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The Fall of Tyre Ezekiel 26
God used his prophet Ezekiel to foretell the fall of the great city Tyre. Tyre was the "most noted of the Phoenician cities situated on the coast". Tyre was home to the temple of Hercules, and according to Herodotus, the city of Tyre dates back to 2700 BC. The city was divided between the old city on the mainland and the new city, built on a rocky little island a half mile out to sea. New Tyre was an awesome port and fortress city. She had a northern and a southern port which were connected by a canal. New Tyre was fortified by a wall 150 ft. high, thus the Bible refers to Tyre as a "strong" fortification. The island city had 40,000 inhabitants. Old Tyre, on the mainland was fertile and well watered with a river about 5 miles north and a spring about 3 miles to the south. The greatness of Tyre's merchant marines was well known throughout the Mediterranean. Ships built in Tyre were given to Egypt as tribute during the time when Egypt ruled the Mediterranean world. All the known world was within the grasp of the merchant marines of Tyre. Tyre seemed self sufficient because it had fresh water, a difficult approach, an island fortress, a strong fishing and boat building industry, and fresh produce. It was to this environment that God sent Ezekiel's message of warning.
"...because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it , saith the Lord GOD... For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers... and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water... And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it , saith the Lord GOD... And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants... (Eze 26)
The overthrow of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar was the first link in the long chain of deadly blows. The total and final destruction was a progressive work finally and ultimately finished by Alexander the Great.
The World Book Encyclopedia says of Tyre...
By 333 B.C., Alexander had reached the coast of Syria. There, in a fierce battle at Issus, he defeated the king of Persia, Darius III, but could not capture him. Alexander's army then marched south into Phoenicia to capture key naval bases at port cities. Part of one such city, Tyre, stood on an island about 1/2 mile (800 meters) offshore. Unable to capture the island from the sea, Alexander ordered his engineers to build a causeway out to the island, converting it into a peninsula that remains even today. His troops used such weapons as battering rams, catapults, and mobile towers in their attack. The Tyrians on the island surrendered in 332 B.C., after seven months of fighting. Alexander's use of huge siege machines at Tyre introduced a new age of warfare.
So we are able to see the fulfillment of God's word in every detail. Nebuchadnezzar was the instrument God used to overthrow Old Tyre. New Tyre, on the island fortress was also "laid waste" and made "a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea". To this day it is only inhabited by the nets of fishermen! The destruction of New Tyre was accomplished by the laying of "stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water". Alexander used the debris from Old Tyre to build the causeway to the island fortress of New Tyre, thus fulfilling God's word exactly. Tyre was ultimately "built no more".
God's word is truth. He means what he says and says what he means. The word tells us that sin will wax worse and worse until Jesus comes again to judge, reign and rule the nations. Have you made up your mind to be in the sheepfold of the great shepherd Jesus Christ?
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