As saints we may enter times and phases in our lives which can be quite challenging for us; they may cause us to fall into a state of hopelessness.

In regard to this, the Holy Spirit lead me to the scripture from Ezekiel 37, where in a vision the prophet Ezekiel was lead by God into a valley full of dry bones.

 

These bones were not completely dried up, because they could communicate their condition to God (see Ezekiel 37:1-2.11).

 

1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ...

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’

 

Although the above mentioned scripture is directed at the people of Israel, we too can see a connection in this scripture to us as saints in the structure of the one new man in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 2:14-18).

 

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups (note: Gentile Christians and Jews) one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

 

 

The Hebrew word for “dry” or “dried up” used in Ezekiel 37 is „jābēš“ and is connected to „hopelessness, to feel ashamed or confused, to be disappointed”. (note: part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible on the word „jābēš – dried up“ with language key number 3083 and Strong's Concordance with language key number H3001).

 

By means of this explanation and also by the statement of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37:11 we can see that the people of Israel were without hope, the reason being that they did not interrelate in divine unity, hence they were in a state of diversion (see Ezekiel 37:2).

The diversion is meant to illustrate to each believer among the people of God, that living according to one's own ideas and notions will result in scattering and confusion; this may also lead to hopelessness, disappointment and embarrassment.

It is not the will of God that we get into such a state, but it is our decision that determines, whether we live in a state of scattering or true apostolic unity.

 

 

Advancing in an independent spirit (note: not to place oneself under true competent spiritual leadership for this time) leads to hopelessness.

Regarding the subject of spiritual independence a man of God once said (note: written in Italic):

 

We should be aware that a person „without a head“ is „a monster“, and a person with „two heads“ is „a freak“; this points towards two categories of believers, such as:

 

1. a believer, who does not want to submit to competent apostolic leadership (note: independence)

 

and

 

2. a believer, who seeks advice from several leaders, when he does not like the advice of a particular leader (see 2 Timothy 4:3-4).

 

Jesus Christ is the head of His body, and He loves the order of spiritual leadership: This means, that all saints who truly follow Jesus, submit to the leadership appointed by Him for this time.

This is the only way, we can advance as people of God in a healthy army formation.

When God speaks about an army formation in His word, it is always connected to liberty and the taking of the land of promise (see Exodus 6:26 i.c.w. Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:3).

 

26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.”

 

24 Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.

 

3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

 

 

In this time, the mature prophets in the body of Christ take an important position, as it is they who in cooperation with the four winds (note: God's plan/promise for this time) and the spirit of God (note: life of God) help the body of Christ to come together in the supernatural in the earth (see Ezekiel 37:4-10).

 

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ”

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.

 

Such a supernatural move of coming together is a prophetic process, where the prophecy conforms to the breath of God.

This prophetic sign-posting is the breath of God, which carries the pressure to spiritually position the body of Christ in the earth in the will of God for the future.

It is vital to listen to the prophets assigned to us (note: to whom we feel closely connected), as they carry the power of the witness of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy (see Revelation 19:10e)!

 

10e For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.

 

 

By this we are able to identify our current collective state and discern our personal shape accurately. This enables us to react in obedience towards God and leave the place of scattering or death (note: when we recognize, that we abide there), so that we can change to the place of true life and promise for this time, in the the right knowledge of our identity in Christ Jesus (see Ezekiel 37:11a.12).

 

11a Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. …

12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

 

The whole people of Israel were in the valley, where each individual stayed in a personal grave (note: a false and non-renewed mind), not being aware of their identity in God.

To be put in the place of promise (note: land of Israel) by God, the people of Israel first had to be touched by the Spirit of God and the spirit of prophecy, to recognize that they were one house and that they had to leave the place of the valley and the grave.

 

 

First Ezekiel saw the scattered state of the whole people of Israel, and then he received revelation through the direction of God, that every single dry bone (note: person/a specific group of people) was in a grave, which had to be opened supernaturally.

This could only be achieved by the spoken truth and the prophetic word, causing divine knowledge to spread in and among the graves, which enlightened those present there and prompted them to leave their dead environment in order to stand under an open heaven in their promised land in the presence of God (see Ezekiel 37:12-13 i.c.w. John 11:39.41.43-44).

 

12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

 

39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” …

41 So they took away the stone. …

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

 

 

In this context the LORD brought to my notice, that this is the time where many saints are stretched to their limits; they feel they are facing a wall in a room, because a time frame (note: time and space) has finished.

At such times it is advisable to allow the LORD to lift you into a new room, which is connected with many new things or tasks through the ministry of His spirit and His angels (see Psalm 18:29 i.c.w. Psalm 91:11-12).

 

29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

 

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

 

 

When we as people of God don't submit to competent spirit filled (note: born from above) apostolic leadership (holy leaders, who move in heaven/the Throne room and who truly recognize the plan of God for this time; see Colossians 3:1-2) at this time, because we think we can carry on as usual and still enter into our personal or joint promise in Jesus Christ for the time ahead, we will find out sooner or later that it doesn't work.

Our rejection of the apostolic leadership assigned by God to us for this time can even suddenly lead us into an environment of embarrassment, confusion and disappointment.

 

This condition eventually leads to hopelessness, which can be compared to the valley from Ezekiel 37.

A valley can for instance be developed by two mountains facing each other. These two mountains can signify the blessing and the judgment of God like the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal at the time of Moses, where six of the twelve tribes of Israel spoke blessing and the other six tribes spoke curse or judgment as commanded by God (see Deuteronomy 27:11-13).

 

11 On the same day Moses commanded the people: 12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin.

13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

 

This is the time where we can decide, whether we want to listen to God's prophetic guidance and thus move on the mountain of blessing as well as in manifested hope or whether we want to continue living according to our own ideas and notions and thus remain in a scattered state and the area of spiritual death.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His wisdom,

 

Daniel Glimm

 

Übersetzung: Margit Kelly