God’s Word is His Own Dictionary
THE GOG-MAGOG WAR
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CHAPTER TWO historic occurrences hold heavenly meanings for us today. Again, every Old Testament occurrence that took place did so literally in the physical realm. Having said that, we also must realize that there are portions of Scripture, such as Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-seven (the lamentation against Tyrus) that do not record ancient Jewish history, but rather puts forth or displays heavenly truths through the use of metaphoric portraits, which are not ancient Jewish history. It is wrong for a person who reads specific ancient Old Testament Scripture and then changes or distorts its literal outcome by claiming that it wasn’t fulfilled in the physical realm. Much of Scripture carries a physical fulfillment as well as a spiritual one, or even a double or triple meaning in the physical and the spiritual, etc. Old Testament history is precisely just that, events and occurrences that literally unfolded during that time. Metaphorical teachings within the Old Testament are not necessarily ancient Jewish history, but again they are spiritual teachings and truths that God lays down for us in the form of picturesque language that hold their own terms of truth hidden within specific wording or terms that God uses. God’s Word, as we’ve stated over and over, is His own dictionary. His words are not always in line with our words and understanding and this is the challenge one must begin to seek if we are truly going to advance in our understanding of God’s truth to us. We will now review a portion of Chapter Sixteen and all of Chapter Seventeen of “Mystery Babylon: The Abomination of Desolation?” to refresh out memories as to precisely what Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-seven is all about and how many of the players in the Gog/Magog battle are mentioned within this chapter.
Excerpts From Chapters Sixteen and Seventeen of “Mystery Babylon: The Abomination of Desolation?” When we examine the word mariners in the Old Testament we find that almost all of these references are found in Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-seven. This chapter is the Revelation Eighteen of the Old Testament. It deals with a city of merchants; a city that trades with the world; a city that has finally fallen. This city is symbolically portrayed by the ancient city of Tyrus. The parallels of this chapter to Revelation Chapter Eighteen are staggering. Tyrus has arrogantly declared: "I of perfect beauty," Ezekiel 27:4. The harlot church of Revelation Eighteen has declared the same thing: "... I sit a queen, and am no widow ..." Rev. 18:7. Tyrus was adorned in fine linen, blue and purple (Ezekiel 27:7). The wise men of Tyrus were her pilots (shipmen in Hebrew, v. 8). She traded in vessels of brass (v. 13), and with horsemen and horses and mules (v. 14). Tyrus also traded in wheat, oil, honey, balm (v. 17), and ivory (v. 15), and wine and white wool (v. 18). Tyrus traded for iron, cassia, calamus (v. 19), and precious clothes for chariots (v. 20). Verse twenty-one tells us that she traded in lambs and rams and goats, along with spices, and gold, and all precious stones (vs. 21-22). Tyrus was rich in blue clothes, broidered work, and rich apparel bound with cords (signifying the Tabernacle in the wilderness). Cedar was among her (v. 24). All of her merchandise indeed was real and physical. However, the ultimate teaching of these parabolic passages is spiritual in nature, figuratively picturing the Gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus. "The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas." (Ezekiel 27:25) 26