The dry bones represent the whole house of Israel, the nation God promises to bring out of the graves of the Gentile nations and restore to its own land.
God himself interprets the vision in Ezekiel 37:11: 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.' Les Feldick emphasizes that the Bible explains the vision for us — the bones picture the nation of Israel scattered among the Gentile nations for thousands of years, without hope. The vision then pictures God opening their graves, putting breath in them so that they live, and planting them in their own land.
Ezekiel 37:11 — God directly identifies the bones as the whole house of Israel, which is the key that unlocks the meaning of the entire vision.
Ezekiel 37:12 — God promises to open Israel's graves and bring them into the land of Israel, showing what the vision of the dry bones is actually about.
The vision opens with the hand of the LORD upon Ezekiel, who is set down 'in the midst of the valley which was full of bones' (Ezekiel 37:1). The bones were 'very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry' (Ezekiel 37:2). The LORD asks, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' and commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones (Ezekiel 37:3–4). As Ezekiel prophesied, 'there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone' (Ezekiel 37:7). Sinews and flesh came up on them, skin covered them, and breath came into them, 'and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army' (Ezekiel 37:10). The LORD then gives the meaning of what Ezekiel saw: 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts' (Ezekiel 37:11). God's promise is, 'Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel' (Ezekiel 37:12). He further promises, 'And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD' (Ezekiel 37:14).
Les Feldick teaches that the valley of dry bones is 'just simply a symbolic picture that God is showing us' — a vision, not a literal event (Clip 2). He stresses that 'the Bible always interprets these things for us,' and verse 11 does exactly that: 'these bones are the whole house of Israel' (Clip 4). Les explains that the bones being 'very dry' means Israel had been out among the Gentile nations, dispersed from her homeland for thousands of years, with no hope of ever becoming a viable nation again. He calls Israel out of the land 'a nothing' — without a temple, without a priesthood, without an altar — and says God refers to their habitations in the Gentile areas as 'graves' (Clips 1, 5). The bones coming to life picture the nation of Israel being brought back to life and restored to their homeland. Les points to this as something seen in his own time, as Israel has come back to the land (Clips 6, 7). He also teaches that the dry bones restoration is only 'precursory' to what follows in the prophecy, which leads down to verse 15 (Clip 7).
God himself gives the interpretation in Ezekiel 37:11: 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.' Les Feldick says 'there it is, just as plain as day' — the Bible interprets its own symbolism. The vision is not left open to the preacher's imagination; God tells Ezekiel exactly what the bones mean (Clip 4).
Les teaches that the graves are the Gentile nations where Israel was dispersed. Israel out of the land of promise is without a temple, without a priesthood, and without an altar — 'hopelessly out of touch with God.' That is why the Word of God refers to these habitations in the Gentile areas as graves, and why God promises, 'I will open your graves... and bring you into the land of Israel' (Clip 5; Ezekiel 37:12).
Les connects the dry bones directly to the return of the Jewish people to their homeland, saying the vision was 'a picture of the nation of Israel coming back to their homeland as we've been seeing now for the last 48 years' (Clip 6). He also says the prophecy is that 'the dispersed of Israel will one day be brought back to life as we have seen now in our own time, back to the land' (Clip 7).
Les notes that the dry bones restoration is 'only precursory of course to that which is to follow.' In his teaching he moves from the dry bones down to verse 15, showing that the re-gathering of Israel pictured by the dry bones sets up the next portion of Ezekiel 37 (Clip 7). The clips show this transition without detailing the verses that follow.
The Disciples' Prayer Explained: Matthew 6 Verse by Verse
pet. It isn't just going to be a few like a dog or a cat, but you see look at all the wild animals that are going to be just as tame as our household pets are tonight. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fattening together, and who's in the midst of them? A little child.
The Bones Are the House of Israel
Les identifies the dry bones as the whole house of Israel, whose hope is lost after being dispersed out of the homeland for thousands of years, and points to God's promise to open their graves.
A Symbolic Vision of the Nation
Les stresses that Ezekiel 37 is a vision — a symbolic picture of the nation of Israel — in which the well-bleached bones come together at Ezekiel's prophesying.
The Very Dry Bones Come Together
Les walks through the vision step by step: the valley is full of very dry, bleached bones that come together bone to bone, forming skeletons before flesh and breath arrive.
The Bible Interprets the Vision
Les makes the central point that the Bible interprets the vision in verse 11 — 'these bones are the whole house of Israel' — and notes that many sermons stop short of that plain interpretation.
The Graves Are the Gentile Nations
Les teaches that Israel out of the land is a nothing — without temple, priesthood, or altar — and that God calls their habitations among the Gentiles 'graves.'
Israel Brought Back to Life and Homeland
Les says the vision pictures the nation of Israel, blinded and away from temple worship, being brought back to life and back to their homeland, as seen in the last 48 years.
Precursory to What Follows
Les explains that the dry bones picture the dispersed of Israel being brought back to life and the land, and that this restoration is only precursory to what follows in verse 15.
Ezekiel 37:1: The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.
Sets the scene for the vision that the question asks about.
Ezekiel 37:2: And he led me round about them, and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
The extreme dryness of the bones is what Les interprets as Israel's long dispersion.
Ezekiel 37:3: And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
The question of whether the bones can live sets up the demonstration of national restoration.
Ezekiel 37:7: So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
The bones come together at Ezekiel's prophesying, picturing the beginning of restoration.
Ezekiel 37:10: So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
The dry bones become living, which Les takes as the picture of Israel being brought back to life.
Ezekiel 37:11: Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
The key verse — God interprets the vision: the bones are the whole house of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:12: Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
God promises to open the graves of His people and bring them back to the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:14: And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
The climax of the promise — God puts His spirit in Israel, makes them live, and settles them in their own land.
The dry bones represent the whole house of Israel. In Ezekiel 37:11 God says plainly, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.' Les Feldick stresses that the Bible interprets the vision for us — the bones are the nation of Israel scattered among the Gentiles, not a general resurrection of individuals.
Les Feldick teaches that the graves are the Gentile nations where Israel was dispersed. Israel out of the land of promise is without a temple, without a priesthood, and without an altar — hopelessly out of touch with God — so God calls their habitations in the Gentile areas 'graves.'
No. Les notes that many preachers use the first few verses as sermon material, but the Bible interprets the vision in verse 11: the bones are the whole house of Israel. The vision is a symbolic picture of the nation of Israel being brought back to life.
Les connects the vision to Israel coming back to their homeland, which he says has been seen in his own time — the nation brought back to life and back to the land after centuries of dispersion. He adds that this restoration is only precursory to what follows in the prophecy, down to verse 15.
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