Tarshish and her Chiefest Lion

This week, American President, Donald Trump has been visiting the UK. We examine some of the highlights of the visit in the context of Bible Prophecy.

Ezekiel 38

Ezekiel 38 is a prophecy set just before Jesus re-establishes God’s Kingdom on the earth. It is a time in the Bible called “the latter days”. The prophecy tells us that this is the time that the people of Israel will have returned to their land – a sign we have been witnessing being fulfilled after the events of World War 2 and since the declaration of the independence of the state of Israel in 1948.

In the prophecy two sets of nations are described, one set are involved in an all out attack of Israel which is stopped by divine intervention. Whilst this invasion is taking place we read in verse 13 of another set of nations named Shebah, Dedan and the Merchants of Tarshish emerge to verbally question the invading forces.

This prophecy gives us a glimpse of the future. The destiny of the nations seen through the eye of prophecy.

Tarshish

Shebah and Dedan are well documented as being peoples in the area of the Gulf states.

Tarshish is harder to pin down. There are a number of clues in the Bible though that we can put together which helps us to identify who Tarshish is:

1. Its people are descended from Japheth who emigrated across western Europe & is an island or coastal power. Gen 10:4-5
2. It was well known as a maritime power in ancient times. 2 Chron 9:21 Psalm 48:7 Isaiah 2:16, 23:1, 60:9, Ezekiel 27:25
3. In ancient times, especially around 900-600BC it traded in global markets and particularly traded in the East. 2 Chron 9:20-21
4. It is located to the far west of Israel. Jonah 1:3
5. At the time of Ezekiel (600BC) it was a source of silver, iron, tin and lead & traded with the ancient Phoenicians of Tyre. Ezekiel 27:12
6. After the Phoenician city of Tyre was destroyed (around 300BC) its power and influence was to pass over to Tarshish which was to replace Tyre as the worlds trading power. Isaiah 23:6
7. It is a colonial power, having political offspring. Ezekiel 38:13

The only modern power that fits these characteristics is the British power.

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