Dry Bones

The following is exactly as originally written in September 2009 shortly after it happened. I had this vision, which I refer to as my dry bones vision, on the afternoon of 28 Sept. 2009. I am reposting here on this site because I believe it is finding a fulfillment in my life now. As to that fulfillment, I will leave that part for another day. For now, here’s the vision…

Ezekiel received a vision of dry bones. It is recorded in Eze 37:1-14. The Lord showed Ezekiel the bones and asked him if the bones could live. Ezekiel replied, “only you know, Lord.” The Lord then told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, to tell them the Lord would make them live again and to know Him. Ezekiel obeyed and it happened. The Lord explained to Ezekiel that this represented resurrection from death to life, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and God putting us in where we ultimately belong. Of course I’m paraphrasing, but the theme is simple. God calls. We obey. God acts. The results are good.

Recently I had a dream. Perhaps it was a vision. Either way it was more like a photo than a movie. I rarely dream and seldom do I recall my dreams more than a few minutes after I wake. This stuck with me, an image etched vividly in my mind. It is an image I cannot shake.

I saw a great church with row after row of pews filled with long dead and decayed corpses. It was horrific. They looked to have been dead for a long time. I saw vivid detail. They were dry, brown, and looked like they might all crumble away with a good wind. There were young and old, whole families and individuals. They seemed to have been dressed nicely for church, but even their clothes were tattered with decay. First I saw one pew with a man, his glasses slipping from what was left of his face. Then I saw his family was beside him. Then I saw others farther down the pew. Then I saw the pew behind him with others. Then I looked out and saw what looked like endless rows. There was a stage, but it was empty. It seemed like I was the only living soul. I looked up, and I think there was stained glass, but then there was a bright light coming in from somewhere illuminating the scene. I don’t remember anything else.

My first conscious thought was that this is the church. The church is filled with death. So many so-called Christians are dead and have been all along. They’ve accepted some sort of lie and don’t realize they’re dead. I did not want to be among them. I was not afraid of them, but I did feel helpless. I wanted to cry out to God to breathe life into them as Ezekiel did. When I consider this, it seems odd to even imagine God could or would breathe life into them, yet that was my desire. At the time I didn’t think about Ezekiel. Only later did I connect these images with Ezekiel’s vision.

Did I see something like Ezekiel saw? More importantly, what am I supposed to do about whatever I did see? The answer is perhaps found in the gift God gave in the theme of Ezekiel’s vision. God has called, given something, and now the question at hand is what will I do about it. I’ve boldly asked God to let me serve Him. Is this how He chooses? Am I to speak to the dead? No, not the literally dead, but to the dead in the church? Am I supposed to preach? What will God do? He will not do it for me, but for His own glory perhaps. I know He loves me – this I do not doubt – but what is this calling? What does it mean? Have I already understood? Am I just too dense to accept it? Am I in denial? Who will listen to me? Who will hear the Lord if I’m the one speaking? Is this just my lack of faith? I do not want to say No to the Lord. May that never be so. But who am I to go? Jesus said he feared the cup, yet let the Lord’s will be done. So be it for me as well. If the Lord is speaking, let my ears be open, let my heart be strong, willing, and obedient, and let His will be done.