Ezekiel 37:21 says, And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: God told Ezekiel that He was going to gather all His people from wherever they were scattered throughout the world and they would then be a united kingdom once more by their faith in Him. I don’t believe that just being gathered physically would make them God’s people, but that would occur by their putting their faith in Him, and they would once more be at home in the promised land. One day, God is going to call all His people home to glory from wherever they may be in the world, but this will be based on their having accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. What country we may live in will never make us a part of God’s kingdom, but only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will.
Verse twenty-two adds, And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. God said that He was going to once more join all His people under one king as a united nation. Though it won’t physically happen in this lifetime where all of God’s people are a part of one nation, we are still spiritually all a part of one kingdom and under the authority of one King, Jesus Christ, and one day we will all be united in Heaven.
Verse twenty-three continues, Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. God said that the people of the restored kingdom would no longer chase after idols but would be cleansed of all their sins by His power. As Christians, it is by God’s power that we become one nation spiritually, and that requires that we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
Verse twenty-four states, And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. Even though this says David would be the shepherd of those who put their faith in God, it refers to David’s descendant, Jesus Christ, the only One qualified to be the Eternal King. God also said that those who were His people would walk in His judgments and know and obey His statutes. Walking in and obeying God’s statutes does not save people, but once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we are expected to do so, not for salvation but because they will lead us to the best life possible spiritually.
Verse twenty-five adds, And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. God said that the people of Israel, those who were spiritual descendants of Jacob by faith in God would inhabit the promised land. I don’t believe this refers to a physical place on earth but to our heavenly home. They would also have one everlasting King. Jesus Christ, a descendant of David.
Verse twenty-six continues, Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. The promise here is an everlasting promise, and since we know that David died, it refers to Jesus Christ as the eternal King. If David could have saved the people of Israel spiritually, there would have been no need for Jesus Christ to come and die to bring us salvation. As stated already, I don’t believe that the sanctuary of God refers to a place on earth but to our heavenly home.
Verse twenty-seven states, My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The tabernacle was where the people went to worship God then, but Jesus Christ is really the only way to for us to come into the presence of God, first for salvation and then in obedience to God by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then God will be our God forever.
Verse twenty-eight adds, And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. God said that when He redeemed His people that the heathen, those who have not accepted His gift of salvation, that people would know that He is God. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns to claim those who have put their faith in Him, but it will be too late for the lost to be saved.
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