GOD’S PROPHECY AGAINST THE CITY OF TYRE

November 2004 article by David Thompson

In the book of Genesis, chapter 12, verse 3, God promised His servant Abraham that He would bless them that blessed him and curse him that cursed him. This Divine principle is clearly seen demonstrated in God’s punishments upon any that do damage to the descendants of Abraham, the Jewish nation, whether individuals or nations, or in the case of our particular prophecy, against the city of Tyre.

Tyre was the capital of ancient Phoenicia and God’s prophecy against this city has been recorded by His prophet Ezekiel in the 26^th chapter. God describes through Ezekiel how the city, then a significant trading seaport of immense power, riches and influence, would be destroyed, describing in verse 4 of this chapter the destruction of the city, its walls and towers and even referring to its very dust; in verse 5 stating it would be a place only for the spreading out of fishing nets.

The first destroyer came in 518 BC. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, laid siege to the mainland city of Tyre for 13 long years, never completely overcoming the city despite the long years of warfare. Others in turn came and fought just as God said that they would in verse 3 of our chapter, referring to the waves of the sea that come into the shore, one after the other, and in due consequence many nations over a long period of time attacked the city of Tyre with varying success.

Due to this constant barrage, the people of Tyre had fortified the rocky island that lay some 700 metres offshore. Its cliff walls rose 165 feet high from the surface of the sea, as high as a modern 16-storey block of flats or a modern office building. They believed then that if any attack came they could leave the mainland city and go by boat to the island fortress because to them it was impregnable.

However, they had not reckoned with the power and purpose of the prophecy of God and in 332 BC Alexander the Great, following his defeat of Darius the Persian in BC 333 at Issus, came to the seemingly impregnable island fortress of Tyre, the city now deserted by its people. In 7 months Alexander’s army had taken the stones of the buildings of the mainland city of Tyre and laid them in the sea, forming a causeway out to the island fortress. He took the soil and the dust of the city of Tyre and covered the causeway making a smooth road for the mighty siege towers his forces had built from the timbers and the wood of the old city of Tyre. These siege towers were 160 feet tall to breech the island fortress walls. Finally the day came when these siege towers began to roll towards the island citadel and the doom and the utter destruction of Tyre was sealed. Eighty thousand were killed in the battle, 2,000 crucified on the walls of this fortress; 30,000 people that survived were sold as slaves. The final act of Alexander before leaving the ancient city of Tyre for further conquests was to establish there a fishing colony.

We have demonstrated through this prophecy in Ezekiel’s 26^th chapter the power and the finite detail that the Almighty has laid out in His Word, even speaking of what would happen to the dust of this place referring to the fishing colony that would be established there. Today, just a little remains of this causeway, evidence of the power and the veracity of God’s Word.

We can rest assured that when God speaks to us from the Scriptures of His Kingdom to be established on this earth, of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be its King, we can be assured that the violence and the wickedness of our present world will be swept away, just as God has promised and that glorious order of righteousness and peace will be established upon this earth.

“I will bless them that blesseth thee and curse him that curseth thee” said the Lord to Abraham. Ezekiel’s 26th chapter is a fitting reminder to us of the truth and power of these words and that all that God has spoken He will accomplish and do.

We are wise if we take heed to the whole counsel of God’s word.