The Prince of Tyre (Eze 28:1-10) is a Type of the Antichrist. There are many titles, symbols and types of the Antichrist in the Bible. The key characteristics and actions of the Prince of Tyre include pride and the desire for worldly wisdom and riches. Similar to the Man of Sin in 2 Th 2:3-4, the Prince of Tyre asserts that he is a god and sits in the seat of god (Eze 28:2, Eze 28:6). 2 Th 2:3-4 is an important parallel passage that indicates that the Prince of Tyre is also a type of the Antichrist. Also, the Bible teaches that the Prince of Tyre is wiser than Daniel and knows all secrets (Eze 28:3). This is very similar to the Little Horn of Daniel 8, which understands dark sentences. By the Prince of Tyre’s wisdom, he has received great riches, resulting in pride (Eze 28:5). Tyre is strongly connected to merchandising by the sea. This is an important symbolic reference to Babylon, which represents the false Christian church and parachurches. Again, the Prince of Tyre has control over this merchandising similar to the 7th head of the scarlet beast over Babylon in Rev 17. The 7th head of the scarlet beast is another symbol for the Antichrist.
In Ezekiel 28, the Bible distinguishes the Prince of Tyre from the King of Tyre. The King of Tyre (Eze 28:11-19) is a type of Satan himself since the Bible teaches that he was full of wisdom, perfect in beauty and was in Eden (Eze 28:12-13). He is the ‘anointed cherub that covers’ (Eze 28:14) and he was on the holy mountain of God (Eze 28:14), which is a symbol for heaven itself. Also, he was perfect in his ways from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him (Eze 28:15). His heart also was lifted up because of his beauty (Eze 28:17), which points to the pride of Satan is the Garden of Eden. Click on the link below to view a You Tube video or continue the study below …
Symbolic Meaning of Tyre – Pseudo-Christians
Tyre and Sidon Together in Scripture
Characteristics and Actions – Prince of Tyre
Key Passage – Eze 28
As discussed above, Eze 28 displays both the Antichrist (Eze 28:1-10) and Satan (Eze 28:11-19):
Prince of Tyre (Antichrist) – Eze 28:1-10:
- The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. (Eze 28:1-10)
King of Tyre (Satan) – Eze 28:11-19
- Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. (Eze 28:11-19)
Background on Tyre
Tyre was a very prosperous city on the sea. It was called a strong hold / strong city in Josh 19:29, 2 Sam 24:7, Zech 9:3. It was a hub of merchants from afar. Very notably, it was Tyre that provided wood, stone and workers to help build the house of God in Jerusalem (1 Ki 5:6, 1 Ki 5:8-10, 1 Ki 5:17-18).
Craftsman of Tyre also made various vessels used in temple worship in Jerusalem (1 Ki 7:13-51 2 Chr 2:13-18, 2 Chr 4:11-22). Tyre was also used to routinely bring gold and other precious items to Jerusalem (2 Chr 8:18, 2 Chr 9:10, 2 Chr 9:21). See Study Notes below for detailed references.
The name ‘Tyre’ (Hebrew: tsor (H6865)) occurs 42 times in the Old Testament and its Greek counterpart turos (G5184) occurs 11 times in the New Testament. The name, Tyre is derived from H6864, which literally means a sharp flint stone (3 occurrences of H6864 – Is 5:28, Eze 3:9, Exo 4:25).
In the New Testament, Tyre was an example of a city that would receive judgment on the Last Day (Lk 10:13-14, Mat 11:21-22). But, Tyre is also a place where multitudes came from to hear Jesus Christ (Mk 3:8, Lk 6:17). Also, some of God’s remnant people were located there (Mat 15:21-28, Mk 7:24-30).
Symbolic Meaning of Tyre – Pseudo-Christians
(Note: see Study notes section below for more details and references concerning Tyre symbolism).
Tyre is symbolic of a place that was used in building the House of God (wood, stone and workers) in the Old Testament. This is similar to references in the New Testament referring to the God’s church as His house (Eph 2:19, 1 Tim 3:15, etc.). However, Tyre was never part of the Household of God (Israel). Tyre will receive Judgment at the Last Day (Isa 23, Eze 26-28, Jer 25:22, Amos 1:9-10, Joel 3:4 , Lk 10:13-14, Mat 11:21-22).
Therefore, Tyre typifies people today who attend churches and may be also involved with parachurches, yet they are unsaved. They believe they are part of the household of God, but they are not. They may use God’s kingdom and people for their benefit. But, their works will indicate that they are unsaved. Many are called, but few are chosen (Mat 22:14). Also, many will tell Christ on the Day of Judgment that they did many good works for Him, but Christ will tell those who worked iniquity to depart from Him (Mat 7:21-23). In Mk 3:8 and Lk 6:17, many from Tyre (and Sidon) came to hear Jesus Christ, but it was only the few (e.g., Syro-Phoenician woman and her daughter) that were God’s people (Mat 15:21-28, Mk 7:24-30). In just a few years after Christ’s passion and resurrection, the Bible teaches is that Tyre and Sidon came to King Herod to seek ‘nourishment’ (Acts 12:20). They revealed their damnable spiritual condition by worshiping him as a god (Acts 12:20-22). This also provides us another portrait of Tyre representing pseudo-Christians.
Additionally, Tyre is a city of merchants and merchandising. This is a parallel passage to Babylon of Rev 18. Babylon also is a symbol for false churches and parachurches. Babylon merchandises Christianity for her own benefit. They use merchants of the land (e.g., evangelists) and sea (e.g., missionaries) to become rich (Rev 18:3-22).
Based on the above, it is not surprising that the Prince of Tyre would be a type of the Antichrist and the King of Tyre a symbol for Satan. The relationship between the merchandising of Tyre and Babylon indicate a strong correlation to false Christianity.
Tyre and Sidon Together in Scripture
In the Bible, Tyre and Sidon are oftentimes called out together:
- 1Ch 22:4, Ezr 3:7, Jer 25:22, Jer 27:3, Jer 47:4, Eze 27:8, Joe 3:4, Zec 9:2, Mat 11:21, Mat 11:22, Mat 15:21, Mar 3:8, Mar 7:24, Mar 7:31, Luk 6:17, Luk 10:13, Luk 10:14, Act 12:20.
Therefore, it is important to understand the spiritual significance of Sidon. The Hebrew word for Sidon (H6721 / H6722) is tsiydon, which literally means to catch fish. This is not surprising since Sidon was a coastal city and near to Tyre (e.g., Jer 25:22). While Sidon were referred to as mariners, it was Tyre that were the shipmasters:
- The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots. (Eze 27:8)
But Sidon is very well known for its idolatrous religion. This was the home of Jezebel (wife of King Ahab) who brought the idolatrous religion with her to Israel. King Ahab married this daughter of the king of the Zidonians (1 Ki 16:31). The Zidonians were a nation of the Canaanites, who served the goddess Ashtoreth (1 Ki 11:5, 1 Ki 11:31-33, 2 Ki 23:13). Sidon also worked together with Tyre on the house of God in Jerusalem (1 Chr 22:4, Ezra 3:7).
Symbolically, the Prince and King of Tyre represent the Antichrist and Satan (as discussed above), but Sidon was the partner of Tyre and specialized in false religion. So, the Satanic Trinity of Satan, the Antichrist and false religion can be seen in Tyre and Sidon similar to these Satanic trinities in Revelation:
- Dragon, beast and false prophet (Rev 12-13, Rev 16:13, Rev 20:10)
- Scarlet Beast, 7th head and Babylon (Rev 17-18)
Characteristics and Actions – Prince of Tyre
Based on Eze 28:1-10, the following are the key characteristics and actions of the Prince of Tyre as the Antichrist:
Pride
- Heart is lifted up
- I am a god, seat of god
- Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: (Eze 28:2)
- Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God (Eze 28:6)
Worldly Wisdom and Riches
- Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: (Eze 28:3)
- With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: (Eze 28:4)
- By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: (Eze 28:5)
Judgment on the Prince of Tyre
- Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. (Eze 28:7)
- They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. (Eze 28:8)
- Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. (Eze 28:9)
- Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. (Eze 28:10)
Study Notes Old Testament
- A strong hold / strong city – Josh 19:29, 2 Sam 24:7, Zech 9:3
- Apportioned to the tribe of Asher – Josh 19:29
- Hiram, king of Tyre
- Built David a house at Zion, city of David, brought him much cedar wood – 2 Sam 5:11, 1 Chr 14:1
- A lover of David- 1 Ki 5:1
- Provided cedar trees, fir trees, stone to build the house of the Lord – 1 Ki 5:6, 1 Ki 5:8-10, 1 Ki 5:17-18
- Hiram’s workers and Solomon’s workers, worked together – 1 Ki 5:6, 1 Ki 5:17-18
- Hiram rejoiced that Solomon was a wise king – 1 Ki 5:7
- Hiram had peace and made a league with Solomon – 1 Ki 5:12
- (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not. And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day. (1Ki 9:11-13)
- And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. (2Ch 2:3)
- Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them. (2Ch 2:11)
- Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. (1Ch 22:4)
- Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. (2Ch 2:12)
- Hiram of Tyre made vessels of the temple / brought gold and precious objects – 1 Ki 7:13-51 2 Chr 2:13-18, 2 Chr 4:11-22
- And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. (1Ki 7:13)
- He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work. (1Ki 7:14)
- And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s, (2Ch 2:13)
- The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father. (2Ch 2:14)
- And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God; (2Ch 4:11)
- The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass. (2Ch 4:16)
- And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon. (2Ch 8:18)
- And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. (2Ch 9:10)
- For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (2Ch 9:21)
- Rebuilding the temple after Babylonian captivity:
- They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. (Ezr 3:7)
- Merchandising on the Sabbath:
- There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. (Neh 13:16)
- Desire for Christ:
- And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. (Psa 45:12)
- Confederate against Israel:
- Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; (Psa 83:7)
- Where God’s people come from:
- I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. (Psa 87:4)
- Isaiah 23 – The Judgment of Tyre
- The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. (Isa 23:1)
- As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. (Isa 23:5)
- Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? (Isa 23:8)
- 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. (Isa 23:15)
- And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. (Isa 23:17)
- God’s wrath on the kings of Tyrus:
- And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, (Jer 25:22)
- King of Tyre to serve King Nebuchadnezzar (yokes around the neck):
- And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; (Jer 27:3)
- Judgment on the Philistines:
- Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor. (Jer 47:4)
- Eze 26-27:
- Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: (Eze 26:2)
- Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. (Eze 26:3)
- And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. (Eze 26:4)
- For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. (Eze 26:7)
- Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? (Eze 26:15)
- Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus; (Eze 27:2)
- And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty. (Eze 27:3)
- The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots. (Eze 27:8)
- And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? (Eze 27:32)
- King Nebuchadnezzar used to judge Tyre:
- Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it: (Eze 29:18)
- Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; (Joe 3:4)
- Judgment on Tyre for delivering Judah to Edom:
- Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: (Amo 1:9)
- But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof. (Amo 1:10)
- Other Tyre passages in Old Testament:
- Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. (Hos 9:13)
- And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. (Zec 9:2)
- And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. (Zec 9:3)
Study Notes – New Testament
- Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (Mat 15:21)
- Met Caananite woman whose daughter was vexed with a demon (Mat 15:22)
- And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. (Mar 7:24)
- Tyre is where the great multitude come from to hear great things Jesus Christ did
- And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. (Mar 3:8)
- And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; (Luk 6:17)
- Tyre – Syro-Phoenicia – woman’s daughter healed
- And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. (Mar 7:24)
- Syro-Phoenician woman – daughter with evil spirit Mk 7:26 (see also Mat 15:22)
- Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden. (Act 21:3)
- And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. (Mar 7:24)
- Tyre and Sidon to be judged, but would have ‘repented’ if heard Jesus Christ
- Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (Luk 10:13)
- But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. (Luk 10:14)
- Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (Mat 11:21)
- But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. (Mat 11:22)
- Tyre and Sidon worshiped Herod as a god
- And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country. (Act 12:20)
- And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. (Act 12:22)
- A coastal city:
- Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (Mat 15:21)
- And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. (Mar 7:31)
- And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. (Act 21:7)