Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones came to him after God had directed him to prophesy the rebirth of Israel. God announced, through the prophet, that Israel will be restored to her land in blessing under the leadership of “David, My servant [who] shall be king over them” , clearly a reference to the future under Jesus Christ the Messiah, descendant of David . However, this promise seemed impossible in light of Israel’s present condition. She was “dead” as a nation, deprived of her land, her king, and her temple. She had been divided and dispersed for so long that unification and restoration seemed impossible. So God gave Ezekiel the vision of the dry bones as a sign.
This story mirrors one of the four ways that the Bible speaks about death. We can die a spiritual, physical, eternal, and final death. In all of these deaths we are promised new life through the redemptive acts of Jesus Christ!