A Prophetic Poem
The valley filled with scattered bones was silent, full of death.
Then through the air a question came, “Can these bones take in breath?”
They do not know that they are dead, for life left long ago.
Their usefulness was paralyzed by following God’s foe.
The man who heard the question posed was told to walk around
And see how many lives were lost and fallen to the ground.
There was no water anywhere; the bones were dry and bleak.
They could not hear the question posed, so none of them did speak.
Well, “Son of man,” can these bones live?” “O Lord, my God, You know”
And then He said, “Go prophesy, my pow’r to raise I’ll show.
Go tell these bones to listen up to what I have to say:
‘My Words will surely cause My breath to enter you today.
‘And you shall live and you shall know, dry bones that have no breath,
I am the Lord who breathed on you and brought you out of death.’”
The man then spoke unto these dead the words he had been told.
A mighty noise of rattling bones throughout the valley rolled.
It was a rumble from the ground, as if the earth did quake.
Then came together bone to bone in union none could break.
And on them muscles came with flesh, and over all came skin.
But still upon the ground they lay; there was no breath within.
The man again was told to speak; the prophecy was plain:
“Come from four winds, O breath, and breathe; give life unto these slain.”
The man did speak, the Spirit blew, and overcame their fate.
They lived and stood upon their feet, alive, an army great!
A heavn’ly chorus echoed loud across a brilliant sky:
“This army, filled with breath from God, it nevermore will die!
Its presence will cause foes to fall before the great throne-seat
To be a footstool for the King, a place to rest His feet.”
So what did this great army do? What vict’ry did it win?
The vict’ry Christ already won to bring dominion in.
The army with triumphant voice praised God and God alone—
The One who cast the devil out: God’s lamb upon the throne.
—Jane Carole Anderson