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Is it admitted in Ezekiel 29 that the Tyre prophecy failed?
Trace the strongest lines of support, challenge each claim, and follow every response as far as the reasoning goes.
supporting
challenging
Before you begin
Orient yourself to the question
01 Clarifying the question
In Ezekiel 26, a prophecy is articulated whereby the city of Tyre was to be destroyed. But later we read:
Ezekiel 29:17-19 -- “Nebuchadnezzar… made his army labor hard against Tyre… But he and his army had no wages…" Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar… he will carry off her wealth.”
Is it being admitted here that Ezekiel's prophecy failed? If so, this would play an important role in the question of whether Ezekiel's prophecy was fulfilled.
Sources and notes
- Some critics think so. For example:
• Richard Carrier (Activist atheist, Classicist): “...forcing Ezekiel to retract his prediction”
• Farrell Till (Publisher of The Skeptical Review journal): “…if Yahweh had intended for Nebuchadnezzar to defeat only the mainland area, then it would not be true that he had received no pay for the labor he expended. In reality, he would have gotten exactly what Yahweh wanted him to have... the mainland villages of Tyre.” [“The Tyre Prophecy Again” in The Skeptical Review (1999)]
The argument field
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For
Supports this claim
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Ezekiel (& his book) would've been rejected as false
01 Supporting reason Ezekiel (& his book) would've been rejected as false Read argument
As ordered by divine law (Dt 18:21-22), if the Hebrews perceived Ezekiel's prophecy to have failed or for Ezekiel to have received revelation of God to admitting a failure, then Ezekiel would sooner have lost his title as prophet and his book would obviously have had a very hard time being canonized.
Against
Challenges this claim
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Tyre was to be a spoil for the nations
01 Challenging reason Tyre was to be a spoil for the nations Read argument
In the prophecy, it said “she will become spoil for the nations.” (Ezekiel 26:5) This is relevant because Nebuchadnezzar did not receive any such spoils (Ezekiel 29:20).
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God's reward to Nebuchadnezzar is recompense
02 Challenging reason God's reward to Nebuchadnezzar is recompense Read argument
God's rewarding Nebuchadnezzar is in fact God's paying Nebuchadnezzar back. This is relevant because God would not be paying Nebuchadnezzar back unless the original promise to Nebuchadnezzar (i.e. Tyre's spoils) was not actually delivered as promised (in the prophecy itself).