John’s Gospel and Ezekiel’s Prophecy

John’s record of our Lord’s walk among us, otherwise known as The Gospel According to St. John is so different than those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke that these three are known as “the synoptics” and John is often thought of as in a category by itself.

It has been asserted by some dispensational teachers, usually those that would call themselves “classical dispensationalists”, or “normative dispensationalists”, that John speaks to the individual while Matthew, Mark, and Luke speak to the nation of Israel as a nation. In other words, the “synoptics” show Christ preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom while John shows Him preaching an individual gospel of salvation.

Others divide the gospels in this way: Matthew is the gospel written for the Jews, Mark for the Romans, Luke for the Greeks, and John for everyone for all time.

I can see where many are coming from with Matthew for the Jews, and frankly with John for everyone; I cannot for the life of me figure out the placing of Mark and Luke in this scheme. Nor the variation of them that Matthew is for the sons of Shem, Mark for Ham, and Luke for Japeth. I’m not going to take any of these a whole lot further, other than to acknowledge the thought is out there.

But while John surely does speak to the individual today, especially in the light of what we know from the revelation that the Lord Jesus gave to us through Paul, His apostle to the Gentiles, John really speaks to Israelites to know God’s Son and Christ, and that believing they would have life through His name (John 20:31).

John’s gospel begins with Christ rejected in the first chapter — “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11).

Yet John records signs that are written “that ye might believe” (John 20:31). Remember that “signs” are signs to unbelieving Jews, because the Jews require a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22, 14:22).

This is not to take away truth from this wonderful book from John’s pen inspired by God and relegate it “not for today”, but it is much more meaningful in its proper context, or as we say, dispensationally understood.

In fact, we today see so much more in John 3:16 than anyone reading only the first three chapters of John for the first time, or only reading John. We understand and cannot “unsee” the revelation that Paul gives regarding the saving gospel today.

With some variations, John 3:16 is taught like this:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (to die for our sins —1 Corinthians 15:3) that whosoever believeth in Him (that He died for our sins and rose again — 1 Corinthians 15:3&4, Romans 10:9) should not perish, but have everlasting life (Romans 6:23 — “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”)”

Truly, this is not an unscriptural message, nor is it a wrong use. It only shows that we know more now and cannot fail to see what we know when we read that blessed verse. But it is reading more than just that verse.

But John’s gospel also presents Christ as God’s promised Christ — Messiah, who would save His people from their sins, just as Matthew did (Matthew 1:21). In fact, many passages in John’s gospel point directly to the prophetic scriptures.

While there are certainly more than these, let us look at Ezekiel chapters 34, 36, and 37 and find their correlation in John.

The New Birth

Many are familiar with our Lord’s discourse with Nicodemus in John chapter 3 where the Lord says,

“Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

But we too often don’t know what to do with verse 5, where the Lord continues to say “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

The theories regarding this meaning vary by which denomination the theologian comes from. It could range from “baptismal regeneration” to being born of water simply meaning physical birth. But the Lord took Nicodemus to task on this because he was a master of Israel, and that as such he should have known this.

John 3:10 — “Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”

The master of Israel, this “ruler of the Jews” should have known this prophecy from Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 36:22–28 — “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy Name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 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. 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, 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. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

This is the new covenant that God will make with Israel because they had broken the first covenant. This is the immediate scope of John chapter 3, in which we read of the Lord speaking to Nicodemus. The nation had to be born again, as did the individual Israelite. They need to be born again by the new covenant.

The Good Shepherd

Another message in John that goes right back to Ezekiel is the “discourse on the Good Shepherd” in John chapter 10.

The kings of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and later the Rabbis and Sanhedrin could all be classified in Ezekiel chapter 34 in the first 10 verses. While I will not quote the entire passage, the second and tenth verses should be a good summary:

Ezekiel 34:2, 10 — “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? … Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.”

Verses 11 through 31 of this same chapter could very well be said to be the first discourse on the Good Shepherd.

While you are reading this, take a pause and read Ezekiel 34, all of it.

Can you not see in all of it the very ministry of the Lord Jesus among His people as you read it?

Ezekiel 34:11–12 — “For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”

Ezekiel 34:16 — “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.”

Ezekiel 34:22–23 — “Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.”

Ezekiel 34:30–31 — “Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.”

When you have read Ezekiel 34 carefully, now read John 10:11:

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep”.

Notice the identity of the Shepherd in Ezekiel, then notice His identity in John. Is it clear to you the identity of God the Son and who He was claiming to be?

The Dry Bones

The third example comparing Ezekiel’s prophecy and John’s gospel is in Ezekiel chapter 37, where we read the prophecy concerning the dry bones.

Ezekiel 37:3 — “…Son of man, can these bones live?”

A question that would be answered by anyone looking only at natural means would be “no”, for they were “very dry” (verse 2).

Today, Evangelicalism and Christianity in general looks at these dry bones and thinks of the unsaved in this and believes that these are the dead that the prophet sees being brought back to life. While it is true that all of the unsaved are dead in their trespasses and sins and are brought back to life when they are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1), the scripture itself says explicitly what these dry bones are:

Ezekiel 37:11 — “…Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel…”

While we can say something is also true of us, we cannot rob the message of its original and exact meaning. It is about raising a dead nation back to life. Again, this is the New Covenant, where the whole house of Israel will be born of the Spirit (vs. 9, 14), and come back to the land of promise.

Others see this promise being fulfilled in Israel being reestablished in the land now, or in 1948, when the UN did it. They would say that them being in unbelief matches with verse 8, saying that there was no breath in them. But this is not by the Lord, it is by a heathen organization.

Ezekiel 37:28 — “And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”

There will be no controversy when the LORD does it!

In John chapter 11, we find the touching story of Lazarus, who was loved by the Lord, who also had become sick and he died.

“Thy brother shall rise again” was the Lord’s word to Martha, which she promptly answered showing that she passed eschatology class but missed something altogether:

John 11:25–26 — “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

“They were very dry”— “by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (Ezekiel 37:2; John 11:39)

“Son of man, can these bones live?”

The One who is the “Resurrection” and the “Life” can certainly make it happen!

“Lazarus, come forth.”

These signs were written “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:31).

John’s Gospel opens with Christ’s own, Israel, rejecting Him. Yet as many as received Him “gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

Some of those “as many” would include Andrew:

John 1:41 — “…We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”

and Nathanael:

John 1:49 — “Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”

Simon Peter, whose name is also brought to our attention in John Chapter 1 also acknowledged and asserted the same, as we find in Matthew:

Matthew 16:16 — “…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

We also must not miss the Apostle Paul’s words concerning the valley of the dry bones in Romans 11: 15 — “What shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”

There will be a regeneration of that nation, when it turns to the Lord, whose Name is Jesus Christ. The dry bones will live again, and it is yet future. The Lord showed by the sign of raising Lazarus from the dead when his body already stunk with decay that He has the power to do so. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

While the nation yet future will be saved, any from that nation, and anyone else from any nation can be saved today fully, completely, perfectly, and only by grace through faith in the finished work that our Lord Jesus accomplished on Calvary, when He shed His blood for our sins, and defeated death when He rose from the dead and opened His own grave.

He who is the Resurrection and the Life can and will raise you up to new life, and He will give you a place at His table in the heavenly places when you simply turn to Him and His finished work in faith, believing God’s word concerning Him. He is all that you need, but you do need Him!

Ephesians 2:1–10 — “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”