Audio Download

Ezekiel 26:1-21  The City of Tyre and Her Judgement

[Study Aired August 5, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study is about the coastal city of Tyre which was located in present-day Lebanon with historical and biblical significance. This Phoenician city became famous for its maritime trade and production of the luxurious Tyrian purple dye. It played a critical role during the construction of Solomon’s Temple and served as a symbol of arrogance and pride in Biblical history.

In the Book of Psalms, we see Tyre conspiring with other enemies of the Lord’s elect to destroy them. Our enemy in the Bible is Satan or the devil who exercises his power through our flesh. Spiritually, Tyre, therefore, represent our flesh or our old man who hates Christ within us.

Psa 83:1  A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
Psa 83:2  For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.
Psa 83:3  They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. 
Psa 83:4  They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” 
Psa 83:5  For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—
Psa 83:6  the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
Psa 83:7  Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 
Psa 83:8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah (ESV)

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast (our flesh or old man): and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Tyre also signifies Babylon. As indicated in the previous study, a city can represent a church as shown in the following verses:

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

This assertion of Tyre being Babylon becomes clear in the following verses in Psalms as the church of the firstborn or heavenly Jerusalem or Zion is compared with Babylon and Tyre.

Psa 87:2  The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psa 87:3  Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
Psa 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

Despite its past glory, Tyre’s ultimate downfall was prophesied and fulfilled by invading forces, which serves as a testament to the transient nature of our flesh or old man. It also shows us that the destruction of Babylon within and without of us, the Lord’s elect, is imminent. Our study for Today is therefore based on the sins of Tyre and the Lord’s promise of her judgement.

The Need for Tyre to Be Judged

Eze 26:1  And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 26:2  Son of man, 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: 
Eze 26:3  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. 

The first day of the month of the eleventh year that the Lord came to speak to Ezekiel concerning Tyre is significant. The number eleven means the ruin and disintegration of the perfection of the flesh. This implies that we have come to a time in our walk with Christ that we have just encountered Him and as a result, we are becoming aware of the total darkness we found ourselves in because of our flesh, which the judgement of the Lord is about to deal with in our lives. The fact that it was the first day of the month suggests that all that has happened and will happen to Tyre, our old man is of the Lord (significance of the number one). At this point in our walk, the Lord is preparing us to leave Babylon.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

As indicated in the introductory portion of this study, Tyre also represent Babylon or the physical churches of this world. In this case, Tyre represent the last stage of our sojourn as the Lord’s elect in Babylon. This becomes more clear when our Lord Jesus referred to Tyre together with Sidon as cities which would have repented if the Lord had performed His mighty works there, instead of Babylon (the cities of Israel) which are not repentant. One of the Lord’s mighty work to us is causing our eyes to see and our ears to be opened. At this stage of our walk, we are beginning to see the darkness we are in and the need for the ruin and disintegration of our flesh in order to worship the Lord acceptably. That is why we are ready to repent.

Mat 11:20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 
Mat 11:21  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 
Mat 11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.   

In verse 2, the city of Tyre said that Jerusalem, which is the gateway for the nations is destroyed and its doors are wide opened to her. As a result, she shall be rich because of its ruins. The mindset that the Lord should destroy Babylon so that we can be enriched in Him is an earthly wisdom which comes from our old man.

Jas 3:13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

What we need to know is that it is the Lord’s mercy that we are being enriched in Him at the expense of Babylon.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

In verse 3, we are told that the Lord will cause many nations to come up against us, just as the sea causes its waves to come up.  This is another way of saying that we shall be hated by all men for His name’s sake.

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Eze 26:4  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. 
Eze 26:5  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: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. 
Eze 26:6 And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

The destruction of the walls of Tyre and the breakdown of her towers in verse 4 signifies the destruction of our old man or flesh as his defenses are taken away by the Lord. Just as the walls of Jericho were destroyed to pave way for the destruction of the city, the Lord has removed the defenses of our old man to ensure our victory over the flesh.

Jos 6:2  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 

Jos 6:20  So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

The scraping of the dust from her and making her like the top of a rock means that Tyre shall become a bare land without any plant growing, after her destruction.  In other words, the destruction of our old man is such that it shall not come alive again.

In verse 5, it is stated that Tyre shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea. That is to say that the death of our old man or flesh will give birth to the new man who will cause us to become fishers of men.

Eze 47:10  And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Mat 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

In verse 5, we are also told that Tyre shall a spoil for the nations. A spoil refers to the booty or plunder or the precious possession of those who are defeated in battle. During the Biblical times, the spoil serves as the reward for victory won during a battle. This implies that Tyre, our old man, being delivered as a spoil for the nations means that as the Lord’s elect, we shall surely win the victory over our old man or flesh through the Lord’s judgement.

Gen 49:27  Benjamin (representing the Lord’s elect) shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Num 31:53  (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

Jer 30:16  Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

Verse 6 indicates that the daughters of Tyre which are in the field shall be slain by the sword and that it is through this that the Lord shall be made known. The daughters of Tyre in the field refer to the physical churches in this world who are put to spiritual death or slain by the false doctrines propagated through false apostles. We were victims of this slaying by the sword but thanks be to God who came to us through His elect to make us know the truth of the word of the Lord. This truth of the word of the Lord is what destroys the false doctrines within our hearts and minds.  In verse 6, we are told that it is through this evil experience of being slain by the sword that we come to know Christ. This implies that to know Christ, we must pass through the evil experience of dying spiritually through false doctrines we imbibe in Babylon or Tyre. The destruction of the false doctrines by the truth of the Lord’s words will make us appreciate who the Lord is. The voice of the Lord or His words are the hail stones or the coals of fire which destroys our false doctrines.

Psa 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Eze 26:7  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. 
Eze 26:8  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. 
Eze 26:9  And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. 
Eze 26:10 By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. 

The Lord bringing king Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon to Tyre from the north with his army signifies the judgement of our old man by the Lord. The coming of Nebuchadrezzar with chariots and horses means that our time in Babylon is a period of conflict or war as horses and chariots signifies war.

Pro 21:31  The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.   

This war or evil experience that we must go through is clearly defined by Apostle Paul as follows:

Gal 5:17  The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. (CEV)

Our stay in Babylon is characterized by the conflict between what the spirit desires against our fleshly desires. As a result, we are unable to do what we want to do, that is, please the Lord. It is insightful to also note that the king of Babylon came to Tyre with horsemen, companies (multitude) and much people. These horsemen of Babylon represent the two hundred million false doctrines coming from the horsemen loosed by the four angels who were bound in the great river Euphrates in the Book of Revelation as follows:

Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Rev 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 

In verse 10, we are told that because of the abundance of Babylonian horses, their dust shall cover Tyre. This dust is the same as the smoke from the bottomless pit which darkened the sun and the air. That is to say that what these false apostles say darkened our understanding concerning Christ (Sun) and our spiritual understanding (air).

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 

Verse 8 states that our daughters in the field shall be slain by the sword of king of Babylon. That is to say that churches of this world (field) of which we were part of at a certain stage of our walk with Christ shall be put to spiritual death through false doctrines propagated by these horsemen or false apostles.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

The making of a fort, the casting of a mount and the lifting up of a buckler against Tyre in verse 8 signifies that there is no escape of our old man concerning the judgement of the Lord.

Jer 25:27  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.

The setting up of engines of war against our walls and the breaking down of our towers with their axes in verse 9 signifies that we cannot resist the pull of the false doctrines that are propagated in Babylon. We were all swept away by this flood of false doctrine when we were in Babylon. This is reiterated in verse 10 when it says that the walls of Tyre shall be shaken by the noise of the horsemen and of the wheels of their chariots as they enter into the city. The noise of the horsemen and of the wheels of their chariots refers to the false doctrines that these false apostles propagate. What this means is that being overcome with false doctrines in Babylon is an inevitable experience that we must bear at a certain stage of our lives.

Eze 26:11  With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.
Eze 26:12  And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: 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. 

Treading down the streets of Tyre with the hoofs of the king of Babylon’s horses in verse 11 implies that these false doctrines interfere with our walk with the Lord. This interference is through the use of his sword which he uses to slay us. In other words, through false teachings (negative application of sword), we are put to spiritual death. The little truth of the word that we know which serves as our garrison is destroyed or brought down to the ground through the false doctrines of the enemy.

This situation is continued in verse 12 where our walls which represent the truth of the Lord’s words and serves as our defenses against the enemy are destroyed or broken down by the adversary and our pleasant houses demolished. Our pleasant houses refer to our temple or our hearts and minds which are desecrated by our old man who sits in our temple thinking of himself as God.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Laying stones, timber and dust in the midst of our water in verse 12 means polluting the truth of the word of the Lord with false doctrines. What is said here is the same as saying the following:

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

Eze 26:13  And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. 
Eze 26:14 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.

Causing the noise of our songs and the sound of our harps to cease in verse 13 means being unable to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit in Babylon.

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? 

As indicated earlier, making Tyre like the top of a rock means that the destruction of our old man or flesh is such that it shall not grow again. Tyre being a place to spread nets upon means that the death of our old man shall result in the birth of the new man after the image of Christ who shall make us fishers of men.

Eze 47:10  And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Mat 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

The Lord’s statement that Tyre shall not be built again affirms the assertion in that our old man or flesh shall not become active again after its destruction.

Rev 18:14  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Eze 26:15  Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? 
Eze 26:16  Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. 
Eze 26:17  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, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! 
Eze 26:18 Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.

What these verses are saying is that as we see our old man begins its journey of death through the Lord’s judgement, he becomes filled with trembling, as he sees that his final death is near. The isles shaking at the sound of the fall of our old man, the princes of the sea clothing themselves with trembling and taking up a lamentation are all to assure us that when the Lord starts the death process of our old man through His judgement within us, our old man trembles knowing that his time is short. We must therefore be assured that whatever the Lord starts, He shall surely bring to completion.

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.    

What verses 15 to 18 say is the same as the destruction of Babylon within us and outwardly in the Book of Revelation as follows:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 
Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Rev 18:14  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Eze 26:19  For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; 
Eze 26:20  When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living; 
Eze 26:21 I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD. 

In these verses, the Lord is telling us that Tyre which represents Babylon shall be ruined such that it shall be no more. It is instructive to note that in verse 19, we are told that the Lord shall bring up the deep upon her such that she shall be covered by great waters. That is to say that the deep sea shall cover Babylon. The deep sea or great waters signifies humanity. This implies that the Lord will cause Babylon to be destroyed by people whom the Lord has prepared for such a purpose. This destruction of Babylon is also foretold in Revelation chapter 17 where the ten horns shall make her desolate and naked, and eat her flesh. The ten horns represent the strength of the flesh to carry out what the Lord has put in their hearts, that is, the destruction of Babylon, in the fulness of time. This destruction refers to Babylon within us and without.

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.  

This destruction is detailed in Revelation chapter 18 as follows:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
Rev 18:20  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

May the Lord grant us the grace to endure to the end as He destroys Tyre or Babylon within us. Amen!!