The Spiritual Significance of the Number Eleven

[Study Aired February 8, 2026]

We have established that each number in scripture has its significance in relation to the numbers before and after each number. So then one (1) tells us that all is of God, through God and back to God. Two (2) bears witness to one and Three, (3) reveals process, particularly the three steps to spiritual maturity to which four (4) signifies that the whole of mankind must come  to Five (5) which signifies the chastening grace through faith, which (six) the number of mankind, must endure. When the grace through faith signified by the number five is applied to incomplete mankind, signified by the number 6 the product is the finishing of the process of making mankind complete, signified by the number 7. The process of being completed makes us a new  man  which new man is signified by the number 8. However, this ‘new man’ is a “new man’, “risen with Christ” in downpayment, “ernest” form only and is still housed in a vessel of clay which “cannot inherit the kingdom of God and must therefore be judged as such. This judgment of our flesh is signified by the number 9. This judgment is the judgment of mankind at his zenith in these clay vessels which is what the number ten signifies. The judgment endured by flesh at its zenith destroys and dissolves the flesh.

This disintegration of these bodies of flesh and blood is signified by the number 11. It is through this destruction and disintegration of our flesh that the kingdom of God on this earth is founded, and this foundation is signified by the number 12.

It is “foolishness” and counterintuitive to our carnal mind that a completed Adam is ‘complete’ in down payment form only and he must still see his body of flesh and blood as a seven-headed beast which must ‘go into perdition as the eighth beast which is of the seven’. This eighth (8th) beast is the new man and he can find his life only by losing it (going into perdition) through judgment (nine). Judgment (9) which must “begin at the house of God.” Of course ten reveals that the house of God “has kept all of the ten commandments from its youth up and is blameless according to the self-righteousness which is in the law. Only then, only after we come to see that we must die to what we thought was life, the (blameless life of keeping the 10, zenith of the flesh, commandments), will we be brought to understand the spiritual significance of the number before us today. It is the number eleven.

Eleven is one more than ten and is therefore the ruin and disintegration of ten. As eleven reveals the ruin and disintegration of ten, it also heralds the need for the strong and lasting spiritual foundation that is twelve. Eleven is one short of twelve and is that which is opposed to the foundation of the house of God. In fact eleven, the dissolution of ten, works against bringing mankind to that spiritual foundation which twelve signifies. So then eleven with one more signifies a good rock solid foundation. Twelve without one, eleven, is simply the ruin and disintegration of the zenith of the flesh.

Let’s see when this number appears in the Old Testament.

Gen 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

This is while Jacob is leaving Babylon. It is all very instructive for us. This is while Joseph is very young and just before Benjamin, who typifies God’s elect, has been born. Jacob is right here acutely aware of all of his past sins. Even though he has been promised lordship over Esau, he still feels hopelessly at Esau’s mercy and seven times calls him “my lord Esau.” Jacob knew he had to return to His Father, but he also knew he had to face Esau. It was a time of great confusion and turmoil. It was also a time of great purging and it is signified by the fact that his twelfth son had not yet come on the scene.

Gen 27:37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him (Jacob) thy lord, and all his brethren [Esau and his children] have I given to him for servants [the seed of the serpent of John 8:44)]; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Gen 32:4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

Gen 32:18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

Gen 33:15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he [Jacob] said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

The phrase, “My lord”, referring to Esau, and “my lord Esau” appear seven times in this narrative, signifying our recognition that we of ourselves are completely helpless in our struggles against our flesh. This is who we must come to see ourselves:

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Eleven signifies that time when we have just met Christ, and we are just now becoming aware of our total blindness. The time of our judgment still lies ahead of us.

Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

This is Joseph being given the promise of rulership over the flesh, the same promise his father Jacob had been given.

Gen 27:37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him [Jacob] thy lord, and all his [eleven] brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Both go from the promise of rulership into judgment and servitude to the flesh. This is just before Joseph is sold into Egyptian slavery by his ten brothers. All eleven will bow before him, but it is the ten who so persecute and want to kill him.

It is worth our notice that just before Cain killed Abel he was told that in time he, too, would be given to rule over sin in his life:

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto [Hebrew, against] thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him [sin].
Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Jer 2:18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that [it is] an evil [thing] and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear [is] not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

There is a temporary tabernacle which precedes a more permanent temple. The Lord’s own temple will be the first to be vigilantly judged and purged and purified as signified by eleven curtains:

Exo 26:7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

Eleven curtains covered the temporary tabernacle. This tabernacle first received the tables of the first covenant “for the lawless” (1Ti 1:9). It endured the trials of the wilderness and the lawless days of the judges. It was covered with eleven curtains.

Deu 1:2 There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

Twelve days would have taken Israel right into the promised land. Eleven is one day short of twelve, and therefore Israel at this point is not well founded. Korah and his 250 famous men of renown have yet to raise their ugly heads. Here is what happens at the end of “eleven days journey:”

Num 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
Num 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [which were] of the men that went to search the land, lived [still].
Num 14:39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we [be here], and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
Num 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD [is] not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites [are] there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
Num 14:44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
Num 14:45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, [even] unto Hormah.

Silver is the Biblical symbol for redemption. Silver was paid for the life of Joseph, who typifies Christ, and it was paid for the life of Christ Himself. but when it appears in multiples of eleven it is not for the redemption but for the enslaving of God’s people

Jdg 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength [lieth], and by what [means] we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.

Jdg 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed [be thou] of the LORD, my son.
Jdg 17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

The last two kings of Israel “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.” They both reigned eleven years:

2Ki 23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

2Ch 36:5 Jehoiakim [was] twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

2Ki 24:18 Zedekiah [was] twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2Ch 36:11 Zedekiah [was] one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:12 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God, [and] humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet [speaking] from the mouth of the LORD.
2Ch 36:13 (a) And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar…

As long as there is a need for a temple, man’s incomplete state will be reflected in that temple:

Eze 40:49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

There will not always be any need for a temple with a porch whose width is eleven cubits.”

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

“No temple.. for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple.” Just another one of those statements which to the natural man are a wonder.

New Testament

When there were just eleven apostles, the apostles were not well founded and were unbelieving, confused and afraid:

Luk 24:9 And [the women who had communed with the angels at the sepulcher] returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
Luk 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary [the mother] of James, and other [women that were] with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
Luk 24:11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

Luk 24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them [the two men on the road to Emmaus], he took bread, and blessed [it], and brake, and gave to them.
Luk 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luk 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Luk 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luk 24:35 And they told what things [were done] in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Luk 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them [the eleven], and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.
Luk 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

This is the condition associated with this number. The last two kings of Israel rebelled against their own oath, and Christ’s apostles were upbraided for their unbelief and hardness of heart. This all changed when Mathias was added to their number just before the day of Pentecost.

Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

This is another one of the shadows of the New Testament. It foreshadows the solid foundation on which God’s elect are built when the one is added to the eleven. When that is done this is the difference in our lives:

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Eleven, signifying the dissolution and destruction of the flesh, plus one is a solid foundation for those who are God’s spiritual temple. Twelve minus one is a rebellious, very confusing, unbelieving state of mind.

This is the spiritual, hidden significance of this number in the word of God. Christ’s words are not the wisdom of man. They are “hidden wisdom… in a mystery” in which each word is given a spiritual meaning so that “[His] words are spirit.” “My words are spirit and… life” means they don’t mean so much what they say as they mean what they mean. Hence they are “the hidden wisdom of God”, hidden right out in the open:

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and they are life.

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit [of the Word] and of power:
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [The spiritual meaning of the Words of God]

Wisdom from the Spirit

1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are [being] perfect[ed]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Without understanding the meaning of all the numbers, and all the other words of “hidden wisdom” in scripture we cannot receive the spiritual significance of these words:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

In a positive application of this word, it was at the eleventh hour that the elect were called to work in their Lord’s vineyard:

Mat 20:1  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2  And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Our next study will be on the ‘hidden wisdom’ of the number twelve.

Ezekiel 30:1–26 A Lament For Egypt

[Study Aired September 2, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study continues with the prophecy against Egypt which focuses on her destruction, and that of her allies and confederate, and all her interests and concerns.  As indicated in the previous study, Egypt is a symbol of Babylon of which we were part of during our sojourn in the physical churches of this world. This is made clearer later in the chapter when the Lord mentioned that He will give the land of Egypt to the King of Babylon.

Egypt also refers to our walk when we were dominated by our flesh as we  conform to the standards of this world. The chapter gives details of the judgement of Egypt and her cities which is our judgement. This evil experience of the Lord’s judgement that we go through in this life is to drag us to know Him. We can therefore learn from this chapter that the Lord’s ways are not our ways. This is to assure us that in the midst of all that we are going through in this life as we wonder why things happen the way they do, the Lord is at work in us to bring us to an expected end!!

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 
Jer 29:12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

The Sword Shall Come Upon Egypt

Eze 30:1  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 
Eze 30:2  Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! 
Eze 30:3  For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. 
Eze 30:4  And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. 
Eze 30:5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.  

The word of the Lord coming to Ezekiel in verse 1 is the same as Christ coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

As indicated in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, the coming of the Lord to us is accompanied by His judgement of our old man. Verses 2 to 4 affirms to us the judgement of the Lord when He come to us with His words. The day of the Lord is the time of the Lord’s judgement. A cloudy day in verse 2 means a gloomy day and that day being the time of the heathen means that it is a time of trouble for our old man who is signified by the heathen. Why is the day of the Lord a gloomy day? It is because the Lord is taking us through an evil experience which brings us to our wits ends. During this period, it is as if our Lord is not with us or has forsaken us. That is what it means when our sun is darkened in the day of the Lord. This is what Peter has to say about the day of the Lord:

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The moon turning into blood implies that through the Lord’s judgement, we come to see that our mother (moon), which represents the churches of this world, are rather putting us to death spiritually just as they had put to death physically, the Lord’s messengers.

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

It is during this period of our fiery trials that when we call on the name of the Lord, we are saved.

Psa 107:12  Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Psa 107:13  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. 
Psa 107:14  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 
Psa 107:15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

As indicated in the previous study, we came to the conclusion that when our walk with the Lord is dominated by our flesh or old man, then we are just like the people of the world or Egyptians. In verse 4, the sword coming upon Egypt is the Lord judging us as we walk in the flesh. In this case, the Lord is using the sword as His instrument of judgement. Here in verse 4 and 5, Egypt together with Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia and Chub are all being judged. To understand why these nations are being judged together with Egypt, we are given a clue in verse 5 which says that all these nations are in league with Egypt. In other words, Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia and Chub all exhibit the traits of worldliness associated with Egypt. All these nations therefore represent our flesh which must be destroyed through the sword.  The sword on a positive note means the word of the Lord.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

The negative aspect of sword used in verse 5 refers to words that are spoken which destroy us. The sword refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary.

2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Psa 64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
Psa 64:3  Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

These negative words spoken is one of the tools that the Lord uses to judge us.

Eze 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Jdg 7:22 And the three hundred [men with Gideon] blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host [of the Midianites]: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

Eze 30:6  Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 30:7  And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted. 
Eze 30:8  And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed. 
Eze 30:9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh. 

In verse 6, we are told that they that uphold Egypt shall fall. This means that our old man which is the source of all worldliness including pride shall be destroyed through the Lord’s judgement. The towers of Syrene is a border town of Egypt on the frontier of Ethiopia. The fact that the destruction stretches up to the towers of Syrene means that the Lord will do a thorough work with our old man such that nothing of our old man shall be left untouched. In this case, the instrument of the Lord’s judgement is the sword which is the fire of the word of the Lord which brings about tribulation and persecution because of the word we have received.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

The Lord judgement shall utterly destroy our old man as revealed in verse 7 where our old man shall be desolate and wasted. It is through this evil experience that we shall come to know the Lord. As we have indicated in previous studies, cities can represent churches and in this case, Babylon.

Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

The destruction of the cities in verse 7 therefore refers to the destruction of Babylon within our hearts and minds. In verse 8, we are told that all the helpers of Egypt shall be destroyed. These helpers are the churches of this world or Babylon which strengthen our old man. The destruction of these helpers therefore refers to the ruin of Babylon within us.

The messengers coming forth in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid symbolize the false apostles in Babylon who peddle the gospel as they come with messages which make us afraid and bring pain. All of this happened to us when we were in Babylon which is symbolized here as Ethiopia.

Joe 2:3  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Joe 2:4  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Joe 2:5  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
Joe 2:6  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 
Joe 2:7  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march everyone on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
Joe 2:8  Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
Joe 2:9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

Eze 30:10  Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. 
Eze 30:11  He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain. 
Eze 30:12  And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the LORD have spoken it. 
Eze 30:13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. 

In verse 10, the Lord is saying that He will use Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, to bring an end to Egypt. That is to say that the Lord will use our time in Babylon as the occasion that He is seeking to come and judge us to destroy the source of worldliness (Egypt) within us. In verse 11, we are made aware that the evil experience that we go through in Babylon which entails being inundated with false doctrines, symbolized by Babylon drawing their sword against us, brings us to spiritual death. These false doctrines are propagated by these false teachers and prophets.

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

In verse 12, selling the land into the hand of the wicked means our bodies become dominated by our flesh or old man. Through the Lord’s judgement, our rivers become dry, which implies that the Lord shall destroy our false doctrines. Our land being waste means that our old man or flesh shall be destroyed. Verse 13 continues to emphasize the destruction of our idols and images which represents our false doctrines, together with our old man. As the Lord takes us through this process of judgement, our old man or flesh become apprehensive or fearful, knowing his time is short.

Eze 30:14  And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No. 
Eze 30:15  And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. 
Eze 30:16 And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily. 

The names of these cities of Egypt which the Lord is dealing with through His judgement reveal the characteristics of His judgement. Pathros means part of Egypt. What this means is that the Lord’s judgement is a process which is carried out in parts. In the Book of Revelation, we see that our judgement is carried out in parts as shown in the following verses:

Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

Zoan was the dwelling place of Pharoah at the time of the exodus of Israel and the city of No means disrupting. Thus, in verse 14, the Lord is telling us that the seat of our old man or flesh symbolized by Pharoah, and everything within us that disrupt the kingdom of the Lord from being established within us shall be destroyed with the fire of the word of the Lord as He carries out His judgement gradually.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

In verse 15, the Lord will pour out His fury upon Sin, a city in eastern Egypt which serves as the strength of Egypt. The Lord will also cut off the multitude of No. Sin means thorny or clay. We know from the scriptures that thorns spiritually represent false doctrines.

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

As indicated, No which is a city in Egypt means disrupting and therefore the multitude of No signify those false apostles whose message disrupt the kingdom of the Lord from being established in us. What verse 15 is telling us is that both the false doctrines in our heavens which represent the strength of our old man or flesh and these false apostles who propagate these false doctrines shall be dealt with through the Lord’s judgement or fury. In other words, we shall see who these false apostles really are and therefore, shall not influence us again.

The Lord setting fire in Egypt, in verse 16, signifies the Lord coming to us to destroy our old man with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. The Lord’s judgement shall destroy everything including the false doctrines in our heavens. It is instructive to note that in verse 16, Noph is mentioned as being distress daily as the Lord sets fire in Egypt. Noph is another name for Memphis which was the capital city of Egypt and it means presentability. What this implies is that being presented to the Lord as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord is through the Lord’s judgement and that this work is done daily in our lives. As a result, we die daily to the things of the flesh.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Eze 30:17  The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity. 
Eze 30:18  At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. 
Eze 30:19 Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

The city of Aven in Egypt means trouble or sorrow. The young men of Aven therefore refer to the Lord’s elect who are going through trouble or sorrow as a result of the evil experience of the Lord’s judgement. Pibeseth signifies mouth of loathing which represents our old man or flesh who blaspheme against the Lord. We were all blasphemers but as we fall by the sword of the Lord’s judgement, we become counted as faithful.

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

Tehaphnehes means “thou will fill hands with pity”. What verse 18 is telling us is that even as the Lord judges our old man and our day become darkened, He will show us pity and not tempt us to a point that we cannot bear.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

Through the Lord’s judgement, the Lord shall break the yoke of our flesh as He takes his strength away.  In verse 18, we are also told that cloud shall cover Egypt as her daughters are taken into captivity. The cloud covering Egypt means that the world is shielded from the Sun who signifies Christ. We, His elect, are the cloud of witnesses which are shielding Christ from being seen by the world and Babylon. That is why the whole world and our brothers and sisters in Babylon are in captivity of the devil.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

It is when someone recognizes us as ambassadors of Christ that the Sun or Christ is unveiled to that person.

Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

In verse 19, the Lord is assuring us that through His judgement we shall come to know the Lord.

Egypt Shall Fall to Babylon

Eze 30:20  And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 30:21  Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword. 
Eze 30:22 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. 

The number eleven signifies the ruin and disintegration of the perfection of the flesh and that of seven speaks of the completion of the perfection of the flesh. The number one shows us that everything is of God. With this in mind, the eleventh year in the first month of the seventh day of the month in which the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in verse 20 signifies that what the Lord is coming to tell us relates what He is doing regarding the ruin and disintegration of our flesh and that this destruction only takes place after our sins are complete before Him. In this case, the sins of Pharoah the King of Egypt, who represents our flesh or old man have become complete. Our sins being complete is the same as our sins reaching the heavens. In the Book of Revelation, it is when the sins of Babylon have reached its fulness or become complete that the Lord shall come to judge her.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.  

In verses 21 and 22, the Lord is showing us what He is doing through the judgement of our old man. As we have indicated, Pharoah, King of Egypt symbolizes our old man or flesh. Here in verse 21, the Lord is saying that the arms of Pharoah is broken and that it shall not bound up to be healed and that it shall never be strong again to hold the sword. This verse is telling us that through the Lord’s judgement, our old man or flesh is destroyed, such that he cannot come back to haunt us with the sword or his false doctrines. In verse 22, the destruction of our old man involves the demolition of the works of the flesh (his arms) and his strength which deals with His ability to influence us. The  annihilation of our old man or flesh also involves making the sword to fall out of his hands which signifies the destruction of the false doctrines in our heavens.

What is shown here about the destruction of our old man or flesh through the Lord’s judgement is the same as what is shown in the Book of Daniel about Daniel’s vision. In the vision about the four beasts which together represent the whole of our old man or flesh, we can see that it was through judgement that his dominion is taken away and given to the Lord’s elect.

Dan 7:17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 
Dan 7:18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever.

Dan 7:26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 
Dan 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 

Eze 30:23  And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. 
Eze 30:24  And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man. 
Eze 30:25  But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt. 
Eze 30:26 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

In verse 24, the Lord is saying that it is He who strengthens the arms of the king of Babylon to make Pharoah groan of a deadly wound. Spiritually, what this verse is saying is that it is in Babylon or the physical churches of this world that the beast or our old man is given a deadly wound. However, as we see in the Book of Revelation, this deadly wound becomes healed.

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

In verse 25, we are made aware that it is the Lord who has strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon as He put His sword in his hand. At the same time, the arms of Pharoah shall fall down. We can see in verse 25 that it is the Lord who has caused Babylon to be strengthened with resources and has given them false doctrines (sword) to accomplish His purpose of keeping the multitude in the world (Egypt) including Babylon from getting to know the truth and be saved in this age.

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  

On the other hand, as the Lord’s elect, the Lord has given the king of Babylon to rule over us for a period of time. It is this period of our walk in Babylon that the Lord uses as the occasion to come into our lives with His judgement to destroy the works of our old man or flesh within us which is symbolized by the arms of Pharoah falling down as the king of Babylon stretches His sword against the land of Egypt in verse 25.

The Egyptians being scattered among the nations in verse 23 and 26 is the Lord breaking down the flesh or our old man such that he cannot be gathered together to become a force to reckon with in the lives of His elect. That is how we get to know the Lord as we serve Him.

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

Ezekiel 26:1-21  The City of Tyre and Her Judgement

[Study Aired August 5, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study is about the coastal city of Tyre which was located in present-day Lebanon with historical and biblical significance. This Phoenician city became famous for its maritime trade and production of the luxurious Tyrian purple dye. It played a critical role during the construction of Solomon’s Temple and served as a symbol of arrogance and pride in Biblical history.

In the Book of Psalms, we see Tyre conspiring with other enemies of the Lord’s elect to destroy them. Our enemy in the Bible is Satan or the devil who exercises his power through our flesh. Spiritually, Tyre, therefore, represent our flesh or our old man who hates Christ within us.

Psa 83:1  A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
Psa 83:2  For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.
Psa 83:3  They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. 
Psa 83:4  They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” 
Psa 83:5  For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—
Psa 83:6  the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
Psa 83:7  Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 
Psa 83:8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah (ESV)

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast (our flesh or old man): and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Tyre also signifies Babylon. As indicated in the previous study, a city can represent a church as shown in the following verses:

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

This assertion of Tyre being Babylon becomes clear in the following verses in Psalms as the church of the firstborn or heavenly Jerusalem or Zion is compared with Babylon and Tyre.

Psa 87:2  The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psa 87:3  Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
Psa 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

Despite its past glory, Tyre’s ultimate downfall was prophesied and fulfilled by invading forces, which serves as a testament to the transient nature of our flesh or old man. It also shows us that the destruction of Babylon within and without of us, the Lord’s elect, is imminent. Our study for Today is therefore based on the sins of Tyre and the Lord’s promise of her judgement.

The Need for Tyre to Be Judged

Eze 26:1  And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 26:2  Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: 
Eze 26:3  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. 

The first day of the month of the eleventh year that the Lord came to speak to Ezekiel concerning Tyre is significant. The number eleven means the ruin and disintegration of the perfection of the flesh. This implies that we have come to a time in our walk with Christ that we have just encountered Him and as a result, we are becoming aware of the total darkness we found ourselves in because of our flesh, which the judgement of the Lord is about to deal with in our lives. The fact that it was the first day of the month suggests that all that has happened and will happen to Tyre, our old man is of the Lord (significance of the number one). At this point in our walk, the Lord is preparing us to leave Babylon.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

As indicated in the introductory portion of this study, Tyre also represent Babylon or the physical churches of this world. In this case, Tyre represent the last stage of our sojourn as the Lord’s elect in Babylon. This becomes more clear when our Lord Jesus referred to Tyre together with Sidon as cities which would have repented if the Lord had performed His mighty works there, instead of Babylon (the cities of Israel) which are not repentant. One of the Lord’s mighty work to us is causing our eyes to see and our ears to be opened. At this stage of our walk, we are beginning to see the darkness we are in and the need for the ruin and disintegration of our flesh in order to worship the Lord acceptably. That is why we are ready to repent.

Mat 11:20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 
Mat 11:21  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 
Mat 11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.   

In verse 2, the city of Tyre said that Jerusalem, which is the gateway for the nations is destroyed and its doors are wide opened to her. As a result, she shall be rich because of its ruins. The mindset that the Lord should destroy Babylon so that we can be enriched in Him is an earthly wisdom which comes from our old man.

Jas 3:13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

What we need to know is that it is the Lord’s mercy that we are being enriched in Him at the expense of Babylon.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

In verse 3, we are told that the Lord will cause many nations to come up against us, just as the sea causes its waves to come up.  This is another way of saying that we shall be hated by all men for His name’s sake.

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Eze 26:4  And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 
Eze 26:5  It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. 
Eze 26:6 And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

The destruction of the walls of Tyre and the breakdown of her towers in verse 4 signifies the destruction of our old man or flesh as his defenses are taken away by the Lord. Just as the walls of Jericho were destroyed to pave way for the destruction of the city, the Lord has removed the defenses of our old man to ensure our victory over the flesh.

Jos 6:2  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 

Jos 6:20  So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

The scraping of the dust from her and making her like the top of a rock means that Tyre shall become a bare land without any plant growing, after her destruction.  In other words, the destruction of our old man is such that it shall not come alive again.

In verse 5, it is stated that Tyre shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea. That is to say that the death of our old man or flesh will give birth to the new man who will cause us to become fishers of men.

Eze 47:10  And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Mat 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

In verse 5, we are also told that Tyre shall a spoil for the nations. A spoil refers to the booty or plunder or the precious possession of those who are defeated in battle. During the Biblical times, the spoil serves as the reward for victory won during a battle. This implies that Tyre, our old man, being delivered as a spoil for the nations means that as the Lord’s elect, we shall surely win the victory over our old man or flesh through the Lord’s judgement.

Gen 49:27  Benjamin (representing the Lord’s elect) shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Num 31:53  (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

Jer 30:16  Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

Verse 6 indicates that the daughters of Tyre which are in the field shall be slain by the sword and that it is through this that the Lord shall be made known. The daughters of Tyre in the field refer to the physical churches in this world who are put to spiritual death or slain by the false doctrines propagated through false apostles. We were victims of this slaying by the sword but thanks be to God who came to us through His elect to make us know the truth of the word of the Lord. This truth of the word of the Lord is what destroys the false doctrines within our hearts and minds.  In verse 6, we are told that it is through this evil experience of being slain by the sword that we come to know Christ. This implies that to know Christ, we must pass through the evil experience of dying spiritually through false doctrines we imbibe in Babylon or Tyre. The destruction of the false doctrines by the truth of the Lord’s words will make us appreciate who the Lord is. The voice of the Lord or His words are the hail stones or the coals of fire which destroys our false doctrines.

Psa 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Eze 26:7  For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. 
Eze 26:8  He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. 
Eze 26:9  And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. 
Eze 26:10 By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. 

The Lord bringing king Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon to Tyre from the north with his army signifies the judgement of our old man by the Lord. The coming of Nebuchadrezzar with chariots and horses means that our time in Babylon is a period of conflict or war as horses and chariots signifies war.

Pro 21:31  The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.   

This war or evil experience that we must go through is clearly defined by Apostle Paul as follows:

Gal 5:17  The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. (CEV)

Our stay in Babylon is characterized by the conflict between what the spirit desires against our fleshly desires. As a result, we are unable to do what we want to do, that is, please the Lord. It is insightful to also note that the king of Babylon came to Tyre with horsemen, companies (multitude) and much people. These horsemen of Babylon represent the two hundred million false doctrines coming from the horsemen loosed by the four angels who were bound in the great river Euphrates in the Book of Revelation as follows:

Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Rev 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 

In verse 10, we are told that because of the abundance of Babylonian horses, their dust shall cover Tyre. This dust is the same as the smoke from the bottomless pit which darkened the sun and the air. That is to say that what these false apostles say darkened our understanding concerning Christ (Sun) and our spiritual understanding (air).

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 

Verse 8 states that our daughters in the field shall be slain by the sword of king of Babylon. That is to say that churches of this world (field) of which we were part of at a certain stage of our walk with Christ shall be put to spiritual death through false doctrines propagated by these horsemen or false apostles.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

The making of a fort, the casting of a mount and the lifting up of a buckler against Tyre in verse 8 signifies that there is no escape of our old man concerning the judgement of the Lord.

Jer 25:27  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.

The setting up of engines of war against our walls and the breaking down of our towers with their axes in verse 9 signifies that we cannot resist the pull of the false doctrines that are propagated in Babylon. We were all swept away by this flood of false doctrine when we were in Babylon. This is reiterated in verse 10 when it says that the walls of Tyre shall be shaken by the noise of the horsemen and of the wheels of their chariots as they enter into the city. The noise of the horsemen and of the wheels of their chariots refers to the false doctrines that these false apostles propagate. What this means is that being overcome with false doctrines in Babylon is an inevitable experience that we must bear at a certain stage of our lives.

Eze 26:11  With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.
Eze 26:12  And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. 

Treading down the streets of Tyre with the hoofs of the king of Babylon’s horses in verse 11 implies that these false doctrines interfere with our walk with the Lord. This interference is through the use of his sword which he uses to slay us. In other words, through false teachings (negative application of sword), we are put to spiritual death. The little truth of the word that we know which serves as our garrison is destroyed or brought down to the ground through the false doctrines of the enemy.

This situation is continued in verse 12 where our walls which represent the truth of the Lord’s words and serves as our defenses against the enemy are destroyed or broken down by the adversary and our pleasant houses demolished. Our pleasant houses refer to our temple or our hearts and minds which are desecrated by our old man who sits in our temple thinking of himself as God.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Laying stones, timber and dust in the midst of our water in verse 12 means polluting the truth of the word of the Lord with false doctrines. What is said here is the same as saying the following:

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

Eze 26:13  And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. 
Eze 26:14 And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

Causing the noise of our songs and the sound of our harps to cease in verse 13 means being unable to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit in Babylon.

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? 

As indicated earlier, making Tyre like the top of a rock means that the destruction of our old man or flesh is such that it shall not grow again. Tyre being a place to spread nets upon means that the death of our old man shall result in the birth of the new man after the image of Christ who shall make us fishers of men.

Eze 47:10  And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Mat 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

The Lord’s statement that Tyre shall not be built again affirms the assertion in that our old man or flesh shall not become active again after its destruction.

Rev 18:14  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Eze 26:15  Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? 
Eze 26:16  Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. 
Eze 26:17  And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! 
Eze 26:18 Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.

What these verses are saying is that as we see our old man begins its journey of death through the Lord’s judgement, he becomes filled with trembling, as he sees that his final death is near. The isles shaking at the sound of the fall of our old man, the princes of the sea clothing themselves with trembling and taking up a lamentation are all to assure us that when the Lord starts the death process of our old man through His judgement within us, our old man trembles knowing that his time is short. We must therefore be assured that whatever the Lord starts, He shall surely bring to completion.

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.    

What verses 15 to 18 say is the same as the destruction of Babylon within us and outwardly in the Book of Revelation as follows:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 
Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Rev 18:14  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Eze 26:19  For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; 
Eze 26:20  When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living; 
Eze 26:21 I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD. 

In these verses, the Lord is telling us that Tyre which represents Babylon shall be ruined such that it shall be no more. It is instructive to note that in verse 19, we are told that the Lord shall bring up the deep upon her such that she shall be covered by great waters. That is to say that the deep sea shall cover Babylon. The deep sea or great waters signifies humanity. This implies that the Lord will cause Babylon to be destroyed by people whom the Lord has prepared for such a purpose. This destruction of Babylon is also foretold in Revelation chapter 17 where the ten horns shall make her desolate and naked, and eat her flesh. The ten horns represent the strength of the flesh to carry out what the Lord has put in their hearts, that is, the destruction of Babylon, in the fulness of time. This destruction refers to Babylon within us and without.

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.  

This destruction is detailed in Revelation chapter 18 as follows:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
Rev 18:20  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

May the Lord grant us the grace to endure to the end as He destroys Tyre or Babylon within us. Amen!!

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We have established that each number in scripture has its significance in relation to the numbers before and after each number. So then one (1) tells us that all is of God, through God and back to God. Two (2) bears witness to one and three (3) reveals the three steps to spiritual maturity to which four (4), the whole of mankind must come. Five (5) is the chastening grace through faith which the whole (four) of mankind (six) must endure. So then just as six is the number of rebellious mankind and is the disintegration of five, which is the number of grace through faith so too, is seven the number which destroys six by revealing six as not being complete.

But a complete Adam must see himself as a seven- headed beast who is nothing more than the offspring of a seven- headed dragon and in dire need of going into perdition as the eighth beast which is of the seven. This eighth (8th) beast is the new man and he finds his life only by losing it (going into perdition) through judgment (nine). Judgment (9) must begin at the house of God. Of course ten reveals that the house of God “has kept all of these ten commandment from its youth up and is blameless according to the righteousness which is in the law. So then it is only after we see our need for dying to what we thought was life, the (blameless life of keeping the 10, perfection of the flesh, commandments. And that brings us to the number before us today. It is the number eleven.

Eleven is one more then ten and is therefore the ruin and disintegration of ten. As eleven reveals the ruin and disintegration of ten, it also heralds the need for the strong and lasting spiritual foundation that is twelve. But eleven is one short of twelve and is that which is not quite able and in fact works against bringing mankind to that spiritual foundation. which twelve signifies. So then eleven with one is a good foundation. But twelve without one, eleven, is simply the ruin and disintegration of the perfection of the flesh.

OLD TESTAMENT

Gen 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

This is while Jacob is leaving Babylon. It is all very instructive for us. This is while Joseph is very young and just before Benjamin, who typifies God’s elect, has been born. Jacob is right here acutely aware of all of his past sins. Even though he has been promised lordship over Esau he still feels hopelessly at Esau’s mercy and several time calls him “my lord Esau.” Jacob knew he had to return to His Father, but he also knew he had to face Esau. It was a time of great confusion and turmoil. It was also a time of great purging.

Gen 27:37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him (Jacob) thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants [ the seed of the serpent-Joh 8:44]; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
Gen 32:4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
Gen 32:18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
Gen 33:15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he [ Jacob] said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of [ your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Eleven signifies that time when we have just met Christ and we are just now becoming aware of our total blindness. The time of our judgment still lies ahead of us.

Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

This is Joseph being given the promise of rulership over the flesh, the same promise his father Jacob had been given.

Gen 27:37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him [ Jacob] thy lord, and all his [ eleven] brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Both go from the promise of rulership into judgment and servitude to the flesh. This is just before Joseph is sold into Egyptian slavery by his ten brothers. All eleven will bow before him, but it is the ten who so persecute and want to kill him.

Jer 2:18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that [ it is] an evil [ thing] and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear [ is] not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

There is a temporary tabernacle which precedes a more permanent temple. But do not think that even the temple is not to be vigilantly purged and purified.

Exo 26:7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

Eleven curtains covered the temporary tabernacle. This tabernacle first received the tables of the first covenant “for the lawless” (1Ti 1:9). It endured the trials of the wilderness and the lawless days of the judges. It was covered with eleven curtains.

Deu 1:2 There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

Twelve days would have taken Israel right into the promised land. Eleven is one day short of twelve, and therefore Israel at this point is not well founded. Korah and his 250 famous men of renown have yet to raise their ugly heads. Here is what happens at the end of “eleven days journey:”

Num 14:36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
Num 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [ which were] of the men that went to search the land, lived [ still].
Num 14:39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we [ be here], and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
Num 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD [ is] not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites [ are] there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
Num 14:44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
Num 14:45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, [ even] unto Hormah.

Silver is often a symbol for redemption, but when it appears in multiples of eleven it is not for the redemption but for the enslaving of God’s people

Jdg 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength [ lieth], and by what [ means] we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred [ pieces] of silver.
Jdg 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed [ be thou] of the LORD, my son.
Jdg 17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

The last two kings of Israel “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.” They both reigned eleven years:

2Ki 23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [ was] Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
2Ch 36:5 Jehoiakim [ was] twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did [ that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
2Ki 24:18 Zedekiah [ was] twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [ was] Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2Ch 36:11 Zedekiah [ was] one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
2Ch 36:12 And he did [ that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God, [ and] humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet [ speaking] from the mouth of the LORD.
2Ch 36:13 (a) And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar…

So long as there is a need for a temple, man’s incomplete state will be reflected in that temple:

Eze 40:49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

But there will not always be any need for a temple with a porch whose width is eleven cubits”

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

“No temple.. for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple.” Just another one of those statements which to the natural man are a wonder.

NEW TESTAMENT

When there were but eleven apostles the apostles were not well founded and were unbelieving, confused and afraid:

Luk 24:9 And [ the women who had communed with the angels at the sepulcher] returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
Luk 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary [ the mother] of James, and other [ women that were] with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
Luk 24:11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
Luk 24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them [ the two men on the road to Emmaus], he took bread, and blessed [ it], and brake, and gave to them.
Luk 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luk 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
Luk 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luk 24:35 And they told what things [ were done] in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Luk 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [ be] unto you.
Luk 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

This is the condition associated with this number. The last two kings of Israel rebelled against their own oath, and Christ’s apostles were upbraided for their unbelief and hardness of heart. But this all changed when Mathias was added to their number just before the day of Pentecost.

Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

This is another one of the shadows of the New Testament. It foreshadows the solid foundation on which God’s elect are built when the one is added to the eleven. When that is done this is the difference in our lives:

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Eleven plus one is a solid foundation for those who are God’s spiritual temple. Twelve minus one is a rebellious, very confusing, unbelieving state.

This is the spiritual, hidden significance of this number in the word of God which is all a parable meaning not so much what it says as what it means.