Chapter 35 records the doom of Edom. The inhabitants of Judah have now been carried away and Edom thought she had a chance to take possession of their land, but three years later the same fate befell Edom and her ruin is recorded in verses 11-15.
Chapters 36--48 are yet unfulfilled, and envision the future restoration of the land and people of Israel. The land is already beginning to flourish, but one day it will become like the Garden of Eden. It will be populated by a penitent Judah and Israel. These chapters look forward to a time when God will do a new and great work, and His glory will return to the land of Israel.
Chapter 37 pictures a new nation. You will recall that both Israel and Judah were ruined politically. Assyria had scattered Israel, and Judah had just been captured by Babylon. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah predicted a return from captivity, but Ezekiel's vision goes even further down the years. He sees the time when the dead nation would come alive again. In the vision he saw very many bones in the valley, literally a battlefield, and the bones were very dry. This was a picture of utter defeat, with the bones of the armies drying and unburied. This was a very vivid description of the Jewish people, but through the power of God's Word the bones came together and formed men, and through the power of the Spirit (wind), life was given to them. This does not teach a bodily resurrection, or even the salvation of the Jews. Rather, it pictures the future revival of the nation, when the Jews will be brought up out of Gentile nations where they have been scattered. Politically, this took place in May, 1948, when the modern nation of Israel once again entered the family of nations. The flag of David began to fly over the nation of Israel for the first time in 2,500 years. Of course, the nation is dead spiritually. But one day, when Christ returns, the nation will be born in a day to be saved.
In verses 15-28 we see the nation being reunited. The division of the nation into northern and southern tribes was the beginning of their downfall. One day God will reunite all the tribes under their true David, Jesus Christ. He will make a covenant of peace with them (verse 26), and bring glory to His people once again.
