Oh, so much to say concerning today’s reading, and so little time!

“Ezekiel figuratively describes the nation of Israel as being a valley full of disassociated skeletal bones indicating that the nation of Israel would cease to exist as a nation, her people scattered throughout the world and the nation considered dead. The whole house of Israel in this vision has been disassembled and its identity has been destroyed.

The 12 ancestral tribes of Israel are illustrated by the dry bones and is an analogy of God bringing Israel and Judah back together into a living state. During World War II and especially in the years immediately after World War II a determined effort was made to reform the nation of Israel. This prophecy in Ezekiel was fulfilled in the noisy and sometimes violent effort to form the new nation. The rattling of the bones is the rattling of war as the bones of Israel come back together.

The prophecy of the dry bones corresponds to another symbolic prophecy of two sticks also found in the book of Ezekiel. The prophecy of the two sticks is another view of Judah and Israel being brought back together. The Judah stick was put in place first. That happened May 14, 1948 when the nation of Judah came back into the land. The descendants of the nation of Israel are still out in the world somewhere. They will not come back into the land until after Jesus returns. When the Millennial Kingdom is established, Jesus will bring the other tribes out of the nations and they will reclaim their identities. The Israel stick will be bonded to the Judah stick and they will become one nation and will never again be separated. When the two sticks are bonded together the analogy of the dry bones will be complete.”
-excerpt from the book THESE LAST DAYS- Second Edition 

The Judah stick is represented by the Jews who are now returning to the land. Of primary importance are the Messianic Jews, who are Believers in Jesus. The other tribes of Israel will be brought back out of the nations into which they were scattered. Figuratively speaking, these tribes have lost their identity as a nation, as if they were dead. That's why Ezekiel refers to opening their "graves" to bring them back into the land.  In analogy the graves are the nations into which they were sent. All the tribes will be in place in Israel during the Millennium and the Gentiles will serve them.

Gog, Magog, Meshech and Tubal all play extremely significant roles in the prophecies of the last days.  The Antichrist is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, who comes from the far north.

Ezekiel also prophesies about what will happen to these nations at Armageddon.  Carrion birds (scavenger) will feast on the flesh of the enemies as spoken by Jesus.

Luke 17:36-27
Two shall be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 

One of the very specific prophecies from Ezekiel is that it will take seven months to bury the dead, whatever is left after the scavenger birds have finished.

Interestingly, God reveals to Ezekiel that He will show Himself holy through the actions of people who are obedient, whether they are His people are not.   

Today’s reading ends with another one of the great promises from God.

Ezekiel 39:29
I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD."

This prophecy/promise will be fulfilled, figuratively speaking, when the dry bones have come together with tendons, flesh, and skin and God has caused His breath to enter and enabled by the Spirit to stand up.