[[{“value”:”
Scripture reading – Ezekiel 28
* Please note that words and phrases in brackets are the author’s amplification.
Ezekiel 28 continued God’s displeasure with the nations that had rejoiced at Jerusalem’s destruction. Tyrus, a great city of ancient times, was addressed in Ezekiel 26 and 27 and remains the subject of our study in Ezekiel 28.
Ezekiel 28
The Scriptures indicate that demonic entities are active and affecting the governments of nations worldwide. For example, Paul told the church in Ephesus: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
That truth is evident when we consider that the LORD commanded Ezekiel to speak to Tyrus, yet Ezekiel’s subject was the “prince [king] of Tyrus” (Ezekiel 28:2). The following verses reveal that the king was more than a mere mortal and embodied evil.
The Prophecy of the Fall of the King of Tyrus (Ezekiel 28:1-5)
Provoked by the pride of the king of Tyrus, the LORD issued an indictment against him (Ezekiel 28:2-5). Proud and foolish, the king of Tyrus boasted, “I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas” (Ezekiel 28:2a). The LORD instructed Ezekiel to rebuke the king, saying, “Thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God” (Ezekiel 28:2).
Claiming divinity, the king boasted of his intellect, declaring himself wiser than Daniel, the Jewish captive who held a prominent place in Nebuchadnezzar’s government and was apparently known to the king of Tyrus. Suggesting he was omniscient and that no secret was hidden from him (Ezekiel 28:3), the foolish king’s wealth led his heart to be “lifted up because of [his] riches” (Ezekiel 28:5).
The Fourfold Judgment of the King of Tyrus (Ezekiel 28:6-10)
Remembering that “pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18), we are not surprised to read that the LORD declared he would destroy the proud king of Tyrus.
Because he boasted that he was a god, the LORD determined to “bring strangers” upon Tyrus who would “draw their swords” against the city (Ezekiel 28:7). Though the king believed his kingdom was unconquerable, the LORD declared that He would stir up the king of Babylon (i.e., “the terrible of the nations,” Ezekiel 28:7), who would bring his army against Tyrus and bring its king to a violent end (Ezekiel 28:8).
The defeat of the king of Tyrus would be so great that the world would recognize him as a man, a mere mortal (Ezekiel 28:8-9). He would die at “the hand of strangers” (Ezekiel 28:10).
King of Tyrus Served as a Symbol of Satan (Ezekiel 28:11-19)
Ezekiel 28:11-19 contrasts the pride of the king of Tyrus with the pride and fall of Lucifer (Satan), the fallen angel who boasted against God (Isaiah 14:12-15). The LORD revealed that the king of Tyrus was merely a puppet in Satan’s hands.
Ezekiel’s account provides us with a deeper understanding of the fallen angel, Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:12-19), who, in his creation, was regarded as the epitome of perfection, “full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12). Only of Satan can it be said, “thou hast been in Eden the garden of God” (Ezekiel 28:13).
Like the ephod of Israel’s high priest, whose breastplate was adorned with precious stones (Exodus 28:15-20; 39:10-13), Lucifer was a being of beauty, created by God (Ezekiel 28:13b). He was a musician (i.e., “thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created,” Ezekiel 28:13c) and served as the guardian cherub around the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14). Lucifer was created sinless and “perfect in [his] ways” before sin entered him (Ezekiel 28:15).
Just as Satan was expelled from heaven (Ezekiel 28:16-17), the king of Tyrus would also be dethroned and become a spectacle for daring to boast against the God of heaven (Ezekiel 28:18-19).
Prophecy Against Zidon (Ezekiel 28:20-23)
Beginning in Ezekiel 28:20, the focus shifts from Tyrus to Zidon, a sister city of Tyrus located about 20 miles north of the capital. Like Tyrus, Zidon would face calamitous destruction. “Pestilence” (plagues, disease, sickness) and the blood of violence and war would stain Zidon’s streets (Ezekiel 28:23).
Conclusion
What was the LORD’s purpose in executing judgment and inflicting suffering and heartache upon Tyrus and Zidon? The LORD declared that it was to the end that He would be glorified and that the nations would know that He is “the Lord,” see His judgments, and acknowledge that He is holy (Ezekiel 28:22-23).
Tyrus and Zidon were to be destroyed because those cities had been a persistent thorn in Israel’s side (Ezekiel 28:24). Nonetheless, the LORD promised that He would one day gather “the house of Israel” and return His people to their land (Ezekiel 28:24-25). On that day, peace and prosperity would be restored to God’s people, and they would “dwell safely…build houses, and plant vineyards…[and] dwell with confidence” (Ezekiel 28:26; 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1).
Today, the ruins of ancient Tyrus lie beneath the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, serving as a testament and reminder that the God of Israel is LORD and sovereign.
Copyright © 2026 – Travis D. Smith
* Please subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals by entering your name and email address at the bottom of today’s devotion.
The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization. Your donation is welcome and supports the worldwide ministry outreach of www.HeartofAShepherd.com.
Heart of A Shepherd Inc.
7853 Gunn Highway
#131
Tampa, Florida 33626-1611
Heart of a Shepherd
A ministry of Pastor Travis D. Smith
Support Heart of a Shepherd
This ministry is made possible by the generous donations of our readers.
The post Every Crisis Has the Potential to Draw You Closer to the LORD! (Ezekiel 28) appeared first on “From The Heart of A Shepherd” by Pastor Travis D. Smith.
“}]]
