Israel Restored: Ezekiel 28:25, 26
https://biblehub.com/nasb_/ezekiel/28.htm
“This is what the Lord GOD says: “When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and show Myself holy among them in the sight of the nations, then they will live on their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. They will live on it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards, and live securely when I execute judgments upon all around them who despise them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”
I was recently speaking with a gentleman about God’s sovereignty in creation. He was skeptical about God’s attested love and benevolence in the face of all the wickedness and brokenness in the world; “If God is omniscient (knew this would be the outcome), I can’t see him as good and loving.” Its a common response for unbelievers; In the human mind, a good God would not tolerate the pain and destruction visited upon innocent people. I understand the sentiment but its predicated on a false premise.
People are not innocent…
As free agents, all humanity turns on this single point; what do we think about God? We are naturally skeptical and find God’s ways objectionable. Only a miraculous intervention in the workings of the human spirit will change this. In Isaiah 55 we read “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
The human heart, unvisited by the Holy Spirit, is incapable of finding God reasonable…
A helpful way to read Ezekiel is to see it as God revealing His nature to mankind, where hope is embedded inside judgment. These two verses show that God’s wrath against proud, abusive nations and his restoration of his people belong together, so “they will know that I am the LORD” is the final aim of both.
Explanation: In Ezekiel, that phrase means more than “they will become aware of me”; it means God’s actions will prove his identity, sovereignty, and covenant faithfulness in history. Judgment and restoration are both aimed at the same end: the nations and Israel will see that the Lord is the true God whose word always comes to pass.
The phrase often follows acts of judgment so that when the warning becomes reality, people recognize that the prophet was speaking for the real Lord, not offering mere religious opinion. In other places, the same phrase follows restoration, showing that God’s mercy also reveals who he is, not only his wrath. The wording ties God’s power to his name, especially his covenant name, so the issue is not just information but recognition, reverence, and submission. Ezekiel uses it repeatedly to insist that history itself is the arena where God makes himself known.
So when you see “they will know that I am the LORD,” read it as the book’s recurring signature line: God is vindicating his holiness, exposing idols, and confirming that his promises and warnings are both reliable. In that sense, the phrase is a theological refrain for revelation through judgment and deliverance.
Judgment Context
|
Verse |
Audience |
Brief context |
|
5:13 |
Israel |
God’s fury on Jerusalem; famine, sword, scattering |
|
6:7 |
Israel |
Slain among idols; altars razed |
|
6:10 |
Israel |
Exiles see slain; God didn’t threaten in vain |
|
6:13 |
Israel |
Dead before idols; judgment on altars |
|
6:14 |
Israel |
Land made desolate from Debir to Hamath |
|
7:4 |
Israel |
Judgment on Israel; God turns face from them |
|
7:9 |
Israel |
God judges according to ways; no pity |
|
7:27 |
Israel |
King/prince mourn; day of calamity comes |
|
11:10 |
Israel exiles |
Slain in Edom; judgment on rebellion |
|
11:12 |
Israel exiles |
Do in Edom; know God is LORD |
|
12:15 |
Israel |
Scatter among nations; sword/dessolation |
|
12:16 |
Israel |
Remnant among nations; know God is LORD |
|
12:20 |
Israel |
Cities desolate; land plundered |
|
13:9 |
False prophets |
Hand on them; no entry in assembly |
|
13:14 |
False prophets |
Wall falls; judgment on prophesying |
|
13:21 |
False prophets |
Dishearten righteous; God frees them |
|
13:23 |
False prophets |
No more false visions; God delivers |
|
14:8 |
Idolaters |
Turn face; make them a sign |
|
15:7 |
Jerusalem |
Vine metaphor; fire consumes |
|
20:38 |
Israel rebels |
Purge rebels; not enter land |
|
22:16 |
Jerusalem |
Take glory; profane name among nations |
|
23:49 |
Oholibah (Judah/Samaria) |
Bear sins; know God is LORD |
|
24:24 |
Jerusalem |
Ezekiel as sign; siege ends |
|
24:27 |
Jerusalem |
Word comes at that time; mouth opens |
|
25:11 |
Ammon |
Execution on Ammon; know God is LORD |
|
25:17 |
Ammon |
Wrath on Ammon; know God is LORD |
|
26:6 |
Sidon |
Sidon destroyed; know God is LORD |
|
26:14 |
Sidon |
Sidon no more prince; know God is LORD |
|
28:22 |
Sidon |
Judgments on Sidon; manifest holiness |
|
29:6 |
Egypt |
Egypt on fire; allies fall; know God is LORD |
|
29:9 |
Egypt |
Egypt desolate; know God is LORD |
|
30:8 |
Egypt |
Egypt on fire; allies destroyed |
|
32:15 |
Egypt |
Land made desolate; know God is LORD |
|
35:4 |
Edom/Mount Seir |
Towns ruined; desolate |
|
35:9 |
Edom |
Desolate forever; know God is LORD |
|
35:12 |
Edom |
Know God is LORD after judging |
|
35:15 |
Edom |
Edom desolate; know God is LORD |
Restoration Context
|
Verse |
Audience |
Brief context |
|
16:62 |
Israel |
Covenant established; atonement made |
|
20:41–42 |
Israel |
Gather from nations; manifest holiness; know God is LORD their God |
|
28:25 |
Israel |
Gather from peoples; manifest holiness; dwell in land |
|
34:27 |
Israel |
Break yoke; deliver from slaves; secure in land |
|
34:30 |
Israel |
Know God is with them; Israel is His people |
|
36:11 |
Israel |
People dwell on land; possess it; know God is LORD |
|
36:23 |
Nations |
Vindicate holy name; nations know God is LORD |
|
36:36 |
Nations |
Nations see; know God is LORD |
|
36:38 |
Israel |
Many people; know God is LORD |
|
37:6 |
Israel |
Tendons/flesh/breath; come to life; know God is LORD |
|
37:13 |
Israel |
Put breath; come to life; know God is LORD their God |
|
38:23 |
Nations |
Show greatness/holiness; nations know God is LORD |
|
39:6 |
Nations/Gog |
Judgment on Gog; know God is LORD |
|
39:7 |
Nations |
Holy name among nations; know God is LORD |
|
39:22 |
Israel |
Israel know God is LORD; face made known |
|
39:28 |
Israel |
Brought back; vindicate holiness; know God is LORD their God |
This is important because the phrase is His self-revelation at work: through fulfilled prophecy—whether judgment or restoration—He makes Himself known as the one true, covenant Lord whose word never fails in vain. This purpose is central to His identity and plans.
- Glory of His name - God’s primary aim is that His name be known and honored. In Ezekiel, He repeatedly says He will act so that “they will know that I am the LORD,” making His holiness visible even to the nations. This is not mere information; it’s public vindication of who He is.
- Proof of His covenant faithfulness - God uses His covenant name, Yahweh, to tie His acts to His promises. When prophecies come true, Israel and the nations see that Yahweh is faithful: He punishes rebellion and He restores His people according to His covenant. This is especially critical in exile, where Israel’s confidence in God’s presence and promises had collapsed.
- Ending false divine claims - Ezekiel’s audience was trapped between God and idols; many had lost the ability to distinguish the true God from false gods. By decisive acts (judgment on Jerusalem, judgment on nations, and then restoration), God demonstrates experimentally that He alone is God and that He is active in history.
- Judgment as teaching, not just punishing - God’s judgments are never purely punitive; they are instructional. The punishments teach both Israel and the nations to recognize Yahweh’s lordship. God wants them to “realize that He is Lord” as the penalty is executed.
- Restoring worship and trust - When people truly know God as Lord, they worship Him rightly and trust His promises. Ezekiel shows that recognition of God leads people to remember, be ashamed of idolatry, and remain silent before Him—turning back to faithful covenant life.
- Universal scope: Israel and the nations - God’s purpose is not only for Israel but for all peoples. In the “nations” oracles, Egypt, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and Tyre are brought to know He is Lord; in the restoration oracles, the nations see God’s holiness vindicated among them. This global revelation prepares for the New Testament vision that all will bow and confess Christ as Lord.
- Confirmation of prophetic word - The phrase is the signature of prophetic fulfillment. When the word comes true, people know the prophet spoke for the real Lord, not for their own spirit. This gives the entire biblical record its credibility: “by that fulfilled Word we know the God of the Scriptures to be the true God”.
God’s repeated aim in Ezekiel teaches us that history itself is the arena where God makes Himself known. The same principle continues in redemptive history: fulfilled promises and fulfilled warnings show that God will surely judge sin and that He is the God of grace who fulfills the promise of a Savior in Christ.
Application: “I am the Lord” is not a negotiation, it is a declaration. My most appropriate and efficacious response to God’s repeated statement, “Then they will know that I am the Lord,” is to live in humble recognition, faithful obedience, and worship that magnifies His name, trusting that God’s acts—whether in judgment or restoration—are all for the sake of His holy name.
- I recognize that God is proving who He is - I understand that when God says, “Then they will know that I am the Lord,” He is not merely announcing information; He is revealing Himself as the one true God, the covenant Lord, Yahweh. His fulfilled word proves that He is Lord over history, over nations, and over my life.
- I forsake the ways that profane His name - In Ezekiel 36, God says He will vindicate the holiness of His great name, which I have profaned among the nations. So I respond by forsaking my sinful ways and thoughts, turning away from anything that dishonors His name, and returning to Him in repentance.
- I live for the sake of His name among the nations - I affirm that God’s ultimate aim is the glory of His name, not my comfort. I therefore live for the spread of His fame among all peoples, praying that nations will know Him and that His holiness is made visible through my life, my church, and my witness.
- I submit to His judgment with trust - When God brings judgment—on Israel, on the nations, or on my own heart—I respond with humble submission, believing that His punishments are not only just but also teaching, so that people will know He is the Lord (cf. Ezekiel 20:12, 38:23).
- I rest in His mercy and restoration - When God restores, gathers, and pardons, I receive this as His surpassing grace, knowing that His thoughts toward me are higher and good. I allow His mercies to draw me into deeper worship, trusting that He will abundantly pardon for the sake of His name (Isaiah 55:6–9; Ezekiel 36:22–23).
- I worship as the proper end of His works - I recognize that the proper end of all God’s acts—judgment and mercy alike—is that people will know Him and worship Him. So I respond with adoration, praise, and obedience, giving glory to His name.
The reality is that most of humanity will never recognize the mighty acts and purposes of God. This is a cosmic and eternal tragedy that is irrevocable…not because God hasn’t made Himself clear but because we have refused to recognize Him.
We have a single hope; recognize the cosmic unrest and chaos as God trying to get our attention…Ultimately, He came to us (in the form of a man) and said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I come before You today with a humble heart, acknowledging that only You can cleanse and renew me. Lord, I ask You to create in me a pure heart, clean and devoted solely to You. I believe you have already made this possible through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ, who died in my place…eternally redeeming me from the stain and penalty of sin.
Lord, I acknowledge that your thoughts are not my thoughts, and your ways are higher than my ways. When you say, “Then they will know that I am the Lord,” I respond with humble recognition of who you are. I forsake my sinful ways and unrighteous thoughts, and I return to you.
I live for the sake of your holy name, that it may be vindicated and made known among the nations.
I trust your judgment as just and teaching, and I rest in your mercy as abundant and gracious.
I worship you as the one true God, Yahweh, and I give you all glory, honor, and praise.
Let your holiness be seen through me, and let many come to know that you are the Lord. AMEN.”
Live boldly out there today…
Resources:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+28%3A25-26&version=NKJV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+28%3A25-26&version=NIV
https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/EZK.28.25-26
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ezekiel/28-25.htm
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/ezekiel-28/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/ezekiel-28-25.html
https://be-still.org/ezekiel-2825-26-happily-ever-after
https://www.spokengospel.com/devotionals/ezekiel-25-28
https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-studies/book-ezekiel/holiness-of-god-will-be-seen-when-israel-returns-to-the-land/
https://radical.net/podcasts/pray-the-word/they-shall-know-that-i-am-the-lord-ezekiel-296/
https://mikedvirgilio.com/ezekiel-then-they-will-know-that-i-am-the-lord/
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+55%3A8-9&version=NIV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A6&version=NIV
