GOD’S SOLITARY MOUTHPIECE FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED REVIVAL (EZEKIEL)

Ezekiel 37:1-4,10

“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” (Ezekiel 37:1-3). Ezekiel here is God’s solitary mouthpiece for an unprecedented revival. God dealt with him in a definite and uncommon way. He was called, touched, transformed, filled with the word of God, and sent forth, often standing alone. There are moments in ministry where one becomes a lonely voice, yet such a one must still stand, standing alone, firm, and remaining fixed in the conviction of what God has said He will do. The Lord brought him to the place of ministry and showed him the people he was to minister to. They appeared as dry bones, very dry and scattered. Then the question came from the Lord: “Can these bones live?” By human reasoning, sight, feeling, and experience, the answer could have been no. Yet divine questions are not answered with human perspective, understanding, or human history. They are answered from God’s own perspective. The response acknowledged human limitation while resting entirely on divine knowledge, “O Lord GOD, thou knowest”. God knows that even though the bones are dry, they will live again; they will surely live again. “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezekiel 37:10)

THE WARNED, WARNING EVANGELIST WITH AN ENDURING MESSAGE

Ezekiel 3:17-21

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” (Ezekiel 3:17). God appointed a watchman, not a philosopher, psychologist, politician, not negotiator, but a watchman appointed with divine responsibility.

• The Mandate For The Warned Evangelist – Ezekiel 3:18,20; 2 Corinthians 5:10-

11. God gave a mandate, and that mandate came with a warning. He said, “I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 3:17). This calling is not to a single tribe, not to Judah or Benjamin alone, not to Issachar or any select group, but to the entire house of Israel. You must consider the mandate carefully, take responsibility for it, guard it diligently, and protect it faithfully. The charge is to watch over God’s glory, the word, the people, fellow watchmen, and to watch over oneself. There are moments when the natural desire will lean toward comfort, and even then, watchfulness is required. There are times when it feels easier to go only where one is welcomed, celebrated, and constantly fed, until familiarity breeds complacency, yet discernment must remain sharp. There are seasons when the light seems drawn only to Jerusalem, but the assignment was never  limited.  The  watchman’s  duty  is  not  governed  by  personal  preference,
    

 

convenience, or timing, but by the calling entrusted by God to faithfully watch over the mandate given and to steward the responsibility of the evangelistic call with unwavering obedience. “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life” (Ezekiel 3:18). Warning is given to save life. It is meant for sinners, the Jona(s), the Dema(s), the Judas(es), the backsliders, and those who have never known the Lord. The purpose of a warning is to save lives. “The same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Ezekiel 3:18). This is the weight of responsibility placed on the watchman. The warning does not stop with the wicked. It also extends to the righteous. “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die” (Ezekiel 3:20). God allows certain things to happen to bring recovery, to awaken the backsliding heart, and to rescue the one who once walked uprightly. A stumbling block may be permitted by God to bring about recovery. It is not acceptable to assume that someone does not need a warning simply because they were once righteous, knowledgeable, or experienced in the faith. Fear of faces, reactions, and fear of offence must not silence the minister from giving a warning. “He shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Ezekiel 3:20). Past faithfulness of the righteous does not excuse present disobedience. Righteousness is not stored credit for future compromise. The mandate is firm. A warning is required for unbelievers and believers alike, for those who have fallen and for those who are still standing. The watchman is responsible for sounding the alarm faithfully, without fear or favouritism, because lives depend on it. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Every life will stand before Christ. Your friends and companions from whose warnings were withdrawn will stand there. Those whose sins are known in secret will be there. When sin brings shame and condemnation at that judgment, your silence will offer no defence. Closeness cannot excuse compromise. Choosing relationship over truth reveals misplaced priorities, for the glory of God must remain supreme.

 

The mandate is not to preserve friendships at the expense of righteousness. Loneliness of an old age minister, not wanting to be isolated from friends, may be the concern of some, but the minister carries a higher calling. The watchman is not sent to please people but to preserve souls. Correction, warning, and truth are not enemies of love; they are its strongest expression. And when Christ lives within you, the mandate is to watch, warn, and remain faithful to the glory of God above all else. When the Bible is taken as the roadmap for life, there is no place for loneliness when the Holy Ghost abides within. What loneliness can exist when God Almighty already declares, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”, and again, “I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty”? With such promises, there is no justification for fearfully holding back from warning friends or close associates because of the threat of abandonment. A true believer does not speak or think that way because responsibility before God is personal and unavoidable. Scripture makes it clear: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). This establishes that accountability is individual. Some feel they could use their body, tongue, as they like, claiming it’s their heart that matters before God. The Word teaches that the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart, and actions done through the body, whether by the hands, gestures, touch, exposure, or bodily movements, can stir evil, lustful, and fleshly thoughts in others. God does not support such reasoning. The judgment of God considers everything done in the body, whether good or bad, without exception. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences” (2 Corinthians 5:11). This establishes the seriousness of judgment and the responsibility to warn others.

 

1. The Message of The Warning Evangelist – Ezekiel 3:17-21; 18:4,20,30-32. The message of the evangelist is not limited to encouragement, positivity, healing at mass crusades, or making people feel happy. Evangelism is not complete without warning. The work of the evangelist includes declaring the truth of God’s judgment. “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4,20). To die here means separation from God, and beyond that lies the second death, the final and eternal separation of an unrepentant sinner from God forever. “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father” (Ezekiel 18:20). Each person will stand before God on individual grounds. A parent’s sin does not excuse the child, and a parent’s righteousness does not save the child. When a son recognises that the way of his parents is contrary to God’s law and chooses to turn away, repentance brings forgiveness, because judgment is personal. Righteousness cannot be transferred from one person to another. Salvation, sanctification, purity of heart, and holiness of life are not inherited, shared, or passed down within a family. Each individual must come to God personally. “The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20). “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 18:30). Covenant heritage, family lineage, or association with godly people cannot replace personal repentance. Everyone must come to God for themselves. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions” (Ezekiel 18:30).
3. This repentance must be complete, not selective. Hidden and secret sins are not exempt simply because they are unseen by people. God sees all things, both in the public and private. Partial repentance that abandons only the visible sins while retaining secret ones is false repentance. God’s judgment reaches beyond what people know or can correct; it reaches the heart and the hidden life. Nothing is concealed before Him, and true repentance requires turning away from all transgressions, without exception. “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (Ezekiel 18:30-32). God desired Adam and Eve to live, not to perish. The warning was clear that the day they partook of the forbidden fruit, death would follow, not because God delighted in death, but because His truth had to be spoken plainly. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”.

 

God takes no pleasure in the death of Adam or Eve, nor in the death of any sinner, yet He must declare the consequence of sin as it truly is. “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Ezekiel 18:32). In the same way, judgment is not something God enjoys, but it is unavoidable because He is the Judge of all the earth. Judgment must be executed, not out of pleasure, but out of righteousness and truth. When Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses and Miriam became leprous, it was Aaron’s duty as high priest to put her outside the camp, not because he desired it, but because obedience to God’s ordinance required it. In the same way, the law has been established that the soul that sinneth shall die, and even when God’s favourite, like David, fell into sin, correction and judgment were necessary through Nathan, though God took no pleasure in it. Yet the door of mercy remains open, because repentance brings remedy, redemption, and remission of sins, and the call still stands to turn and live.

The Model for The Working Evangelist – Luke 5:32; Acts 17:30-31. The pattern of true evangelistic work is seen in Christ and in those who followed Him. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) His message was consistent, clear, and uncompromising, calling every hearer to repentance. This same message was proclaimed everywhere by the apostles, especially by Paul, who carried the gospel to those who had never heard the name of Christ. The command is universal and urgent. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31) Repentance is therefore not optional but essential, proclaimed by the greatest evangelists (Paul) and grounded in the certainty of resurrection and judgment.

THE WATCHFUL, WAILING REVIVALIST WITH A REKINDLING MINISTRY

Ezekiel 37:12-14.

The heart of revival begins with a burdened, interceding spirit that sees the true condition of people and refuses to look away. The hand of the Lord sets the servant of God in the midst of a valley full of bones, exposing spiritual death without denial or avoidance.

• The Interceding Wail for Revival – Ezekiel 37:1-3; Psalms 85:6-9. “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And caused
  

me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.” (Ezekiel 37:2). Passing through the valley reveals that the bones are many and very dry, a picture of deep spiritual desolation. We must not bury our heads without looking around us to see the many spiritually dry bones that require the touch of God. “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” (Ezekiel 37:3). Though it appears there is no hope of reviving the dry bones, revival does not depend on human expectation but on the sovereign ability of God. Revival requires a heart that cries out for renewal, repentance, and return to God. This cry for revival has always risen from those who remember what God has done before and long to see it again. “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6).

 

There is remembrance of former days when God moved mightily, when hearts were broken, sins were confessed, lives were transformed, and homes were restored. There is remembrance of victories granted, of genuine repentance, of changed lives that bore witness to the truth that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and all things are become new. The same God who revived His people before can do it again, and the cry remains sincere and urgent. Remember the old days when children and teenagers were genuinely born again, and the Lord Himself stirred their hearts to go everywhere, telling their friends and even their teachers what it truly means to be born again. Those were good days, days remembered with longing, days that move hearts to cry and plead before God, asking for revival again. Those days were marked by genuine revival, even before organised movements became prominent. There was a revival before, and that is why hearts are crying and praying again. “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” God desires His people to have a real, living, unmistakable experience of salvation. Any form of fake salvation, any claim of being born again without a changed life, cannot stand in the light of true revival. This is a call for real salvation, transformation, and real joy in God, so that His people may truly rejoice in Him.

 

1. The Inspired Word for Revivalists – Ezekiel 37:4-9; Jeremiah 1:7-10. “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:4). Those bones were very dry, dried up by tradition, routine, and activity without relationship with God. They were busy with the work of God but disconnected from the God of the work. Activity drained their freshness and strength. Yet God commanded that His Word be spoken to them. “Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live” (Ezekiel 37:5). The message for dry bones does not come from human wisdom but from God Himself. It is the Word God gives that must be declared, proclaimed, and spoken. That Word alone carries the power to bring life. “And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:6). This makes it clear that revival is not the work of man but the work of God. Gathering the bones, restoring strength, renewing freshness, and breathing life into them is entirely God’s doing, not that of Ezekiel. When true revival comes, there will be no doubt that it is the Lord who has done it, and His people will know that He alone is God. “So I prophesied as I was commanded” (Ezekiel 37:7). Every evangelist, revivalist, reformer, and preacher must preach exactly as Christ, the Lord of all, has commanded.

 

1. The moment attention shifts from Christ to the faces and reactions of people, fear takes over, and duty is compromised. It is like Peter stepping out of the boat at the word of Jesus, doing what no man had ever done, walking on the water; but when his eyes turned from Christ to the waves and the storm, he began to sink. That lesson stands clear for all who minister. In every congregation, some people do not want sin mentioned or exposed, yet obedience to God demands that evil be identified as He commands. It is right to look at the people, but once fear of their stony or stormy faces replaces focus on Christ, faith falters, and responsibility is neglected. Ezekiel remained steadfast: “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone” (Ezekiel 37:7). What happened then can happen again. “And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” (Ezekiel 37:8-9). Churches lie barren when the Word is withheld or softened, but life comes when the Word of God is proclaimed without fear or favour.

 

1. The Immediate Wonder of Reviving – Ezekiel 37:6-10; Isaiah 66:8. “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). This is how dry, weary, and lifeless assemblies are revived and genuine conversion and true sanctification take place; this is how believers are filled, clothed, and empowered from on high. It happens through the faithful declaration of “Thus saith the Lord”, not through psychology, social strategies, or apologies for preaching repentance. The aim is not to seek approval, applause, or popularity from friends, but to declare exactly what God has spoken, what Christ would preach if he were physically present, and what the apostles would proclaim if they were here. After such preaching, the response is taken to God in prayer, not measured by compliments or complaints. When the Word is preached, prayer is offered as directed by the Lord, and obedience is maintained, an exceeding great army rises, enters the kingdom, and labours effectively in the kingdom.

THE WILLING, WINNING REFORMIST WITH AN ENABLING MINISTRATION

Ezekiel 36:25-27.

Winning reform and enabling ministration demand willingness, because willingness and winning walk together. There must be readiness to bear the cross and to deny self. Self-denial is required of every believer and even more of a preacher. There are situations where those who finance the church carry influence, yet their private lives contradict godliness. When such matters are known, and members quietly raise concerns, the challenge is whether there is a willingness on

the part of the preacher to speak the truth without fear or favour, telling the financiers their money cannot buy heaven, and service alone cannot secure salvation. When a broken home seeks counsel and the truth is laid bare, silence or soft words that excuse sin only protect oppression. To shift blame to submission by the wife while ignoring abuse is to fail God. When truth is withheld because of fear of losing talent, influence, or financial support, such labour is not for God but for personal gain. Standing as a preacher with the oppressor against the oppressed is hypocrisy, and hypocrisy has no place in heaven. Willingness to uphold God’s standard must come before any claim to winning reform. God’s word remains God’s word, and His standard does not change.

 

1. The Promised Revival of His Humbled Nation – Ezekiel 36:25-27; 11:19-20. “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you” (Ezekiel 36:25). Where sin is exposed without compromise, and repentance follows, mercy is promised. Sincerity is required for renewal of the heart. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). Cleansing follows truth, not concealment. Filth cannot be swept under the carpet while expecting revival. Repentance opens the door to divine washing and restoration. Hypocrisy cannot produce a new heart. Justifying sin while praying endlessly does not fulfil God’s promise. The stubborn heart cannot inherit heaven, and remaining where the heart refuses to change only increases condemnation. God’s promise is for good, because He desires a heart that can respond to Him. “I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This is not human spirit or natural resolve, but God’s Spirit empowering obedience.

• The Prophesied Repentance of Heathen Nation – Galatians 3:8; Isaiah 9:2,6-

7. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2). Where light is received, repentance follows, and where repentance comes, renewal and new life are made manifest. This is what it means to let your light so shine before men, before the Gentiles, before all nations, so that they see the light and are drawn into the kingdom. People will look at your life and ask how such a change happened, because those who once walked in the same sinful paths with you, clashing, fighting, and competing in immorality, now see a transformed life and desire what you have. This is how the Gentiles and other nations see the light of the gospel. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). This speaks of Christ, and when you truly come to know the Lord, the government of your life rests upon His shoulder. He directs your steps, guides your actions, and rules your life because you have surrendered the authority of your life to Him. If that surrender has not yet taken place, let it take place now. “And his name shall called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). He is indeed the Wonderful Counsellor. When He becomes your
   

counsellor, there would be no need for a human counsellor, as there is no confusion about what to do, because His Word is available to guide, His commandments are clear, and His will is revealed. When truth already dwells in your heart, there is no need for uncertainty about what to do. If someone offends you, forgiveness is not a matter of debate, because the Word already instructs clearly. The counsel of Christ settles it, as He teaches forgiveness without limit. When anger rises within, the answer is also in His Word, “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”. Righteous anger is only against sin, as Christ was angry at the hardness of hearts, not anger directed at the people themselves. Such anger is accompanied by grief and compassion, not hatred. In all things, turn to Christ, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7). His kingdom is ordered, not disorganised; established, not scattered; strengthened, not driven into confusion. The Lord Himself will perform his work in your heart and spirit, bringing lasting transformation.

 

1. The Precious Renewal of The Holy Nation – Ephesians 4:22-32; Revelation 7:9-17. The question arises as to which nation on earth is called a holy nation? “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The church is a nation within a larger nation, a holy nation living in the midst of a worldly system. A holy nation does not mock, resist, or oppose the preaching of holiness. A holy nation does not insult, abuse, reject, or rebel against the message of righteousness. A holy nation loves holiness, prays for holiness, receives holiness, delights in holiness, and speaks joyfully about holiness, because holiness defines its identity. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). There is a privilege and an opportunity to be renewed, hear the Word, and experience inner transformation. The new man is the life of Christ formed within, created in righteousness and true holiness. May the Lord renew, revive, refine, and reform your inner man and entire life, according to His Word, because He is faithful to perform it.