Tyre was destroyed in exactly the way that God told Ezekiel it would and there is no way Ezekiel could have guessed what would happen. He might have guessed that Nebuchadnezzar would come, and he might have guessed that he would besiege Tyre. It would have seemed incredible that Nebuchadnezzar would defeat it, and no-one would guess that only the women in the field would be killed.

The really incredible part of the prophecy came 250 years after Ezekiel was dead, when Alexander did what no-one had ever thought of doing before – building a causeway out to the island, using the stones and even soil. The old city was literally thrown into the sea and the rock scraped bare. To say that Tyre would never be rebuilt is the test of time on this prediction. Its geographical location still would make it a perfect site for a city and world export hub.

There are hundreds of prophecies like this in the Bible. All of them are fulfilled with just as much accuracy. It is a wonderful reminder that God knows the future and plans for it. It reminds us of who is in control of this planet. Even a seemingly all-powerful city can fall into a forgotten hole in history. Even a whole nation can become nothing or survive against the odds. God is the one outside of time and can see history before it happens. The difference between us and nations is that we have a choice. It is as if we have two histories written for us based on the choices we make. We are the masters of our own destiny. What choices are you making?

Tyre’s history was determined by the way she reacted to Jerusalem. When Jerusalem fell, they rejoiced because Jerusalem was a rival. Our future history will be determined by our response to what Jesus is offering us: do we accept his offer or reject it; do we follow Jesus or walk away? If we accept Him, we will end up following God’s good plan for our future. If we reject him, and walk away, we will walk away from that plan and we will find ourselves in a forgotten hole of history like Tyre, heading to destruction, and forgotten forever.

So, although God oversees history, we are in charge of our own history. What happens to us in the short term is uncertain and unknowable, but what happens to us in the long term, in eternity, is up to us. God has already made his plans for us, but we can walk away if we wish. The tragedy is that many people are stubborn and refuse God’s offer of Grace and forgiveness.