Ezekiel 37:28 kjv
And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
Ezekiel 37:28 nkjv
The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." ' "
Ezekiel 37:28 niv
Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.'?"
Ezekiel 37:28 esv
Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."
Ezekiel 37:28 nlt
And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the LORD, who makes Israel holy."
Ezekiel 37 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 37:28 | "Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forever." | Theme: Divine Presence |
| Exodus 29:45 | "I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God." | Fulfillment: God's Promise |
| Leviticus 26:11-12 | "I will make my dwelling among you... And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people." | Theme: God's Dwelling |
| Psalm 132:13-14 | "For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. 'This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell,' for I have desired it." | Theme: God's Chosen Place |
| Isaiah 8:18 | "Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion." | Theme: God's Signs |
| Isaiah 60:19 | "The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for the brightness of the night shall the moon give you light; but the LORD shall be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." | Theme: Everlasting Light |
| Jeremiah 31:33 | "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | Theme: New Covenant |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." | Fulfillment: Incarnation |
| John 14:23 | "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." | Theme: Christ's Indwelling |
| John 17:22 | "The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one." | Theme: Shared Glory |
| 2 Corinthians 6:16 | "What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'" | Theme: Believers as Temple |
| 2 Corinthians 13:14 | "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." | Theme: God's Fellowship |
| Hebrews 8:10 | "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | Theme: New Covenant |
| Hebrews 12:22-24 | "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that says a better word than the cry of Abel." | Theme: Heavenly Jerusalem |
| Revelation 3:12 | "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name." | Fulfillment: New Jerusalem |
| Revelation 7:15 | "Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them." | Theme: God's Temple (New) |
| Revelation 11:19 | "Then God's temple in heaven opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail." | Theme: Heavenly Temple |
| Revelation 21:3 | "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'" | Fulfillment: God's Dwelling |
| Revelation 21:22 | "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb." | Theme: God as Temple |
| Revelation 22:3 | "No longer will there be any curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and all his servants shall worship him." | Theme: God's Throne |
Ezekiel 37 verses
Ezekiel 37 28 Meaning
The presence of God, marked by His holiness and sanctuary, will dwell among His people forever. This signifies an enduring, personal relationship, a dwelling place of God's glory established permanently with His redeemed.
Ezekiel 37 28 Context
This verse concludes Ezekiel's prophecy of the dry bones, a vision representing the spiritual and national resurrection of Israel. It signifies God's restoration of His people after their exile and idolatry. The presence of God's sanctuary in their midst eternally highlights a new era of direct communion and unbroken fellowship. Historically, this follows periods of national sin and judgment where God's presence was removed or veiled. It points to a future perfected state of Israel, unified and holy, under God's direct rule and blessing.
Ezekiel 37 28 Word analysis
- וְיָדְעוּ (wə·yā·ḏə·ʿū): "And they shall know." The conjugation indicates a future continuous action. It implies a knowledge that comes through experience and divine revelation, not just intellectual understanding. This knowing will be evident to the nations.
- הַגּוֹיִם (ha·gō·w·yîm): "the nations." Refers to the Gentile world, who will witness and acknowledge God's dealings with Israel. Their knowledge will serve as testimony to God's power and faithfulness.
- כִּֽי־ (kî- ): "that." A conjunction introducing the reason for the nations' knowing.
- אֲנִ֣י (ʾă·nî): "I." Emphasizes the personal agency of God in this future work.
- יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH): "the LORD." The covenant name of God, reinforcing His faithfulness to His promises to Israel.
- מְקַדֵּשׁ (mə·qā·ḏêṣ): "sanctify." Means to set apart, to make holy. God Himself will be the active agent in making Israel holy, signifying their separation from sin and dedication to Him. This holiness stems from His presence among them.
- אֶת־ (ʾeṯ-): Direct object marker.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·ʾēl): "Israel." The chosen covenant people of God.
- כִּ֤י (kî): "when" or "because." Links the preceding statement of sanctification to the condition that follows.
- מִקְדָּשִׁ֥י (miq·ḏā·šî): "my sanctuary." Refers to God's holy dwelling place. In the Old Testament context, it specifically points to the Tabernacle and then the Temple in Jerusalem.
- בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם (bə·ṯō·ḵə·ḵem): "in their midst" or "among you." Indicates the localized and intimate presence of God's sanctuary within the community of Israel.
- לְעוֹלָֽם (lə·ʿō·lām): "forever." signifies permanence and eternity. God's dwelling with His people will have no end.
Words-group analysis:
- "my sanctuary is in their midst forever": This phrase points to the permanent indwelling presence of God. It is a complete and eternal dwelling, unlike the shifting Tabernacle or the eventually destroyed Temple. It suggests a deep, unmediated communion where God's glory permanently resides among His people. This ultimately finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament in God dwelling in believers through the Spirit and in the eternal city.
Ezekiel 37 28 Bonus section
The concept of God's sanctuary being "in their midst" carries the prophetic weight of God being immanent, not merely transcendent. This eternal presence, first foreshadowed by the Temple and then embodied in Jesus Christ (John 1:14), becomes the ultimate reality for believers, where they are individually and corporately the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). The nations' recognition of Israel's sanctification is a corporate acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, echoing God's declaration, "You are my witnesses" (Isa 43:10).
Ezekiel 37 28 Commentary
This verse seals the promise of Israel's restoration with the assurance of God's eternal, intimate presence. The knowledge the nations gain is not out of envy, but as a testament to Jehovah's power and covenant faithfulness in making His people holy by dwelling with them. The sanctification of Israel is directly linked to the inhabitation of God's presence within their midst, promising a future where God's holiness is eternally manifest among His people, securing their purity and their blessedness in His everlasting fellowship. This signifies a consummation of God's redemptive plan for His people.