The Prophet Ezekiel: An Analytical ExpositionGaebelein, Arno Clemens
Religion
The Prophet Ezekiel: An Analytical Exposition
Gaebelein, Arno Clemens
Bible. Ezekiel -- Commentaries
The Prince and the King are identical, and not different persons as some
say. But what is said now of the ruler of Tyrus as king could never be
said of a mere human being. Hardly any of the descriptions given in
these verses can be applied to the heathen King of Tyrus. The
description fits another being, the person who was originally the
greatest and most beautiful creature of God, but has become a fallen
creature and the enemy of God. In one word, it is Satan in his original
greatness and in his fall who is revealed in connection with the King of
Tyrus. Satan was the power behind the throne of the Tyrian King, as
Satan is still the god of this age who controls the kingdoms of the
world. Inasmuch, then, as Tyrus is a type of the commercial glory of the
world, its wealth and pride, foreshadowing the final great world-city or
world-system, Babylon, the ruler of Tyrus, spoken of as Prince,
foreshadows the Antichrist, while as King, Satan himself stands behind
him as the domineering power. The descriptions given of Satan as an
unfallen being, show that he was originally a marvelous being, full of
wisdom and perfect in beauty. From Jude's epistle we learn that even
Michael still recognized in him the grandeur of his unfallen past and
did not bring a railing accusation against him (Jude verses 8-10). He
was in Eden, the garden of God, and every precious stone was his
covering. It is a description of Satan's original place and of his great
beauty. Furthermore, he was the anointed cherub that covereth; the Lord
had set him to be this. As the anointed, divinely chosen cherub he held
an exalted position in connection with the government of the throne of
God.[19] Everything shows that this majestic creature possessed a place
of great dignity, being "upon the holy mountain of God," walking up and
down in the midst of the stones of fire, he was ever present and moving
about in the fiery glory of a holy and righteous God. "Thou was perfect
in thy ways from the day that thou wast created till unrighteousness was
found in thee." Surely the first part of this verse could never apply to
the King of Tyrus nor to any other human; it is a picture of the
unfallen glorious creature of God. But unrighteousness was found in him.
He sinned, and as a result divine sentence is pronounced upon him. Yet
this sentence in verse 16 is not yet executed. He is not yet cast out in
the fullest sense, nor bruised completely, nor is he in the lake of
fire. All this is future. God in His all-wise purpose delays the
complete execution of this judgment. But the day will come when he, who
walked once in the presence of the glory of God, in the midst of the
stones of fire, will be cast into the lake of fire, his eternal abode.
What was his sin? "Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou
has corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." He became puffed
up, lifted up with pride (1 Tim. iii:6) on account of his own beauty and
brightness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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