Ezekiel 26 Oriental Language And The Fall Of Tyre

                             Ezekiel 26 Oriental Language And The Fall Of Tyre
                                                       By Joel Sexton

[Originally a comment to an FB post]

I promised myself I wouldn't get into these discussions on Eschatology anymore but had to same something here. 

First, the structure and historical context of the book. [Eze 1-24] is all speaking about the coming siege of Jerusalem along with the captives taken into slavery which first began to happen around 605-597 BC, before the final fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. What is the point in bringing this up? Simple. Go read the first 24 ch. of Ezekiel and come back and say that 24 chapters on ONE judgment, with very graphic detail indeed. is to be taken wooden literal. The different imagery to portray, Judah, her sin and guilt, and Yahweh's wrath being poured out on a disobedient people is immensely figurative and poetic.

Second, the Genre of Ezekiel of mainly an "Apocalyptic." Much like the book of Revelation which borrows heavily from Ezekiel.  This type of literature is full of "Oriental" language. The fact of the matter is this. All O.T. Hebraic scholars that study the Ancient Near East (ANE) recognize that this is, in fact, the case. Even Dispensationalist O.T. scholars admit this but obviously in a limited sense. But all non Full or Partial Preterist O.T. scholars and commentators recognize this fact. In Western Asia, at the time this was the way they spoke. Within the Prophets, we see "Prophetic" and "Apocalyptic" language. Most of the prophets spoke with ''Prophetic" speak which also carries this hyperbolic, poetic and oriental language.

Third. Eze 26 which speaks of Yahweh's coming judgment on Tyre has more of a "Prophetic" genre bent to it than earlier chapters but this is still poetic language. From beginning to end. Near the latter half of the chapter, the sea swallows up Tyre. "Spiritual." Yes.
Fourth and final point is a comparison of Eze 26 to Isa 13-14. Isa 13-14 is one unit within a broader context (Isa 13-24). The judgment of the nations. Same as Ezekiel. Isa 13 states Babylon (Iraq today) would never be inhabited again. But of course, it is! Ezekiel sees Tyre as a "Bare rock." (Literal eh). In other words, the judgment would be the same as Babylon, total desolation, not to be inhabited again.

The Language of Isa 13-14, by all means, is oriental, poetic language. "Hands will fall limp" [Isa 13:7]  "Every man's heart will melt" [Isa 13:8), again hyperbole. And this is before the stars fly around while people are still alive (Isa 13:9f). Which is another post for another time