Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To Lie Waste and be Forgotten for Seventy Years
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Tyre, an ancient and prosperous Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast, holds a significant place in biblical prophecy. Known for its wealth, maritime prowess, and strategic location, Tyre was a hub of commerce and culture in the ancient world. The Bible contains several prophecies concerning Tyre, particularly focusing on its downfall and subsequent period of desolation.

Prophecy of Desolation for Seventy Years

The prophet Isaiah delivers a striking prophecy concerning Tyre's fate, foretelling a period of desolation lasting seventy years. This prophecy is found in Isaiah 23, where the city is depicted as a once-glorious entity that will face divine judgment and be forgotten for a specified time.

Isaiah 23:15-17 states: "At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: 'Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot; make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.' And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre, and she will return to her hire and prostitute herself with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth."

This prophecy indicates that Tyre would experience a period of obscurity, likened to the lifespan of a king, during which it would be forgotten by the nations. The imagery of a forgotten harlot suggests a city that once thrived on trade and interaction with other nations but would be reduced to insignificance.

Historical Context and Fulfillment

Historically, Tyre faced numerous sieges and attacks, most notably by the Assyrians and later by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The Babylonian siege, which lasted for thirteen years, significantly weakened the city. Although Tyre was not completely destroyed at that time, its power and influence were greatly diminished, aligning with the prophetic vision of a period of decline.

The seventy-year period mentioned in Isaiah's prophecy is often interpreted as a symbolic timeframe representing a complete cycle of judgment and restoration. This period of desolation would serve as a divine chastisement for Tyre's pride and idolatry, as well as its role in leading Israel astray.

Restoration and Continued Influence

Following the prophesied seventy years, Isaiah foretells a restoration of Tyre. The city would regain its commercial activities, symbolized by the harlot's return to her trade. However, this restoration is not depicted as a return to former glory but rather a continuation of its mercantile role among the nations.

Isaiah 23:18 further elaborates: "Yet her profits and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored or hoarded, for her profits will go to those who live in the presence of the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothes."

This suggests that Tyre's renewed wealth would ultimately serve a divine purpose, contributing to the sustenance and adornment of those devoted to the LORD. The prophecy underscores the sovereignty of God over the nations and His ability to use even the wealth of a city like Tyre for His purposes.

In summary, the prophecy concerning Tyre's seventy-year desolation serves as a testament to the fulfillment of divine judgment and the eventual restoration of the city, albeit in a manner that aligns with God's overarching plan for the nations.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Isaiah 23:15
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... convulsions of Judah and the submission of Tyre; the successes ... And they shall not
lie with the mighty that ... triumph, and none of his later prophecies have come ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

Resources
Why did Jesus mention Tyre and Sidon in Luke 10:14? | GotQuestions.org

Is the king of Tyre prophecy in Ezekiel 28 referring to Satan? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of the city of Sidon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Tyre: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Subtopics

Tyre

Tyre or Tyrus

Tyre: Antiquity of

Tyre: Called: The Crowning City

Tyre: Called: The Daughter of Tarshish

Tyre: Called: The Daughter of Zidon

Tyre: Called: The Joyous City

Tyre: Called: The Renowned City

Tyre: Celebrated For: Its Beauty

Tyre: Celebrated For: Its Commerce

Tyre: Celebrated For: Its Wealth

Tyre: Celebrated For: Strength and Beauty of Its Ships

Tyre: Christ was Followed by Many From

Tyre: Christ: Alluded to the Depravity of

Tyre: Christ: Depended for Provision Upon Galilee

Tyre: Christ: Paul Found Disciples At

Tyre: Christ: Visited the Coasts of

Tyre: City of Antiquity of

Tyre: City of Besieged by Nebuchadnezzar

Tyre: City of Commerce of

Tyre: City of Fortified

Tyre: City of Heals the Daughter of the Non-Jewish, Syrophenician Woman Near

Tyre: City of Jesus Goes to the Coasts of

Tyre: City of Merchants of

Tyre: City of Multitudes From, Come to Hear Jesus, and to be Healed of Their Diseases

Tyre: City of On the Northern Boundary of the Tribe of Asher

Tyre: City of Paul Visits

Tyre: City of Pleasant Site of

Tyre: City of Prophecies Relating To

Tyre: City of Riches of

Tyre: City of The Hostility of Herod Agrippa I Toward

Tyre: City of To be Judged According to Its Opportunity and Privileges

Tyre: David and Solomon Formed Alliances With

Tyre: Governed by Kings

Tyre: Inhabitants of Mercantile Men

Tyre: Inhabitants of Proud and Haughty

Tyre: Inhabitants of Sea-Faring Men

Tyre: Inhabitants of Self-Conceited

Tyre: Inhabitants of Superstitious

Tyre: Inhabitants of Wicked

Tyre: Insular Position of

Tyre: Kingdom of Hiram, King of

Tyre: Kingdom of Men and Materials Sent From, to Solomon, for the Erection of the Temple and his Castles

Tyre: Kingdom of Sends Material to David for his Palace

Tyre: Often Confederated Against the Jews and Rejoiced in Their

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: All Nations to be Terrified at Its Destruction

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Envy Against the Jews a Cause of Its Destruction

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Inhabitants of, to Emigrated to Other Countries

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Inhabitants to be Sold As Slaves, As a Recompence For

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Restoration to Commercial Greatness After Seventy Years

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Second Destruction by the Macedonians

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Never to Recover Its Greatness

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Pride a Cause of Its Destruction

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: The King of Babylon to be Rewarded With the Spoil of Egypt

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: The Ruins of the First City to be Employed in Making A

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To be Destroyed by the King of Babylon

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To be Scraped As the Top of a Rock, and to be a Place For

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To Lie Waste and be Forgotten for Seventy Years

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To Participated in the Blessings of the Gospel

Tyre: Propitiated the Favour of Herod

Tyre: Soldiers of, Supplied by Persia

Tyre: Strongly Fortified

Tyre: Supplied: A Master-Builder for the Temple

Tyre: Supplied: Seamen for Solomon's Navy

Tyre: Supplied: Stones and Timber for Building the Temple

Tyre: Supplied: Timber for Rebuilding the Temple and City

Tyre: The Jews Condemned for Purchasing from the People of, on The

Related Terms

Ladder (1 Occurrence)

Hiram (21 Occurrences)

Logs (12 Occurrences)

Cedar-trees (11 Occurrences)

Arvad (2 Occurrences)

Sidon (35 Occurrences)

Zidon (25 Occurrences)

Zarephath (4 Occurrences)

District (59 Occurrences)

Phenicia (1 Occurrence)

Timber (32 Occurrences)

Brotherly (8 Occurrences)

Commerce (3 Occurrences)

Ocina

Woodworkers (6 Occurrences)

Masons (8 Occurrences)

Philistia (12 Occurrences)

Blastus (1 Occurrence)

Cedars (37 Occurrences)

Carpenters (11 Occurrences)

Ashes (44 Occurrences)

Arvadites (1 Occurrence)

Stoneworkers (3 Occurrences)

Baal (94 Occurrences)

Gateway (40 Occurrences)

Isle (15 Occurrences)

Coasts (58 Occurrences)

Islands (32 Occurrences)

Ahab (85 Occurrences)

Island (16 Occurrences)

Repented (49 Occurrences)

Nebuchadrez'zar (31 Occurrences)

Siege (63 Occurrences)

Ramah (38 Occurrences)

Cedar (61 Occurrences)

Lamentation (45 Occurrences)

Region (96 Occurrences)

Trade (33 Occurrences)

Money (284 Occurrences)

Wages (52 Occurrences)

Vicinity (18 Occurrences)

Voyage (5 Occurrences)

Korazin (2 Occurrences)

Kanah (3 Occurrences)

Neighbourhood (9 Occurrences)

Judging (141 Occurrences)

Judgement (68 Occurrences)

Landed (10 Occurrences)

League (20 Occurrences)

Walled (63 Occurrences)

Friendly (17 Occurrences)

Tin (6 Occurrences)

Traffic (12 Occurrences)

Thence (152 Occurrences)

Trafficker (3 Occurrences)

Tolerable (6 Occurrences)

Raama (1 Occurrence)

Raw (10 Occurrences)

Rubbed (10 Occurrences)

Era

Eden (19 Occurrences)

Esarhaddon (3 Occurrences)

Ebony (2 Occurrences)

Envoys (16 Occurrences)

Endurable (5 Occurrences)

Skilled (44 Occurrences)

Miracles (65 Occurrences)

Misrephothmaim (2 Occurrences)

Misrephoth-maim (2 Occurrences)

Mighty (514 Occurrences)

Minnith (2 Occurrences)

Merchant (15 Occurrences)

Performed (110 Occurrences)

Woe (102 Occurrences)

Bench (1 Occurrence)

Bald (12 Occurrences)

Borders (104 Occurrences)

Cedar-wood (22 Occurrences)

Cabul (2 Occurrences)

Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To be Scraped As the Top of a Rock, and to be a Place For
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