What is the meaning of Ezekiel 36:36? Then the nations around you that remain God promises that the watching world—those Gentile peoples who survive coming judgments—will personally witness His work in Israel. • Similar scenes appear in Zechariah 2:11, where “many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day.” • Micah 7:16–17 pictures surrounding peoples “seeing and being ashamed” as they realize God’s favor toward His covenant people. • The verse hints at a future moment when geopolitical headlines will spotlight Israel’s renewal, unmistakably tied to the Lord’s hand. will know that I, the LORD The purpose is revelation: God makes Himself unmistakably known. • Earlier in the chapter, Ezekiel 36:23 repeats, “I will show My holiness... and the nations will know that I am the LORD.” • Exodus 7:5 sets the pattern—plagues on Egypt taught the same lesson. • Ezekiel 37:28 promises that the restored temple will again broadcast His identity to the nations. Recognition—not merely awareness—is the goal. have rebuilt what was destroyed The Lord reverses devastation, raising cities and infrastructure from ruins. • Isaiah 61:4 anticipates Israel “rebuilding the ancient ruins.” • Amos 9:14 speaks of ruined cities inhabited again. • Ezekiel 36:33 envisions the day He cleanses the land and populates the towns. God’s rebuilding is literal, physical, and observable. and I have replanted what was desolate Barren fields become fertile; wastelands bloom. • Ezekiel 36:34–35 says, “The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate... and they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden.’ ” • Isaiah 35:1 foresees the desert rejoicing and blossoming. • Jeremiah 31:5 promises vineyards planted on the hills of Samaria. Agricultural revival is as tangible as the rubble-to-cities transformation. I, the LORD, have spoken Divine speech carries absolute authority. • Numbers 23:19 reminds us God is not a man that He should lie. • Isaiah 55:11 assures that His word “will not return to Me void, but will accomplish what I please.” • Ezekiel 17:24 ends similarly: “I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.” The phrase guarantees certainty. and I will do it The pledge moves from declaration to execution. • Jeremiah 32:42 mirrors the thought: “Just as I have brought all this great disaster... so will I bring on them all the good I am promising.” • 1 Thessalonians 5:24 echoes the principle: “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” • Ezekiel 37:14 affirms, “I will place My Spirit within you, and you will live... then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and I will do it.” Fulfillment rests solely on God’s faithfulness, not human merit. summary Ezekiel 36:36 assures that Israel’s visible restoration—ruins rebuilt, deserts replanted—will serve as a global billboard for God’s character. The surviving nations will recognize the Lord’s sovereignty, faithfulness, and power because He both declared and accomplished the turnaround. His spoken word guarantees the future, and the future will unmistakably reveal Him. |
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