THE eleventh year (verse 1) brought the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem to destruction at the hands of the Babylonians (Jeremiah 52:5-27), and God here links with that most solemn dealing with His earthly people what is in type and representation the judgment of the world—the present order of things, as we may say.
Tyre, in the prophecies of Ezekiel 26, 27, and 28 represents the world, not the physical earth, but that worldly system winch had its beginning with Cain (Genesis 4:16-21), and after the flood substantially expanded under Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10), others patterning after these through the centuries until the present hour.
The people of God have ever been called on to walk in holy separation from the world, and the believer’s true path is not difficult to discover in the writings of inspiration, both Old and New Testaments. Enoch’s life and testimony (Genesis 5:22-24; Jude 11, 15), and Abraham’s, Jeremiah’s and Daniel’s histories—to which we would add Balaam’s testimony in. Numbers 23:9 (not to multiply refences) all speak loudly of the rightful position of the child of God while passing through this earthly scene. The Christian, truly, is called to a measure of separation quite beyond and distinct from that of the Old Testament saints, as John 17:14; Philippians 3:20, 21 and other scriptures abundantly prove, but the principle of separation is the same for both Old and New Testament believers.
Israel’s utterly failing to maintain separation to God from the world according to His Word, was the cause of their fall, but even so long as Judah and Jerusalem remained, the world of that day felt in some measure restrained, hindered from the aims before it, which left out God entirely. We may see illustrations of this restraint and the character and enmity of the world in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 8; Revelation 11:7-10, and how much more manifested in the testimony of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John concerning the earthly life of the Faithful and True Witness, the Lord Jesus!
Tyre, therefore, rejoiced in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, not as Ammon, Moab and Edom did, in their jealous hatred of Israel, but because the hindrance was now removed which kept back the development of their city as the great market of the eastern world: “Aha, she is broken, the gate of the peoples! She is turned unto me; I shall be replenished now she is laid waste” (verse 2). God sees and knows every heart; its “thoughts and intents” (Hebrews 4:12) are manifest to Him who is the Author of the written Word.
Tyre was to be assailed in due time by many nations; its walls and towers to be destroyed; so complete was to be the work of destruction that her dust should be scraped from her, herself made a bare rock. Today Tyre is but a small fishing village near the ruins of the once proud city; the Word of God has been fulfilled.
Nebuchadnezzar attacked Tyre, and kept it under siege for thirteen years. Alexander the Great afterward conquered it. It is thought that verse 12 refers to this second conquest, as it does not appear that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the place.
When the city finally lost its greatness we can well understand the consternation felt in the various cities and countries with which it had carried on an extensive trade. Thus Tyre’s judgment served God’s purpose as a type of this world and its judgment, as suggesting in some measure the day of terror which will be when the world is actually judged.
When this world meets its Judge, far greater than the distress of the nations of which verses 1048 tell will be the anguish of the despisers of God’s grace. The Scriptures afford us no word regarding it. Revelation 6:15-17 tells of the-first alarm which will soon pass away, and chapter 18:15-19 refers to the destruction to be visited by men upon the religious corruptress of the last days, but the judgment of God will be after these events.
ML-12/01/1935