These 10 Bible prophecies were fulfilled between 2100 years ago and
2300 years ago by the destruction of Edom and of Phoenician Tyre.
According to the Bible, these nations were destroyed because they had
sought to destroy the Holy Land of Israel and the people of Israel (the
Jews).
1. Daniel predicted the four great kingdoms
Bible passage: Daniel 2:32-33
Written: about 530 BC
Fulfilled: Throughout history; to be completed during End Times
In Daniel 2:32-33, there is a passage that symbolically identified the
four great kingdoms that would rise up and control much of world,
beginning in Daniel's lifetime. The passage uses symbolic imagery:
1. The head of gold, as Daniel explained, refers to the
Babylonian empire that ruled much of the world about 2600 years ago.
2. Daniel said that the head-of-gold empire would be followed by
an empire symbolized by arms of silver. Christian scholars have often
interpreted this to refer to the Medo-Persian empire which later
conquered the Babylonian empire. The scholars say that the two arms
refer to the two groups - the Medes and the Persians - who comprised the
Medo-Persian empire.
3. The third kingdom was symbolized by the statue's belly and
thighs of brass. Some scholars believe that this is a reference to the
Grecian empire, which conquered the Medo-Persian empire. The symbol of a
belly and thighs of brass suggests that the kingdom was to start out as
a united empire but end up as a divided empire. Under the leadership of
Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire was a united empire. But after
Alexander's death, the empire was divided into four parts and was later
reduced to two parts.
4. The fourth symbol - that of iron legs and feet that were part
iron and part clay - has often been suggested to be a reference to the
Roman Empire, which later conquered the Grecian Empire. The Roman Empire
was very powerful, but it was also very diverse, claiming dominion over
a wide variety of different nations. That diversity later contributed to
the downfall of the empire.
These four kingdoms ruled over much of the world, and each of the four
ruled over the land of Israel during times in which a significant number
of Jews - and perhaps a majority of Jews - were living in their
homeland. Before the collapse of the Roman Empire, Jerusalem was
destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced into exile. Even
today, a majority of Jews still live outside of Israel. Many Christian
scholars suggest that the Roman Empire will be revived and will once
again seek to control Israel.
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Daniel 2:32-33
The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of
silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet
partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
2. Tyre would be attacked by many nations
Bible passage: Ezekiel 26:3
Written: between 587-586 BC
Fulfilled: 573 BC, 332 BC, 1291 AD
In Ezekiel 26:3, the prophet said that Tyre, the Phoenician Empire's
most powerful city, would be attacked by many nations, because of its
treatment of Israel. At about the time that Ezekiel delivered this
prophecy, Babylon had begun a 13-year attack on Tyre's mainland. Later,
in about 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the island of Tyre and
brought an end to the Phoenician Empire. Tyre later fell under the rule
of the Romans, the Crusaders and the Moslems, who destroyed the city,
again, in 1291.
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Ezekiel 26:3
therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Tyre,
and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its
waves.
3. Tyre's fortresses would fail
Bible passage: Amos 1:9-10
Written: about 750 BC
Fulfilled: 333-332 BC
In Amos 1:9-10, the prophet said that God would cause Tyre's protective
fortresses to fail, as punishment for the way that Tyre treated Israel.
That prophecy was fulfilled in 586-573 BC when Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar attacked the mainland of Tyre, and in 333-332 BC when
Alexander the Great conquered the island of Tyre. Alexander's army built
a land bridge from the mainland to the island so that they could use a
battering ram to break through the island's fortress.
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Amos 1:9-10
This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I
will not turn back [my wrath]. Because she sold whole communities of
captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, I will send fire
upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses."
4. Tyre's stones, timber and soil would be cast into the sea
Bible passage: Ezekiel 26:12
Written: between 587-586 BC
Fulfilled: 333-332 BC
In Ezekiel 26:12, the prophet said that Tyre's stones, timber and soil
would be thrown into the sea. That probably would have been a fitting
description of how Alexander the Great built a land bridge from the
mainland to the island of Tyre when he attacked in 333-332 BC. It is
believed that he took the rubble from Tyre's mainland ruins and tossed
it - stones, timber and soil - into the sea, to build the land bridge
(which is still there).
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Ezekiel 26:12
They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break
down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones,
timber and rubble into the sea.
5. Tyre would lose its power over the sea
Bible passage: Zechariah 9:3-4
Written: between 520 and 518 BC
Fulfilled: 333-332 BC
In Zechariah 9:3-4, the prophet said that the Phoenician city of Tyre
would lose its status as a powerful nation on the Mediterranean Sea.
Today there is a city called Tyre that is either on, or near, the
original Phoenician site. But this Tyre is a small city in modern-day
Lebanon. It is certainly not the powerful nation that it was in the days
of Zechariah.
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Zechariah 9:3-4
Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the
sea, and she will be consumed by fire.
6. Tyre would never again be found
Bible passage: Ezekiel 26:21
Written: between 587-586 BC
Fulfilled: after 332 BC
In Ezekiel 26:21, the prophet said that the Phoenician city of Tyre
would be brought to an end and would never again be found. When
Alexander the Great destroyed the city in 332 BC, he brought an end to
the Phoenician Empire. The Empire was never revived or "found" again. As
for the city itself, it has been torn down and built upon by a
succession of world powers. Today, finding artifacts from the original
Phoenician Tyre is difficult. Many of the original buildings were
destroyed by Greeks, Romans, Crusaders and Moslems. According to the
Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition: "The principal ruins of the city
today are those of buildings erected by the Crusaders. There are some
Greco-Roman remains, but any left by the Phoenicians lie underneath the
present town."
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Ezekiel 26:21
I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be
sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord."
7. Tyre would never be rebuilt
Bible passage: Ezekiel 26:14
Written: between 587-586 BC
Fulfilled: 332 BC
In Ezekiel 26:14, the prophet says the Phoenician city of Tyre would be
destroyed and never be rebuilt. This was fulfilled when Alexander the
Great conquered Tyre in 332 BC. His conquest brought an end to the
Phoenician Empire. The empire never recovered from the attack. And so,
it could never rebuild Tyre. Other nations and empires have built cities
on or near the original Phoenician site.
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Ezekiel 26:14
I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread
fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
8. The Jews would avenge the Edomites
Bible passage: Ezekiel 25:14
Written: between 593-571 BC
Fulfilled: about 100 BC
In Ezekiel 25:14, the prophet said that the Jews would one day take
vengeance on Edom, a nation that had often warred with the Jews. When
Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, he and many other Jews were living as
captives in Babylon. They didn't have control of their own country, let
alone anyone else's. But, about 400 years later, Jews regained
independence for Jerusalem and the surrounding area during the "Hasmonaean
Period." During this time, the Jewish priest-king John Hyrcanus I
defeated the Edomites. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth
Edition: "Edomite history was marked by continuous hostility and warfare
with Jews… At the end of the second century B.C., they were subdued by
Hasmonaean priest-king John Hyrcanus I…"
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Ezekiel 25:14
I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they
will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will
know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.'"
9. Edom would be toppled and humbled
Bible passage: Jeremiah 49:16
Written: sometime from 626 to about 586 BC
Fulfilled: about 100 BC
In Jeremiah 49:16, the prophet said that Edom, a long-time enemy of
Israel, would be destroyed. Edom's capital city, Petra, was carved out
of a mountain side and had great natural defenses. Nonetheless, it was
destroyed and the kingdom of Edom no longer exists. Today, Petra is part
of Jordan. The city was conquered by the Romans in the year 106 AD but
flourished again shortly after that. But a rival city, Palmyra,
eventually took most of the trade away and Petra began to decline.
Moslems conquered Petra in the 7th Century and Crusaders conquered it in
the 12th Century. Petra gradually fell into ruin.
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Jeremiah 49:16
The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the
hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I
will bring you down," declares the Lord.
10. Nations would seek the counsel of Jesse's descendant
Bible passage: Isaiah 11:1-10
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: 538 BC
In Isaiah 11:1-10, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a ruler who would be a
descendant of Jesse. Jesse was the father of ancient Israel's great King
David. This descendant would rule with true justice and true faith, and
he would establish true peace. This peace would be so great that even
wild animals would be able to lie down next to one another. This
descendant would also become a standard for people throughout the world.
And, this descendant would be sought by people throughout the world.
This is an important prophecy for Christians because we believe that
Jesus is the fulfillment of this Old Testament promise. Jesus, as
explained in the New Testament, is a descendant of Jesse. And Jesus has
become a standard for peoples throughout the world. In fact,
Christianity is the first religion to spread to every country in the
world. The words of Jesus, which speak of true justice, true faith and
true peace, have been taught to people in every country in the world. We
Christians also believe that Jesus will return in the future to
establish a kingdom on earth, a kingdom of justice and righteousness.
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Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch
will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-- the Spirit of
wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the
Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord-- and he will delight in
the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will
judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the
earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the
breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his
belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with
the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion
and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow
will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the
lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of
the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They
will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth
will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples;
the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.
