Ezekiel 26:13

Thy songs. Careful readers of the book of Revelation have noted the great similarity between much of its symbolism and the language of certain passages in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. It is apparent that John, guided by Inspiration, borrowed extensively from the imagery of the prophets of old, in order to set forth the great climactic scenes of earth’s history in terms that would be familiar and meaningful to the careful reader of the OT. Thus, the desolation of literal Babylon and Tyre provided John with a pictorial description of the desolation of mystical Babylon (see also on Isa. 13; 14; 23:1; 47:1; Jer. 25:12; 50:1). The symbolism and language of the book of Revelation become more clear and meaningful when studied in the light of what the prophets of old wrote concerning events of their era (see on Deut. 18:15). Various aspects of the punishment of literal Tyre as set forth in Eze. 26 to 28 are of value in a study of the punishment of mystical Babylon, presented in Rev. 17 and 18. Note particularly the following:

Ezekiel 26 to 28 and Revelation 17 and 18 parallels:

1. “I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard” (26:13).

1. “The voice of harp-ers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee” (18:22).

2. “The princes of the sea” (26:16).

2. “Every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea” (18:17).

3. “They shall take up a lamentation for thee” (26:17).

3. “The merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her” (18:11).

4. “How art thou destroyed” (26:17).

4. “In one hour is she made desolate” (18:19).

5. “The renowned city” (26:17).

5. “That great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (17:18).

6. “I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee” (26:19).

6. “A great millstone ... cast ... into the sea, ... Thus ... shall that great city of Babylon be thrown down” (18:21).

7. “Thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again” (26:21).

7. “Found no more at all” (18:21).

8. “A merchant of the people” (27:3).

8. “The merchants ... which were made rich by her” (18:15).

9. “Thy merchandise” (27:27).

9. “The merchandise” (18:12).

10. “Cast up dust upon their heads ... wallow themselves in the ashes” (27:30).

10. “They cast dust on their heads” (18:19).

11. “What city is like Tyre?” (27:32).

11. “What city is like unto this great city!” (18:18).

12. “Thou didst enrich the kings” (27:33).

12. “The kings of the earth ... shall bewail her, and lament for her” (18:9).

13. “Thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches” (28:5).

13. “She hath glorified herself and lived deliciously” (18:7).

14. “I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations” (28:7).

14. “He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (16:16).

15. “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” (28:18).

15. “Burn her with fire” (17:16).