Page 4 - TORCH Magazine #15 - February 2020

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from coats of arms to emblems used by our national sports teams. Ezekiel 19:2-3 describes a Lioness rearing her cubs to be able to fend for themselves, leading
many to hold the view
that this is a nation
(Britain) rearing
colonial offspring that
become independent.
“Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods.”
If Britain represents
the prophetic Tarshish,
then the British
commonwealth and
nations born out of
Britain, including the
United States, could
be identified as young
lions that unite together
and align themselves
with Israel. Some have
broadened this thought
to represent ‘The West’,
however it would only apply to those who side with Israel and therefore not every Western nation.
In the warning to the enemies that rise up against Israel in Ezekiel 38, we read, “Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army
to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”
Ezekiel 27:25 states, “The ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.
You were filled and very glorious in the midst of the seas.” Ezekiel 27:25
We understand that Tarshish was west of Israel leading some historians to believe
it was located in what is today south-west Spain, especially as
the Phoenicians had important colonies in the south of the Iberian
Peninsula, rich in minerals with Cadiz as a vital trading port. There is also a place called Tartessus, Arabic for Tarshish, located in
the region near Seville, that was shrouded in ancient myth as a trading powerhouse. Many, but not all the materials mentioned in Ezekiel 27 could have been sourced in southern Spain.
Whilst the Iberian Peninsula played an important role in the ancient Phoenician trade route, this is only part of the wider picture. There is much more to Tarshish than it
simply being a city. Remember that Tarshish was known for its trade merchants and the items being brought to Tyre were from much further afield than a known colonial port. In fact, in ancient literature Tarshish became synonymous with a faraway place, plentiful and prosperous, and somewhere way beyond the reach of known civilisation.
For example, when Jonah disobeyed God’s instruction to go to Nineveh, he headed in the opposite direction to Tarshish in an effort to flee “the presence of the Lord”. He was under the impression that somewhere existed so far that it was beyond God’s reach.
Then there was the ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, known as “Father
of Ancient History”, whom despite having travelled much of Europe, believed that tin and amber were being brought from somewhere unknown to him. He wrote in his book ‘The
If Britain represents the prophetic Tarshish, then the British commonwealth and the United States could be identified as young lions that united together align themselves with Israel.
Where was ancient
Tarshish?
There is debate surrounding the exact location of Tarshish in the ancient world,
but evidence points to a location or network of locations from which the Phoenician empire was able to source its riches to serve its Mediterranean markets. The Phoenician colonial port of Tyre was a maritime superpower at the time, building its own ships to bring merchandise from across the empire to a central location before distributing goods to surrounding trade partners, such as Israel. It is therefore helpful to view Tarshish as more than just a city, but as the source of rich minerals serving coastal hubs throughout the Mediterranean.
Addressing Tyre, Ezekiel 27:12 states,