In Ezekiel's day Tyre was the commercial center of the world. The Mediterranean Sea was a Tyrian or Phoenician lake. Colonies established by Tyre dotted the Mediterranean coast. Carthage in North Africa is supposed to have been settled by the Tyrians. The vessels of the maritime powers headed toward Tyre as the mart of the ancient world. The trade and commerce of the peoples of the known world of that day were linked with the welfare of the Tyrian nation. The prophet Isaiah saw this fact and in his oracle concerning the downfall of Tyre foretold that its collapse would mean the paralysis of trade and commerce of that day and time. The news of Tyre's fall, in fulfillment of Isaiah's prediction, which would be passed on by ships leaving the doomed city as they met other ships laden with commerce on their way to Tyre, would throw them into consternation and despair. In Isaiah's day Tyre did occupy a very prominent place in the world of commerce. But a hundred years later, in the time of Ezekiel, Tyre had gained for herself the topmost round of influence and power. Her position among the nations in the latter part of the seventh century before Christ was so very commanding that Ezekiel devoted three chapters to the discussion of her downfall.

Ezekiel, chapter 26, which is our study for this issue of the Monthly, naturally divides into four sections:
I. Tyre's Sin, The Cause Of Her Downfall (vss. 1-6);
II. The Babylonians And The Greeks, God's Instruments Of Punishment (vss. 7-14);
III. Dismay Among The Princes Of The World Over Tyre's Fall (vss. 15-18);
IV. The Descent Of The Inhabitants Of Tyre Into The Nether Parts Of The Earth (vss. 19-21).
 

This oracle was given in the eleventh year of Jehoiachin's captivity, which was the tenth year of Zedekiah's reign. This message therefore came a year before the downfall of Jerusalem, but political observers of that day could see the doom written over the Jewish state from the events as they were developing.

Little did the Tyrians realize that their history and their welfare were bound up with Israel, as is the fortune of all nations tied indissolubly with the Jewish people. This fact becomes apparent to everyone who realizes the significance of the following passage:

"When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
When he separated the children of men,
He set the bounds of the peoples
According to the number of the children of Israel.
"For Jehovah's portion is his people;
Jacob is the lot of his inheritance" (Deut. 32:8,9).

Israel is the hub of the nations and all things revolve around this people of destiny.

The special sin of the Tyrians as set forth in Ezekiel 26:1-6 is that of jealousy of the Jewish people and their gloating over the fact that some calamity was overtaking the Hebrews. In other words, the Tyrians were animated by the spirit of anti-Semitism. They therefore rejoiced at the downfall of the Jewish kingdom.

They thought that, by the downfall of Judah, the doors of commerce—especially from the south—would be opened up to them, and hence greater riches would come to them. Thus the prophet stated that the Tyrians had said with reference to Jerusalem's calamity: "Aha, she is broken that was the gate of the peoples; she is turned unto me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste" (vs. 2). It is clear that this spirit of anti-Semitism and jealousy expressed itself in actual rejoicing at the calamity that overtook Judah. This spirit whenever it crops out in any peoples is always punished. One should realize this fact. It is set forth in Psalm 137. God there pronounced judgment upon both Babylon and Edom because they hated the Jews and gloated over the misfortune that had come into the life of that nation. Let us always be sympathetic toward others, regardless of what their attitude is toward us.

The prophet foretold the downfall of Tyre as a judgment upon this people because of their wrong attitude toward the Jews. In describing the downfall of Tyre, he compared the various enemies that would come against that city to the lashing of the waves of the sea against the shore. In describing this calamity, he spoke plainly and stated that Tyre would be overthrown and that the site of the city would become a place for the spreading of fisherman's nets. This prediction was literally fulfilled, as we shall see.
 

In verses 7-14 we have a direct prophecy concerning the Babylonian siege of Tyre and later that of the Greeks under Alexander. The reader should turn to his Bible and peruse carefully verses 7-11. In this passage he will see that the entire prophecy contained in these verses is a graphic description of the Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar that laid siege to Tyre. From profane history we learn that the Babylonians besieged it for thirteen years, but were unable to overthrow the nation. In these verses the entire description eddies around Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Hence we see the repeated pronoun "he" occurring in these verses.

Beginning with verse 12, however, and continuing through verse 14, we see that the pronoun "he" has been dropped out and that the plural pronoun "they" has taken its place. This change of pronouns shows that there is a different situation described in verses 12-14. Who are the ones thus engaged in the operation described? This question is answered by a glance at these words: "... and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the waters. This prophecy is more or less enigmatic to those who have only the prophecy. But when we look at profane history, that which is rather indistinct becomes very sharp and clear. From archaeological discoveries and profane history we know that Nebuchadnezzar fought against Tyre for thirteen years, but was unable to capture it, though he did much damage to the city. At that time it was located on the mainland. Out in the sea, just west of this site, was an island with a channel of something like a half mile separating it from the mainland. After the Babylonians ceased their siege of Tyre, the leaders decided that they did not want to pass through such harrowing experiences as they had endured during those thirteen years of warfare. They therefore abandoned their city on the mainland and built a new one on this island, which they fortified and made into one of the strongest citadels of ancient times.

Finally, in the fourth century before the Christian Era, Alexander the Great made his dash toward the east in his bid for the imperial purple of the world. Naturally he came down the Syrian coast and demanded the surrender of Tyre. The leaders, feeling their position was invulnerable to the attacks, refused to surrender. Thereupon Alexander built a causeway from the mainland out to the island. Part of the material he used was from the ruins left in the abandoned city on the mainland. Thus the rocks and timbers were thrown into the sea by Alexander and his workmen in building this causeway. When this was actually accomplished, Alexander sent his forces out to the island, attacked the city, and soon overcame it. In the light of these historical facts, we see that the ones described in verses 12-14 who take the timbers and the rock of the abandoned city and cast them into the sea are none other than the Greeks. Thus we may be confident that they are the ones who are mentioned in these verses.

An understanding of the prediction concerning the Babylonian and later the Grecian siege of Tyre is an illustration of the law of double reference. According to this principle the prophets frequently described two events or peoples separated by some distance of time and blended the descriptions into a single picture. This is a most important principle and must be understood by all students of prophecy.
 

In verses 15-18 we see a prediction that the various princes of the different kingdoms with which Tyre had commercial relations and dealings were amazed, yes, they were dumbfounded to learn of the downfall of this great commercial queen that was, figuratively speaking, reigning over international trade and commerce of that time. This paragraph reminds one of the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 23, in which he depicts graphically the consternation and the dismay that would be experienced by all when Tyre would fall.
 

In verses 19-21 of this chapter is a clear description of the results of the complete overthrow of Tyre. Here the Lord affirmed that He would make the city desolate like many others of former days that had flourished but that were lying in ruins. Since Tyre was beside the sea, and since the waves and billows when there is a hurricane often bring damage and ruin to coastal towns, the prophet thought of these various nations who would come against Tyre and who would finally destroy her, and spoke of them in terms of the waves of the sea. From this fact there grew out or developed the use of waters, especially agitated waters, as a symbol of peoples' and nations' being in a state of unrest and on the move.

The leaders of Tyre are represented here in this passage as descending to the nether parts of the earth, to Sheol (vs. 20). This type of language reminds one of such passages as Isaiah 14:9-20. A careful examination of this scripture shows that Isaiah was speaking of the world dictator or ruler of the end time. He will be slain and his spirit will descend into the pit of the abyss. The people living upon the earth at that time will learn of his being killed. The spirits of those who have gone on before and who are still in Sheol will recognize him as he enters the realm of Hades and will ask how it is that he has been reduced to the condition in which they are.

Sheol, or Hades, as it is known in the New Testament, is presented to us as being in the center of the earth. Before the death of Christ there were two compartments of it, separated by a vast gulf (Luke, chap, 16). To one of these the righteous upon death went; to the other the lost went. Since, however, Christ won the victory for believers at the cross, the saints of God today no longer descend to Hades as they did prior to that epochal event. Upon death, rather, they go into the immediate presence of Christ. At the same time, even today, the lost when they depart this life, go down to Sheol, or Hades, as the lost did before the death of Christ. To depart out of this life without God and without Christ is indeed the tragedy of all tragedies that can come into the life of the individual. There is but one wise way for a person to act, and that is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ by faith now before he is called hence from this life.

Our prediction shows that the Tyre of which Ezekiel spoke would go down in utter defeat and become a desolate city. This actually transpired. According to Isaiah's prophecy (Isa. 23:15), after seventy years it would be remembered and would come back and become a commercial center, but would be nothing in comparison with what it was before its overthrow. Insular Tyre is in existence even at the present day. Through the centuries the sea has washed the sand against the causeway which was erected by Alexander, and now there is an isthmus about three miles wide that connects insular Tyre with the continent.
 

In the last of verse 20 the desolate condition and overthrow of Tyre and its not rising again to glory and power as it had been are contrasted with a vision of the future when God will "set glory in the land of the living." Since the expression, in the land of the living, is used, it is clear that the prophet had a world outlook—a view of men wherever they are. The Lord therefore said that He would set glory, His own glory, in the land of the living. When this passage is read in the light of parallel ones, we can see that this is a prediction of the time when the glory of the Lord will encircle the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Thus in Ezekiel's mind Tyre, the commercial capital of the world, stood as the emblem of the world-city of the end time—rebuilt Babylon—which will go down forever. When that event occurs, then God will place glory in the land of the living—throughout the entire world. Then will be introduced that era of righteousness and justice, during which Messiah will reign for a thousand years.