Spring is here and with it, Resurrection. It is of course fitting that the Church (in the northern hemisphere anyway) celebrates Easter during the beginning of the spring season. All around us we see life, revival, even in the images of nature. Animals are returning from their hibernation, and the cynicism of people seems to decline with the arrival of spring.
As a kid growing up in Connecticut, I always enjoyed Ash Wednesday because it meant that spring was not too far away. As an adult, I admit that I still greatly enjoy Ash Wednesday because it still anticipates the coming of spring – after the long and trying season of Lent. Perhaps it’s just me, but I feel like as I grow older, I appreciate the spiritual meaning of spring all the more: the hope of resurrection and with it, the hope of eternal life.
The Book of Ezekiel – the final of the Four Major Prophets – gives us what is arguably the most important vision of any Prophet of the Old Testament. This the vision of the valley of the dry bones, and the promise of humanity’s eventual resurrection from death:
Ezekiel 37 tells us:
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, thou knowest.” Again he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord” (37:1-6).
As always with Scripture, there is much to analyze here, with multiple layers of spiritual meaning. Firstly, just imagine standing in a valley that is full of dead bones: disjointed, disconnected human bones, likely hundreds of thousands or even millions of them. This is the vision of the nation of Israel during this time in history – about 590 BC. The Kingdom of David has fallen, with most of Israel exiled to Assyria in 722 BC, and the southern Kingdom of Judah exiled to Babylon in 586 BC. The bones therefore represent the “death” of the nation of Israel: its death politically, economically, culturally, and spiritually.
But in a deeper way, the bones represent all of humanity. All are dead to sin. The millions of bones can sum up the awful result of the sin of Adam and Eve: death, in all of its ugliness.
God, as He often does, asks question of His servants that seem bizarre or ironic. He asks Ezekiel, an Old Testament Jewish Prophet, if he believes that the bones can rise again. Ezekiel’s response is vague, almost like he leaving the ultimate answer up to God: “O Lord God, thou knowest!” And who can blame him? Ezekiel lives in the ancient world, where death is all around. The idea of a resurrection of the dead is still a vague idea.
The book goes on:
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them (37:7-8).
Ezekiel tells us of the remarkable sight: the bones have come back together, and even the skin and flesh of the dead persons has returned to the bodies as well. But a major problem remains: there was no breath in them. The Hebrew word for breath is ruah, which is also used for “spirit.” The “breath” of God is the Spirit of God. Without the spirits, or souls, dwelling in the bodies, this resurrection of the dead is worthless.
Ezekiel continues:
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says 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 the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host (37:9-10).
As Ezekiel tells us, the souls of the bodies are restored to the dead persons, reuniting both body and soul, and this “exceedingly great host” is once again alive, as human beings were always meant to be.
This tells us something of immense importance about the human person. Man and woman were never meant to be dead, but to be alive. Death was never intended by God, but rather, “Through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it” (Wisdom 2:24). Likewise, a living human is not merely the preservation of the body, but the unification of both body and soul. Hence, humans are both physical and spiritual: we are truly, fully human when both body and soul are united together.
What is the meaning of this incredible vision? As we discussed earlier, there are always multiple meanings of Scripture. Firstly, this represents the restoration of the nation of Israel following the Babylonian Exile. In c. 538 BC, the Persian Empire will liberate the captive Jews and send them home to Jerusalem, where they will rebuild their Temple, their spiritual lives, their economy and their culture, and start the Second Golden Age of ancient Israel. But the deeper spiritual meaning clearly foreshadows the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and likewise, the resurrection of all of the dead at the end of time. This latter event has not yet happened of course, but we can trust in its eventual fulfillment, just as Israel was restored and Christ rose from the dead.
Spring is the best time of year to reflect on this. Life and resurrection are all around. Just as spring comes around every year, we can be confident in the resurrection of all us at the end of time. And with our resurrection, we shall experience life, life to the fullest (John 10:10).