TYRE: AMAZING FULFILLMENT OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY
After landing in Beirut we traveled by car to our destination, Trye Church in the City of Tyre. Modern Tyre has grown right around the ruins of the ancient Biblical City. There’s so much connected history here, fulfilled Bible prophecy, the competition and clash of cultures and civilizations. Today Tyre is a peninsula, but once it was an Island fortress until Alexander the Great cast the rubble of the mainland city previously destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon into the sea to build a causeway to the Island to conquer it. This was the dramatic fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy.
Ezekiel 26: A Prophecy Against Tyre
1 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, 2 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: 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
The prophecy continues to name Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon as the destroyer of the mainland city. This was fulfilled, according to Josephus, in the years 586 B.C. – 573 B.C. the Babylonian siege of Tyre lasted thirteen years. Though the mainland city was destroyed and left in rubble the island city was not. After Alexander the Great defeated the Medo/Persian King Darius III in 333 B.C. he turned aside as he passed near Tyre and sent word to Tyre that he would pray there that night. The Tyrians said, no and another siege was on. To conquer the city, Alexander had to build a causeway between the mainland and the walled island city. To do so the Greeks, just as Ezekiel had foretold, cast the rubble of the old city into the sea to build the causeway. To complete it they literally dug down to the bedrock and scraped the dust into baskets to have enough material to complete the causeway. For centuries the barren bedrock where the old city once was became a place where fishermen spread out their nets to dry.
That was long ago but the conflict continues between Israel & Lebanon. Hezbollah is backed and furnished with arms by Iran. While we were in Israel, the Iranians launched missiles at Israeli targets in the Golan Heights.
There’s every indication that we may soon see another of Ezekiel’s prophecies fulfilled (Ezekiel 38 & 39). Nevertheless, Lebanon is a beautiful land filled with beautiful peace loving people just as Israel. In the meantime we should all pray for the reconciliation of the two great nations.
We’d come to visit the Tyre Church; to see the work they’re doing and how we could come along side them to further the Gospel in the land. Pastor Mohammed and his family and team have done an incredible work here. Since the Syrian civil war broke out, Lebanon has been inundated with refugees. The Tyre Church is filled with these desperate folks who’ve come to know The Lord. We had the privilege of doing two special services, one for the Men and one for the Women.
40 SYRIAN WOMEN RESPONDED TO PAM’S INVITATION TO RECEIVE JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR.
Our host, Jeremy, is an outstanding music teacher. Among the many offerings the church provides for the refugees is schooling for the children, which includes an excellent music program. Unless you understand the situation here, it’s hard to grasp the importance of such a program. Not only do these kids learn music but they begin to see that life can and will return to normal for them even after all they’ve seen and endured.
ASSESSMENT:
Lebanon is an excellent opportunity for us to extend our Middle Eastern Outreach. We have Ministers and Ministries that can come and help the boots that are already on the ground here. Pastor Mohammed and his people have a vision to expand their Lighthouse Ministry to several other Middle Eastern Nations. We can help this become a reality by working with our brothers and sisters who are of like heart and spirit.
Jack Harris
Jack Harris Ministries 