
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, lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? (Come back to life?). And I answered, O Lord, only you know. Again he said to me, prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: Behold I will cause breath (the Spirit) to enter into you, and you shall live: And I will lay muscle upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath (the Spirit) in you, and you shall live; and you 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 muscle and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above: But there was no breath in them. Ezekiel 37:1-8 (parenthesis added for clarity)
This prophecy is exactly where we are living today! Ezekiel, we will see in a couple of verses, was speaking of the nation of Israel. He was told by God to go out to a valley full of dead men’s bones and was asked by God if he believed that the Restorer of All Things could bring these bones back to life. The prophet rightly deferred, saying only the Almighty would know such a thing. To that, God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and they would come together in form and receive breath and live. Ezekiel did that and the bones came together, bone on bone, with muscle, flesh and skin appearing. But as we read, Ezekiel noted that there was still no life in the re-formed body.
On March 14, 1948 the first part of this prophecy was fulfilled. There was a great noise and shaking (the Holocaust) which resulted in the bones coming together and taking the nature of a body. But, as the prophecy proclaims, the body had a form but there was still no breath. Now we understand that Bible interprets itself. When breath is used, God is speaking of his Spirit. The Spirit of God is not yet upon Israel as I write these words in 2021. Israel is a secular nation that does not recognize Jesus as their King.
But that is about to change.
Then he said to me, prophecy unto the wind, prophecy, Son of man, and say to the wind, thus saith the Lord God; come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and 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. Ezekiel 37:9-11
Ezekiel prophesied a second time, which has yet to occur, and Israel will come back to life spiritually. In reading on into the next chapter of Ezekiel’s revelation, it would appear that the time of this revival will occur after God rescues the nation from a northern invader (Russia & her allies) causing the Jews to believe in the one true God and ultimately to call upon Jesus as Savior. Folks, we are living in the space between verse eight and verse nine. Israel has had a form since 1948, but the Spirit has not yet come upon her, giving her spiritual life. This will happen soon and is yet another proof that we are living in the last days. Indeed, this prophecy runs parallel with Jesus’ Parable of the Fig Tree. The bones have come together just as the Fig Tree has budded, but there is no breath in the bones today just as the Fig Tree in our day is yet to produce Summer fruit. But Summer is coming, the bones will receive life and the Fig Tree will bring forth fruit, in a day, not very far away!
Next, our sixth proof that we are living in the last days comes from the voice of Jesus as spoken by Hosea.
I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: In their affliction they will seek me early. Hosea 5:15
Jesus is speaking, saying to the Jews that he will reluctantly withdraw himself from them until they come to the realization of their need for him. This is prophecy certainly, but it also applies to our own personal lives. If we go our selfish way, God sometimes will back off and allow us to wallow in our own stupidity until we come to our senses. Now, the prophecy here states that in their “affliction” they will seek him early. That is, early in the Tribulation time frame, early in the time of Jacob’s Trouble, they will call out to Jesus and he will answer. I remind you of the words Jesus boldly proclaimed to the Jews during the week of his murder. “You will not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” (Luke 13:35).
Come and let us return unto the Lord: For he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. Hosea 6:1
This very next verse is the prophetic response of the Jews to the Lord’s departure when they finally come to their senses and see their need for him. “Let’s return to him. We have been torn & smitten for the past two thousand years. Now is the time for us to be healed, for our wounds to be bound up.”
When will this be?
After two days will he revive us: In the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6:2
Once again, the Bible interprets itself. A day in God’s economy is equal to one thousand years and one thousand years is equivalent to one day, (Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8).
Two days ago, Jesus left and returned to his place. Then, nineteen hundred years later Israel came back to their Land in 1948. But we understand that they are not yet revived. They are still secular and not followers of Jesus. But their revival will happen soon. After two days, after two thousand years they will seek his face. Interestingly to me, a year in Jewish reckoning is three hundred and sixty days, not three hundred and sixty-five. Thus, doing the math, if we take two thousand years & subtract five days from each of those years, we lose ten thousand days or approximately twenty-seven years. Dear reader, Jesus died & ascended to Heaven around 30 AD. If we move forward nineteen hundred and seventy-three years instead of two thousand years, we come to 2003 AD. Thus, to me, we are no longer in the second day of this prophecy. We are after the second day and the Jewish revival can come at any time!
Additionally, we see that he will raise them up in the third day. We are in the third day! The third day is the time of the return of Christ & includes the thousand-year time frame the Book of Revelation calls the Millennium. Now, if the thousand-year reign of Jesus begins on the third day, it would seem that Jesus will make his appearance early on that third day. Again, look up…we are early in the third day!
Our last proof to the veracity that today we are living in the last generation comes from the words of David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.
Psalm 102 is a prophetic song which sings of the difficulties of the last two thousand years of Jewish history as well as telling us of their revival and of when the return of the Lord will be. Let’s listen;
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee…For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth. (the Holocaust) My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forgot to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican in the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. (These three birds do not live in the wilderness, the desert or the house top; things are out of sort.). My enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. (anti-Semitism). For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of thine indignation and thy wrath: (As we have seen due to their rejection of Messiah.). For thou has lifted me up, and cast me down…But thou, O Lord, shall endure forever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shall arise and have mercy upon Zion (Israel): For the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come…When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. Psalm 102:1-16 (excerpts, parenthesis added for clarity)
When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory! It could not be clearer. The children of Israel were without a homeland until 1948. They were dispersed, persecuted, burned and discriminated against as the prophecy speaks. But not so today. Zion is a nuclear nation that is a force to be reckoned with. It is built up and as we have seen, its increase has been due entirely to the Lord’s providence and will. Surely, with Zion built up, Jesus will soon return in his glory!
Ok, I know what you may be thinking. Every generation since Christ’s first advent have had men and women would felt they were living in final days. What makes you so sure that we are so special?
Obviously, I have already answered why I feel we are so blessed. The words of Jesus & the others make it clear to me that now is the time. But, if I am wrong and the Lord delays his return, that’s ok too! Walking with Christ’s return in mind is the way live. My heart is purified (1 John 3:1-3) and I am happy, blessed and empowered with the knowledge that everything the Lord has said is coming to pass. It’s a good deal! And besides, if I die before his return, well then, I’ll meet him at that time. Either way, it won’t be long. Same can be said for you!
Summary:
The World today is right in the middle of the Ezekiel 37 “dry bones” prophecy!
According to Hosea, Jesus will return early in the third day after the Jews seek his face. We are early in the third day of this prophecy in our World today.
David has sung that the Lord will appear in his glory after Zion suffers a period of severe persecution followed by being built up (militarily, economically). Our day today would seem to fulfill this prophecy.
For Further Study:
Spiritualizing the Dry Bones Prophecy, are there people in your life who are dry and seemingly without life whom God wants you to speak to? Do you think they too can live?
Can you think of any other Biblical proofs that speak to the soon return of the Lord which were not mentioned? Hint: See Zephaniah 3:9, Zechariah 12:1-3 & 9, Daniel 12:4.
In God’s economy a day is as a thousand years & a thousand years as one day. According to the Word of God how many days ago did Adam walk the Earth?
In the Creation account, what did God do on the seventh day? Do you see a pattern here for us to consider in our day today?