Thursday, August 20, 2009

A vision by God~Bob Caldwell

God's Prophetic Word Fulfilled

37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.

37:10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Here, Ezekiel is given a vision by God of the promised restoration of Israel to their homeland, followed by the most fearsome invasion Israel would ever face. This vision uses the imagery of a valley of dry bones. These bones that upon hearing God's prophetic word are gathered from all over the world to their lost homeland has literally been fulfilled in our own time. Though Israel had been scattered throughout the world for nearly 2,000 years, they have once again been brought together to Palestine.

Never before in human history has a nation been so displaced and then restored to their land and to their nationhood. The political climates of the nations that represent the regions referred to in chapter 38 that will attack Israel in our own time are ripening their passion to destroy Israel in our own time.

Living in a time when prophetic events seem to be playing out before our very eyes is amazing. What we also see in this vision is a figurative picture of what God is doing throughout the world as He is sending out His Word, calling people to become a part of the Body of Christ. A people are being built together that God is breathing His Spirit into, making them an "exceedingly great army" (37:10), a spiritual army to in whom God has breathed the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit that Jesus promised would enable us to boldly proclaim God's word to the uttermost places on Earth (Acts 1:7).

And just as Israel will rise victoriously when faced with the most horrendous attack ever unleashed upon them, so too will God's people rise in everlasting victory over every force that resists them. Victory is promised for God's bride, the church. Nothing will be able to silence its voice or hold back its light. We live in a time like never before in human history, a time when prophetic history is converging and bringing us to the climax of Christ's return. A thorough knowledge of the progressive fulfillment of prophecy in human history should be a vital part of every believer's understanding of where they are in God's timetable. Not only will our confidence in God's word be strengthened, but our sense of what our own lives should look like will be strengthened.

It's hard to explain the lack of investment among many Christians in bringing the word of God to a world that is like a valley full of "dry bones" (spiritually dead) that He is gathering from all over the world as His word is proclaimed. It's also strange that so many who claim to believe that Christ will return to bring victory to this fallen world also seem to be thoroughly rooted in this world whose god is the devil.

God is working and His prophetic word is unfolding all around us. Let us rise up now and join in proclaiming God's word to a world that is soon to be judged. May our own roots go deep into His Kingdom, not into this world that soon will be no more.