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Second study — verses 11-19

THE POWER BEHIND THE ANTICHRIST

“‭Son‭ of man‭, take up‭‭ a lamentation‭ upon the king‭ of Tyrus‭, and say‭‭ unto him, Thus saith‭‭ the Lord‭ GOD‭; Thou sealest up‭‭ the sum‭, full‭ of wisdom‭, and perfect‭ in beauty‭.‭ ‭Thou hast been in Eden‭ the garden‭ of God‭; every precious‭ stone‭ ‭was‭ thy covering‭, the sardius‭, topaz‭, and the diamond‭, the beryl‭, the onyx‭, and the jasper‭, the sapphire‭, the emerald‭, and the carbuncle‭, and gold‭: the workmanship‭ of thy tabrets‭ and of thy pipes‭ was prepared‭‭ in thee in the day‭ that thou wast created‭‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Ezekiel 28:12-13.

I believe that the ‘prince’ referred to in verses 1-10 is a different personage from the ‘king’ mentioned in this second section of the chapter.

There are as many theories as to who is referred to here, as there are Bible Commentators!

I suggest that the ‘prince’ was the earthly, human leader and ruler of Tyrus BUT the ‘king’ was a personage much greater and more powerful than the ‘prince’.

In this matter I give my opinion, but I stand ever ready to be corrected.

THE KING OF TYRE IS THE DEVIL.

1. I believe the ‘king‭ of Tyrus‬’ to be the devil!

He is the ‘power’ behind the ‘prince of Tyrus’, whose name was, I believe, ‘Ethbaal’. In him was to be found all the wicked and blasphemous ambitions that will reach their fulness in the final Antichrist.

If the ‘prince of Tyrus’ is indeed a foreshadowing of the future Antichrist — as I believe he is — the ‘king of Tyrus’ is a picture of the ‘higher power’ behind the future Antichrist, Satan!

Description

Much of the description given us by the Lord of the person of the ‘king of Tyrus’, goes far beyond that of the limits of a mere mortal. The verses 12-19 may, I believe, only be applied to the devil. (more…)

First study — verses 1-10

A FORESHADOWING OF THE ANTICHRIST

The Bible was written “for‭ our‭ learning‬‬,” (Romans 15:4). One of the subjects the Lord would have us instructed in is the iniquitous events of the last days.

Time and time again, from the very early days of this world, the Lord has set forth warnings about the ‘last days’. Thus we find Jacob on his deathbed, speaking to his sons of the “last days”.

“‭And Jacob‭ called‭‭ unto his sons‭, and said‭‭, Gather yourselves together‭‭, that I may tell‭‭ you ‭that‭ which shall befall‭‭ you in the last‭ days‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Genesis 49:1.

Even further back, we are told by Jude that Enoch, in the dawn of time, spoke of the rebellion of men just before the Saviour’s return, Jude 14-15.

Here in this chapter of Ezekiel, we are given information on three features that will be prominent at the close of this age. This is but one of many such foreshadowings. The repeating of these details indicates that the Lord would have us to be well informed and warned, for the last days will be days of great deception and many, even the true people of God, will be deceived and will require God’s intervention to deliver them from the deceptions and entanglements of the devil.

Remember, the Saviour said: “‭Likewise‭ also‭ as‭ it was‭‭ in‭ the days‭ of Lot‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ . . . ‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Even‭ thus‭ shall it be‭‭ in the day‭‭ when the Son‭ of man‭ is revealed‭‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Luke 17:28-30.

Lot was deceived and deluded and carried away with the wickedness of Sodom and had to be forcibly removed by the angels the Lord sent to warn him. “‭And while he lingered‭‭, the men‭ laid hold‭‭ upon his hand‭, and upon the hand‭ of his wife‭, and upon the hand‭ of his two‭ daughters‭; the LORD‭ being merciful‭ unto him: and they brought him forth‭‭, and set him‭‭ without‭ the city‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Genesis 19:16.

One of the most difficult tasks given to the servants of God to accomplish, is to successfully warn and convince straying Christians of their error and the harvest they will reap if they do not obey God!

In the first ten verses of this chapter, the Lord gives us a prophetic picture of a personage the Lord would have His people, destined to live in the last days, recognise and understand clearly. (more…)