Was Egypt like a tall and arrogant cedar tree cut down to size? Is the kingdom of heaven like a small and humble seed growing into a large tree? Let’s begin in Ezekiel 31.
Did God compare Egypt to an enormous cedar tree in the forest?
Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ezek 31:1 NKJV)
“Son of man, give this message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his hordes: To whom would you compare your greatness? You are like mighty Assyria, which was once like a cedar of Lebanon, with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade and with its top high among the clouds. Deep springs watered it and helped it to grow tall and luxuriant. The water flowed around it like a river, streaming to all the trees nearby.” (Ezek 31:2-4 NLT)
How impressive was Egypt, using the analogy of a large cedar tree?
Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied. Its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it spread them out. All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the animals of the field gave birth to their young. All great nations lived under its shadow. (Ezek 31:5-6 WEB)
How beautiful was Egypt, using the analogy of a large cedar tree?
It became beautiful in its greatness and in its lush foliage, because it took root in plentiful water. No cedar was its equal in God’s garden. The fir trees didn’t have anything like its branches, and the plane trees had nothing like its boughs. None of the trees in God’s garden could compare to it in its beauty. As for its beauty—I made it so, with its abundant foliage. All the trees of Eden envied it, all that were in God’s garden. (Ezek 31:7-9 CEB)
What weak human character traits did the king of Egypt possess? How would God deal with him?
King of Egypt, now listen to what I, the Lord God, am saying about that tree: The tree grew so tall that it reached the sky and became very proud and arrogant. So I, the Lord God, will reject the tree and hand it over to a foreign ruler, who will punish it for its wickedness. Cruel foreigners will chop it down and leave it wherever it falls.
Branches and broken limbs will be scattered over the mountains and in the valleys. The people living in the shade of those branches will go somewhere else. Birds will then nest on the stump of the fallen tree, and wild animals will trample its branches. Never again will any tree dare to grow as tall as this tree, no matter how much water it has. Every tree must die, just as humans die and go down to the world of the dead. (Ezek 31:10-14 CEV)
As Egypt went down to the grave was there mourning among the nations?
Thus says the Lord God: On the day the cedar went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it, and restrained its rivers, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit.
And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the world below. They also went down to Sheol with it, to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were its arm, who lived under its shadow among the nations.
Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God. (Ezek 31:15-18 ESV)
Did Jesus also describe the kingdom of heaven as like a tree?
He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” (Mat 13:31-32 HCSB)
Was Egypt like a tall and arrogant cedar tree cut down to size? Is the kingdom of heaven like a small and humble seed growing into a large tree? You decide!
Egypt's Allies Fall (Ezekiel 30)
Are nations accountable to God for their sins? Does God bring judgment and restoration to reveal Himself to a wayward humanity? Let’s look at Ezekiel 30.
Is this day of the Lord, the day of clouds coming to Egypt and her allies a preview of the final day of the Lord?
Another message came to me from the Lord, who had this to say: “Son of Man, here’s what you are to prophesy and announce, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Wail out loud! Oh no! The day! For comes now the day—comes now the Day of the Lord, the day of clouds! The time of the gentiles is fulfilled!
War will come to Egypt, and Ethiopia will be in anguish when the slain fall in Egypt, when her wealth is carried off, and her foundations are demolished. Ethiopia, Libya, descendants of Lud, all those who have mixed themselves, and Libya—along with everyone in the land of Israel who is in league with them—will die violently.”’” (Ezek 30:1-5 ISV)
Will Egypt’s neighbors who support her suffer along with her?
This is what the Lord says: Those who support Egypt will fall, and its proud strength will collapse. From Migdol to Syene they will fall within it by the sword. This is the declaration of the Lord God. They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. They will know that I am Yahweh when I set fire to Egypt and all its allies are shattered.
On that day, messengers will go out from Me in ships to terrify confident Cush. Anguish will come over them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For indeed it is coming. (Ezek 30:6-9 HCSB)
Who would God use to inflict this divine punishment upon Egypt and her allies?
Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 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.
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. (Ezek 30:10-12 KJV)
What great changes would God be making throughout the region?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make Pathros desolate, Set a fire in Zoan, And execute judgments on Thebes. I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The strong defense of Egypt; I will also cut off the multitude of Thebes.
I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish; Thebes will be breached, And Memphis will have distresses daily. The choice men of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall by the sword, And the women will go into captivity.
In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break there the bars of the yoke of Egypt. Then the pride of her strength will cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity. Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, And they will know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezek 30:13-19 LSB)
Did Pharaoh’s attempt to protect Jerusalem from Nebuchadnezzar's invasion fail?
In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword.
Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.’” (Ezek 30:20-23 NASB)
Would Nebuchadnezzar embarrass Egypt, a land with many statues of Pharaoh wielding a sword? Are national leaders still in God’s hands?
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp.
Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezek 30:24-26 NIV)
Does Paul warn about trying to predict a future day of the Lord?
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thess 5:2-4 NKJV)
Are nations accountable to God for their sins? Does God bring judgment and restoration to reveal Himself to a wayward humanity? You decide!
Is this day of the Lord, the day of clouds coming to Egypt and her allies a preview of the final day of the Lord?
Another message came to me from the Lord, who had this to say: “Son of Man, here’s what you are to prophesy and announce, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Wail out loud! Oh no! The day! For comes now the day—comes now the Day of the Lord, the day of clouds! The time of the gentiles is fulfilled!
War will come to Egypt, and Ethiopia will be in anguish when the slain fall in Egypt, when her wealth is carried off, and her foundations are demolished. Ethiopia, Libya, descendants of Lud, all those who have mixed themselves, and Libya—along with everyone in the land of Israel who is in league with them—will die violently.”’” (Ezek 30:1-5 ISV)
Will Egypt’s neighbors who support her suffer along with her?
This is what the Lord says: Those who support Egypt will fall, and its proud strength will collapse. From Migdol to Syene they will fall within it by the sword. This is the declaration of the Lord God. They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. They will know that I am Yahweh when I set fire to Egypt and all its allies are shattered.
On that day, messengers will go out from Me in ships to terrify confident Cush. Anguish will come over them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For indeed it is coming. (Ezek 30:6-9 HCSB)
Who would God use to inflict this divine punishment upon Egypt and her allies?
Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 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.
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. (Ezek 30:10-12 KJV)
What great changes would God be making throughout the region?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make Pathros desolate, Set a fire in Zoan, And execute judgments on Thebes. I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The strong defense of Egypt; I will also cut off the multitude of Thebes.
I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish; Thebes will be breached, And Memphis will have distresses daily. The choice men of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall by the sword, And the women will go into captivity.
In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break there the bars of the yoke of Egypt. Then the pride of her strength will cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity. Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, And they will know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezek 30:13-19 LSB)
Did Pharaoh’s attempt to protect Jerusalem from Nebuchadnezzar's invasion fail?
In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword.
Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.’” (Ezek 30:20-23 NASB)
Would Nebuchadnezzar embarrass Egypt, a land with many statues of Pharaoh wielding a sword? Are national leaders still in God’s hands?
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp.
Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezek 30:24-26 NIV)
Does Paul warn about trying to predict a future day of the Lord?
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thess 5:2-4 NKJV)
Are nations accountable to God for their sins? Does God bring judgment and restoration to reveal Himself to a wayward humanity? You decide!
Egypt's Fall (Ezekiel 29)
Do nations today get puffed up, instead of humbly acknowledging God? How did God humble Egypt? Let’s look at Egypt’s fall in Ezekiel 29.
Against whom was Ezekiel to prophecy in the Autumn of that year?
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt.” (Ezek 29:1-2 NKJV)
How does God describe Pharaoh? How effective was all his bragging? Is human leadership often monstrous, satanic?
Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: “I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—you great monster [dragon or crocodile], lurking in the streams of the Nile. For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine; I made it for myself.’ I will put hooks in your jaws and drag you out on the land with fish sticking to your scales. I will leave you and all your fish stranded in the wilderness to die. You will lie unburied on the open ground, for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.
All the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord, for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds. When Israel leaned on you, you splintered and broke and stabbed her in the armpit. When she put her weight on you, you collapsed, and her legs gave way. (Ezek 29:3-7 NLT)
What preposterous claims did Pharaoh make? Do politicians still make preposterous claims? Did the Babylonian army decimate Egypt for a time (564-525 BC)? Should we trust the time line claimed by Greek historian Herodotus or Berosus a Babylonian historian whose record concurs more with scripture?
“‘Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you. The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.
No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years. I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities among the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.” (Ezek 29:8-12 WEB)
Has Egypt returned as a more modest nation, never again a super power?
The Lord God proclaims: At the end of forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from among the nations where they are scattered. I will improve their circumstances and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. Egypt will be a lowly kingdom there.
Out of all the kingdoms, it will be the lowliest. It will never again exalt itself over the nations, and I will make it small to keep it from ruling the nations. The house of Israel will never again bring guilt on itself by faithlessly turning to Egypt for help, for they will know that I am the Lord God. (Ezek 29:13-16 CEB)
After Tyre evacuated most of their wealth by sea, leaving little for King Nebuchadnezzar to plunder, did he invade Egypt (around 568-567 BC) for “wages,” causing the decline of Egypt, which successively fell under Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome?
Twenty-seven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the first day of the first month. He said: King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia has attacked the city of Tyre. He forced his soldiers to carry so many heavy loads that their heads were rubbed bald, and their shoulders were red and sore.
Nebuchadnezzar and his army still could not capture the city. So now I will hand over the nation of Egypt to him. He will take Egypt's valuable treasures and give them to his own troops. Egypt will be his reward, because he and his army have been following my orders. I, the Lord God, have spoken. Ezekiel, when Egypt is defeated, I will make the people of Israel strong, and I will give you the power to speak to them. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have done these things. (Ezek 29:17-21 CEV)
Does the book of Revelation use similar imagery of the devil?
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. (Revelation 12:3-4a ESV)
Do nations today get puffed up, instead of humbly acknowledging God? How did God humble Egypt? You decide!
Against whom was Ezekiel to prophecy in the Autumn of that year?
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt.” (Ezek 29:1-2 NKJV)
How does God describe Pharaoh? How effective was all his bragging? Is human leadership often monstrous, satanic?
Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: “I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—you great monster [dragon or crocodile], lurking in the streams of the Nile. For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine; I made it for myself.’ I will put hooks in your jaws and drag you out on the land with fish sticking to your scales. I will leave you and all your fish stranded in the wilderness to die. You will lie unburied on the open ground, for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.
All the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord, for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds. When Israel leaned on you, you splintered and broke and stabbed her in the armpit. When she put her weight on you, you collapsed, and her legs gave way. (Ezek 29:3-7 NLT)
What preposterous claims did Pharaoh make? Do politicians still make preposterous claims? Did the Babylonian army decimate Egypt for a time (564-525 BC)? Should we trust the time line claimed by Greek historian Herodotus or Berosus a Babylonian historian whose record concurs more with scripture?
“‘Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you. The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.
No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years. I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities among the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.” (Ezek 29:8-12 WEB)
Has Egypt returned as a more modest nation, never again a super power?
The Lord God proclaims: At the end of forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from among the nations where they are scattered. I will improve their circumstances and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. Egypt will be a lowly kingdom there.
Out of all the kingdoms, it will be the lowliest. It will never again exalt itself over the nations, and I will make it small to keep it from ruling the nations. The house of Israel will never again bring guilt on itself by faithlessly turning to Egypt for help, for they will know that I am the Lord God. (Ezek 29:13-16 CEB)
After Tyre evacuated most of their wealth by sea, leaving little for King Nebuchadnezzar to plunder, did he invade Egypt (around 568-567 BC) for “wages,” causing the decline of Egypt, which successively fell under Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome?
Twenty-seven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the first day of the first month. He said: King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia has attacked the city of Tyre. He forced his soldiers to carry so many heavy loads that their heads were rubbed bald, and their shoulders were red and sore.
Nebuchadnezzar and his army still could not capture the city. So now I will hand over the nation of Egypt to him. He will take Egypt's valuable treasures and give them to his own troops. Egypt will be his reward, because he and his army have been following my orders. I, the Lord God, have spoken. Ezekiel, when Egypt is defeated, I will make the people of Israel strong, and I will give you the power to speak to them. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have done these things. (Ezek 29:17-21 CEV)
Does the book of Revelation use similar imagery of the devil?
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. (Revelation 12:3-4a ESV)
Do nations today get puffed up, instead of humbly acknowledging God? How did God humble Egypt? You decide!
Tyre's King (Ezekiel 28)
Why do we see national salvation in inept human politics rather than God? Who is the real power leading and deceiving humanity? Let’s look at Ezekiel 28.
Does the king of Tyre face the same pitfalls in office as any national leader with great wealth and power?
This message came to me from the Lord: “Son of Man, tell Tyre’s Commander-in-Chief, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Because your heart is arrogant, and because you keep saying, ‘I have taken my seat, I am a god, seated in God’s seat right in the middle of the sea,’ and because you’re a man, and not a god, even though you pretend that you have a god-like heart…
Look! You’re wiser than Daniel, aren’t you? No secret is too mysterious for you! Your wisdom and understanding brought you phenomenal wealth. You’ve brought gold and silver into your treasuries. By your great wisdom, by your skills in trading you have amassed wealth for yourself and your heart has become arrogant because of your wealth.” (Ezek 28:1-5 ISV)
What punishment awaited the king of Tyre for his arrogance in office?
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. (Ezek 28:6-10 KJV)
Does this now turn towards a double metaphor of both the king of Tyre and the fall of Satan? Was the devil the real power behind the throne?
Again the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you.
On the day that you were created They were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lofty because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. By the abundance of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought out fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified, And you will cease to be forever.”’” (Ezek 28:11-19 LSB)
Does God now turn His attention to Sidon, Tyre’s sister city to the north?
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against her and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Sidon, And I will appear in My glory in your midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I execute judgments against her, And I will reveal Myself as holy in her.
For I will send a plague to her And blood to her streets, And the wounded will fall in her midst By the sword upon her on every side; Then they will know that I am the Lord. And there will no longer be for the house of Israel a painful thorn or a hurtful thorn bush from any surrounding them who despised them; then they will know that I am the Lord God.” (Ezek 28:20-24 NASB)
Does God prophesy a future time of blessing for Israel?
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’” (Ezek 28:25-26 NIV)
Does Revelation also seem to picture the fall of Satan?
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9 NKJV)
Why do we see national salvation in inept human politics rather than God? Who is the real power leading and deceiving humanity? You decide!
Does the king of Tyre face the same pitfalls in office as any national leader with great wealth and power?
This message came to me from the Lord: “Son of Man, tell Tyre’s Commander-in-Chief, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Because your heart is arrogant, and because you keep saying, ‘I have taken my seat, I am a god, seated in God’s seat right in the middle of the sea,’ and because you’re a man, and not a god, even though you pretend that you have a god-like heart…
Look! You’re wiser than Daniel, aren’t you? No secret is too mysterious for you! Your wisdom and understanding brought you phenomenal wealth. You’ve brought gold and silver into your treasuries. By your great wisdom, by your skills in trading you have amassed wealth for yourself and your heart has become arrogant because of your wealth.” (Ezek 28:1-5 ISV)
What punishment awaited the king of Tyre for his arrogance in office?
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. (Ezek 28:6-10 KJV)
Does this now turn towards a double metaphor of both the king of Tyre and the fall of Satan? Was the devil the real power behind the throne?
Again the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you.
On the day that you were created They were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lofty because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. By the abundance of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought out fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified, And you will cease to be forever.”’” (Ezek 28:11-19 LSB)
Does God now turn His attention to Sidon, Tyre’s sister city to the north?
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against her and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Sidon, And I will appear in My glory in your midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I execute judgments against her, And I will reveal Myself as holy in her.
For I will send a plague to her And blood to her streets, And the wounded will fall in her midst By the sword upon her on every side; Then they will know that I am the Lord. And there will no longer be for the house of Israel a painful thorn or a hurtful thorn bush from any surrounding them who despised them; then they will know that I am the Lord God.” (Ezek 28:20-24 NASB)
Does God prophesy a future time of blessing for Israel?
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’” (Ezek 28:25-26 NIV)
Does Revelation also seem to picture the fall of Satan?
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9 NKJV)
Why do we see national salvation in inept human politics rather than God? Who is the real power leading and deceiving humanity? You decide!
Tyre Lamented (Ezekiel 27)
Do we really love our countries and lament their national sins? Let’s look at Ezekiel 27.
Do we brag that our land is the best country, perfect in beauty?
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre. Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You say, Tyre, “I am perfect in beauty.” (Ezek 27:1-3 NIV)
How glorious was Tyre in beauty and with much merchandise for trade?
Your borders are in the midst of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty. They made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks With ivory from the coasts of Cyprus. Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail; Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen; Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you; They became your pilots. Elders of Gebal and its wise men Were in you to caulk your seams; All the ships of the sea And their oarsmen were in you To market your merchandise. (Ezek 27:4-9 NKJV)
How prominent was Tyre among the nations of that time in history?
Men from distant Persia, Lydia, and Libya served in your great army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you great honor. Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls. Your towers were manned by men from Gammad. Their shields hung on your walls, completing your beauty.
Tarshish sent merchants to buy your wares in exchange for silver, iron, tin, and lead. Merchants from Greece, Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and articles of bronze to trade with you. (Ezek 27:10-13 NLT)
Who were the many merchants who bought and traded goods from Tyre?
They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules. The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange.
Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise. (Ezek 27:14-17 WEB)
What other kinds of goods and services were traded back and forth in Tyre?
For many of your finished products, Damascus traded out of its great wealth the wine of Helbon and white wool. Vedan and Javan from the region of Uzal traded with you. They exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices for your wares. Dedan was your agent for saddle blankets. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded for you. They procured lambs, rams, and goats for you.
They were your agents in Sheba and Raamah. For your wares they exchanged the finest spices, every kind of precious stone, and gold. Haran, Canneh, and Eden were your agents, and also Assyria and Chilmad. They procured fine finished goods for you, garments of purple and brocade, and plush carpets rolled up and securely tied with ropes, among your acquisitions. (Ezek 27:18-24 CEB)
How was Tyre analogous to the wreck of a large seagoing trade ship?
Large, seagoing ships carried your goods wherever they needed to go. You were like a ship loaded with heavy cargo and sailing across the sea, but you were wrecked by strong eastern winds. Everything on board was lost—your valuable cargo, your sailors and carpenters, merchants and soldiers. The shouts of your drowning crew were heard on the shore.
Every ship is deserted; rowers and sailors and captains all stand on shore, mourning for you. They show their sorrow by putting dust on their heads and rolling in ashes; they shave their heads and dress in sackcloth as they cry in despair. In their grief they sing a funeral song for you: “Tyre, you were greater than all other cities. But now you lie in silence at the bottom of the sea.” (Ezek 27:25-32 CEV)
How did a prosperous trading city come to such a tragic end?
When your wares came from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you.
All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and the hair of their kings bristles with horror; their faces are convulsed. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.’” (Ezek 27:33-36 ESV)
Does John record a similar lament over the destruction of an end time Babylon?
The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer—merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine fabrics of linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves and human lives. (Rev 18:11–13 HCSB)
Do we really love our countries and lament their national sins? You decide!
Do we brag that our land is the best country, perfect in beauty?
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre. Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You say, Tyre, “I am perfect in beauty.” (Ezek 27:1-3 NIV)
How glorious was Tyre in beauty and with much merchandise for trade?
Your borders are in the midst of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty. They made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks With ivory from the coasts of Cyprus. Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail; Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen; Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you; They became your pilots. Elders of Gebal and its wise men Were in you to caulk your seams; All the ships of the sea And their oarsmen were in you To market your merchandise. (Ezek 27:4-9 NKJV)
How prominent was Tyre among the nations of that time in history?
Men from distant Persia, Lydia, and Libya served in your great army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you great honor. Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls. Your towers were manned by men from Gammad. Their shields hung on your walls, completing your beauty.
Tarshish sent merchants to buy your wares in exchange for silver, iron, tin, and lead. Merchants from Greece, Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and articles of bronze to trade with you. (Ezek 27:10-13 NLT)
Who were the many merchants who bought and traded goods from Tyre?
They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules. The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange.
Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise. (Ezek 27:14-17 WEB)
What other kinds of goods and services were traded back and forth in Tyre?
For many of your finished products, Damascus traded out of its great wealth the wine of Helbon and white wool. Vedan and Javan from the region of Uzal traded with you. They exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices for your wares. Dedan was your agent for saddle blankets. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded for you. They procured lambs, rams, and goats for you.
They were your agents in Sheba and Raamah. For your wares they exchanged the finest spices, every kind of precious stone, and gold. Haran, Canneh, and Eden were your agents, and also Assyria and Chilmad. They procured fine finished goods for you, garments of purple and brocade, and plush carpets rolled up and securely tied with ropes, among your acquisitions. (Ezek 27:18-24 CEB)
How was Tyre analogous to the wreck of a large seagoing trade ship?
Large, seagoing ships carried your goods wherever they needed to go. You were like a ship loaded with heavy cargo and sailing across the sea, but you were wrecked by strong eastern winds. Everything on board was lost—your valuable cargo, your sailors and carpenters, merchants and soldiers. The shouts of your drowning crew were heard on the shore.
Every ship is deserted; rowers and sailors and captains all stand on shore, mourning for you. They show their sorrow by putting dust on their heads and rolling in ashes; they shave their heads and dress in sackcloth as they cry in despair. In their grief they sing a funeral song for you: “Tyre, you were greater than all other cities. But now you lie in silence at the bottom of the sea.” (Ezek 27:25-32 CEV)
How did a prosperous trading city come to such a tragic end?
When your wares came from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you.
All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and the hair of their kings bristles with horror; their faces are convulsed. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.’” (Ezek 27:33-36 ESV)
Does John record a similar lament over the destruction of an end time Babylon?
The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer—merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine fabrics of linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves and human lives. (Rev 18:11–13 HCSB)
Do we really love our countries and lament their national sins? You decide!
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