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| Long thought a fabled city, Tyre has now been excavated. |
Ezekiel Chapters 25-32 – An Overview. If you are asked what
the book of Ezekiel is about, your answer should be “Jesus.”
Chapter 25 Glory of the Lord; judgment of nations. Against
Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia
Chapter 26 God said there would be many nations that would
come against Tyre. Tyre was a great kingdom, commercial center and great
political center.
Chapter 27 Lamentation for Tyre. Tyre is compared to a great
ship that is wrecked. Tyre’s pride brought on the wrath of God. Like Satan,
Tyre had proclaimed itself the most beautiful of cities.
Chapter 28 Judgment of the prince and king of Tyre and
Sidon. The prophecy looks beyond the local ruler to the one who is behind the
kingdoms of the world — Satan. Remember, Satan offered the world’s kingdom to
Jesus, but Jesus turned them down. In the end, Satan has been defeated by Jesus’
death on the cross.
Verses 1-10 — Prince of Tyre is a type of the “man of sin”
(2 Thessalonians 2:3-10) – the antichrist (He represents Satan). He wants to be
God (just like Satan wanted to be God). Notice “uncircumcised” in verse 10. We
have a choice. We can be physically circumcised and live under the Old Covenant
(and thus die), or we can be spiritually circumcised in Christ.
Verses 11-19 — This section gives the best description in
all Scripture on the origin of Satan (see Isaiah 14:12-17).
Verse 11 – Satan was the most beautiful of all of the
angels. He was not Jesus or Jesus’ brother, but he was in an honored position.
Verse 12 — Satan was Lucifer, son of the morning, the
highest creature God ever created. He was wiser than all other creatures, and
the most beautiful.
Verse 13 — Satan had everything there was to have.
Verse 14 — Satan was “the anointed cherub” next to the
throne of God.
Verse 15 — Satan was created in perfection. That is why the
unsaved love him (sometimes without realizing it). Then, for reasons we will
not know until we are in heaven with God, “Iniquity was found in thee” (see
Isaiah 14:12-17) – that is: pride. He set his will over the will of God.
Verse 16 — Satan will be judged. He is only a creature. Jesus
will get rid of him.
Verses 20-24 — Judgment is pronounced on Sidon, but not
complete destruction. Today Tyre is gone; Sidon lives on.
Verses 25, 26 — Israel will be restored to the land in
peace. The theme song of all of the prophets is “God’s Not through with the
Nation Israel.”
Chapter 29 - Egypt (representing the world system), this
proudest of all nations, that had never been destroyed, is to be reduced to the
lowest level. Just look at Egypt in the news today. Journalists are jailed,
Christians are executed and Al Jazeera reigns.
Chapter 30 - Egypt is to be destroyed.
Chapter 31 - Once a “cedar in Lebanon (verse 3),” and equal in
beauty to the Garden of Eden, she will brought down. Her allies will go down
with her (verse 6). God will come against Pharaoh personally (verse 18).
Chapter 32 - Lamentation for Pharaoh and Egypt. This is both a
warning and an expression of sorrow. God is never happy when He is rejected.
Sin looks beautiful. Many people are drawn to it, thinking
it fun. But the wages of sin (no matter how beautiful it seems) is eternal death.
Self-pride is the epitome of sin. The only escape from God’s wrath is through
faith in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.
