In the middle of Ezekiel chapter 28, something happens!
The Prophet (I believe) ceases describing a normal human being (the whole context deals with judgment on Gentile world leaders) … and begins giving information on an amazing creature!
One who sounds, assuredly, like the Devil!
Let’s examine verses 11-19 for a few minutes.
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Wow!
First, note that the 11th verse indicates a new paragraph. A “new” message from the Lord, or at least a distinct break from the last few paragraphs! “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying …”
Then in verse 12 note a new “addressee” for the message. No longer the “prince” of Tyre (Tyrus) as back in verse 2 … but now the “King” of Tyre (Tyrus). This could be very significant!
But there’s more. Verse 12 continues with an evaluation, from God: “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” What a list of traits, nearly saying this entity is God’s “perfect” work!
Verse 13 is (nearly) conclusive: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” This is Satan, well … “Lucifer!” Dressed royally, expensively! And he has been in “Eden!” (Remember the temptation of Eve and Adam?) And yet, he is a “creature!” Not a creator! Unless he is the creator of evil!
Yet more … “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I (God) have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God (God’s Very Abode); thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created.” He’s an angel, a member of the exclusive “Cherub” order! That verb “covereth” (in Hebrew “sakak”) means “to defend, screen, hedge in,” sort of like a “bodyguard!”
What a majestic creature, what an angel, maybe the ARCH-angel indeed! Top-most!
Until … verse 15 … “Till iniquity was found in thee.”
Wow!
Folks, this well may be a description of the first sin ever committed!
Sin, “evel,” from a root verb meaning “to deviate.” (Straying from Almighty God’s Commands, His Perfect Ways, His Clear Will!)
Verse 16 again, an indictment: “Thou hast sinned.” With “chata” here meaning “to deliberately miss God’s Way!” To miss the mark, “to loose out!”
And the motive? Personal gain! In our beautiful, quaint King James Version: “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence.” Sounds to me like the real princes of Tyre followed their leader well, followed Satan! Greedy, vain, controlling, lustful, covetous! (This line probably corresponds to the Devil’s five “I will” statements given in Isaiah 14.)
More, from Ezekiel, from God really: “Thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” Verses 16-17, God “kicking” the Devil out of Heaven! He no longer permanently dwells there, to this day!
The heart of his sin … “PRIDE!” Again … “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.”
Eventually to be “destroyed!”
Humiliated in public!
Now we look into the future and see the Devil’s “end,” depicted more fully in revelation chapter 20. “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” Verses 18-19, “fire,” sounds like Hell, doesn’t it? Rather, more accurately, “the Lake of Fire and Brimstone.”
Wow!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
(“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and FIRE came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:7-10)
Astoundingly, Ezekiel has given us, in succinct terms, the career trajectory of Satan!
Christ our Lord is Victor!