Tyre

It doesn't seem that we've heard much, if anything about Tyre, but suddenly Ezekiel devotes pages of prophecy to it's destruction. Here is a cliff's notes style paragraph on who this nation was...

Tyre was an ancient Phoenician city on an island close to the coast. Its wealth depended on trade. There was almost no place in the known world which Tyre did not have relations with. Taken by the Babylonians in 573 BC and by Alexander in 332 BC, who joined it to its mainland by building a man-made bridge, in fulfillment of prophecy. The rise of Alexandria is really the main cause of the decline of Tyre. It was under the yoke of the ptolemies in 273 BC and the freed by the Seleucids in 198 BC. Pompey proclaimed its autonomy in 126 BC after he conquered the city. It became again an important commercial city throughout the Roman period. Jesus visited Tyre (Mk 7:2 ff.). When Paul was journeying to Jerusalem he passed through Tyre where he there was already established a Christian community in the city (Acts 21:3-7).

Because of it's location, Tyre was a very important city for trade and as a result, was a very wealthy nation. They achieved financial supremacy and a false sense of self-sufficiency. The root of their sin was pride. God promised to destroy them through many nations, beginning with Babylon, (Ez. 26:3-14). Nebuchudnezar was able to destroy the city of Tyre but not before the people could relocate to their adjacent island, taking with them the majority of the city's treasures. When Alexander the Great finished the job 150 years later, he used the ruins of the mainland city to build a bridge to the island. Evidently, another Tyre came to being by the time of Christ and there is currently a city called Tyre in Lebanon, but the Phoenician nation of Tyre ceased to exist.

The funeral song written for the "king of Tyre" is heavily debated among scholars. There does not seem to be any specific king addressed but rather the title is used to reference the government of Tyre in general. What is disputed is whether or not the passage also refers to Satan, as some of the language is too strong to refer to a human king..."you were in Eden; you were a model of perfection; I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian; you had access to the holy mountain of God; from the day you were created..." And yet, some of the language seems specific to Tyre..."your rich commerce led you to violence; you defiled your sanctuaries". There was no commerce nor were there sanctuaries in Eden. Some scholars believe that the king of Tyre is being compared to Satan. But many believe that Ezekiel did not have Satan in mind at all, and that all of the funeral song fits with a human king (allowing for hyperbolic language). And others assign this prophecy to the collection of those that have both near and distant future fulfillments, with tyre receiving the near future fulfillment and Satan the distant.

Tomorrow's reading: Jer. 39:11-40:6; 2 Kings 25:8-21; Jer. 52:12-27; 2 Chron. 36:15-21; Lam. 1