resistance even after the city was taken, Alexander’s men put Tyre to the flames. Besides the 8,000 Tyrians who were slaughtered in battle, 2,000 were later killed as a reprisal, and 30,000 were sold into slavery.

END OF TYRE’S GLORY

While Tyre experienced a number of revivals thereafter, Bible prophecy was fulfilled upon her. Today the former glory of Tyre is no more. Ruins and a small seaport, called Souro, mark the site. Regarding the place, the Encyclopædia Britannica (1971) notes that it “is of no particular significance; it had an estimated population of 16,483 in 1961.” (Vol. 22, p. 452) Thus the history of Tyre to the present day testifies to the correctness of the prophetic word:

“I [Jehovah] am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up against you many nations, just as the sea brings up its waves. And they will certainly bring the walls of Tyre to ruin and tear down her towers, and I will scrape her dust away from her and make her a shining, bare surface of a crag. A drying yard for dragnets is what she will become in the midst of the sea.”​—Ezek. 26:3-5.

The fate of Tyre clearly demonstrates that Jehovah God does not view treacherous action lightly. This should impress upon us the importance of knowing God’s will and sticking loyally to him. Just as he will not leave treachery unpunished, so, too, he will not fail to reward his loyal servants. “God is not unrighteous,” wrote the apostle Paul to fellow believers, “so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name.”​—Heb. 6:10.

Questions From Readers

● If some anointed Christians survive into the New Order, will they grow old and die, or how will their earthly life end?

Frankly, the Bible does not say. In whatever way it is to occur, the earthly life of these spirit-anointed Christians will have to come to an end so that they may receive their reward of life in heaven.​—1 Cor. 15:35-38.

Jesus’ illustration of the wheat and the weeds shows that some “sons of the kingdom” will be alive on earth at the ‘conclusion of the system of things.’ (Matt. 13:24-30, 37-43) Also, certain Biblical patterns suggest that some of these anointed ones may survive the destructive “great tribulation.” (Matt. 24:21) Consider a few of these patterns.

Ezekiel chapter 9 describes a “man” with a secretary’s inkhorn who was to “mark” individuals who were to survive Jerusalem’s destruction in 607 B.C.E. It is understood that this represents in our time the marking work in which the collective body of anointed “sons of the kingdom” are taking the lead. Ezekiel’s account indicates that it was after the executional work in Jerusalem was done that the “man” who completed the marking turned in his report to Jehovah. That suggests that some of the anointed class will survive on earth the executional work to come upon this generation. (Ezek. 9:4, 8, 11) A related indication of this same thing is the fact that the prophet Ezekiel himself kept on living in Babylonia after the destruction of ancient Jerusalem.

Additionally, Noah’s wife (who pictures the class of anointed ones espoused to the Greater Noah, Jesus) survived the flood. (Matt. 24:37-42; Eph. 5:25-30) Consider also Elisha, who lived through the destructive work carried out by Jehu, as the remnant of the anointed today hope to survive the destructive work of the Greater Jehu, Jesus Christ. (See “New Heavens and a New Earth,” pages 95 and 321, and “Let Your Name Be Sanctified,” pages 351-365.) Consequently, the remnant of