Bible passage: Ezekiel 11:17
Prophet: Ezekiel
Written: About 2,600 years ago
Ezekiel was a prophet who lived during the time of the Babylonian Captivity, about 2,600 years ago. Babylon had conquered the land of Judah and had taken many of its residents to Babylon as captives.
Like other prophets, such as Jeremiah and Moses, Ezekiel prophesied about a cycle of punishment and restoration, that God would punish his people for turning away from him and then restore them when they turn back to him in faith. One example of a prophecy from Ezekiel about punishment, through exile, can be found in Ezekiel 22:14-15.
In Ezekiel 11:17, the prophet reveals that the exiles will return to their homeland.
About 2,500 years ago, Babylon itself was attacked and conquered, by a coalition of Medes and Persians. Many of the exiles of Judah began returning to their homeland and later rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple.
Here is Ezekiel 11:17 (NIV):
"Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.'