Dr. Joseph Speciale, Instructor

Transcription

1 Study to shew thyself approved unto God (2 Tim 2:15) Dr. Joseph Speciale, Instructor A ministry of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Lee Swor, Pastor

2 Bible Prophecy The Invasion Of Ezekiel 38-39

3 Tarshish and Tyre

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5 Tartessos The ancient city of Tartessos, Spain fits the Biblical description of the city of Tarshish o It is in a JAPHETHIC nation (Gen 10:5) o It is an ISLE and SEAPORT city (Psa 72:10; Isa 23:6; 60:9) o It is AFAR OFF (West) from Israel (Isa 66:19; Jer 31:10) (it is even BEYOND THE SEA- Jer 25:22) Identifying TARSHISH with TARTESSOS and subsequently, with SPAIN is reasonable (but not certain) since it lines up with the Biblical description If Tarshish is Spain, then there is an ECONOMIC relationship with Israel that dates back to the days of Solomon (1 Kin 10:22)

6 Spain became home to more Jews during the dispersion than any other nation, up until 1492 AD On March 31, 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issued an Edict of Expulsion against the Jews of Spain forcing them out of the country (many fled to England) Ferdinand and Isabella were faithful and fiery Roman Catholics simply doing the bidding of the Vatican (Pope Alexander VI bestowed upon them the title, Catholic King and Queen in 1494 for defending Catholic dogmas in their realms) While most commentators agree there is a connection between Tarshish and Tartessos, some still advance differing views on the interpretation of the Tarshish in Ezekiel 38:13 Other Interpretations Of The Tarshish Of Ezekiel 38:13 1) Tarshish is GREAT BRITAIN Those who support this view point out that the word Britannia is derived from the Phoenician word meaning, source of TIN and that Great Britain has a history of rich commerce, a formidable navy, and relations with the Jewish people

7 Great Britain (England) does not meet the entire Biblical description of Tarshish: o It is a JAPHETHIC nation (Gen 10:5) o It is AFAR OFF (West) from Israel (Isa 66:19; Jer 31:10) o It is not an ISLE city (Psa 72:10; Isa 23:6; 60:9) Great Britain is an isle NATION (i.e.- the British ISLES) but it does not have a major seaport CITY that would be accessible to traders from the Mediterranean during Biblical times It is very unlikely that Jonah had what we know today as Great Britain in mind when he attempted to flee to Tarshish

8 2) Tarshish is a representative term for the REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE If the word TARSHISH is a representative term, then all the other names given in Ezekiel 38 (e.g.- Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah, and Israel) could be representative as well If the names in Ezekiel 38 are representative terms why are so many used? Since the Bible always interprets the symbols it employs, where does it interpret for us what each of these names represent? It is not impossible that Tarshish is a representative term but we need to be careful of inconsistent application of Biblical hermeneutics A difficulty in this interpretation is that the MERCHANTS of Tarshish log the protest not the political leaders Another difficulty is that there is no mention of any world POWER coming to Israel s defense; if Tarshish is the Revived Roman Empire then why isn t there any mention of the Antichrist or the 7-year covenant he confirms with Israel?

9 3) Tarshish is a representative term for THE WEST Again, it is not impossible that Tarshish is a representative term but we need to be careful of inconsistent application of Biblical hermeneutics Tarshish was the WESTERN most point in the civilized world during Biblical times so if the merchants from Tarshish are from the nations comprising what we know today as THE WEST, then Tarshish would be a reasonable term to use based on 5 th Century BC vernacular One difficulty with this interpretation is that there are other ISLE nations (or isle nation) mentioned in this prophecy that are not associated with the merchants of Tarshish in that they do not issue a protest against the invasion because they dwell CARELESSLY (39:6) (i.e.- they dwell without care and do NOT have the economic stakes at risk that the merchants of Tarshish do)

10 Conclusion If the word Tarshish is meant to refer to a SPECIFIC nation or people (like all the other names in Ezekiel 38 appear to), then it is reasonable to conclude that it corresponds to SPAIN If the word Tarshish is a representative term, then it is reasonable to conclude that it corresponds with THE WESTERN WORLD As the invaders who descend from Japheth come from the NORTH (i.e.- Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Togarmah), so the protesters who descend from Japheth come from the WEST With all the young lions thereof. If Tarshish has young lions then Tarshish is A LION o o Those who support the view that Tarshish is Great Britain point out that the lion is a symbol of England and it appears on the Royal Coat of Arms If Tarshish is Great Britain then all the young lions would refer to the offspring nations of England (e.g.- Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States)

11 The lion not only appears on the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, but also on the coat of arms of SPAIN (which appears on the Spanish flag) If Tarshish is Spain, then all the young lions would refer to the offspring nations of Spain (e.g.- Hispanic America)

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