Zechariah 9:3

"And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire."

The prophet of God here announced particularly the destruction of Tyre, long considered to be impregnable. This announcement came not long after the foundation of the 2temple had been completed; and there is no use to suppose a date some centuries afterward in order to nullify this classical example of predictive prophecy. The prophet who prophesied the triumphal entry of Christ in the most remarkable detail would have had no trouble at all foretelling the rise of Alexander the Great who would destroy Tyre such a long time after the prophecy was given. After all, he was not the only prophet of God who foretold that event, for Ezekiel 26:7-14 also foretold it. Significantly, Ezekiel predicted the siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, which indeed occurred; but he did not destroy the place, Therefore, Ezekiel again prophesied the destruction of Tyre, saying, "They shall bring thee down to the pit; and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain in the depth of the seas." (Ezekiel 28:8). The complete fulfillment of this prophecy against Tyre was so remarkable that we include here a summary of it.

TYRE

Founded between 1500,1400 B.C., this city had enjoyed power and prosperity for centuries when Zechariah proclaimed its downfall. It was the shipping and commerce center for the eastern Mediterranean world. They were friendly to king Solomon and aided in the building of the first temple. It was the pride and arrogance of the city that led to their destruction.

"Tyre and Sidon ..." These are usually mentioned together, because Tyre was, at first, a colony founded by Sidon. It was strongly situated on an island off the coast some 35 miles north of Mount Carmel. "Herodotus placed the founding of the city at 2700 B:C.;"[12] and that could possibly be correct, as the later date (1500-1400) is based upon the omission of the city's name from only one inscription where it would presumably have been included if it existed; but that is rather weak evidence.[13]

"Built herself a stronghold ..." Baldwin identified this as "a breakwater 820 yards long and nine yards thick."[14] There were doubtless other fortifications also. The city successfully endured a number of sieges: "In the 7th century, both Shalmanezer IV and Ashurbanipal tried in vain to take it; and in the 6th century, it successfully resisted a 13-year siege by Nebuchadnezzar."[15] Thus, it must have appeared to be a very rash prophecy indeed that spoke of destroying the power of Tyre "in the sea." But never was a prophecy more exactly fulfilled.

Alexander the Great took the part of Tyre that was situated on the mainland; and then, using the totality of that destroyed city as the material, he constructed a mole 200 feet wide, literally casting Tyre, all of it, into the sea, and connecting the mainland with the proud island off shore. After a siege of some seven months, it fell; Alexander executed 10,000 of the citizens and sold 30,000 into slavery.[16]

"They are very wise ..." As Keil aptly remarked:

"The wisdom through which Tyre acquired such might and such riches would be of no help to it; for it was the wisdom of this world which ascribes to itself the glory due to God, and only nourishes the pride out of which it sprang."[17]