What does "no longer deprive them of children" signify for Israel's future? setting the scene • Ezekiel 36:8-12 speaks to “the mountains of Israel,” picturing the land itself as an active participant in Israel’s destiny. • Verse 12: “Yes, I will cause men—My people Israel—to walk upon you; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will no longer deprive them of children.” • The land had been known as a place that “devours men” (v. 13), because war, exile, and famine had repeatedly stripped the nation of its sons and daughters (2 Kings 24–25; Lamentations 5:1-3). meaning of “no longer deprive them of children” • End of population loss—no more depopulating wars, forced migrations, or judgment-driven famines. • Guaranteed generational continuity—children will be born, grow, and remain in the land rather than die prematurely or be carried off (Jeremiah 30:19-20). • Reversal of the land’s reputation—from “devouring” (Ezekiel 36:13) to “nurturing.” future population growth • “The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there” (Zechariah 8:5). • “Never again shall an infant who lives but a few days be there” (Isaiah 65:20-23). • Ezekiel 36:37-38 pictures Israel’s people multiplying “like a flock,” affirming literal numeric increase. restored land, restored families • Agricultural abundance (Ezekiel 36:8-11) supports larger households—grain, fruit, livestock. • Secure borders mean parents no longer fear losing children to invading armies (Isaiah 54:13-14). • Social stability—“They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit” (Isaiah 65:21-22). spiritual renewal inseparable from physical blessing • New heart and Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27) move Israel to obedience, removing the covenant curses that once led to child loss (Deuteronomy 28:32-41). • The children who remain in the land will be taught of the LORD, “and great will be their peace” (Isaiah 54:13). ultimate fulfillment • The promise anticipates millennial blessing when Messiah reigns from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:24-28; Revelation 20:4-6). • The nation’s survival into eternity is assured—“His offspring will endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me” (Psalm 89:36). • “No longer deprive them of children” therefore signals Israel’s secure, flourishing future: numerous descendants living safely in a fruitful land under the everlasting covenant God swore to their fathers. |
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