It is time for the prophets to speak!

By: Tom Burns

On December 29, 2024, I was listening to a speaker at a New Year’s conference as he referenced Ezekiel 37 and the vision of the valley of dry bones.

As the speaker shared, I clearly heard the Lord say to me that, “It is time for the Prophets to speak.”

Ezekiel 37:1-10
¹ The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” ⁴ Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ ⁵ “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ⁶ ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’” ⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

I immediately knew that, as with Ezekiel, the Lord was saying that it was time to prophesy to the dry bones, to raise up a mighty army that would occupy it’s true inheritance.

My attention immediately shifted from the conference speaker to what the Lord was saying to me about Ezekiel's vision.

1. Valley of dry bones was obviously a place of warfare and massive defeat. The dead were left where they fell in battle and were not buried. Their bodies were picked clean of all flesh and the remaining bones were beyond all natural hope of life.
2. Ezekiel did not rely on his own understanding. Even when questioned by the Lord, "can these bones live?", he did not respond from what he saw. He recognized that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37Luke 1:37
   "For nothing will be impossible with God."), saying , "O Lord GOD, You know.”.
3. Ezekiel did not condemn or criticize the fallen army for being defeated or failing to overcome their defeat. Instead, he prophesied to the bones that they would "hear the word of the Lord,"  He said, “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’” Instead of focusing on the past and what had happened, he focused on the future, on God's promises and prophesied that the Lord was going to bring forth life out of defeat and death.
4. Then, Ezekiel prophesied to the breath of life saying, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.'” We need to declare God's plans, but we also need to prophesy the breath of life, the power of Holy Spirit to those plans.
5. Although the Lord could have restored the dry bones at any time, nothing happened until the prophet spoke.  Amos 3:7 states, "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets." He does this so that the prophets can say, "Hear the word of the Lord!" Then the prophets can declare God's plans, releasing them into existence.

I believe that the Lord is calling forth a company of Prophets with whom He can share His secret counsel. A band of prophets who will speak to the dry bones in our nations, in our churches and in our dreams and say, “Hear the word of the Lord!” They will prophesy hope, life and restoration over the death and defeats of the past. They will prophesy the empowering of the breath of life, Holy Spirit over those plans. They will release a mighty end-time army that will never be defeated! Now is the time! This is the place! Will you, like Moses, turn aside to encounter the burning bush and walk into God's plans for your life?