“declaring the end from the beginning” – Isaiah 46:10
God’s Telescope
• It is not a piece of scientific equipment, it is
his magnificent mind and his all-knowing
(omniscient) nature
• God knows many things in detail before they
will occur; he looks into the far future and
sees all
• Man may be able to accurately predict some
future events (weather, stock market, political
races, sporting events, etc.), but God
perfectly prophesies future events
God’s Telescope
• Consider how God looked into the future
concerning nations (Isaiah 13-23)
• Consider how God looked into the future
concerning individuals (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1)
• Consider how God looked into the future
concerning his coming Messiah (Isaiah 53;
this is one of 300 prophesies concerning
the Christ)
God’s Telescope and the Fall of Tyre
Ezekiel 26
Ezekiel’s Prophecy
Historical Record
1. Many nations would
come against her
because of her pride
(26:1-3)
2. Her mainland
inhabitants would first
be slain by the
Babylonians (26:4-11)
Tyre attacked by
Babylon, Persia,
Greece, Rome, Egypt,
and Armenia
Babylonians attacked
Tyre shortly after this
prophecy, from 585 to
573 B.C.
God’s Telescope and the Fall of Tyre
Ezekiel 26
Ezekiel’s Prophecy
Historical Record
3. Tyre would be
scraped clean, laid bare,
and its materials thrown
into the sea (26:4-6,
12-14)
In 332 B.C., Alexander
the Great leveled
“mainlain Tyre” and used
the materials to build a
causeway out to “island
Tyre” (200 ft. x ½ mile)
Today, parts of
“mainland Tyre” are
under water and “island
Tyre” contains ruins from
the Crusader period
4. Tyre would never be
rebuilt (26:15-21)
God’s Telescope and the Fall of Tyre
Ezekiel 26
God’s Telescope and the Fall of Tyre
Ezekiel 26
God’s Telescope
• OT prophets past three tests:
1) remoteness (wording that is far removed
from the fulfillment date)
2) clarity (wording that is clear and specific)
3) numerical weight (wording that mentions
multiple things about one particular event)
God’s Telescope
• OT prophets were prophets, not reporters or
historians (recording events after they
happened)
• Ezekiel gave his prophetic message about
Tyre in 586 B.C. (1:1-2; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1;
26:1; 29:1,17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1,17; 33:21;
40:1)
• The book of Ezekiel is included in the LXX
(250 B.C.)
Lessons For Today
• God’s omniscience brings comfort to the troublehearted (Acts 18:4-10; 1 Cor. 2:3)
• God knows all and sees all (Heb. 4:12-13)
• God’s word of prophecy is his divine word, not
man’s word (2 Pet. 1:19-20)
• God’s word about future events always comes
true; therefore, be ready (2 Peter 3:8-14)
• God’s word of prophecy is to be read and
obeyed (Rev. 1:3)