Israel's Future, Pt. 1

July 7th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Ezekiel 36:16-19 The word of the Lord came to [Ezekiel] saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them.”

Ezekiel’s prophecy, written circa 580 BC while the Jews were living in Babylonian exile, makes it clear as to why God was chastising His chosen people: they were a disobedient people! Instead of worshiping God, they sought after idols; instead of standing out from the world, they looked just like the world. Although God had providentially placed them in His special land—the land flowing with milk and honey, they profaned it like a menstrual discharge that rendered a woman ceremonially unclean, causing her to defile everything she touched (cf. Lev. 15:19-23). How did Israel do this? Through bloodshed and idolatry (cf. Ezek. 33:25). So, God removed them from His special land that they defiled, scattering them among the nations where they also profaned God’s holy name (19-20). In spite of this, God still “had concern” for His people, remembering His eternal covenant with Abraham their father (cf. Gen. 12-13; 15; 17; 22).

Since the surrounding nations viewed Israel’s God through their behavior and His ensuing treatment of them, God’s reputation was on the line. Israel without discipline from God would make God look as if He did not care about their sin. Therefore, God disciplined Israel, humiliating them. Notwithstanding, God did not outright reject His people whom He chose. In fact, He promised to “vindicate the holiness” of His great name which had been profaned by Israel (v. 23). How would He do this? By gathering His scattered people and placing them back in their land—the Promised Land (v. 24). Then the nations will know that Yahweh is God (v. 23), for God will have demonstrated both His discipline and His grace to His chosen people.

This promise of God, however, was only partially fulfilled when He led Israel back to their land after 70 years of captivity in Babylon (cf. Jer. 25:12; 29:10; Dan. 9:2). Here is what God will ultimately do for the nation of Israel in the future:

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God… I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations” (36:25-30).

Note all of God’s “I will” statements, doing what He does for His name’s sake: “Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, Yahweh, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, Yahweh, have spoken and will do it” (36:36).

Note the sprinkling of clean water in v. 25 on Israel. This is of course not water baptism; rather, it depicts water in a spiritual sense, cleansing from ceremonial defilement (cf. Lev. 15:21-22; Num. 19:17-19). Since Israel’s sin was like the ceremonial impurity of menstruation (36:17), her cleansing is thus compared to the ceremonial act of water purification. In short, God will one day purify Israel from her sins when she receives her Messiah and is “born again” (John 3:3, 5). Jeremiah called this work of God the “new covenant” (Jer. 31:31-33). When the new covenant is fulfilled, having been inaugurated by Christ, Israel will be fully restored to her land, which will be like Eden (v. 35), governed by her previously rejected Messiah—Jesus of Nazareth. Then, and only then, will all know that Yahweh is God, that Jesus of Nazareth is Yahweh Himself (v. 38).

Food For Thought
As of July 2025, Israel remains in unbelief. She rejects Jesus of Nazareth as her Messiah and continues to be responsible for His murder at the hands of the Romans in AD 33. Yet because of God’s promise to Abraham, repeated throughout the OT prophets, we are to love Israel, prayed for Israel, and protect Israel. Since God has promised to restore Israel, it would behoove all who know God’s word to expect that God will make good on His promises to Israel. And all those who have helped Israel will themselves be blessed by Israel’s God.