Ezekiel Chapter 27, Part 1

Lamentation for Tyre

VERSE 1 and 2 “The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, “Now, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre.”

The previous chapter was proclaimed to be a Proclamation against Tyre while Chapter 27 is designated a Lamentation for Tyre.

A proclamation is a public or official announcement, especially one dealing with a matter of great importance: a decree, order, edict, command, rule, ruling, announcement, declaration.

A lamentation is an expression of sorrow, mourning, or regret: an act or instance of lamenting a song of lamentation. 2. Lamentation—a funeral dirge, eulogizing her great attributes, to make the contrast the greater between her former and her latter state.

“Like Chapter 26, this chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of the city of Tyre (or that power or government) because of past actions, particularly their attitude toward Israel during the 70 years of captivity (See Verse 2 in our study of Chapter 26). Ezekiel 27:1–25 is a word picture of the tremendous wealth of both Tyre and the papal system.” Both were built upon the resources of other nations.

VERSE 3 “and say to Tyre, ‘you who are situated [sit or dwell] at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coast-lands, thus says the Lord God: “O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’”

“The Gateway to the Sea”

Even as literal Tyre was situated at the entrance to the sea, a great merchant seaport for merchandise, flowing both in and out from amongst the many coastal nations so too symbolic Tyre (Babylon the Great) claims to be the merchant (ecclesiastical ruler) of the sea (the people), the one and only gateway to God.

“The name Babylon originally signified God’s gateway; but afterward, in derision, it came to mean mixture or confusion. In the book of Revelation this name is applied specifically to the church nominal, which, from being the gate-way to glory, became a gate-way to error and confusion, a miserable mixture composed chiefly of tares, hypocrites — a confused mass of worldly profession in which the Lord’s jewels are buried, and their true beauty and luster hidden.

In symbolic prophecy, the term Babylon is applied at times only to the Church of Rome, called ‘Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots.’ The name could apply only to her for centuries, so long as she was the only mixed system and would tolerate no others; but (during the Reformation) other ecclesiastical systems, not so great as the ‘mother,’ nor yet so wicked, nor so radically wrong, sprang up out of her, through various attempted though imperfect reforms.

Errors, tares and worldliness in these also largely predominating, the name Babylon is used as a general or family name for all the nominal Christian systems, and now includes not only the Church of Rome, but all Protestant sects as well; for, since Papacy is designated the mother system, we must regard the various Protestant systems which descended from her as the daughters — a fact very generally admitted by Protestants, and sometimes with pride.” C154

“The fact that Christendom (comprised of both Mother and daughter systems) does not accept the Bible term ‘Babylon,’ and its significance, confusion, as applicable to her, is no proof that it is not so. Neither did ancient Babylon claim the Bible significance— confusion. Ancient Babylon presumed to be the very ‘gate of God’; but God labeled it, Confusion (Gen. 11:9): and so it is with her antitype to- day. She calls herself Christendom, the gateway to God and everlasting life; while God calls her Babylon—confusion.” D25, D26.

“O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’

The system is merchant to people of many coast-lands. She has brought her teachings to all the Christian nations, proudly announcing ‘I am perfect in beauty.’

“I sit a queen; I am not a widow, and shall see no sorrow” (Rev 18:7) “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing…” (Rev 3:17)

“For over a century the mother Church and her daughters have had a comfortable and prosperous living. This Laodicean adequacy and complacency (“Because thou says, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”—Rev. 3:17) is also reflected in the papal Church viewing herself as “a queen, and…no widow.” Her claim of not being a widow is predicated upon the supposed unbroken chain of apostolic succession of her popes (acting as head of the Church), who have survived despite the loss of temporal dominion.

Her further boast that she “shall see no sorrow” reveals the Babylonian spirit of pride and vain security while under long-term siege before sudden destruction. The order from God, “so much torment and sorrow give her,” pertains to the pouring of the plagues, particularly the seventh, which will be delivered with energy and conviction yet in the spirit of meekness, aided and directed by the Lord’s grace.” (Keys of Revelation, Page 465-466)

Isaiah Chapter 47 verses 5, 7-11 is of significance here as describing the arrogant attitude and demeanor of the professing church just prior to God’s rendering judgement upon it. We will take a short look at it in our next post.