What is the meaning of Ezekiel 36:35? This land that was desolate • Ezekiel is speaking of the physical territory of Israel, a land that had been stripped bare by judgment and exile (Ezekiel 6:14). • God’s description is literal: the soil lay untended, the fields uncultivated, and the hills silent—just as Jeremiah 33:10 portrays streets without people. • The desolation reminds us of earlier warnings in Leviticus 26:33–35, where abandonment of the covenant would leave the land in sabbath rest while the people were scattered. Has become like the garden of Eden • The promise is one of complete reversal: devastation exchanged for paradisiacal fruitfulness (Isaiah 51:3). • Genesis 2:8 sets the backdrop—the original garden was a place of intimate fellowship with God and overflowing provision. • Joel 2:3 contrasts a scorched earth “before” with Edenic beauty “behind,” echoing the same transformation Ezekiel records. • The imagery is not merely poetic; it affirms God’s intent to restore fertility, abundance, and blessing in the very soil of Israel (Amos 9:13). The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and destroyed • “Ruined” recalls prior prophecies of siege and collapse (Ezekiel 5:14). • “Desolate” points to empty streets and toppled walls (Isaiah 24:10). • “Destroyed” underscores God’s righteous judgment previously poured out (Ezekiel 33:28). • Together they paint a realistic picture of urban centers reduced to rubble, confirming the truthfulness of God’s earlier warnings (Lamentations 2:7). Are now fortified and inhabited • Restoration is just as concrete: walls rebuilt, homes occupied, life bustling again (Nehemiah 7:4). • Zechariah 8:4–5 envisions elderly men and playing children filling Jerusalem’s squares—evidence of safety and prosperity. • Amos 9:14–15 assures that God will “plant them on their own land, never again to be uprooted,” highlighting permanence. • Isaiah 58:12 speaks of ancient ruins raised up and paths restored, showing God’s comprehensive rebuilding plan. summary Ezekiel 36:35 promises a literal, observable reversal of Israel’s fortunes: barren ground becomes Eden-like, and shattered cities rise strong and vibrant. The verse showcases God’s faithfulness to restore what judgment once laid waste, confirming that every word He speaks—whether of discipline or deliverance—stands true. |
    |