Day 247—We are in the NINETH month of Bible reading, with more of Israel’s history and EZEKIEL’s prophecy.

    Day 247– Ezekiel 25 – 27 (Prophecies against  seven other nations around Israel)

Ezekiel 25. In this chapter, the LORD, through Ezekiel, prophesies vengeance on five city-nations surrounding Israel, giving the reason for each pronouncement. Ammon, Moab, Seir, Edom, & Philistia all gloated over the fall of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple when Babylon invaded, saying that this proved Israel’s God, the LORD, also failed.

When God enacted his judgments on them, they would “know that I am the LORD.”

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Ezekiel 26. This chapter and the next two are against Tyre, the kingdom-city north of Israel. In David’s and Solomon’s time they were friendly, supplying their great cedars in the building of the Palaces and the Temple. Later they were involved in selling Jews as slaves. They boasted of their incredible commercial success.

“For thus says the Lord GOD; Behold I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings (because he’d conquered so many kingdoms), with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of soldiers. He will kill with the sword your daughters on the MAINLAND. He will set up a siege wall against you…..”  

The following verses could also picture the successive attacks “wave on wave” by the Greeks who brought ships against it, and the Saracens until Tyre is finally totally destroyed in the 4th century, “I will make you a bare rock. You shall be a place for spreading nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I am the LORD; I have spoken.”     “I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more.”

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Ezekiel 27.  Here, the LORD tells Ezekiel to “raise a lament over Tyre.”  The chapter describes Tyre as a great trade ship destroyed on the high seas.  Sections describe the commercial glory of Tyre with the nations around the then-known world,  Greece, Spain, Asia Minor, Assyria, Turkey, Rhodes, Syria, Arabia, and Mesopotamia.

In verses 26-27, Tyre’s fall is pictured as a shipwreck on the seas. The “east wind” pictures Babylon.  “Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you. All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and the hair of their kings bristles with horror; their faces are convulsed. ….you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”