Ezekiel Chapter 28, Part 7

Proclamation against Sidon

VERSE 20-22 “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her, And say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Sidon; I will be glorified in your midst; And they shall know that I am the Lord, When I execute judgments in her and am hallowed in her.”

Chapter 28 should have ended with verse 19, for verse 20 starts a prophecy against Sidon. Keep in mind that the original manuscripts were not divided into Chapters or verses, nor was there any punctuation, commons, periods and etc. these are all modern inventions. Thus it’s easy to see how the transcribers of our modern translations could have made this mistake.

“This prophecy will have both a (literal as well as a symbolic) future fulfillment against Sidon, the modern name for Zidon. A maritime power like Tyre, the city is on the Mediterranean coast near the site of Tyre in Lebanon. Tyre, Sidon, and Beirut are strongholds of different factions of Muslim power that hate Israel. Although a past destruction was experienced, the future one will be recognized as a judgment from God (“they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her”). The judgment will occur about the time of Jacob’s Trouble.”

Sidon means “fishing”, whose ancient ancestors were probably the descendants of Zebulun one of Joseph’s sons blessed by Jacob.

“Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall adjoin Sidon.” Gen 49:13

“His boarder shall adjoin Sidon”, This seems to be referring more to Tyre then to Sidon, but it should be recalled that Tyre was once a colony of Sidon, however the daughter soon outstripped the mother, and as early as Isaiah’s time the elder city was viewed as an appendage of the younger.”

As Tyre antitypically represented Papacy (the Mother of Harlots), more particularly Catholicism even so Sidon Tyre’s sister city represents Protestantism, “her daughter villages which are in the fields” (See Ezek 26:6 in our study), the “daughters” of the great whore. And as the mother was called “Babylon,” (Rev 17:5) her daughters–so like their mother–bear also the family name, and as such will share the same fate.

“Names were formerly given as expressions of character or work…The name Babylon, applied by the Spirit to the Church of Rome expresses her character, for Babylon means mixture –confusion. This union of the Woman (church) with the Beast (empire) constitutes the spiritual harlotry of which she is guilty. “But the name (Babylon) applies to her entire family; her daughters inherit both her nature and name, for she is a ‘mother of harlots’ and her works they do.”

VERSE 23 “For I will send pestilence upon her (Sidon), and blood in her streets; the wounded shall be judged in her midst by the sword against her on every side; then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

“For I will send pestilence (a plague) upon her…” This remains us of the Lord’s statement in Revelation Chapter 18 where it is stated that the Lord has allotted certain plagues to come upon Babylon (both Mother and daughters), and all who remain in her and or who are in allegiance with her (Verse 4).

“As the day of trouble draws on, ecclesiasticism will endeavor to use its power and influence more and more to secure its own political welfare, by its control of the turbulent elements of society; but in the crisis of the near future the lawless element will spurn all conservative influence and break over all restraints, the red hand of Anarchy will do its dreadful work, and Babylon, Christendom, social, political and ecclesiastical, shall fall. “Therefore [says the inspired writer — i.e., because she will violently struggle for life and power] her plagues will come in one day [suddenly] —death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire [symbolic fire — destructive calamities], for strong is the Lord God who judges her.” (Rev 18:8) The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom October 1920

Upon the prophetic page we may clearly read the doom of Babylon, Christendom; and it is none the less clearly expressed in the signs of the times.

“That her destruction will be sudden, violent and complete is . . . forcibly stated:—`And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus, with violence, shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.’ (Rev. 18:8, 21; Jer. 51:63, 64, 42, 24-26)

And yet that it was to undergo a gradual consuming process is shown by Daniel (7:26)—`But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end.’ The Papal dominion (and much of the abject reverence of the people for ecclesiasticism in general)…was broken down at the beginning of the Time of the End—1799; and, though the subsequent process of consumption has been slow, there have been occasional signs of apparent recovery, which never seemed more flattering than at present, the assurance of Papacy’s final destruction is positive, and its death-struggle will be violent. First, however, she must attain more of her old-time prestige, which will be shared with a confederated association of her daughters. Together they will be lifted up, that together they may be violently thrown down. (S.I.T.S. Volume 4, Page 37)

When the great time of trouble comes the same restless “sea class” (the anarchist masses) that brings about the destruction of Papacy will likewise destroy the Protestants systems as well, and as such there will be much “blood in her streets”.

“‘Thus saith the Lord, Behold I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me [all in sympathy with Babylon], a destroying wind; and I will send into Babylon, fanners that shall fan her (instigators, trouble makers, the anarchist masses who fan the fires of the trouble soon coming), and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about…Destroy ye utterly all her host.’ Jer. 51:1-3

“‘And I will render unto Babylon [to the Papacy specially], and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea [or Babylonia — Christendom — to all the nations of the so-called Christian world] all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 51:24)

“As we call to mind the long train of evils by which Babylon has oppressed and worn out the saints of the most High (the true Zion), and how it is written that God will avenge his own elect, and that speedily; that, according to their deeds, he will repay recompense to his enemies; that he will render unto Babylon a recompense (Luke 18:7, 8; Isa. 59:18; Jer. 51:6), we begin to realize that some fearful calamity awaits her. The horrible decrees of Papacy—the reproach and reward of which Protestantism also is incurring by her present compromising association with her—for the burning, butchering, banishing, imprisoning and torturing of the saints in every conceivable way, executed with such fiendish cruelty in the days of her power by the arm of the State, whose power she demanded and received, await the full measure of just retribution; for she is to receive `double for all her sins.’ And the nations (of Christendom) which have participated in her crimes and guilt must drink with her that bitter cup.” (D38)

Continued with next post.