Discover the astonishing fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy against ancient Tyre.
Humans cannot foretell the future with any certainty. Time and again their efforts at prediction fail miserably. So a book of prophecies that did come true has to attract our attention. The Bible is such a book.
MANY Bible prophecies have come true in such detail that critics claim they were written after the fulfillment. But such claims are untrue. God, being almighty, is fully capable of prophesying. (Isaiah 41:21-26; 42:8, 9; 46:8-10) Biblical prophecies that came true are evidence of divine inspiration, not of late authorship. We will look now at one outstanding prophecy that came true providing additional proof that the Bible is God’s word, not just man’s.
The Prophecy Ezekiel uttered against Tyre
Ezekiel was another ancient writer who recorded divinely inspired prophecies. He prophesied from the end of the seventh century B.C.E. on into the sixth—that is, during the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and then during the first decades of the Jews’ exile in Babylon. Even some modern critics agree that the book was written at approximately this time.
Ezekiel recorded a striking prophecy about the destruction of Israel’s northern neighbor Tyre, which had gone from a position of friendship with God’s people to one of enmity. (1 Kings 5:1-9; Psalm 83:2-8) He wrote: “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘Here I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up against you many nations, just as the sea brings up its waves. And they will certainly bring the walls of Tyre to ruin and tear down her towers, and I will scrape her dust away from her and make her a shining, bare surface of a crag. . . . And your stones and your woodwork and your dust they will place in the very midst of the water.’”—Ezekiel 26:3, 4, 12.
When was Ezekiel’s prophecy finally fulfilled, and how? Did this really happen?
The Siege Of Tyre by Babylon
Well, a few years after Ezekiel uttered the prophecy, the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, laid siege to Tyre. (Ezekiel 29:17, 18) It was not, however, an easy siege. Tyre was partially situated on the mainland (the part called Old Tyre). But part of the city was on an island about half a mile [800 m] offshore. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the island for 13 years before it finally submitted to him.It was, however, in 332 B.C.E. that Ezekiel’s prophecy was finally fulfilled in all its details.
Alexander the Great ultimately fulfilled the prophecy in 332 B.C.E.
At that time, Alexander the Great, the conqueror from Macedonia, was invading Asia. Tyre, secure on its island location, held out against him. Alexander did not want to leave a potential enemy at his rear, but he did not want to spend years in a siege of Tyre, as Nebuchadnezzar had done.
How did he solve this military problem?
He built a land bridge, or mole, across to the island, so that his soldiers could march across and attack the island city. Notice, though, what he used to build the mole. The Encyclopedia Americana reports: “With the debris of the mainland portion of the city, which he had demolished, he built a huge mole in 332 to join the island to the mainland.”
After a relatively short siege, the island city was destroyed. Moreover, Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled in all its details. Even the ‘stones and woodwork and dust’ of Old Tyre were ‘placed in the very midst of the water.’
How a 19th-century traveler describe the site of ancient Tyre
A 19th-century traveler commented on what was left of ancient Tyre in his day, saying: “Of the original Tyre known to Solomon and the prophets of Israel, not a vestige remains except in its rock-cut sepulchres on the mountain sides, and in foundation walls . . . Even the island, which Alexander the Great, in his siege of the city, converted into a cape by filling up the water between it and the mainland, contains no distinguishable relics of an earlier period than that of the Crusades. The modern town, all of which is comparatively new, occupies the northern half of what was once the island, while nearly all the remainder of the surface is covered with undistinguishable ruins.”
The location, legacy and influence of ancient Tyre
Ancient Tyre was located on the Mediterranean coast, in modern-day Lebanon, approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of Beirut. The city was situated on a rocky island, about half a mile (800 m) offshore, and partly on the mainland.
The City rose to prominence in the 2nd millennium B.C.E. as a major trading hub. Its strategic location facilitated trade with Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia, amassing wealth and influence.
Tyre's golden era began with King Hiram I, who formed an alliance with Israel's King David and Solomon, exchanging goods like cedar wood for gold and silver (1 Kings 5:1-9). Tyre's purple dye, crafted from murex shells, was highly prized.
Tyre established colonies, including Carthage, and dominated Mediterranean trade. Its sailors and merchants were renowned for their skills. Today, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.
Conclusion
The prophecy against Tyre serves as a testament to the accuracy and reliability of biblical prophecy. Ezekiel's words, spoken over 2,500 years ago, were fulfilled in remarkable detail, demonstrating the power and sovereignty of God.
By Rodgers Mangwela.
For Amazing Bible Facts
References
- Ezekiel 26:3, 4, 12
- 1 Kings 5:1-9
- Psalm 83:2-8
- Ezekiel 29:17, 18
- The Encyclopedia Americana (1959 edition, volume 6, page 622)
Comments
Post a Comment