Ezekiel 37:21

Will gather them. The restoration of Israel from captivity among the heathen was the first step in the fulfillment of the divine promises. This remnant was to consist of those who had profited from the discipline of the Exile and had become spiritually pure. Since the prerequisite revival was never attained, either before or after the return under Zerubbabel, the fulfillment of these promises was prevented. God did for Israel all that their obdurate disobedience would allow Him to do, but they remained rebellious. Therefore, eventually, He had to reject them utterly. The unfolding of the divine promise here and in the following verses applies to the picture as it would have been if God’s purposes had been carried out (see p. 34).