The Bible in a Monthಮಾದರಿ

Day 19: Bones, Beasts, and the God Who Brings Us Back

Reading: Ezekiel 12–48

By now, Ezekiel has seen enough visions to last ten lifetimes. And yet, God keeps revealing more. These next chapters are a wild blend of judgment, symbolism, and one of the most vivid pictures of restoration in all of Scripture.

Early on, God continues confronting the sins that led to exile. Leaders have failed. Idols have filled sacred spaces. The people have lost their way. But God isn’t lashing out; He’s doing spiritual surgery. His words cut deep so His people can heal fully.

And then comes a vision that hits like a thunderclap:

A valley full of dry bones.

Ezekiel is told to preach to them. It sounds absurd, who talks to skeletons? But as he speaks, the bones rattle, come together, get flesh, and breathe again. It’s not just a magic trick. It’s a metaphor for what God can do with what looks dead.

“Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel… I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.”

God isn’t just about exile and judgment. He’s about resurrection and return.

We also meet prophetic symbols like Gog and Magog, mysterious figures representing hostile nations rising up against God's people. The point? Even when enemies surround, God wins. He will protect His people and glorify His name; no empire, army, or agenda can stop that.

And then the final section of Ezekiel delivers a surprise: a vision of a new temple. Chapters and chapters filled with exact measurements, gates, rooms, and altars. It might feel tedious, but zoom out: this is about God returning to dwell with His people, for good.

At the end, Ezekiel sees water flowing from the temple, trickling into a river that brings life everywhere it goes. Trees bear fruit year-round. Salt water becomes fresh. Dead places come alive. This is more than a building. It’s a vision of restoration, healing, and God’s presence making all things new.

The last line of the book is powerful. The name of the city isn’t “Jerusalem.” It’s: “The Lord is there.” (Yahweh Shammah)

That’s the point of everything. Not just rebuilding a city or nation, but restoring relationship. Not just getting people back to a land, but getting hearts back to God’s presence.

What does this part of the Bible tell us about God?

That He doesn’t leave dry bones in the dirt. He breathes life into what we’ve given up on. He restores not just land and buildings, but identity, purpose, and hope. He’s a God who comes back to dwell, not just to discipline.

Takeaway: If you’ve written off parts of your life as too far gone, too broken, too dry, too complicated, Ezekiel is God saying, “Watch what I can do.” The bones will live. The river will flow. And in the places where there was only death, the presence of God will be there.