The Judgment Against the forgotten city of Tyre
This prophecy about the City of Tyre gives us further proof of the accuracy of God’s Word. I am fascinated with scripture anyway, but this chapter is another fascinating passage in the field of Bible prophecy.
The Bible makes the claim that the future is known by God and He, at times, revealed the future to the prophets who wrote those prophecies in order to create a record. Those records are used to ‘prove’ the truthfulness of God’s Word. God claims He cannot lie and not only that but He, in fact, is Truth. So, if we find an error in the Bible we can use that to argue that there is an error in the written Word of God.
I’m particularly intrigued by the inclusion of a ‘seventy-year’ prophecy here in Isaiah, chapter 23. God gives specific numbers, dates, cities, etc. that allow us to verify if God can indeed predict the future. So far He has a perfect record.
Our Challenge
The challenge for us today is that we are using an ‘old record’ that was written in a language we don’t understand and in the context of cultures and history, we are not familiar with it.
But there are excellent resources that allow us to study the old texts, cultures, history, etc. that enable us to create a picture and understanding and come to reasonable conclusions about God’s Word and its remarkable predictive aspects.
70 Years
The City of Tyre isn’t a particularly important place in Bible prophecy but a seventy-year prophecy is. The most important seventy-year prophecy concerns the punishment of the nation of Israel. After repeated acts of rebellion, they were taken into captivity. Jeremiah, the prophet predicted they would be captive in Babylon for seventy years.
Daniel, who was one of those captives, was alive when the end of the 70 years was approaching. He specifically asked the Lord in prayer if the captivity would end at seventy years. He received the answer he was hoping for. God would set the people of Israel free again after seventy years.
Side note: It’s interesting that God influences the affairs of men and their kingdoms. He stirred the heart of Cyrus the Persian king to set the Jews free. That’s a historical record that we can research. God even called out the king, by name, who would write the decree to let the Jews go home. Seventy years after they were taken captive by Babylon. Impressive.
Modern-day prophets
Today many people are predicting, (These aren’t the God-inspired prophets of the Bible.) that after Israel reaches seventy years from their inception in 1948 B.C. something significant will take place. That may or may not be true, but it’s not written in scripture so we have to be very careful about listening to many modern-day prophets.
Let’s see what Isaiah, a true prophet of God, said about Tyre.
Isaiah 23:1-5
The burden against Tyre. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste so that there is no house, no harbor; from the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them. Be still, you inhabitants of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whom those who cross the sea have filled. And on great waters the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the River, is her revenue; and she is a marketplace for the nations. Be ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the strength of the sea, saying, “I do not labor, nor bring forth children; neither do I rear young men, nor bring up virgins.” When the report reaches Egypt, they also will be in agony at the report of Tyre.
The great merchant of the sea
The city of Tyre was a legendary place of commerce. It was a harbor that sent and received a large portion of the traffic of goods within the Middle East. The flow of merchandise in and out of the city was constant. The city was very important to the economies of many nations. Tarshish, mentioned in this verse, was a similar seaport. Its location is unknown but was possibly on the west coast of Spain. God’s Word predicted a time of judgment for the city of Tyre. It would last seventy years.
The news would reach famous ports and nations like Egypt. The news of the demise of Tyre would hurt them also.
Isaiah 23:6-9
Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you inhabitants of the coastland! Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is from ancient days, whose feet carried her far off to dwell? Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable of the earth? The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to bring to dishonor the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
Is this your joyous city?
The popular, rich city was facing a fall from glory. The prophet asks a question which he then answered. “Who has taken this counsel?” Isaiah was asking what others would wonder. How could this happen? If this was prophesied, then why and who?
The answer was easy. “The Lord of hosts.” God had determined that the pride of the city must be judged. He would remove the pride and honor of the once-gloriously proud and honorable city. End of story, next question, please.
Isaiah 23:10-14
Overflow through your land like the River, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no more strength. He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; the Lord has given a commandment against Canaan to destroy its strongholds. And He said, “You will rejoice no more, O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, cross over to Cyprus; there also you will have no rest.” Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, these people which were not; Assyria founded it for wild beasts of the desert. They set up its towers, they raised up its palaces and brought it to ruin. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For your strength is laid waste.
Tarshish the mother
The location of Tarshish, as I mentioned above, is still unknown to archeologists. We do know it was an older port city than Tyre, which was a ‘daughter’ to Tarshish. Biblical historians don’t know what punishment of Tyre Isaiah is referring to.
They did succumb to an attack by Babylon. Over two hundred years later Alexander the Great conquered them and almost wiped out the city. Assyria and later Babylon attacked the region, the city, and also northern Israel, before the seventy years of captivity of Israel began. Babylon was also on a seventy-year timeline when they took Israel captive. The Babylonian Empire ended before Israel was free. The Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon, then set free the Jewish people.
Also, as we read further, we see that the punishment against Tyre wasn’t terminal. They would return to dominate commerce after seventy years. It was two hundred years later that Alexander would put that to an end.
These facts cause me to believe the seventy years of Tyre’s punishment closely coincided with the time of Israel’s and Babylon’s punishment.
Isaiah 23:15-16
Now it shall come to pass on that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot: “Take a harp, go about the city, you forgotten harlot; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered.”
The Forgotten City
God limited the judgment of the city to seventy years. Just like with Israel, there was a time limit. They were allowed to pursue profits and fame, once their penalty phase was over. Isaiah refers to the city as the “forgotten harlot.” They were encouraged to “sing” to the old lovers who would gladly return when they realized she was back in business.
Isaiah 23:17-18
And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the Lord; it will not be treasured nor laid up, for her gain will be for those who dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for fine clothing.
The Lord will visit Tyre
God allowed the city to return to her commercial work. Her short time of judgment was over. It’s called the “fornication with all the kingdoms.” There is always money to be made and profits to be recorded. I am a fan of a reasonable profit as are most people. But when people and businesses go beyond the need to feed their families and grow their business moderately they create a monster that’s impossible to control. The love of money and gain is a putrid stench to God.
Look at what we have today. A few insanely rich companies control most of the wealth of the world. They don’t need that. Many of these billionaire companies preach the love of the poor and yet they continue to consume and suck in wealth like a gigantic black hole of consumerism.
https://thewritelife.tech/2017/11/11/isaiah-13-babylon-glory-kingdoms-shall-made-like-sodom-gomorah/
Time is almost up
The City of Tyre is a symbol of commerce that God doesn’t like. It was excessive and greedy. Their time came. The giants of commercialism today will see the same fate. Get your I-phones quick before it’s too late. 🙂
In the end, all the gluttonous gain that many have sought will go to those whom the Lord determines actually deserve it. He allows gluttony and greed for a season. For too long it seems, but the time is approaching.
“Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the Lord.”
More from Isaiah
https://thewritelife.tech/2017/12/20/isaiah-21-babylon-destroyed-again-why-focus-on-this-city/
Hello readers,
I have served as a children and youth pastor for over three decades. It was a great honor and pleasure to serve the Lord in that way. It has been my prayer, that many of them will learn of Jesus’ love and decide to commit their lives to follow Him.
I wrote the fiction story, ‘White Stone Watcher’ for them and their parents. In the story, we see a young man, and his best friend, Amanda. They face the normal challenges that today’s kids face at school. But with one huge difference.
Their challenge is twelve feet tall to be exact with an enormous set of six wings. Just like the prophet Isaiah saw in the throne room of God. He is a Watcher, an angelic being who is still invisible to Amanda. The messenger from God is about to lead both on a spiritual journey. They find they cannot escape the unseen war that rages all around them. They will become key players that God will use in the battle between the Sons of Darkness and the Children of Light.
I invite you to pray about a youth that might enjoy and benefit from this story. As the world grows darker, our youth must become aware that the Lord is calling them to join the Children of Light in the fight for what is righteous. We are all involved, whether we realize it or not. If they will not go to church, maybe they will read a book about someone just like them facing challenges at school.
God is calling them.
Praying for the youth, and a great awakening.
Pastor Doug
Let me know what you think.