The word coming again opens a new message to Ezekiel and begins the lamentation and prophecy against Tyre. It first sets forth her glory as a wealthy merchant city whose ships, goods and traders enriched the kings of the earth and made her of perfect beauty before her fall. It foretells her utter ruin and destruction, fulfilled when the ancient commercial metropolis became a bare rock and a place for spreading nets in the sea. That fulfillment stands evident today as a witness for God. The proud, prosperous city that was corrupted and humbled for forgetting and defying God stands as a warning to modern cities, for the same commercial spirit that possessed Tyre belongs to end-time Babylon, the modern Tyre whose fall leaves its merchants lamenting.
Context and Content
The word of the Lord comes again to Ezekiel here, opening a new message and beginning the prophecy against Tyre in chapter 27. The chapter stands within the group of prophecies against foreign nations in chapters 25 to 32, also reckoned as chapters 26 to 28, as chapters 25 to 28, and as chapters 25 to 31. In that wider vision Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt pass in turn under the prophet's view. The message introduced here is identified as foretelling the destruction of Tyre and Sidon, a lamentation over the destruction of Tyre predicting her utter ruin.
The lament first portrays the glory of Tyre before her fearful fall, with her builders making her of perfect beauty. She is shown as a wealthy commercial center and merchant city, a great commercial city and ancient commercial metropolis, whose extensive trade brought goods from many nations and enriched the kings of the earth. Her ships were made of fir with masts of the cedars of Lebanon, oars of the oaks of Bashan, seats for the oarsmen of ivory, sails of fine linen with embroidered work, and coverings of blue and purple. Her own wise men were her pilots and the wise men of Gebal were her calkers, while her merchants were princes and her traders were the honorable of the earth.
The surrounding prophecy answers the merchant city's rejoicing at Judah's humiliation with a specific prediction of destruction.
Predicted Fall Fulfilled
Ezekiel 27:1 opens the divine message that foretells the utter ruin and destruction of Tyre. In one setting that ruin is identified as the foretold destruction of Tyre and Sidon. In another it is the lamentation over the destruction of Tyre belonging to the prophecies against the nations in Ezekiel 26 to 28.
The chapter presents Tyre as a wealthy commercial center whose trade brought goods from many nations and enriched the kings of the earth. Against that city Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled the prediction that its walls and towers would be destroyed and its streets trampled. The further prediction that its dust would be removed and its stones, timber, and dust cast into the water was still unfulfilled at that stage.
That word was fulfilled when the ancient commercial metropolis became a bare rock and a place for spreading nets in the sea. Its pride was brought down, its building stones were removed elsewhere, and its ruins remained as a place for spreading nets. These are remarkable prophecies whose fulfillment is evident today. Thus Tyre stands as a witness for God.
Warning for Modern Cities
Ezekiel 27:1 opens a message of judgment upon a city, and the chapter stands as a warning and lesson for cities and people who forget and defy God. Tyre's fate teaches the same lesson, for she was a proud, prosperous city that defied God and faced punishment, and her downfall warns modern cities that forget and defy God.
The chapter reveals the spirit of merchandise that possessed the great commercial city of Tyre, whose traffickers were found everywhere. That commercial spirit made her corrupt and exalted until God humbled her. Her pride would be brought down and her site would become a place for spreading nets in the sea.
That same kind of traffic belongs to end-time Babylon, called modern Tyre, which is not one city but a federation taking in all the earth. It is the commercialism of the present day that overrides honor and integrity, seeks to possess all nations, and gathers to itself every commodity in which men deal even to the bodies and souls of men. It forgets God and makes gold god. When that great combination falls its individual merchants lament that in one hour so great riches is made desolate.
The word coming again opens a new message to Ezekiel and begins the lamentation and prophecy against Tyre.
It first sets forth her glory as a wealthy merchant city whose ships, goods and traders enriched the kings of the earth and made her of perfect beauty before her fall.
It foretells her utter ruin and destruction, fulfilled when the ancient commercial metropolis became a bare rock and a place for spreading nets in the sea.
That fulfillment stands evident today as a witness for God.
The proud, prosperous city that was corrupted and humbled for forgetting and defying God stands as a warning to modern cities, for the same commercial spirit that possessed Tyre belongs to end-time Babylon, the modern Tyre whose fall leaves its merchants lamenting.
Context and Content
The word of the Lord comes again to Ezekiel here, opening a new message and beginning the prophecy against Tyre in chapter 27. The chapter stands within the group of prophecies against foreign nations in chapters 25 to 32, also reckoned as chapters 26 to 28, as chapters 25 to 28, and as chapters 25 to 31. In that wider vision Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt pass in turn under the prophet's view. The message introduced here is identified as foretelling the destruction of Tyre and Sidon, a lamentation over the destruction of Tyre predicting her utter ruin.
The lament first portrays the glory of Tyre before her fearful fall, with her builders making her of perfect beauty. She is shown as a wealthy commercial center and merchant city, a great commercial city and ancient commercial metropolis, whose extensive trade brought goods from many nations and enriched the kings of the earth. Her ships were made of fir with masts of the cedars of Lebanon, oars of the oaks of Bashan, seats for the oarsmen of ivory, sails of fine linen with embroidered work, and coverings of blue and purple. Her own wise men were her pilots and the wise men of Gebal were her calkers, while her merchants were princes and her traders were the honorable of the earth.
The surrounding prophecy answers the merchant city's rejoicing at Judah's humiliation with a specific prediction of destruction.
Predicted Fall Fulfilled
Ezekiel 27:1 opens the divine message that foretells the utter ruin and destruction of Tyre. In one setting that ruin is identified as the foretold destruction of Tyre and Sidon. In another it is the lamentation over the destruction of Tyre belonging to the prophecies against the nations in Ezekiel 26 to 28.
The chapter presents Tyre as a wealthy commercial center whose trade brought goods from many nations and enriched the kings of the earth. Against that city Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled the prediction that its walls and towers would be destroyed and its streets trampled. The further prediction that its dust would be removed and its stones, timber, and dust cast into the water was still unfulfilled at that stage.
That word was fulfilled when the ancient commercial metropolis became a bare rock and a place for spreading nets in the sea. Its pride was brought down, its building stones were removed elsewhere, and its ruins remained as a place for spreading nets. These are remarkable prophecies whose fulfillment is evident today. Thus Tyre stands as a witness for God.
Warning for Modern Cities
Ezekiel 27:1 opens a message of judgment upon a city, and the chapter stands as a warning and lesson for cities and people who forget and defy God. Tyre's fate teaches the same lesson, for she was a proud, prosperous city that defied God and faced punishment, and her downfall warns modern cities that forget and defy God.
The chapter reveals the spirit of merchandise that possessed the great commercial city of Tyre, whose traffickers were found everywhere. That commercial spirit made her corrupt and exalted until God humbled her. Her pride would be brought down and her site would become a place for spreading nets in the sea.
That same kind of traffic belongs to end-time Babylon, called modern Tyre, which is not one city but a federation taking in all the earth. It is the commercialism of the present day that overrides honor and integrity, seeks to possess all nations, and gathers to itself every commodity in which men deal even to the bodies and souls of men. It forgets God and makes gold god. When that great combination falls its individual merchants lament that in one hour so great riches is made desolate.