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Ezekiel's prophecy about Tyre

The prophet Ezekiel learns about the future of Tyre.
Contributed by Richard Gunther
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, German, French
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Ezekiel was a prophet of God living among the captives taken to the Babylonian empire. God told him what was happening back in Jerusalem and about future events. – Slide 1
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God told Ezekiel that judgement was coming to the city of Tyre in the land of Phoenicia, north of Israel. Tyre was an important trading port with two harbours. Isaiah called the city, ‘the marketplace of the nations’ (Isaiah 13:3). God was going to humble the people of Tyre because they bragged how they would prosper when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. – Slide 2
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Tyre was on the coast but had an island just off-shore where people lived too. God told Ezekiel, ‘I am against you,Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers. I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. – Slide 3
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‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates. They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise. Your fine houses and timber will be thrown into the sea. – Slide 4
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‘I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishing nets. – Slide 5
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‘You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken.’ – Slide 6
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Looking back through history we can see that everything God told Ezekiel came true. In the first wave of attacks between 586-573BC Nebuchanezzar besieged the city on the mainland until they agreed to pay a tribute. He plundered the city. Then the Persians conquered the city in 539 BC. – Slide 7
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Many escaped to the offshore island which the attackers did not have ships to reach. They built a high city wall around the island. In the next wave of attacks, in 332BC, Alexander the Great used rubble from the city to build a causeway out to the island where the 40,000 people thought they were safe. Using two siege towers, 50m tall, and captured ships with battering rams, he attacked the city walls until his troops made a breach in the walls. – Slide 8
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Once his troops forced their way into the city, they easily overtook the garrison, and quickly captured the city. Many died and 30,000 people were captured and sold into slavery. – Slide 9
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Just as God told Ezekiel, the original site of old Tyre is now a place where fishermen dry their nets. It is a nature reserve and cultural heritage site so no-one can build on it. Nearby, the modern city of Tyre has been built on the island and causeway but the old city site is just a bare rock. <br/>When God says something will happen – it always will. – Slide 10
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Slide 11