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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 29

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXIX.—Ezekiel’s Vision of the Dry Bones Quoted.

Inasmuch, then, as even the figurative portions of

‹ Chapter 28 Chapter 30 ›

Scripture

,

and

the

arguments

of

facts

,

and

some

plain

statements

of

Holy

Writ

,

throw

light

upon

the

resurrection

of

the

flesh

(

although

without

specially

naming

the

very

substance

)

,

how

much

more

effectual

for

determining

the

question

will

not

those

passages

be

which

indicate

the

actual

substance

of

the

body

by

expressly

mentioning

it

!

Take

Ezekiel

:

“

And

the

hand

of

the

Lord

,

”

says

he

,

“

was

upon

me

;

and

the

Lord

brought

me

forth

in

the

Spirit

,

and

set

me

in

the

midst

of

a

plain

which

was

full

of

bones

;

and

He

led

me

round

about

them

in

a

circuit

:

and

,

behold

,

there

were

many

on

the

face

of

the

plain

;

and

,

lo

,

they

were

very

dry

.

And

He

said

unto

me

,

Son

of

man

,

will

these

bones

live

?

And

I

said

,

O

Lord

God

,

Thou

knowest

.

And

He

said

unto

me

,

Prophesy

upon

these

bones

;

and

thou

shalt

say

,

Ye

dry

bones

,

hear

the

word

of

the

Lord

.

Thus

saith

the

Lord

God

to

these

bones

,

Behold

,

I

bring

upon

you

the

breath

of

life

,

and

ye

shall

live

:

and

I

will

give

unto

you

the

spirit

,

and

I

will

place

muscles

over

you

,

and

I

will

spread

skin

upon

you

;

and

ye

shall

live

,

and

shall

know

that

I

am

the

Lord

.

And

I

prophesied

as

the

Lord

commanded

me

:

and

while

I

prophesy

,

behold

there

is

a

voice

,

behold

also

a

movement

,

and

bones

approached

bones

.

And

I

saw

,

and

behold

sinews

and

flesh

came

up

over

them

,

and

muscles

were

placed

around

them

;

but

there

was

no

breath

in

them

.

And

He

said

unto

me

,

Prophesy

to

the

wind

,

son

of

man

,

prophesy

and

say

,

Thus

saith

the

Lord

God

,

Come

from

the

four

winds

,

O

breath

,

and

breathe

in

these

dead

men

,

and

let

them

live

.

So

I

prophesied

to

the

wind

,

as

He

commanded

me

,

and

the

spirit

entered

into

the

bones

,

and

they

lived

,

and

stood

upon

their

feet

,

strong

and

exceeding

many

.

And

the

Lord

said

unto

me

,

Son

of

man

,

these

bones

are

the

whole

house

of

Israel

.

They

say

themselves

,

Our

bones

are

become

dry

,

and

our

hope

is

perished

,

and

we

in

them

have

been

violently

destroyed

.

Therefore

prophesy

unto

them

,

(

and

say

)

,

Behold

,

even

I

will

open

your

sepulchres

,

and

will

bring

you

out

of

your

sepulchres

,

O

my

people

,

and

will

bring

you

into

the

land

of

Israel

:

and

ye

shall

know

how

that

I

the

Lord

opened

your

sepulchres

,

and

brought

you

,

O

my

people

,

out

of

your

sepulchres

;

and

I

will

give

my

Spirit

unto

you

,

and

ye

shall

live

,

and

shall

rest

in

your

own

land

:

and

ye

shall

know

how

that

I

the

Lord

have

spoken

and

done

these

things

,

saith

the

Lord

.

”

Notes

1
Ezek. xxxvii. 1–14.