Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:
“You were the signet of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering,
sardius, topaz, and diamond,
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;
and crafted in gold were your settings
and your engravings.
On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.
I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created,
till unrighteousness was found in you.
16 In the abundance of your trade
you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I exposed you before kings,
to feast their eyes on you.
18 By the multitude of your iniquities,
in the unrighteousness of your trade
you profaned your sanctuaries;
so I brought fire out from your midst;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
in the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.”
Prophecy Against Sidon
20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her 22 and say, Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
23 for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
24 “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.
Israel Gathered in Security
25 “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.” Ezekiel 28 ESV
Ezekiel 28: 11-15
Secondly, I want to say a word about his fall. It says in verse 15, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created…” And then follows one of the most puzzling probing statements in all of the Bible, one that has vexed the minds of theologians throughout the centuries and taxes our imagination and our theological acumen. It says, “until unrighteousness was found in you.” Why would unrighteousness be found in a perfect being that did not have a sin nature? Here he was created with wisdom and beauty and obedience (an obedient nature) and then suddenly (and we can’t explain it) it is as if it was spontaneous combustion. Suddenly unrighteousness is found in God’s perfect creation. We may not understand the whys and the hows, but we do have in the text here an indication as to how this happened.
What was the cause of the unrighteousness? We know it was pride because Paul says in 1 Timothy 3, “When you have a new convert in the Church do not elevate him to become an elder because he may be lifted up with pride and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
In Isaiah we have a parallel passage and it says seven times that Lucifer said, “I will ascend. I will ascend into heaven, I will be like the Most High, I will, I will, I will.” But how did the pride manifest itself? First of all, it began by theft. He began to steal. I say that because it says in verse 16, “In the abundance of your trade
you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned.” This is the way I read the passage. Here’s Lucifer, responsible for what is happening on the earth. There is praise being offered up to God. There are works that are being offered up to God. He has the responsibility of making sure that it all gets to God. And the key word there is all, and he begins to allow some of it figuratively speaking to stick to his fingers, and he says, “I want a piece of the action.” That’s what happened. - Erwin Lutzer with some of his Chicago flare
Raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre - In verses 1-10 we had the prince, now we have the king, the ruler behind the prince. We know Satan to be the ruler of this world, and by that we do not mean the Creator, for that is God, but the ruler of this present darkness, the father of lies. We also know that a tree is known by it's fruits, and so it follows that those who are enslaved to sin, who want nothing to do with righteousness, who hate God, they have far more to do with the devil, and though they deny God, yet they are His adversary and the friend of all unrighteousness.
…11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6: 11-12
…43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!… John 8: 43-45
…37I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. 38I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.… John 8: 37-39
12-15 You were the signet of perfection - A seal, a signature work of God, a masterpiece to God's glory. This is no earthly king of Tyre, but a great shift has occurred here which describes the spirit behind this fallen age. The devil was not always evil though, we see here that he bore the signature of perfection, so that when God stepped back from His creation, just like in the 6 days, He saw what He created and said, "it is good." As far as humanity is concerned, on the sixth day God made Adam and Eve, perfect and without sin as well, but after their fall no other man could have this said of them, except when God took on human form, became a brother to the human race, and without sin, of Whom God was glad to say, "this is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased."
11Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. 13For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.… Romans 5: 11-13
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty - Men are all fallen, so this could not be said of any earthly ruler of Tyre. It could be said that he, along with many other kings thought themselves gods, and that all of humanity since the fall has thought more highly of itself than we should. Of Lucifer, whose name in the original Hebrew, means "shining one, light bearer", it is said not just wise, but "full of", and such a lamp is not known among those born of Adam, a man whose understanding is so perfect that he performs that for which he was designed without flaw. For our kind it required a new representative, a new Adam, yet all the angels which exist were not made by procreation, yet each was made at the same time, those elect angels, preserved from falling, and those resigned to everlasting judgment. I must admit a tinge of sympathy, for I do not know what it would be like to fall from perfection, and those fallen angels are not offered the gift of repentance, yet God reserved 2/3 of the angels by election.
20But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin. 21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality. 22Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.… 1 Timothy 5: 20-22
…3Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, tossing them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth. 5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.… Revelation 12: 3-5
You were in Eden - Now we know the account from Genesis where Satan was in the garden, and there he chose a serpent to indwell, but this seems to go even before that, before the fall. It is interesting to note though that he himself was a thing of beauty, and beauty and majesty that is not perverted points to it's Creator, and I think that was the essence of his job, his mission and design, to bring knowledge of God, and to send glory to God, magnifying the name of the Lord to all of Creation. Also, unlike men in this, he has knowledge of both heaven and earth. As we will see he was very close to God in proximity, and a creature full of wisdom, made perfectly, and so without any real reason to rebel, for it was not even yet of his nature.
…47That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded. 49I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!… Luke 12: 47-49
They were prepared - He is described as covered in precious stones similar to that on the Ephod of the priests.
“The stones listed in this verse are similar to those on the high priest’s breastplate in Exodus 28:17–20. The order is different here in Ezekiel, which includes only nine of the twelve stones of Exodus 28:17–20. The LXX inserts all twelve stones from Exodus 28 into Ezekiel 28:13.” (Alexander)
iii. Matthew Poole described the gemstones in this manner: “The sardius; of a red, and by some said to be the ruby.
Topaz; of a yellowish green.
The diamond; of clear, waterish, sparkling colour. The beryl; of a sea-green colour, the best.
The onyx resembles the whiteness of the nail of a man’s hand. The jasper; of divers colours, but the best green.
The sapphire; of sky colour, or blue.
The emerald; green interspersed with golden spots.
The carbuncle; of flame colour.” - E Word
You were an anointed guardian cherub - Right away comes to mind the picture of the cherubs whose wings stretch across the Ark of the Covenant. The use of the word anointed also gives more credence to a priesthood. He was in a position so close to the glory of God, the Shekinah, and he was a spirit being, full of wisdom, so it was his post, to worship God in spirit and in truth, to lead the choirs of heaven in praising God. He would not be in this position if he was not holy at the time of his charge. Think of the old testament priest, they carried the sacrifice into the tabernacle, but they had to go through a process of cleansing before they entered with the blood or the incense. As they walked in with the sin offering the people prayed on the outside as the incense represented their prayers coming before God inside, being taken to His heavenly throne. The priest were the only ones allowed to enter, and the high priest was the only one allowed once a year in the most Holy place before the Mercy seat, where the cherubim covered and faced the presence of God. So serious was this anointing to the priesthood, that when Aaron's, the high priest's sons, brought in strange fire, unauthorized by God, God killed them.
…40Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor. 41After you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests. 42Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh.… Exodus 28: 40-42
I placed you - Ordained by God. Being an anointed Cherub makes him set apart for a special duty, a certain office, not held by all the angels, a leader.
You were on the holy mountain of God - The seat of God's government. Mountains in the prophetic books represented governing authorities, empires. Lucifer's access was enormous.
…22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.… Hebrews 12: 22-24
In the midst of the stones of fire you walked - Only a few prophets have seen an "image" of heaven, God's throne, and it is in what would be represented by a temple down here. Both men and angels have been created to worship God, that we have in common, yet only fallen men have been extended the grace to come back to this original intent, and that through Christ Jesus. When Isaiah visited a vision of heaven, He noted the holiness of God, a crippling, overwhelming reality, and right away became aware of his own unholiness, to which he immediately confessed, "I am a man of unclean lips, and I live amongst a people of unclean lips." He was unclean and where he came from was unclean, and so in order to speak on behalf of God, one of the angels brought a burning coal from the altar, with tongs, in order to cleanse, purify, refine the lips of the prophet.
The fiery stones likely describe some adornment or perhaps describe the angelic beings known as seraphim (Isaiah 6:2). The name seraphim literally means “burning ones” or “fiery ones” and the context of Isaiah 6 suggests that this was another name for the cherubim surrounding God’s throne. - E Word
…28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. 29“ For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12: 28-29
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created - Now the devil had great wisdom, so I don't think he was in denial of his status as created. I don't believe he thought himself omnipotent, for he has to ask God for permission to go after Job. He is clever, and far beyond humans in understanding, and could write this much better than me. I am sure even the lowliest of demons is better in their eschatology than me, and above the silly pursuits that I undertook in trying to be an atheist. He does not deny the existence of God, nor would he say he is omniscient like God, yet for all his wisdom it did not keep him from trying God, wanting to usurp God's right as Sovereign over creation. He is also not omnipresent, as he walks to and fro about the earth seeking whom he may devour.
6 One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”…
…8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.” 9Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.…
…11But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Job 1: 6-12
Till iniquity was found in you: Satan enjoyed this place of great status and honor until something happened; until iniquity was found in him. The following verses will describe something of the nature of that iniquity, as does Isaiah 14:12-15. Ezekiel here tells us of the source of the iniquity – Satan, the king of Tyre, himself. It was not placed in him by God, but found in him as a corruption of the good that God put in the anointed cherub who covers. - E Word
Have you ever thought of this? When Lucifer decided to sin, he had no idea what the consequences were going to be, because there was no other example of rebellion in the entire universe. He couldn’t look back and say, “Well now, I know that this might happen because look at what So-and-So did, and look at what happened to him.” No, this was the first being to choose against God. I’ll tell you what he didn’t know. He did not know the devastation that was going to come to him. He did not know the ultimate total incredible humiliation that he is going to have to endure throughout all of eternity. There was no way that he could foresee what was going to happen in his life and in his experience. He should have obeyed God’s bare Word, and believed that God knew better than he as to whether obedience was optional, or whether it should be done with love and gratitude.
Could I say parenthetically that you and I don’t know that either, do we? We sin and we think that we can control the consequences, but I want you to know that God has created a universe in which that is not possible. When you and I deliberately sin, the consequences of necessity are always out of our control and our hands. - Erwin Lutzer
I am going to stop here and pick up with 15 again and go from there, but I encourage anyone who reads this to listen to a great lecture by Erwin Lutzer on How Satan's Rebellion Serves God's purpose. Erwin is one of the great theologians and philosophers of our time, but he also has a strangely dry sense of humor.
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