How does Ezekiel 28:11 connect with Isaiah 14 regarding pride and downfall? The Setting Behind the Two Texts • Ezekiel 28:11-19 laments the king of Tyre yet quickly describes someone “in Eden.” • Isaiah 14:3-23 taunts the king of Babylon yet speaks of one who tried to “ascend to heaven.” • Taking both literally, the words apply to real monarchs; yet the details fit only a pre-human, angelic rebel—Satan—whose pride infected those rulers. Shared Language, Shared Sin • Ezekiel 28:12—“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty.” • Isaiah 14:12—“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!” ‑ Both begin with dazzling glory. • Ezekiel 28:17—“Your heart grew proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom.” • Isaiah 14:13—“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne…’” ‑ Pride ignites the rebellion in each account. • Ezekiel 28:17—“So I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle.” • Isaiah 14:15—“But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” ‑ God answers pride with swift, humiliating judgment. Pictures of Pride • Self-generated glory—Tyre’s king trusted trade riches; Babylon’s king trusted empire. • Self-exaltation—both speak “I will,” refusing God’s throne over them. • Self-deception—wisdom darkened (Ezekiel 28:17), heart deluded (Isaiah 14:13). A Single Downward Trajectory 1. Splendor given by God. 2. Pride arises in that God-given excellence. 3. Desire to seize more authority than God assigned. 4. Inevitable casting down—earth for the prince of Tyre, Sheol for the king of Babylon. 5. Final spectacle to warn every creature. Link to Satan’s Original Fall • Only one person was literally “in Eden” before humanity’s expulsion—Satan (Genesis 3). • Jesus refers to Satan’s fall: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). • Revelation echoes both passages: “The great dragon was hurled down… that ancient serpent” (Revelation 12:9). ‑ Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 thereby unveil the historical, literal origin of the devil’s pride and the pattern it imprinted on earthly rulers. Timeless Lessons • Pride is always destructive: “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). • God invariably resists it: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). • Earthly power carries spiritual danger; unchecked ambition mirrors the devil’s first sin. • Humility under God’s authority is the only safe place—then, like Christ, we are lifted up in due time (Philippians 2:5-11). |
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