Ezekiel Chapter 27, Part 4

VERSE 12 “Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods.”

“Tarshish” is Spain in this context. Tyre traded all around the Mediterranean basin, and Spain was known for its mineral wealth.

VERSE 13 “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.

“They bartered human lives.” Slave traffic was a primary staple of the time. Spiritually speaking, trading with “human lives” corresponds to Rev 18:13, for the Babylonish whore, the Roman Catholic Church, has made merchandise of the souls of men.

VERSE 14-24 “Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. The men of Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm. Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. Dan and Javan paid for your wares, [f]traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.”

“All of these places existed in the days of the prophet, and each was noted for particular goods. It is not important to look for an antitype here. The narrative is simply showing a worldwide maritime power that corresponds to the universal Roman Catholic Church.”

VERSE 25 “The ships of Tarshish [Babylon] were carriers of your merchandise. You were filled and very glorious in the midst of the seas.”

Again “Tarshish” was Spain. With its mercantile fleet, Spain controlled the Straits of Gibraltar at that time.

Antitype: The Roman Catholic Church has likewise been engaged in worldwide commerce. Businesses, craftsmen, cathedrals, robes, incense, etc., are all part of a universal religious empire with natural dealings that have resulted in the prosperity of many people. Rev 18:11–16 shows that when the system goes down, the kings and merchants who benefited financially from the Roman Catholic Church will mourn.

Spiritually speaking we could say, the “ships”, (the various religious entities which do commerce, which deal in religious affairs, i.e. the various sects, denominations and etc.) have been the conveyance method for the merchandise (the doctrines) of the apostate church.

“Verse 25 begins a new section, and glides back into the original metaphor of the ship, as was described in Verses 4-9, the ships of Tarshish are used here generically for merchant-ships. The catalogue of the commerce ends with Verse 24, and the more poetic imagery reappears. It was, as centering in herself all that they brought to her that the merchant-city was “very glorious in the midst of the waters.” (Pulpit Commentary)

“The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou was replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.” (As taken from the Authorize Version)

“Sing of thee”—personification; thy great merchant ships were palpable proofs of thy greatness. Others translate from a different Hebrew root, “were thy (mercantile) travelers.” Fairbairn translates, “Were thy walls.” But the parallelism to “thou was glorious” favors English Version, “sing of thee.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

This last tends to give the correct thought. The great merchant ships (the various denominations) were palpable proofs of the greatness of Tyre (of Mystic Babylon), that is to say the very fact that they did commerce with her, bought and sold her merchandise (taught her doctrines) gave evidence of her supposed glory.

VERSE 26 “Your oarsmen brought you into many waters, but the east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.”

Verse 26 is prophetic; it begins to paint a picture of doom. In the type the “wind” coming from the east brought destruction to Tyre twice, once at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and once by Alexander the Great of Greece. Babylon was to the east, and Alexander approached came from the east.

The “oarsmen” brought Tyre into stormy waters. Accordingly, the multitude of merchants (the “kings of the earth” rulers both civil and ecclesiastical) and the wealth (prosperity) they brought to Tyre (Papacy) caused it to get out of control. The oarsmen (those who teach and propagate the doctrines of Papacy) overextended themselves in their quest of greater commerce.

That is to say in their enthusiasm to promote and teach the doctrines of Papacy the oarsmen brought the ship far out to sea and into turbulent waters; in contact with many nations (waters, peoples) of diverse and conflicting beliefs, many calling for more freedoms, especially religious.

In antitype the “east wind” represents the “kings of the east,” that is, the glorified Church, who will divert the waters (the support of the people) from mystic Babylon (Rev. 16:12).

Continued with next post.