Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_100.lzh/6_193.TXT

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into it; so here, but there was no breath in them; no
spirit in the Jews to return to their land, though they
had liberty, till the Lord stirred up their spirits, Ezra
i, 5. all tbis, in a spiritual sense, shews how far persons
may go under temporary convictions by the word, and
yet not be living Christians.
Vet. 9. Then said he unto me, prophesy unto the wind,
&c.] Before he had been prophesylag to the bones,
and over them; and something was done, but not to
purpose, breath being wanting; wherefore he is bid to
prophesy a second time, and that not to bones, but to
the wind, afterwards rendered breath; and may allude
to the soul or breath of man re-entering the body, as at
a resurrcction, which causes it to live: it signifies the
spirit {x}, for the same word is used for the wind, for
breath, and for the spirit; and in the mystical sense
may be applied to the spirit of God: and if ever mi-
nisters prophesy or preach to purpose, it must be with
a view to the spirit of God, both to assist them in their
work, and to make their ministrations effectual;
without which, how many formal professors soever
may be made, not one dead sinner will be quickened.
The Syriac and Arabic versions render it, concerning
the spirit: and to discourse concerning the person,
operations, and grace of the spirit, is one part of the
Gospel ministry, and a means of the conversion of
sinners. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind;
ministers must not only preach, but they must pray
for the spirit to accompany the word with his power,
and make it the savour of life unto life: thus saith the
Lord, come .from the four winds, 0 breath; or spirit:
because the Jews were to be brought from several
parts where they were, as they will be at their con-
version in the latter day; and so the Lord has a people
in the several parts of the world, that lie dead in sin,
and must be quickened by the spirit: and breathe upon
these slain, that they may live; though not slain with the
sword, yet being as dead men, who are slain by death,
are so called: so in a spiritual sense men are slain by
sin, and are slain by the words of the Lord's mouth;
killed with the law, the killing letter; and it is only
the spirit of God that can give them life; and the
breath or spirit here is applied to the spirit of th
Messiah by the ancient Jews {y}.
Vet. 10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, &c.]
The second time he prophesied to the wind, as he had
done to the bones, as he was ordered: and the issue of
it was, and breath came into them; or, the spirit; a
spirit of courage in the Jews, to go up to their own
land; the spirit of life from Christ, which will enter
into the witesses slain, and revive them; and into
the Jews'in the latter day, and convert them; and
which enters into dead sinners, and quickens them;
and this he does whilst ministers are preaching the
Gospel to them; see Rev. xi. 11. Acts x. 44: and then
lived; as men do spiritually, when the spirit of God
has produced a principle of spiritual life in them; they
live by faith on Christ, in union and fellowship with
him; they live in newness of life, and a holy life and
conversation; and shall live and reign with Christ upon
the first resurrection, and for evermore: and stood up
upon their feet, an exceeding great army; as the Jews
did when they returned from the BabylonSub captivity;
they were many, and in a posture of defence; and as
they will be in the latter day, when converted, Hos. i. 10.
and as the number of the saints will be upon the first
resurrection, Rev. vii. 9. so when men are quickened
by the spirit of God, tbey stand upon their feet; they
stand in the grace of God, and on the tbt|ndation
Christ; they stand by faith in him, and in the doctrine of
faith, and in the house of God; and they stand firm
against all their enemies: they are an army; they are
in a military state; fighting against Sin, Satan, and the
world; and though few in comparison of others, yet
considered by themselves are very numerous; and as
they will appear when the Jews will be converted, and
the fulness of the Gentiles brought in; and especially
when they will be all gathered together at the coming
of C h fist.
Ver. 11. Then he said unto me, son of man, &c.]
Here follow the explication and application of the
above vision: these bones are the whole house of Israel;
an emblem of them, of their state and condition in the
Babylonish captivity, and of them in their present
state; and of the whole Israel of God, whilst in a state
of unregeneracy: this phrase takes in the ten tribes, as
weil as the two tribes of Ben. iamin and Judah, which
returned from Babylon; and shews that respect is had
to something more than that restoration barely: behold,
they say, our bones are dried; the house of Israel say we
are like dry bones indeed; we have no spirit, nor
strength, nor courage, nor life in us: and our hope is
lost; of being delivered from the present captivity; or
of the Messiah's coming; or of ever enjoying their own
land, and of the promises of those things made unto
them: we are cut off for our parts; from the land of
Israel, and have no hope of possessing it again, what-
ever others have; indeed they are cut off from the
olive-tree, and are cut down like a tree, both as to
their civil and church state. The Targum is, "and
"we are perished ;" it is all over with us; we are lost
and undone; all the expressions shew the desperate
and despairing condition they were in.
Vet. lo.. Tlterefore prophesy, and say unto the.m, &c.]
For their comfort, in order to revive their hope, and
encourage their faith, in these distressed circumstances:
thus saith the Lord, behold, 0 my people: they were his
people still, and he had a covenant-interest in them,
and they in him, though in such a 1ow estate; and
which was the gro9nd of his care of them, and concern
for them, and or' doing all the good things to them
after mentioned; all proceeded from his covenant, and
the grace of it, and their relation to him: I will open
your graves, and cause you to come out of your graves; the
cities and prisons in Chatdes and other places; where
they were conlined and held captires, and out of
which they could no more deliver themselves than a
dead man of himself can rise up out of his grave: this
is both au emblem of the resurrection of the dead at the
last day{z}, when they shall come forth out of their

{x} \^xwrh\^ ad spiritum, Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Starckius; allo-
quens spiritum, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus.
{y} Zohar in Nunb. fol. 92. 1.
{z} To which it is applied in T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 152.2, & Taanith,
fol. 2.2.