Then comes the prophecy of the bright future of Israel. It is one of the many found in this book of Ezekiel and the greater number in the other prophetic books. The captivity of Jacob is ended. Mercy will be bestowed upon the whole house of Israel. They have borne their shame; but now it is all ended through the mercy of the Lord. He will bring them again from the peoples, and gather them out of the enemies' lands and sanctify them, by taking away their sins, in the sight of many nations. None will be left behind; all will be gathered back. It is next to inconceivable that, with so many promises in the Word of God as to Israel's future restoration and blessing, that the greater part of professing Christians can ignore these things and refuse to believe in a glorious future of the Jewish race. The last verse contains an important statement. The Lord says that He hides His face no more from them. This in itself shows that all this is not yet here; for still He hides His face from them. The hiding of His face from them will be no more when His Spirit is poured upon them. "I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God." There comes then a time when the house of Israel, the literal descendants of Abraham, will receive an outpouring of the Spirit of God. Such is also the message of Joel, in which restoration and spiritual blessing, through the outpouring of the Spirit are blended together (Joel ii).[35] We call attention to another passage which should be linked with the statement in this chapter. Isaiah xxxii:13-18 is a very striking prophecy. There is an announcement made first of all concerning the judgment which is to fall upon Israel's land. "Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city," etc. But this is not to last forever. An "until" follows. "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high." This is the same future outpouring of the Spirit of God. Up to now it has not been. The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost came to form the body of Christ, but this outpouring in connection with Israel has another significance. We read, therefore, in the above passage what will happen when this outpouring has come to pass. "And the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." It is a description of the Kingdom to come, when Israel has found rest and when all the earth will receive the blessing, when righteousness will have given peace, lasting peace to the world. [35] See "The Prophet Joel," by A. C. G., where this interesting and important chapter is explained in full.