1-3. Nikọ re lẹghẹ ukalẹ ṣiṣikuọni ira Ju ni Babilọn gba buru ni? (Ṣọn ifoto ọṣọgua.)

HOW the mood among the Jews in Babylon has changed! For some five years, Ezekiel hammered at their armor of false hopes, but his efforts barely made a dent. No matter what signs he acted out, what illustrations he spoke, what messages he proclaimed, the exiles refused to believe that Jehovah would allow Jerusalem to be destroyed. Even when they learned that the city had come under siege by the Babylonian army, they were still confident that its inhabitants would be safe.

² But now, two years after the start of the siege, a refugee from Jerusalem has just arrived in Babylon, bringing the report: “The city has been struck down!” That news devastates the exiles. They struggle to grasp its full significance: the beloved city, the holy temple, the cherished land​—all gone! Their long-held hope gives way to despair.​—Ezek. 21:7; 33:21.

³ However, at this moment of desperation, Ezekiel receives a powerful vision of hope. What message does the vision contain  for the shattered exiles? How does this vision relate to God’s people today, and how can we personally benefit from it? To find out, let us examine what Jehovah reveals to Ezekiel.

4. Nikọ re soro deghere ni ọla-mẹyemẹye ti Ẹsikiẹl ri?

⁴ Read Ezekiel 37:1-10. In a vision, Ezekiel is set down in a valley plain that is covered with bones. As if to make sure that Ezekiel felt the full impact of the vision, Jehovah ordered the prophet to “pass all around” those widely scattered bones. As Ezekiel walked on the valley plain, two things about the bones especially stood out to him: their number and their condition. “There were very many,” he observed, and “they were very dry.”

5. Aṣẹ meeji bokọ wun Jihova kpa gbẹ Ẹsikiẹl, kẹnrẹn nikọ re ṣi ti Ẹsikiẹl gba ṣe biri Jihova gin?

⁵ Then Jehovah gave Ezekiel two commands that would set in motion a progressive restoration. The first command was: “Prophesy over these bones,” telling them to “come to life.” (Ezek. 37:4-6) As soon as Ezekiel prophesied, “there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones began to come together,” after which “sinews and flesh” came on the bones, “and skin covered over them.” (Ezek. 37:7, 8) The second command was: “Prophesy to the wind,” telling it to “blow upon” the bodies. When Ezekiel prophesied, “breath came into them, and they began to live and to stand on their feet, an extremely large army.”​—Ezek. 37:9, 10.

6. Nikọ wun Jihova gin ti o lẹghẹ Ẹsikiẹl gba nẹ oye ọla-mẹyemẹye we?

⁶ Jehovah next revealed to Ezekiel how the vision was to be understood, saying: “These bones are the whole house of Israel.” Indeed, after the exiles had learned of Jerusalem’s destruction, they felt that they were as good as dead. Therefore, they lamented: “Our bones are dry, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.” (Ezek. 37:11; Jer. 34:20) Then in response to their lament, Jehovah revealed that this gloomy vision of bones actually contained a bright message of hope for Israel.

7. Nikọ wun Jihova fun ibo ro nọ gbẹ Ẹsikiẹl, ṣiṣi biri a ya ni iwe Ẹsikiẹl 37:12-14, kẹnrẹn ẹdọn bokọ wun eyi mu gbẹ ira Ro ti o wi igunmu?

⁷ Read Ezekiel 37:12-14. Through this vision, Jehovah assured the exiles that he would bring them to life, lead them back to their land, and let them settle there. Moreover, Jehovah addressed them again as “my people.” How uplifting those words must have been for the despondent exiles! Why could they be certain that this promise of restoration would come true? Because Jehovah himself stood behind it. He declared: “I myself, Jehovah, have spoken and I have done it.”

8. (a) Bokọ wun eju-uli Isrẹl dede te wi ukalẹ okuu? (b) Bokọ wun iwe Ẹsikiẹl 37:9 te wewe urun ti o nẹ ukalẹ oku ti Isrẹl gha? (Ṣọn ọfọ tie ti o wi alẹ.)

 ⁸ How had the ancient nation of Israel experienced the fulfillment of the gloomy part of this prophetic vision? The symbolic demise of Israel had already begun in 740 B.C.E. with the fall and exile of the ten-tribe kingdom. Some 130 years later, when the people of Judah were also deported, “the whole house of Israel” was in captivity. (Ezek. 37:11) Symbolically speaking, the whole group of exiles were then as dead as the bones seen in Ezekiel’s vision. * Also recall that Ezekiel saw not just bones but “very dry” bones, which indicated that their deathlike condition continued for a long time. And, indeed, for Israel and Judah combined, it lasted over 200 years, from 740 to 537 B.C.E.​—Jer. 50:33.

9. Bokọ urun ti o ṣi gbẹ Isrẹl ti ara ni ira ẹghaarẹ te jẹ ti o ṣi gbẹ ‘Isrẹl ti ẹmi’?

⁹ Restoration prophecies concerning Israel, such as the ones spoken by Ezekiel, have a larger fulfillment. (Acts 3:21) Just as the ancient nation of natural Israel was “killed” and remained symbolically dead for a considerable time, so “the Israel of God,” the anointed Christian congregation, was killed symbolically and experienced deathlike captivity for a long time. (Gal. 6:16) In fact, the captivity of the anointed congregation as a whole continued for so long that their spiritual condition could well be compared to that of bones that “were very dry.” (Ezek. 37:2) As explained in the preceding chapter, the captivity of the anointed Christian congregation  began in the second century C.E. and lasted for many centuries, just as Jesus had indicated in his Kingdom illustration of the wheat and the weeds.​—Matt. 13:24-30.

10. (a) Nikọ wun a fọ ṣi alẹ ṣi gin o wa ṣi gbẹ ira Oriṣẹ ni iwe Ẹsikiẹl 37:7, 8? (b) Nikọ biri nikọ re nemi lẹghẹ ukpeọrọnfọ aghan ti o bẹru Oriṣẹ ti o wi igunmu gba datu ni ni dẹndẹn?

¹⁰ In ancient times, Jehovah foretold that his people would experience a progressive restoration to life. (Ezek. 37:7, 8) So, what were some of the factors that gradually restored to God-fearing exiles the faith that their hope of returning to Israel would be fulfilled? One source of hope must have been the prophetic statements made by earlier prophets. For example, Isaiah had foretold that a remnant, “a holy seed,” would return to the land. (Isa. 6:13; Job 14:7-9) Also, the many prophecies of restoration that Ezekiel had written down no doubt kept that hope alive. Further, the presence in Babylon of such faithful men as the prophet Daniel​—as well as the amazing fall of the city of Babylon in 539 B.C.E.​—must have bolstered the exiles’ hope of return.

11, 12. (a) Bokọ a te kpe ‘Isrẹl ti ẹmi’ kuoro dẹndẹn? (Ṣọn ẹkpetin “Usẹn Ọrọnfọ—Ti A Datu Gbe Do Dẹndẹn.”) (b) Ubirọ bokọ wun ọfọ ti o wi iwe Ẹsikiẹl 37:10 wa lẹghẹ ẹnẹ birọ?

¹¹ How did a similar gradual restoration occur among “the Israel of God,” the anointed Christian congregation? Many centuries into the long period of deathlike captivity, “a noise, a rattling sound,” was heard as God-fearing individuals rose up in behalf of true worship. For instance, in the 16th century, William Tyndale prepared a Bible translation in English.  The Roman Catholic clergy were angered that the Bible could now be read by the common man. Tyndale was killed. Even so, other courageous individuals continued to produce Bible translations in additional languages, and spiritual light gradually spread throughout the dark world.

¹² Later, when Charles T. Russell and his associates began to work zealously to restore Bible truths, it was as if “sinews and flesh” came on the bones. Zion’s Watch Tower and other publications helped honesthearted ones to discover spiritual truths, which moved them to join themselves to God’s anointed servants. In the early 1900’s, God’s anointed people were further energized by such tools as the “Photo-Drama of Creation” and the book The Finished Mystery. Shortly thereafter, God’s time came to make his people “stand on their feet.” (Ezek. 37:10) When and how did that occur? Events that took place in ancient Babylon help us to answer that question.

13. (a) Kuri ọdọn 537 B.C.E., bokọ ọfọ ti o wi iwe Ẹsikiẹl 37:10, 14 te ṣe kọn? (b) Ẹsẹn Baibol bokọ re gin gin aghan bọbọ ni ẹri-oye ẹbi-mẹẹgua ludẹ wa ni Isrẹl?

¹³ Beginning in 537 B.C.E., the Jews in Babylon saw the fulfillment of the vision. How? Jehovah brought them to life and made them “stand on their feet” by delivering them from  captivity and letting them return to Israel. A group of 42,360 Israelites and some 7,000 non-Israelites left Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple and to settle on the soil of Israel. (Ezra 1:1-4; 2:64, 65; Ezek. 37:14) Then, some 70 years later, about 1,750 exiles joined Ezra when he returned to Jerusalem. (Ezra 8:1-20) So, in total, over 44,000 Jews returned​—indeed, a “large army.” (Ezek. 37:10) In addition, God’s Word indicates that members of the ten-tribe kingdom, whose forefathers had been deported by the Assyrians during the eighth century B.C.E., also returned to Israel to assist in rebuilding the temple.​—1 Chron. 9:3; Ezra 6:17; Jer. 33:7; Ezek. 36:10.

14. (a) Bokọ wun ọfọ ti o wi iwe Ẹsikiẹl 37:24 te tin ẹnẹ ẹyin gba man ira ti ejuriri we gba ṣe kọn kitikiti? (b) Nikọ re ṣi ni ọdọn 1919? (Ṣọn ẹkpetin “‘Ẹsu Gbigbẹ Ghaan’ Biri ‘Oṣẹri Meeji’—Bokọ Aghan Te Jẹ Ara?”)

¹⁴ How did this part of Ezekiel’s prophecy see a larger fulfillment? As Jehovah revealed to Ezekiel in a related prophecy, the principal fulfillment of this restoration prophecy would occur some time after the Greater David, Jesus Christ, began to rule as King. * (Ezek. 37:24) And indeed, in 1919, Jehovah put his spirit in his people. As a result, they came “to life” and were released from their captivity to Babylon the Great. (Isa. 66:8) After that, Jehovah allowed them to  settle on their “land,” that is, in the spiritual paradise. How, though, have Jehovah’s modern-day people become a “large army”?

15, 16. (a) Bokọ ira Jihova ni onuwe te da ‘arun udo-ogun ti o ye’? (b) Bokọ ejuriri Ẹsikiẹl te tin ẹnẹ ẹyin gba gba ọgua ukalẹ udangho ti o ni ni ẹye ẹnẹ? (Ṣọn ẹkpetin “Utiẹyin ti O Wa Lẹghẹ Ẹnẹ Datu Kuoro Soro.”)

¹⁵ Not long after Christ appointed the faithful slave in 1919, God’s servants began to experience what Zechariah, a prophet serving among the returned exiles, had foretold when he said: “Many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek Jehovah.” The prophet depicted those seekers of Jehovah as “ten men out of all the languages of the nations.” The men would take firm hold of “a Jew,” spiritual Israel, while saying: “We want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you people.”​—Zech. 8:20-23.

¹⁶ Today, those of spiritual Israel (the anointed remnant) and, by extension, the “ten men” (the other sheep) together do indeed form “an extremely large army,” numbering into the millions. (Ezek. 37:10) As soldiers of Christ in this ever-growing army, we closely follow our King, Jesus, onward to the blessings that lie ahead of us.​—Ps. 37:29; Ezek. 37:24; Phil. 2:25; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

17. Nikọ ẹnẹ wa ko ni uro ni oriẹkọ ti o wa?

¹⁷ This restoration of pure worship would bring on God’s people an important responsibility. What is it? To find the answer to that question, we need to go back and examine an assignment that Ezekiel received from Jehovah even before Jerusalem was destroyed. We will do that in the following chapter of this publication.