Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
The verse marks another message from the Lord to Ezekiel, telling him to take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and to speak what the Lord God declares concerning him. Though spoken to the king of Tyre, the lamentation that follows speaks chiefly of Lucifer as a fallen angel, with Satan shown as the true king behind that government because he fully controlled it. It reveals Lucifer as a created covering cherub, perfect and beautiful and next to Christ in heaven, who ruled in splendor under God until iniquity was found in him through pride in setting his heart as God and seeking preeminence for himself. Having drawn angels into war against God, he and all who joined his rebellion will be cut off at the end, perishing root and branch as Satan the root is destroyed from among the stones of fire to be no more. The lamentation also reaches to the last days as a warning against the same self-exalting power working through human agents, so that those who seek truth must walk in all the light God has given lest they be deceived.
Introduction and Lamentation Setting
Moreover the word of the LORD came again unto Ezekiel, commanding him to take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus or Tyre and to declare what the Lord God says about him. This coming of the word introduces the Lord's message through Ezekiel that continues with the lamentation about the king of Tyre. Though addressed to the king of Tyre, the lamentation in verses 11-19 refers primarily to Lucifer and reveals a fallen angel.
The chapter to which this opening belongs should be read as a whole to understand God's work concerning fallen angels and fallen men. In that whole, Satan is represented as the actual king of Tyre because he fully controlled that government. Earthly rulers and nations can therefore serve as Satan's agents.
Lucifer's Rebellion and Doom
Lucifer was a created covering cherub, perfect and beautiful, who stood next to Christ in the heavenly courts and once ruled under God and Christ in splendor until iniquity was found in him. He was corrupted by pride and sin, setting his heart as the heart of God and deciding he was entitled to a higher position and to preeminence for himself. When the Lord sought to correct him, he would not be corrected but persistently held his own judgment as unchangeable and never to be revoked.
He worked upon the angels until they were deceived into warring against God, bringing war in heaven when the loyal angels would not yield the point that Christ should have the preeminence next to God. He retains his beauty and disguises himself as a beautiful being, an angel from heaven, as when tempting Christ, rather than appearing as a disgusting fiend.
The word to the prince of evil will be fulfilled at the end when God vindicates His law and delivers His people, when Satan and all who joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will then perish root and branch, Satan the root and his followers the branches, with Satan destroyed from the midst of the stones of fire to become a terror and never be any more. This destruction is not arbitrary power but the reaping of what was sown, because God is the fountain of life and choosing the service of sin separates from God and cuts off from life. By rebellion Satan and his followers place themselves out of harmony with God so that His loving presence is to them a consuming fire.
Warnings for Last Days
The lamentation introduced by the word of the Lord to Ezekiel concerning the king of Tyre refers primarily to Lucifer, once created perfect and beautiful but corrupted by pride and sin and destined for destruction, yet it has a broader significance beyond one being, describing a general movement to be witnessed in the last days in which Satan works through human beings with the same subtle power he used in plotting rebellion among holy beings in heaven before the fall. Faithful study of the chapter leads those seeking truth to walk in all the light God has given to His people lest they be deceived by the deceptions of these last days. The account exposes how Satan sought preeminence for himself, worked upon the angels until they were deceived into warring against God, and brought war in heaven when the loyal angels would not yield the point that Christ should have the preeminence next to God, and the same works of Satan are repeated in strange things that have come, especially in America since the destruction of San Francisco by fire. Lucifer's self-exaltation warns that history will repeat, in that the same power to exalt himself can influence people in the present and future to oppose God and persecute others.
The fall of Lucifer from verses 11-18 warns against claiming infallibility, for Lucifer was next to Christ in the heavenly courts but decided he was entitled to a higher position. When the Lord sought to correct him, he would not be corrected, but persistently held his own judgment as unchangeable and never to be revoked. Anyone who will not yield up his own way and insists his plans and judgment are infallible takes Lucifer's position, and God has no use for him unless he changes. There is help for such a one if he will be helped, but he needs reconversion, and he must not take a position on important subjects hastily but first search the Word to know if it is infallible from the pure, clean statements of the Word of God.
The verse warns that Satan watches every movement and works minds to draw them away from the special light and the work of saving perishing souls. He diverts minds to jots and tittles and picking flaws that the Lord did not inspire, that are not essential and not a testing question, while Satan disguised fills every opening to bring confusion into the ranks. He gets disagreement magnified and enlarges little differences until they become prominent, to confuse believers and unbelievers, to hinder advancement, and to bring triumph and rejoicing in the camp of the enemy, so silence on such differences is eloquence and wisdom. People who do not make God their strength cannot withstand Satan's power, who once ruled under God and Christ in splendor, was created perfect, and fell through pride and sin. Faithful study of the lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, revealing the fallen angel, keeps seekers of truth walking in all the light given to God's people lest they be deceived by the deceptions of these last days.
The verse marks another message from the Lord to Ezekiel, telling him to take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and to speak what the Lord God declares concerning him.
Though spoken to the king of Tyre, the lamentation that follows speaks chiefly of Lucifer as a fallen angel, with Satan shown as the true king behind that government because he fully controlled it.
It reveals Lucifer as a created covering cherub, perfect and beautiful and next to Christ in heaven, who ruled in splendor under God until iniquity was found in him through pride in setting his heart as God and seeking preeminence for himself.
Having drawn angels into war against God, he and all who joined his rebellion will be cut off at the end, perishing root and branch as Satan the root is destroyed from among the stones of fire to be no more.
The lamentation also reaches to the last days as a warning against the same self-exalting power working through human agents, so that those who seek truth must walk in all the light God has given lest they be deceived.
Introduction and Lamentation Setting
Moreover the word of the LORD came again unto Ezekiel, commanding him to take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus or Tyre and to declare what the Lord God says about him. This coming of the word introduces the Lord's message through Ezekiel that continues with the lamentation about the king of Tyre. Though addressed to the king of Tyre, the lamentation in verses 11-19 refers primarily to Lucifer and reveals a fallen angel.
The chapter to which this opening belongs should be read as a whole to understand God's work concerning fallen angels and fallen men. In that whole, Satan is represented as the actual king of Tyre because he fully controlled that government. Earthly rulers and nations can therefore serve as Satan's agents.
Lucifer's Rebellion and Doom
Lucifer was a created covering cherub, perfect and beautiful, who stood next to Christ in the heavenly courts and once ruled under God and Christ in splendor until iniquity was found in him. He was corrupted by pride and sin, setting his heart as the heart of God and deciding he was entitled to a higher position and to preeminence for himself. When the Lord sought to correct him, he would not be corrected but persistently held his own judgment as unchangeable and never to be revoked.
He worked upon the angels until they were deceived into warring against God, bringing war in heaven when the loyal angels would not yield the point that Christ should have the preeminence next to God. He retains his beauty and disguises himself as a beautiful being, an angel from heaven, as when tempting Christ, rather than appearing as a disgusting fiend.
The word to the prince of evil will be fulfilled at the end when God vindicates His law and delivers His people, when Satan and all who joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will then perish root and branch, Satan the root and his followers the branches, with Satan destroyed from the midst of the stones of fire to become a terror and never be any more. This destruction is not arbitrary power but the reaping of what was sown, because God is the fountain of life and choosing the service of sin separates from God and cuts off from life. By rebellion Satan and his followers place themselves out of harmony with God so that His loving presence is to them a consuming fire.
Warnings for Last Days
The lamentation introduced by the word of the Lord to Ezekiel concerning the king of Tyre refers primarily to Lucifer, once created perfect and beautiful but corrupted by pride and sin and destined for destruction, yet it has a broader significance beyond one being, describing a general movement to be witnessed in the last days in which Satan works through human beings with the same subtle power he used in plotting rebellion among holy beings in heaven before the fall. Faithful study of the chapter leads those seeking truth to walk in all the light God has given to His people lest they be deceived by the deceptions of these last days. The account exposes how Satan sought preeminence for himself, worked upon the angels until they were deceived into warring against God, and brought war in heaven when the loyal angels would not yield the point that Christ should have the preeminence next to God, and the same works of Satan are repeated in strange things that have come, especially in America since the destruction of San Francisco by fire. Lucifer's self-exaltation warns that history will repeat, in that the same power to exalt himself can influence people in the present and future to oppose God and persecute others.
The fall of Lucifer from verses 11-18 warns against claiming infallibility, for Lucifer was next to Christ in the heavenly courts but decided he was entitled to a higher position. When the Lord sought to correct him, he would not be corrected, but persistently held his own judgment as unchangeable and never to be revoked. Anyone who will not yield up his own way and insists his plans and judgment are infallible takes Lucifer's position, and God has no use for him unless he changes. There is help for such a one if he will be helped, but he needs reconversion, and he must not take a position on important subjects hastily but first search the Word to know if it is infallible from the pure, clean statements of the Word of God.
The verse warns that Satan watches every movement and works minds to draw them away from the special light and the work of saving perishing souls. He diverts minds to jots and tittles and picking flaws that the Lord did not inspire, that are not essential and not a testing question, while Satan disguised fills every opening to bring confusion into the ranks. He gets disagreement magnified and enlarges little differences until they become prominent, to confuse believers and unbelievers, to hinder advancement, and to bring triumph and rejoicing in the camp of the enemy, so silence on such differences is eloquence and wisdom. People who do not make God their strength cannot withstand Satan's power, who once ruled under God and Christ in splendor, was created perfect, and fell through pride and sin. Faithful study of the lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, revealing the fallen angel, keeps seekers of truth walking in all the light given to God's people lest they be deceived by the deceptions of these last days.