**The Fall of Tyre: A Prophecy of Judgment**
In the days when the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, the prophet of exile, the city of Tyre stood as a proud and mighty fortress by the sea. Tyre, a Phoenician city, was renowned for its wealth, its merchants, and its strategic location on the Mediterranean coast. Its ships sailed to distant lands, trading in precious goods, and its people grew rich and arrogant, believing their city to be invincible. But the Lord, who sees the hearts of men and the pride of nations, had a message for Tyre—a message of judgment and destruction.
It was in the eleventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying, “Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.”
The Lord’s voice was like thunder, and His words carried the weight of divine authority. Tyre had rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, seeing it as an opportunity to prosper even more. But the Lord saw their malice and their greed, and He would not let it go unpunished. Ezekiel, trembling under the power of the Spirit, continued to listen as the Lord described the fate that awaited the proud city.
“They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers,” the Lord declared. “I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. She shall become plunder for the nations, and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel saw in his mind’s eye the great city of Tyre, its walls towering high, its harbors filled with ships from every nation. He saw its merchants, dressed in fine linen and purple, trading in gold, silver, and precious stones. But then he saw the armies of many nations rising against her, like waves crashing upon the shore. The Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, would come first, laying siege to the city with battering rams and siege towers. The once-proud walls would crumble under the relentless assault, and the streets would run red with blood.
The Lord continued, “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers. He will kill with the sword your daughters on the mainland. He will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound against you and raise a roof of shields against you. He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers.”
Ezekiel shuddered as he envisioned the destruction. The city, once a beacon of commerce and power, would be reduced to rubble. Its people, who had trusted in their wealth and their gods, would find no refuge. The Lord’s judgment would be thorough and complete. “They will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise,” the Lord said. “They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. Your stones and timber and soil they will cast into the midst of the waters.”
But the judgment would not end with the Babylonians. The Lord spoke of a second wave of destruction, carried out by other nations. “I will make you a bare rock,” He said. “You shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall never be rebuilt, for I am the Lord; I have spoken.”
Ezekiel saw the city’s fate as a warning to all who would exalt themselves above the Lord. Tyre’s pride had led to its downfall, and its destruction would serve as a testament to the sovereignty of God. The prophet’s heart was heavy as he delivered the message to the exiles, reminding them that the Lord is just and His judgments are true.
In time, the prophecy came to pass. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre for thirteen years, and though the city resisted valiantly, it eventually fell. The mainland city was destroyed, and the island fortress was left in ruins. Later, Alexander the Great would complete the destruction, using the rubble of the old city to build a causeway to the island. Tyre, once a jewel of the sea, became a desolate place, a reminder of the futility of human pride.
And so, the word of the Lord through Ezekiel was fulfilled. The nations saw the power of the Almighty, and His name was glorified. For He alone is the Lord, the ruler of the seas and the judge of the earth.
