Days of Ezekiel
Are signs converging that point to the turbulent times which will precede the second coming of Jesus? Birth pangs, as Jesus referred to them, will increase in frequency and intensity. In part one and two of this three-part series, Colleen Marshall noted signs and similarities from the Days of Noah and Days of Elijah. In this final part, she looks at the Days of Ezekiel.
A popular Christian worship song ‘Days of Elijah’, by Robin Mark, says in verse 4, ‘And these are the days of Ezekiel, the dry bones becoming as flesh’. Ezekiel was an Old Testament prophet and priest around 600–550BC during Israel’s exile in Babylon. God had appointed Ezekiel as a watchman in a small community uprooted from their homeland and facing tough times in exile. The exile was a consequence of their rebellion against God.
Many times, Ezekiel was told to raise an alarm and warn his fellow Hebrews of judgement. His prophetic messages sounded brutal but were tempered with compassion to bring people to a place of humility and repentance. But sadly, they ignored the trumpet call to mobilise (Ezekiel 7:14) and thumbed their noses at God (Ezekiel 8:17). Only a few wept for the state of their people (Ezekiel 9:4).
Valley of dry bones
Ezekiel’s ministry was more intense than Elijah’s. Sin committed behind hidden doors was exposed as God revealed himself as the omnipresent (all seeing), omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (unlimited) Almighty and Holy God to whom his people were accountable. Ezekiel is perhaps better known for his vision of the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. When God took him to a valley full of dry bones the Bible says, ‘He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know”’ (Ezekiel 37:3). Then God said to Ezekiel, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!” (Ezekiel 37:4). Then the valley floor shook as the bones connected with each other and took on flesh. But only when the very Ruach HaKodesh (breath of God) entered them, did they become a spirit-filled army.
Sign of Israel
In Ezekiel’s time, he foresaw an amazing future restoration for Israel, where they would return from exile and flourish in their own homeland. We can see this sign in our day, as thousands of Jews scattered across the globe are making aliyah (returning to Israel), sensing a deep yearning for ‘home’ as God calls them back to the land he gave their ancestor Abraham. As many as 30,000 people a year in recent times have migrated to Israel and started life afresh.
We look with great concern on the recent events unfolding in Israel. All major conflicts that centre on the land of Israel bring us closer to the great end-time harvest that is predicted in the Bible, when the Jews will ‘look on me, the one they have pierced’ (Zechariah 12:10b) and acknowledge Yeshua Jesus as their Messiah. Wars will intensify, and in the Bible God calls his end-time prayer warriors to stand as watchmen on the walls and give him no rest as he asks us to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ (Psalm 122:6a).
Times of harvest
The song continues and in verse 5 says: ‘…Oh, these are the days of the harvest, for the fields are as white in your world. And we are the labourers in your vineyard, declaring the word of the Lord … Behold he comes!’
I live in a region where thousands of vegetables are grown in market gardens, but excessive rain early in the season meant field after field of lettuces went to waste and had to be ploughed in. The migrant labour shortage also had a devastating impact for growers.
When Jesus observed the fields, he said, ‘Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!’ (John 4:34b, NKJV). He wasn’t talking of broccoli and barley, spinach or sweetcorn, Jesus was referring to a great end-time harvest of people turning to the Lord.
Since Covid-19, and because of severe weather events, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa have faced some rocky times in recent years. Financial struggles bring fear and insecurity, but the good news of Jesus Christ brings hope and freedom. What a joy it is to offer people food for the body and grace and salvation for the soul. We are all labourers in our own neighbourhoods and communities.
Wake-up call
To summarise, in part one of this series we looked at the Days of Noah when many people paid no heed to the warnings and signs in plain sight that the world was in turmoil, but God provided an answer. In part two we looked at the Days of Elijah, when God’s people were summoned to stand for righteousness without compromise and declare that the Lord is God. Now in the final of this series, the Days of Ezekiel, a new spirit-filled army arose. Today God is also raising his army; labourers will be released into the harvest as we prepare for the coming of his kingdom reign.
As in the days of Noah, Elijah and Ezekiel, the Church of today needs to rally to such a wake-up call. Only the Holy Spirit can shake and revive us. Sound the battle cry!
‘Behold he comes, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun, at the trumpet call. Lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee, and out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.’
