Book of Isaiah Bible Study - Part 17

Well, good evening, everyone. We are in Isaiah 22 and verse 15.

Isaiah 22 and verse 15. Studying the book of Isaiah, as you've heard me say before, it's really an anthology, a collection of writings and sermons, different missions.

Isaiah was given by God to perform, and these are recorded. Some of it is, you might say, redundant, but there's something new each time as you look at various scriptures. Here this evening, we're at a rather obscure prophecy in Isaiah 22 and verse 15, with regard to the replacing of Shebna with Eliachim, and all that portends. And one of the great challenges in the book of Isaiah is to know when it's present or when it's past or when it's future. And Isaiah can be writing or he can be speaking, and suddenly it shifts from the present to the future and back into and back into. So let's begin here with Isaiah 22 and verse 15.

Thus says the Lord God of hosts, and the God of hosts, the angelic realm, and the heavenly beings, Jesus Christ is over the host. And of course, the Father is over Jesus Christ. Thus says Lord God of hosts, go get you unto this treasurer.

And as we know back several years ago, a lot of people talked about the treasurer in the Worldwide Church of God and wanted to remove him and even turned to Isaiah 22 and equated the treasurer of that time in the church with the treasurer here in Isaiah. I think one of the lessons maybe we have learned through the years now is do not write your name in the Bible where God is not written.

You were a lot safer to do that, even unto Shebna, which is over the house and saved. Now, over the house means that he was the head of the household. He was, in essence, the foreign minister. He was the chief advisor to the king. He had a very high station and very high in the government under Hezekiah, apparently. What have you here and whom have you here that you hewed you out sepulchres here as he that hews him out sepulchre on high? The implication is that almost like he takes on the quality of a superior God-like being, when he says that he was at a sepulchre on high and that graves a habitation for himself in a rock. Now, in this prophecy here, we have these things to consider. Isaiah is told in verse 15, go get you under this treasurer. So here's a command from God to go personally and confront Shebna. It took tremendous courage and conviction from the prophets to perform the missions that God gave them to perform. And so God says, go to this Shebna and reprove him for his self-confidence, for his high opinion of himself and his sin.

Isaiah is also told that Shebna is going to be carried captive to a foreign land. We'll read that next. He's also told that he would be disposed and succeeded by a lyacim. And that's in verse 20. And a description of the character that honors the lyacim and his qualifications for the office are given in 22-21 and verses 21-24. But what we want to understand here is that Shebna is in some ways a type of any self-appointed or self-one that is filled with himself that seeks to rule over others. It goes so far as to indicate that it could be that Shebna is a type of the beast or even Satan himself.

But the commentators, basically what they do is that they try to make it fit the present situation that they were in at that time. But this prophecy extends far beyond the present time in which Isaiah confronted Shebna.

Shebna can be construed as a type of Judas also who was treasurer for Jesus and the apostles and betrayed Jesus. In some ways, as we noted, he is a type of the beast in that he set himself up over everyone else. We'll read scriptures about that. An lyacim who succeeded Shebna is a type of Christ in that many of the roles and responsibilities that were laid upon the lyacim are in essence laid upon Jesus Christ.

So now we are in verse 17. Behold, the Lord will carry you away that is Shebna away with a mighty captivity and will surely cover you. He will violently turn and toss you like a ball into a large country and you shall die there and the chariots of your glory shall be the shame of the Lord's house. In other words, what you're doing is shameful and it will not bring honor to the house of the king and the house that you're over. In fact, it will bring dishonor.

And I will drive you from your station and from the state shall pull you down and it shall come to pass in that day.

And notice that expression in that day. In that day, as we have noted many times, is a prophetic utterance and something big is about to follow. In that day, I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Healkiah. Now, there was a person named Eliakim and Healkiah, and so it can be directed toward the present, but as we shall see, the prophecy also fits what is revealed in Jesus Christ.

And I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your girdle, and I will commit your government into his hand that he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And the keys of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so that he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open. And even the commentaries here are forced, I guess I'll what you would say, forced to go to Isaiah 9 and verse 6 with regard to laying the government upon his shoulders. So let's go to Isaiah 9 and verse 6. For unto us a child is born, Jesus Christ, unto a son, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Now the everlasting Father, the Hebrew word there is ab, just two letters, ab, ab, and the first cooing son of a baby is generally ab, ab, ab, ab, whether or not that is really indicative of the fact that the Father is the one that begets and all of that or not. And sometimes mothers say, well, when is he or she ever going to call mom, mom, mom?

But it's to begin with is ab, ab, ab, but Father also can mean counselor, one that guides, one that directs, and Jesus Christ, of course, guides and directs. He is the head of the Church of God, and the government of the kingdom of God will be upon his shoulder. Of course, he will be over everything and everybody, every being, with one exception, and that, of course, is God the Father. And that is covered in 1 Corinthians 15.

Of the increase of his the everlasting, I left off the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. By the increase of his government and peace, there should be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. God is going to make sure, and he has made sure, that the Son has come, the Son has been born, and the Son is going to carry out all of these things.

And the Son is going to set upon the throne of David. Let's go now to Luke chapter 1 and we'll begin in verse 32. He shall be great and he shall be called the Son of the Highest. He's the Son of God. He's the only begotten Son. And the Lord God should give unto him the throne of his Father David. Now, the lie to him was given the keys, the key of David. Now, Jesus Christ in Revelation chapter 3 will go there. At the beginning of each message to the seven churches, characteristics of Jesus Christ are given before the description of that particular church area or era in the Son, say, in Revelation chapter 3, and we want to begin in verse 7.

And to the angel of the church at Philadelphia, write these things, says, He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David. Jesus Christ has the key of David. See, once again, John gives characteristics under Revelation from the Revelation begins with God the Father, who gave it to Christ, who gave it to the angel, to give to John, and John was to give it to the churches. And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia, write these things, says, He that is holy, that's Jesus Christ. He that is true, Jesus Christ, He says, I am the truth and the light. He that hath the key of David. He that opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens.

The door of salvation for the masses was opened, Pentecost 31 A.D., when the Apostle Peter preached his inspired sermon, and the New Covenant Church began, the Church of God. On Pentecost 31 A.D., and some 3,000 souls were added to the Church. That is the beginning, officially, of the New Covenant Church. Then he goes on to begin to describe the various characteristics of Philadelphia. We want to focus on the key, the key of David. The key of David, David was a king, and to have the key of David is to have the key to entrance into whatever David had. Shebna was over the house, and now Lyacim is over the house, and he, of course, would have a key to open up the house of David. The house of David, in the ultimate sense, is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. Jesus Christ holds the key of David. He holds the key to the kingdom of God. We want to go now to Matthew 16, verse 16. Matthew 16 and verse 16. Simon Peter answered and said, and the question was, who do men say that I am? And various ones said various things. And Peter said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said in him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father, which is in heaven. So apparently, from reading the Scriptures, Peter had come to understand who Jesus Christ was. He was the Messiah. He was the Son of God. And of course, some of Peter's actions later on didn't necessarily reflect that. But Peter was the great apostle of hope. Peter was told that he would not get out of this world alive except through crucifixion. He who was the leading apostle in many ways in the spokesman. He who gave the sermon on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent to the church. He who went to the house of Cornelius, and it was revealed that the Gentiles would also be given the Holy Spirit. And the household of Cornelius was baptized after the Holy Spirit had fallen upon them.

It's one of the cases in which the Holy Spirit came before baptism. In most cases, of course, the Holy Spirit comes after baptism with a lay-on of hands. And Peter lived his life knowing that he would be crucified. But as we read on here, Peter plays a very important role in verse 18. And I say also unto you that you are Peter, that upon this rock, you are Peter, you are Petros, you are a little rock. And upon this rock, Petra, big rock, I will be on my church, and the gates of Hades, the grave, shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And Peter was privileged on that day of Pentecost to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And closing the sermon after the people asked, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said, repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Of course, Peter gave the short formula, the whole formula is you have to repent of your sins, you have to exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ. Apparently, that was a given, and you have to receive the Holy Spirit after you are baptized in water. So I say unto you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, and we read that verse 19, I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

How do you open the keys of the kingdom of heaven? And Peter preached that on Pentecost, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. See, the government of God was upon Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ holds the keys to the kingdom. The keys to the kingdom were given to Peter and the church. The church was given a great commission. We want to read a commission, and I want to make a statement or two about that commission, which is a statement in Matthew 28. Matthew 28 and verse 18. Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power, all power, is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go to you therefore, and teach all nations.

Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Now, many times we have said that we are not a proselytizing church.

Pray tell, why do we have any kind of public proclamation if we're not a proselytizing church? Proselytizing is not maybe a nice term that one might want to use, but we are commanded to go preach and teach the Word of God.

You know, in Romans chapter 10, beginning verse 14, Paul says that how shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach unless they be sent?

And so, God raised up the church to preach and teach the Word of God. And then Romans 10.17 says, and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You got to go preach and teach the Word of God for it to convict anyone. So, the Holy Spirit working in conjunction with the Word of God will convict the center of his way, and he will turn from it. Or he may save a more convenient day, as Festus did with Paul, and many others have said a more convenient day, and people now thinking they can tread water, that I won't be baptized, and if I'm not baptized, then I'm not really a part of the church.

The one that hardens his heart continually, as it says in Proverbs 29 and verse 1, I believe it is, in the center who often hardens his heart, shall be destroyed and dealt without remedy. You can only reject Christ so many times.

So, we continue here with the Great Commission, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I've commanded you, and lo, I am with you, even until the end of the world. So, Jesus Christ fulfilled what was laid upon the shoulder of Eliakim. So, in that sense, we can say that Eliakim is a type of Christ. So, we're going back now to Isaiah 22 verse 22, and read that again.

In the key of the house of David, will I lay upon his shoulder?

Of course, the government has laid upon the shoulder of God, and in this case, I'm speaking of Christ. So, he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut, and none shall open, as we read from Revelation chapter 3 verse 7.

And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. Well, Eliakim was not a king. Eliakim never sat on a throne that's recorded in the Bible, for sure. He was never the king of Israel or Judah. I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. At the present time, Jesus Christ sits on the throne of his father David, I mean, of his father David, and of course, that is in abeyance until the time that Jesus Christ comes again. Now, if we go to Revelation chapter 3, we'll see that Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father upon the Father's throne. But in the world tomorrow, the world to come, Jesus Christ is going to sit upon his own throne.

And so we look at Revelation 3, and we'll begin in verse 19. Revelation 3, 19.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. See, at the midnight hour, the knock is going to come on the door. The bridegroom is coming. All 10 got up to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise, five were foolish. And if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me.

We are given the opportunity for salvation now. Our children are given opportunity for salvation now. You can always resist the Spirit of God, but through the preaching of the Word of God, if God is calling a person, he will lay upon that person a conviction. That conviction will be so strong that he will be so uncomfortable that he will eventually harden his heart and reject it, or he will commit it. This word commit in the New Testament has to do with the place in sacred trust. When God calls us and gives us the opportunity to repent and be in his church and receive his Spirit, then he is placing it in sacred trust with us. He's committing that trust to us that we teach it, that we preach it, that we live it.

We teach and preach it by the way we live, whether we are, quote, an ordained minister or any other office, that we are to teach it, preach it, live it, whatever our station is in the church.

Continuing here, to him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, in my throne, even as I am overcome and am sat down with my Father in his throne.

So apparently, in the wonderful world tomorrow, we're going to sit with Jesus Christ in his throne. And if you look at Revelation 22 in verse 1, and this verse indicates that God the Father and Jesus Christ are sitting upon a throne in Revelation 22, verse 1. And he showed me a pure river of water, a pure water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

So it's wonderful to know that we are going to be able to sit with Jesus Christ on his throne. And as a reason, the first, I believe, is Revelation 20 in verse 4, where it says that thrones were cast and they sat upon them, that judgment was given to them. And as you know, as the Scripture says, we are going to judge angels. So we have such a tremendous high calling. High calling. We're going to be kings and priests in the kingdom of God. We shall be called the ministers of God. And what a wonderful calling that is. In some ways, you know, we have been given in many... Well, to say in some ways, we have been given the keys of the kingdom. We know how to enter into the kingdom of God.

And so Isaiah 22-24 again, and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue and all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups, even to the vessels of flaggots, from the least to the largest.

Of course, Satan has tried to take over the throne of God. And Satan even calls, says that he has a throne. He is the God of this world. But Satan will never be able to try up over God. Notice what Satan says in Isaiah 14 and verse 17. Isaiah 14 verse 17, what Satan says when he tried to take over the throne of God. Notice that he says that he has a throne. And Isaiah 14 verse 17. Oh, it's in 14. It's Isaiah 12 and verse 14. Satan says, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. And continuing, yet you shall be brought down, yet you shall be brought down to the grave, to the sides of the pit. Satan tried to exalt himself above the throne of God. It's verse 13 that I want to focus on. Where you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. Stars are often used symbolically for the angels. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. Where Jesus Christ holds the office of the God of the heavenly host. God Jesus Christ is over the angelic host. And I will set also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. So Satan claims that he has a throne. In 2 Corinthians 4, 4, Paul writes that Satan is the God of this present evil age. So to recap, once again, Jesus holds the keys to the kingdom. The government is going to be upon his shoulders. He will be over everything except God the Father.

Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter and the church. The church has been commissioned to take the keys of the kingdom to the whole world, to preach the gospel everywhere, to disciple all nations, teach them to observe all things, whatever I've commanded you.

And Jesus Christ says that if we overcome, we're going to sit with him on his throne here on the earth. If you read in... maybe we should turn to this scripture because this is a very interesting scripture. It's Ezekiel 20...

27. I didn't write this down either, and I believe it's Ezekiel 27.

And... no, I'm looking for Ezekiel 43 and verse 7. Sometimes I don't know.

This lexic mind gives things turned around.

In Ezekiel 43 and verse 7, speaking of thrones, And he said unto me, he said of men, the place of my throne, and the place of the sides of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of God forever.

And my holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile, whether they nor their... neither they nor their kings by their hoarder, nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places. What a wonderful verse that is. And he said unto me, son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. And my holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile. Of course, there will be people living over into the millennium, but flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So at the resurrection of the just, of course, we will be changed into the spirit beings, and we will be ruling over with God and Christ over the nations. And of course, Israel will be the model nation, as it says in Zachariah 8.

Those are the languages from various nations will catch hold in the skirt of a Jew and say, we have heard that God is with you. Lead us to your God. Teach us your way. And God is going to send out emissaries all over the earth. Those who have never heard of his name and his fame. To teach that way. So now we come to Isaiah 23. The burden of tire. Now this is tire is such an interesting study. Because there's no telling how many times that tire is used in the Bible. This has to do with the judgment of tire. The burden of tire, of course, tire was judged one time and destroyed and rebuilt. And it was a shadow of its former self. But tire is also called Tyris, T-Y-R-U-S, in Ezekiel 27. Tire was a city-state just off the coast of Palestine. In fact, they at times have built a land bridge out to it or some kind of bridge. But it is an island city-state. It was known for its harbors and for its ships and for its merchandising. And Tarshish, we see here the burden of tire.

How you shipped to Tarshish for it is laid waste. Tarshish was a city in Spain. It was the trademark of that period of history, especially when the Phoenicians were traveling the Mediterranean and trading with Tarshish in Spain. Silver, gold, and all kinds of precious things were traded at that time. The burden of tire. How you shipped to Tarshish for it is laid waste, that is, tire, so that there is no house, no entering in from the land of Kitim. And Kitim is one of the ancient names for the island of Cyprus. Cyprus is in the Mediterranean, as you know. So let's talk a little bit about tire and siding before we read any more. Tires are a type of the end time Babylonian world order system. In some ways, it is stated as such in Ezekiel 27-28, and the language that is used for the judgment of tires, they're similar to the language that is used for the judgment of Babylon in Revelation 18.

Ezekiel 27 describes her wide trading circle of virtually all the nations in the Mediterranean, including Judah. So if we turn to Ezekiel 27, we were in Ezekiel 43 just now, so we turn to Ezekiel 27. I don't know what I said, but it's Ezekiel 27. And we'll notice here in Ezekiel 27, the various trading partners of tire.

So let's read here the first three verses of Ezekiel 27.

The word of the Lord came into me saying, Now you, said of man, take up a lamentation for Tyris. As I said, Tyris is another name for tire.

And say unto Tyris, O you are situated at the entry of the sea, which are a merchant of the people for many isles. So all across the isles of the Mediterranean, all the way to Tarshish in Spain, you, who says Lord God, O Tyris, have said, I am a perfect beauty. Now who else said that they were a perfect beauty?

Your borders are in the midst of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty.

They have made all the shipboards of the trees of Sinar. They have taken cedars from Lebanon to make mask of you of the oaks of Bashan, ivory of the isles of Kitim, Cyprus, Berlinen from Egypt.

And inhabitants of Sidon and Arbed were your mariners, your wise men. Verse 8, that were in you were your pilots, the ancients of Gebal.

They of Persia, they of Archet.

Now notice 12, Tarshish 13, Javen 2, Beishach. Verse 13, Haase to Garmah. Verse 15, Dedan 16, Syria 17, Judah 18, Damascus 19, Dan 20, Dedan 21, Arabia, Kidar 22, the merchants of Sheba and Rama 23, Haran and Carmel. These were your merchants and all sorts of things. So you see here that Tyre was a very important city and it was a type of Babylon at that time. And as we shall see clearly a little later on, that it is the king of Tyre was a type of Satan the devil. And it goes from there into a description of Satan himself, as we shall see. Now let's go to Isaiah, back to Isaiah. I wanted to give a bit of an overview there.

The Tyre is a type of the entire Babylonian world order system. The king of Tyre is a type of Satan. Ezekiel 27 describes her wide trading circle of virtually all the nations in the Mediterranean, including Judah, as we said.

Paradoxically, Tyre was destroyed and they were rebuilt, but they were destroyed under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.

More about that later. Ezekiel, in Isaiah, now Isaiah 23, too, we go back there.

Be still, you inhabitants of the isle, you whom the merchants of Zidin that pass over. Now Zidin was just south of Tyre, and they were like twin cities, and they were on these little islands just off the coast that pass over the sea have replenished. And by great waters, the seed of Sahor. Now all the commentators say that the Sahor should be translated as the Nile, because there's no great river by that name, and by great waters, the seed of denial. The harvest of the river is her revenue. So all the precious things from Egypt came up, the spices, the cotton, the linen, the various things from Egypt. And she is a mart of nations.

Be you ashamed, O Satan, for the sea has spoken even the strength of the sea, saying, I surveil not, I surveil not, nor bring forth children. Neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up convergence. So this is a figure of speech indicating the sea is speaking of Sidon as you're not going to bring up children, you're not going to nourish young men, you're not going to bring up virgins anymore, you should be ashamed. See, for the sea has spoken. And it's a play on words, it's a figure of speech. And God through Isaiah is describing what Tyre and Sidon are going to become. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. So when they heard about the fall of Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the fall of Tyre. Pass you over to Tarshish, how you inhabitants of the isle. Is this your joyous city whose antiquity is of ancient days?

It was said that Tyre was one of the most beautiful cities in the Middle East during its heyday. In fact, it was one time called the Holy City. Of course, Jerusalem is the Holy City. And what makes things holy? I've said this several times over the years. See, sacred things point toward a higher reality. So we sing sacred songs pointing toward a higher reality, praising God.

Holy things, on the other hand, have God's active presence in them. When Moses saw the burning bush and he turned to look and see, and the voice spoke and said, Take off your shoes, Moses, because you're standing on holy ground.

God's presence makes things holy. The saints are called holy because God's active presence is in them. So you are a holy people. You're a holy convocation. You have God's holy spirit in you. So you are called holy. Be ye holy, as 1 Peter says. Be ye holy as I am holy. I am holy. That's what God says. People want to say, I'm no holy, I'm no holy, Joe. I'm just an average person. No, you're not just an average person. If you have the keys of the kingdom and you have entered through that door of repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, and you have received the Holy Spirit and God's active presence is in you.

Is this your joyous city whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feature carry her far off to Sojour, who had taken this council against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earths?

Very similar to what is said of Babylon in Isaiah 18. The Lord of Hosts has purposes yet to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. The high and mighty that are riding high now that are calling the shocks. The rule of the elite has arrived, and it's going to arrive and thrive much more than it ever has.

And the cry of the poor is going to, as it talks about in James, is going to rise up and reach the ears of the Lord of Shabbos, and eventually he's going to intervene.

We see the riots going on in China at the present time, those poor, oppressed people.

Yet not so long ago, the head of Apple came out and said, oh, China is such a wonderful model. He said this in 2019, that they have lifted so many people out of poverty, and they're trying to enforce a zero tolerance of COVID. And so they have cities locked down, so you can't go out unless you have permission. And a fire broke out in one of the apartment houses. Generally, the people of China live in eight to 1200 square feet, whole families in apartment buildings, high-rise buildings. And so 10 people died, including a child. And so the people take to the streets and they start to riot.

But what do we do? What does the President of the United States do?

Nothing so far. Let China handle their own problems. But the day is coming, and who knows how soon or how far in which everyone is going to be held accountable. All the honorable of the earth, everyone whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be deceived, and they will worship the beast's power. It says it clearly in Revelation 13, verse 8, pass through your land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish.

The daughter of Tarshish has to do with the mound, the land bridge that surrounded her, that kept her from being flooded. The river is going to flow through, and they are going to be destroyed. He stretches out his hand over the seas. He shook the kingdoms. The Lord has given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy the strongholds thereof. And he said, you shall no more rejoice, O you oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidin. Arise and pass over to Cyprus.

There also shall you have no rest.

Now the irony right here, behold the land of the Chaldeans, who destroyed Sidon way back then, in circa 700s BC, well Nebuchadnezzar and his army did.

It might have been 600 BC, but somewhere in that range of 700 to 650 BC, Nebuchadnezzar and his generals overran Tyre and Sidon and destroyed it. It was rebuilt.

How you shipped some Tarshish for your strength is laid waste. You don't have those trading partners anymore. And it shall come to pass in that day. The Tyre shall be forgotten 70 years, according to the days of one king, after the end of 70 years shall Tyre seen as an harlot.

Tyre never got the point. Tyre never truly repented. Babylon never truly repents. Taking harp, go about the city, you harlot, that have been forsaken, make sweet melody, sing many songs that you may be remembered. And it shall come to pass at the end of 70 years that the Lord will visit Tyre and shall turn to her higher and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. So you see now Tyre suddenly becomes not just limited to those nations and islands that surround the Mediterranean.

It is a worldwide phenomenon as Babylon in Revelation 18. And shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And that's what Babylon does in Revelation 18. We've read it before.

And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. In other words, all the precious things that Tyre, side Babylon, you name it, boasted in, is going to be given over into the hands of the holy people. The hands of the people whose God is actively present in their lives. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. They shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, and to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing. See what a turn of events. Going from local Tyre to the end times to the millennium.

Now, I was hoping that we would get to Ezekiel 28.

I'm asking you for next time. We'll begin in Ezekiel 24 next time. But we have more to say about 23 before we begin in 24. So, in preparation for next time, I want you to read all of Ezekiel 28. Generally, when our ministers give sermons, and I know this is what I've done, basically, I start in verse 12. Now, take up a lamentation against the king of Tyre. And the king of Tyre is the type of Satan, and goes on describing Satan. But there's a lot of important information in those first 11 verses with regard to Tyre, Babylon, and Satan. So, next time, Isaiah 24, and then your assignment is to read Ezekiel 28 as well. Isaiah 24, and 25. I don't know how far we'll get. But that's what we have for next time.