Chapter VII: Part 7

He also took the silver and gold in the house of the Lord and gave it as a present to the Assyrian King. Isaiah's message and offer as described in Isaiah vii he refused. Then King Ahaz "went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest, the fashion of the altar, and the patterns of it, according to all the workmanship thereof." This strange altar was set up in Jerusalem, and the house of the Lord was defiled by him (2 Kings xvi:10-20). Likewise, Jerusalem also followed the Chaldeans and was inflamed by the pictures of the Chaldeans portrayed on walls in vermillion, the peculiar color used by the the Chaldeans. She loved Chaldea, Babylon with her vile idolatry, and sent messengers to the Chaldeans. And the Babylonians responded and came to her to corrupt Jerusalem. Then Jehovah says: "My mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister." Yet she continued in her evil ways. In all this we have a description of Jerusalem's history in becoming defiled by heathen nations, their idolatries and corresponding immoralities.

IV. Aholibah's Punishment.

Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will raise
up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I
will bring them against thee on every side; the Babylonians, and all
the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with
them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great
lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses. And they shall
come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an
assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield
and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and
they shall judge thee according to their judgments. And I will set
my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee:
they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall
fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and
thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. They shall also strip
thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. Thus will I
make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from
the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto
them, nor remember Egypt any more. For thus saith the Lord God;
Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest,
into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated: And they
shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour,
and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy
whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring
after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.
Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her
cup into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord God; Thou shalt drink of
thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and
had in derision; it containeth much. Thou shalt be filled with
drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation,
with the cup of thy sister Samaria. Thou shalt even drink it and
suck it out, and thou shalt break the shreds thereof, and pluck off
thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast forgotten me,
and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou thy lewdness and
thy whoredoms (verses 22-35).

And those with whom she had sinned were to be her chastisers. "Behold I will raise up thy lovers against thee.... I will bring them against thee on every side." Her well-deserved judgment would be, as it was, in the hands of the Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, as well as the Assyrians.... And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons and wheels, with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about, and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgment." A holy and righteous God in His wrath moved these vile nations to heap upon this disobedient and idolatrous people the worst punishments. "They shall deal furiously with thee, they shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword; they shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire." The explorations in Assyria have brought to light wall-sculptures in which such atrocities are depicted. God is righteous, and divine retribution was thus manifested in Jerusalem's shameful history. And in our own times we behold similar judgments in the earth meted out upon nations, professedly Christian, who forgot God and rejected His holy Word. Jerusalem had walked in the ways of her vile sister Samaria and had even outdone her in wickedness. She was, therefore, to drink her cup, "because thou hast forgotten me and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms." Jerusalem had seen all what happened to the northern kingdom when Shalmaneser had carried them away, yet she kept right on in her evil course and did not repent of her idolatries, her vile immoralities and wickedness. And so it is to-day. Nations reap what they have sown, and other nations, like our own, do not take the warning. They continue in the downward course, rejecting God's holy Word and are guilty of the same sins as the nations who drink now the cup of divine displeasure. Ere long the judgments of God will reach every nation for the evil they have done.

V. Final Rehearsal of their Sins and Punishments.

The Lord said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah
and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations; That they
have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their
idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons,
whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour
them. Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my
sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when
they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the
same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they
done in the midst of mine house. And furthermore, that ye have sent
for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo,
they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and
deckedst thyself with ornaments, And satest upon a stately bed, and
a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and
mine oil. And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and
with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the
wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful
crowns upon their heads. Then said I unto her that was old in
adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with
them? Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that
playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah,
the lewd women.

And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of
adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because
they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. For thus saith
the Lord God; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give
them to be removed and spoiled. And the company shall stone them
with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay
their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women
may be taught not to do after your lewdness. And they shall
recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of
your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord God (verses 36-49).

Little comment is needed on this final section; there is a recapitulation of the sins of Aholah and Aholibah. They committed adultery with their idols, both in a spiritual way and also literally. Their offspring were cast into the fiery arms of Moloch and thus slain to their idols. They profaned the sanctuary of the Lord. Adulterers they were and blood was in their hands. What degradation! Licentiousness, violence and child sacrifice were the leading sins of the nation and these were produced by having forgotten God and by idolatry. The punishment of the adulterers, according to the law, stoning, awaited Jerusalem. "And the company shall stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women (surrounding nations who knew of Jerusalem's vileness) be taught not to go after your lewdness. And they (the heathen nations) shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols, and ye shall know that I am the Lord." The Lord had manifested Himself to Jerusalem as a Lord of grace and power. He had dealt with that nation as He had not dealt with others. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities" (Amos iii:2). In awful judgments they were to learn that He is the Lord; what they should have known through His mercies, they found out by the punishment from the hands of a righteous Lord. All this will be repeated in future history. The time is not distant when still greater judgments will be poured out upon nations as well as upon the Jewish people. During that time the world will find out that He is the Lord. "For when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Is. xxvi:9).

THE BOILING POT AND THE LAST WORD.

Chapter xxiv.

We have reached the final message of this great Prophet concerning the judgment and overthrow of Jerusalem. The fatal siege of the city which sealed its doom, so long announced, had started. Ezekiel receives the information directly from the Lord and then utters the solemn words of the Lord in which for the last time the wickedness of the bloody city is made known. First, he spoke in a parable and afterwards in the death of his wife he was a sign unto them.

I. The Parable of the Boiling Pot and its Significance.

Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of
the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man,
write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of
Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day. And utter a
parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the
Lord God; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:
Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh,
and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. Take the choice of
the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well,
and let them seethe the bones of it therein. Wherefore thus saith
the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is
therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it, bring it out piece by
piece; let no lot fall upon it. For her blood is in the midst of
her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the
ground, to cover it with dust; That it might cause fury to come up
to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that
it should not be covered. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to
the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great. Heap on
wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let
the bones be burned. Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that
the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of
it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed. She
hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth
out of her: her scum shall be in the fire. In thy filthiness is
lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou
shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused
my fury to rest upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it: it shall come
to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare,
neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy
doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God (verses 1-14).

The Prophet is instructed to note the exact date, the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year. The same date we find in 2 Kings xxv:1. "And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about." The same statement is made by Jeremiah (chapter lii:4). But how did Ezekiel, far away from the scene of the siege, know the exact date when the king of Babylon began to carry out the threatened divine judgment? It was the Lord who gave him this information. This is the statement of the second verse, "Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this selfsame day, the king of Babylon set himself (literally, leaned upon) against Jerusalem this same day." Higher Criticism shows its teeth in connection with such definite statements which introduce the power of God. We quote the following from a recent commentator: "This verse (verse 2) forces on us in the clearest fashion the dilemma--either Ezekiel was a deliberate deceiver, or he was possessed of some kind of second sight." According to these words Ezekiel was either an out-and-out deceiver, a wicked man, or, he was a clairvoyant. That the word of the Lord came to him and imparted unto him the news that on the same day Jerusalem's siege had begun, is neither considered nor believed. Such is the blind unbelief of the modern critics. The boiling pot or caldron mentioned in this parable is the symbol of Jerusalem. What is cast into this pot typifies the guilty people; the choice bones and the choice of the flock, the leaders. All are to be thrown in one common caldron to seethe therein, the symbol of the fiery judgments which had now come upon the city. The scum[16] in the pot is symbolical of Jerusalem's sins. The woe is pronounced upon the bloody city on account of the scum; it is to be consumed. "She hath wearied Me with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her; her scum shall be in the fire." While the inhabitants of the city are thus described suffering for their sins, the city itself will be dealt with (verse 11). This parable becomes still more interesting if we compare it with the message of the eleventh chapter. Then the people of Jerusalem had said, "This city is the caldron, and we be the flesh" (xi:3). The Lord had answered them, "This city shall not be your caldron, within shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof" (xi:11). They gave the caldron a different meaning from the parable here. As the flesh is preserved in a pot, a caldron, so they thought themselves secure and safe in Jerusalem. And now the Lord tells them that Jerusalem shall be a caldron, but not for their preservation, but for their judgment. They had deceived themselves when they thought themselves safe. His fury is now to be displayed upon bloody, filthy Jerusalem. "I the Lord have spoken it, it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God." What the Lord hath spoken will come to pass; He will do it. This is a solemn word. Men ignore what God has spoken. Others sneer at it and are unbelieving. The mass of professing Christians are indifferent and have no thought that God will do what He has spoken about judgments to come. But they will as surely come upon our age, as the threatened judgments came upon Jerusalem.

[16] Literally, Rust.

II. The Death of the Wife of Ezekiel.

Also the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold,
I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet
neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of
thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover
not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the
people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the
morning as I was commanded (verses 15-18).

The second message which is given to Ezekiel in this chapter concerns himself. He is to lose the desire of his eyes, his wife, with a stroke. And the Lord tells him that he is not to mourn or weep, nor is he to shed tears on account of the bereavement. All the customary signs of grief are forbidden him. These were the taking off of the headdress, the turban, and putting ashes on the head; taking off the shoes, walking barefooted (2 Sam. xv:30); the covering of the lips, the beard (Micah iii:7; see also Lev. xiii:45), and the eating of certain food, mourning-food. All this he was not to do. And while he faithfully delivered the Word of the Lord in the morning, at even his wife was taken from him and faithfully he obeyed the commandment of the Lord. Death had dissolved the marriage union and taken from the prophet the beloved wife. Even so the relationship between Jehovah and Jerusalem was now to be completely severed. And instead of a wild lamentation, a wailing cry, there should be a solemn silence. A similar message was also given to Jeremiah, "They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented.... For thus saith the Lord, Enter not in the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them" (Jer. xvi:4-9).

III. The Question of the People and the Answer.

And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things
are to us, that thou doest so? Then I answered them, The word of the
Lord came unto me, saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus
saith the Lord God; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the
excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which
your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have
left shall fall by the sword. And ye shall do as I have done; ye
shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your tires
shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall
not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and
mourn one toward another. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign; according
to all that he hath done shall ye do; and when this cometh, ye shall
know that I am the Lord God. Also, thou son of man, shall it not be,
in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their
glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their
minds, their sons and their daughters. That he that escapeth in
that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine
ears? In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped,
and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; and thou shalt be a sign
unto them; and they shall know that I am the Lord (verses 19-27).

The people then inquired of Ezekiel about the meaning of his actions. They wanted to know about the caldron and about his strange behaviour in not mourning over the death of his wife. The answer is again given by the Word of the Lord. The captives on the river Chebar, who surrounded the Prophet, hear now that the Lord is going to profane His own sanctuary. It was the object in which they boasted, the excellency of their strength and the desire of their eyes. Their sons and daughters who had been left behind by them were now to fall by the sword. As suddenly as the stroke bereft him of his wife, so should they lose their loved ones and they also were not to lament. Ezekiel was unto them a sign. As previously so now again he foreshadowed in his experience what was the common lot of the people. But more than that should come upon them. They were to pine away on account of their iniquities and moan one toward another; their grief would be manifested in groans and moans of deepest anguish. In all they were to know that He whom they rejected is the Lord. And so the world will make the same discovery before long, perhaps even now this solemn fact is being demonstrated before our eyes. Nations have forgotten God. They have rejected His Word. They trampled under foot His truth and the best the Lord has given. The measure of wickedness is rapidly being filled up and God, a holy, righteous God, must act in judgment and deal with man according to his ways and according to his works. The moans and the groans are on the earth.

And when all the prophet announced was accomplished, when Jerusalem had fallen, then one that escaped should come to Ezekiel and tell him about it. Even so it happened. "And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came into me, saying, The city is smitten" (xxxiii:21). It was also announced to the Prophet that when this messenger came he should no more be dumb, but his mouth should be opened, and he would speak. Of this we read in chapter xxxiii:22; then he would resume his public activities.

PREDICTIONS OF JUDGMENT AGAINST THE NATIONS.

Chapters xxv-xxxii.

PREDICTIONS AGAINST AMMON, MOAB, EDOM AND THE PHILISTINES.

Chapter xxv.

A new section begins with this chapter. The prophet is now made the mouthpiece of Jehovah to utter prophecies concerning other nations. Two years after the message of the preceding chapter, the news came to Ezekiel announcing the fall of the city and after that, Ezekiel received the greater messages concerning Israel and her glorious future. The prophecies contained in chapters xxv-xxxii concerning the nations which came in touch with Israel were delivered at different times. See the dates in chapters xxvi:1, xxix:1, 17, xxx:20, xxxi:1 and xxxii:1, 17. The predictions concern just seven nations, and these are divided into four and three. The first four were the immediate neighbors of Israel. Then come larger prophecies against Tyre, with a message on the future return of Israel against Sidon and Egypt; Assyria is also mentioned. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos likewise received similar messages against the same nations. Their guilt is uncovered and their judgment and overthrow makes the way for Israel's blessing and peace. While these judgments have had a partial, past fulfilment, the complete fulfilment is yet to come, for the prophetic Word shows that the nations who have sinned against Jehovah and His people will be judged in a coming day, when Israel will be restored and be blest. Such is evident when we read the gracious, still future promises to His earthly people. See chapters xxviii:24-26 and xxix:21. These unfulfilled promises concerning Israel's restoration as well as spiritual prosperity make it clear that these judgments hold a definite relation to future events.

I. The Prophecy Concerning Ammon.

The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy
face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; And say unto
the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord
God; Because thou saidst; Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was
profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and
against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; Behold,
therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East for a
possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their
dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink
thy milk. And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the
Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am
the Lord. For thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast clapped
thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with
all thy despite against the land of Israel; Behold, therefore I will
stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil
to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will
cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and
thou shalt know that I am the Lord (verses 1-7).

A message concerning Ammon had been given before to Ezekiel (chapter xxi:28-32). The prophet Jeremiah also announced the coming judgment for the Ammonites: "It shall be a desolate heap and her daughters shall be burned with fire." But Jeremiah predicted a restoration of Ammon after the judgment. "And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord" (Jer. lxix:1-6). God will accomplish this in His own time and way. We do not need to trouble ourselves how He will fulfil His Word; He takes care of that. Still another prophet speaks concerning them. Zephaniah (ii:8-11) shows that they reproached God's people and were filled with pride. As we know, both Ammon and Moab had a deeply humiliating origin (Gen. xix:37-38) and had a racial connection with Israel. As the past history shows they were in constant conflict with Israel. When the sanctuary in the midst of God's people was profaned, the land laid desolate and the house of Judah went into captivity, they greatly rejoiced. Their exultation over Israel's sin and God's punishment revealed their own wicked, God-defying, unbelieving character. Therefore God is going to punish them. The men of the East were to conquer them and take them for a possession. The men of the East are the Bedouins. The word "palaces" must be translated "encampments." The Bedouins set up their tents in stone rings. And this prophecy has been fulfilled. The Bedouin nomads wander through Ammon's possession.

II. Prophecy Concerning Moab.

Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold,
the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen; Therefore, behold,
I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which
are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth,
Baal-meon and Kiriathaim, Unto the men of the east with the
Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may
not be remembered among the nations. And I will execute judgments
upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the Lord (verses 8-11).

Moab was the kin of Ammon.[17] Their country lay east of the Dead Sea. Other interesting prophetic messages on Moab are contained in Isaiah xv and xvi; Jer. xlviii and Amos ii:1. Jeremiah also gives a promise of Moab's restoration. "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord" (Jer. xlviii:47). Here the time of Moab's blessing is stated; it will be "in the latter days," the days still to come connected with the day of the Lord, the second Coming of Christ. Where Ammon and Moab are now, among what nations their descendants exist, is known to an omniscient God. How Moab will be brought back from captivity and installed in their territory in the latter days, we repeat, will be accomplished by the wisdom and power of God. The teaching which one hears occasionally, that the Ammonites and Moabites will be raised from the dead and restored physically is more than a fanciful speculation; it is an evil, unscriptural doctrine. The Word of God nowhere teaches a physical resurrection of ungodly nations of the past for a second chance. Moab also sneered at the house of Judah and mockingly declared "the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen." They were a proud and arrogant people. "We have heard of the pride of Moab, he is exceedingly proud, his loftiness and his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart" (Jer. xlviii:29). Isaiah gives the same description of their character (Isa. xvi:6). And the God of Israel who governs the nations and deals with them in judgment humbled them into the dust. The Bedouins are now likewise the possessors of their country. "And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the Lord." And these judgments upon proud, self-exalting, God-forgetting nations, are not confined to the past. Some nations of Europe, who claimed to be nations of civilization and making for righteousness, so often called "Christian nations," have been lifted up in pride, forgetting God in their prosperity, and now a righteous God has put His hand upon them, so that they should find out that He is the Lord.

[17] Moab and Ammon were the incestuous offspring of Lot. (Genesis xix:37-38.)

III. Prophecy Concerning Edom.

Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the
house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and
revenged himself upon them; Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I
will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and
beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of
Dedan shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom
by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according
to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God
(verses 12-14).

Edom, the descendants of Esau, the son of Jacob, was more closely connected with Israel than Ammon and Moab. And Edom's deeds were more pronouncedly against the people of God, more wicked and defiant, than the others. Israel was especially commanded not to abhor an Edomite. "Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother" (Deut. xxiii:7). They greatly offended and revenged themselves upon them. Amos declared their sin. "He did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever" (Amos i:11). Edom's pride is uncovered by Obadiah (Obd. verse 3-4), who also shows Edom's sin against his brother (verses 10-14). And the cruel Herods, the types of Antichrist, were Edomites. Edom's judgment is to be executed by Israel. This is to take place in a future day. See Obadiah's prophecy (verses 17-21) and (Amos ix:11-12). Yet judgment has long ago fallen upon Edom, as predicted in verse 14. What evidence that the words spoken by these prophets are the words of God, supernatural in their origin and sure in their fulfilment! We shall find some striking evidences in the predictions uttered by Ezekiel against Tyre and Egypt. There is a time coming when every prediction in the Bible will be accomplished. Then the Bible is gloriously vindicated and all its enemies will forever disappear.

IV. Prophecy Concerning the Philistines.

Thus saith the Lord God; Because the Philistines have dealt by
revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to
destroy it for the old hatred; Therefore thus saith the Lord God;
Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I
will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the
sea-coast. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious
rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my
vengeance upon them (verses 15-17).

Another "thus saith the Lord." The Philistines dwelt on a narrow strip on the seashore and were the long continued enemies of the people Israel. Jeremiah speaks of them (chapter cxlvii). See also Amos i:6-9; Joel iii:4; Isa. xiv:29-32. The vengeance of the Lord fell upon the coast of Palestina, the Philistines; and they experienced the fury of the Lord. He dealt with them who had corrupted His people. And so God will deal in due time with all His enemies.

PROPHECIES CONCERNING TYRUS.

Chapter xxvi.

A lengthy prophecy concerning Tyre is contained in this and the following chapters. It is of much interest. The divinely given predictions against that once powerful city have seen a literal fulfillment; certain periods of Tyre's downfall and overthrow are made known by the prophet. History confirms all that is written here. In subsequent chapters we find much information on the riches and the greatness of that ancient city, while the description of the King of Tyre, which fits only the prince of this world, Satan, who governed Tyre's King, is of intense interest and much importance. Here are also many spiritual lessons, and a good deal which finds a ready application to present day world-conditions.

I. The Overthrow of Tyrus Announced.

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, 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: 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.
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. 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. And her daughters which are in
the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am
the Lord. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon
Tyrus Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the
north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and
companies, and much people. 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. And
he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he
shall break down thy towers. 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. 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 do down to the ground. 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. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the
sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. 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 (verses 1-14).

The City of Tyrus (which means rock) was partly built upon an island off the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea. It was an ancient Phoenician city and is mentioned in Scripture for the first time in Joshua xix:29, where it is called "The strong city." It had a wonderful commerce, a description of which in its variety, we find in the twenty-seventh chapter. It was inhabited by seafaring men, and the prophet Isaiah describes this wealthy and influential city as "the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth" (Isaiah xxiii:8). We read in the next chapter how Syria, Persia, Egypt, Spain, Greece and every quarter of the ancient world laid their choicest and most precious things at the feet of Tyre, who sat enthroned on Ivory, covered with blue and purple from the isles of Elishah. Her beauty was perfect (Ez. xxvii:11). During the reign of David and Solomon, Tyre came into great prominence, playing an important role in the commercial, political and religious history of Israel. Hiram, King of Tyrus sent cedar trees to Jerusalem, as well as workmen, who built David a house (2 Sam. v:11). How Tyrus aided in the construction of the temple and the palace under Solomon's reign, may be learned by consulting the following passages: 1 Kings v:1-12; vii:13-14; 1 Chronicles xiv:1; 2 Chronicles ii:3, 11. When the ships of Solomon sailed away to Ophir, "Hiram sent in the navy his servants, ship-men that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon, and they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon" (1 Kings ix:27-28). The Tyrians were great voyagers, the masters of the sea, and founded colonies, among them Carthage. Israel's close relations with Tyrus continued probably for centuries. The wicked wife of King Ahab, Jezebel, was the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Tyre. She fostered successfully the vile Phoenician idolatry among Israel. Tyre also sent messengers to King Zedekiah, probably to form an alliance against the approaching Babylonian conqueror (Jere. xxvii:3). She was a proud, luxurious and wicked city, which defied God. She sinned against Jerusalem and the people Israel. Joel and Amos speak of her sins (Joel iii:4-6; Amos i:9-10) and announced her judgment. So did the prophet Isaiah (chapter xxiii) and Jeremiah (xlvii:4). Ezekiel gives us the completest description of this city, her resources, her luxuries and far reaching influence, her King under Satanic control and also the details of her judgment.

In the third verse of our chapter we read the divine announcement of Tyre's fate. "Behold I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causes its waves to come up. 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." It was to become a place for the spreading of nets and a spoil to the nations. This great judgment was not all at once carried out. Nebuchadnezzar came first against her as predicted in verses 7-11. He besieged the Tyre on the mainland and after thirteen years took the city; while that part of Tyrus which was built upon the island in the sea, protected by the fleet of Tyrus, escaped. Then came for her seventy years when she was forgotten, as predicted by Isaiah (xxiii:15). After these years had passed Tyrus saw a startling revival. The island city became more powerful and wicked than before, "she committed fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth" (Is. xxiii:17). The continental Tyrus, however, remained in ruins.

Centuries passed and it seemed as if Ezekiel's prophecy concerning Tyre's complete overthrow would remain unfulfilled. It was about 240 years after when the literal fulfillment of this prophecy was accomplished. Alexander the Great came against the city built on the island. After seven months the city was taken by means of a mole, by which the forces of Alexander could enter the city. In constructing this mole, Alexander made use of the ruins of the old city. The stones, timber and the very dust of the destroyed city was laid into the sea to erect the causeway which accomplished the utter ruin of the wealthy city. And thus Ezekiel's prophecy was fulfilled. "And they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water." The complete end of Tyrus had come. "And thou shalt be no more, though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again" (verse 21). So completely was the work done by Alexander, depositing the debris of the ruins of Tyrus on the mainland into the sea, that its exact site will remain undeterminable. And Alexander the Great fulfilled still another prophecy. Before he came on his mission, directed by God, to make an end of the proud and wicked city, Zechariah, the great post-exilic prophet, had once more announced the fate of Tyrus. "And Tyrus," said the Lord through Zechariah, "did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the ruin of the sheets." This was after Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the Tyrus on the mainland and she became the great island city. "Thus," said Zechariah, "behold, the Lord will cast her out, and He will smite her power in the sea, and she shall be devoured with fire" (Zech. ix:3-4). Alexander did this; he laid proud Tyrus in ashes.

What an evidence that all these words are the Word of God! God looks to the fulfillment of all He revealed to His prophets. It may appear often as if visions were in vain and prophecies remain unaccomplished. God does not need to be in a hurry; He can afford to take His time. But finally every prophecy contained in the Holy Scriptures will be fulfilled. Proud and boasting, like Tyrus, are the great nations of our age. Wealth and luxuries are seen on all sides and with it moral evil and every form of wickedness. Judgment is surely in store for the nations that forget God. As we know from the book of Revelation this present age will culminate in the formation of Babylon the Great. Much in Revelation xviii reminds us of Tyrus in this chapter of Ezekiel and the next chapter.

II. The Effect of Tyre's Fall and the Lamentation.

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? 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. 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! 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.
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. 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; 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
(verses 15-21).

The isles and the princes of the sea were deeply affected by her fall and overthrow. The princes came down from their thrones and laid away their robes and trembled at every moment. The lamentation they took up is on account of the destruction of the renowned city. In Revelation xviii we have a similar lament over the final Babylon, the end in judgment of a godless, materialistic civilization. (See Rev. xviii:9-19). Verses 19-20 give a description of the descent of Tyre into the pit. "When I shall make thee desolate, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep unto thee, and great waters shall cover thee; 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." The last sentence, which is a promise of glory, can only refer to the coming glory of the earthly Zion, the glory in store for Israel. Boasting, proud Tyrus is laid in the dust; her site completely blotted out. Other nations who hate Israel and continue in the wickedness of those ancient nations will also be broken to pieces, but Zion has a future of glory. When the time of the judgment of the nations comes God will set glory in Israel's land through the coming of the King of Glory. We have already pointed out the literal and startling fulfilment of the last verse of this chapter.

GLORIOUS TYRUS AND HER FALL.

Chapter xxvii.

"The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus." It is an interesting description of the world-wide commerce and glory of this once-proud world-city, which is given in this chapter. "_Sic transit gloria mundi_"--thus passeth the glory of the world; nothing but ruins instead of the wicked mistress of the sea; yea, her very site is no longer known. And what her glory was and how it passed away under divine displeasure is made known through the inspired prophet. Ezekiel certainly never saw Tyrus, nor did he have probably any knowledge of her grandeur, her great wealth and far-reaching commerce. But he was Jehovah's mouthpiece who put into his lips and pen all these words.

I. The Glory of Tyrus.

The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Now, thou Son of
man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus. And say unto Tyrus, O thou
that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of
the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord God; O Tyrus, thou
hast said, "I am of perfect beauty." Thy borders are in the midst of
the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made all
thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from
Lebanon to make masts for thee. Of the oaks of Bashan have they made
thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of
ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim. Fine linen with
broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be
thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elisha was that which
covered thee. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners:
thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots. The
ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy
thy merchandise. They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine
army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee,
they set forth thy comeliness. The men of Arvad with thine army were
upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers:
they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made
thy beauty perfect (verses 3-15).

The great city had her situation at the entry of the sea and was the trader for the people of many isles. Lifted up with pride, the powerful city boasted of perfect beauty. "O Tyrus, thou has said, I am of perfect beauty." Beginning with the fourth verse, we have a description of her as a monster ship. The borders in the midst of the seas, the builders perfecting her beauty. The shipboards, the masts and the oars from the oaks of Bashan are mentioned. The Ashurites made benches of ivory for this ship; the ivory was brought from the isles of Chittim (Cyprus, etc.). Fine linen and broidered work from Egypt she spread for sail. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were the sailors and her wise men pilots. It is all in the form of an allegory. Tyrus also had an army gathered from different nations.

Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of
riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the
persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. They of the house
of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.
The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise
of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and
ebony. Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the
wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds,
purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded
in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and
balm. Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy
making for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and
white wool. Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy
fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market. Dedan
was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots. Arabia, and all
the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams,
and goats: in these were they thy merchants. The merchandise of
Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy
fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and
gold. Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur,
and Chilmad, were thy merchants. These were thy merchants in all
sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests
of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy
merchandise. The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market:
and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of
the seas (verses 16-25).

The commerce of Tyrus is next vividly described. The description begins with Tarshish, then of great renown, and ends with mentioning the ships of Tarshish. And what are the articles of commerce mentioned? Silver, iron, tin, lead, slaves, vessels of brass, horses and mules. Then there were horns of ivory and ebony; emeralds, purple and broidered work, fine linen, coral and agate. Wheat of Minni and Pannag, honey, oil and balm; wine of Helbon and white wool. Then follow other articles of commerce: bright iron, cassia, calamus and precious cloths for chariots. They also traded in live stock: lambs and rams, and goats, besides spices, precious stones, gold chests of rich apparel, etc. Thus she was replenished and made glorious in the midst of the seas. Another world-city or system is described in the last book of the Bible, Babylon the great; the articles of her world-wide commerce are also given (Rev. xviii:12-13); it is much like the commerce of ancient Tyrus. Tyrus is a picture of a great world-city: rich, increased in goods, enjoying prosperity and filled with pride. As she passed away with all her glory, so others have crumbled into dust. Equally so will this present Godless civilization, culminating in Babylon the great, pass away under the judgment-stroke of God (Rev. xviii:15-19).

II. The Description of the Fall of Tyrus.