How does Ezekiel 32:31 connect with Revelation's depiction of final judgment? Ezekiel 32:31—A Glimpse of Judgment “Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his multitude—Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD.” Key Observations from the Verse • Pharaoh has already been slain and is pictured in the realm of the dead (Sheol). • He “sees” other defeated nations already there—Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom, etc. (vv. 22-30). • His strange “comfort” comes from realizing he is not alone in judgment; the mighty share the same fate. • The scene affirms God’s decisive, literal act of judgment on earthly powers that opposed Him. How Revelation Echoes and Expands This Theme • Revelation 19:19-21 – Beast, false prophet, and their armies are “slain with the sword” and cast alive into the lake of fire. • Revelation 6:15-17 – “The kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty… hid themselves,” yet cannot escape wrath. • Revelation 18:9-10 – Earthly rulers watch Babylon’s fall and lament, mirroring Pharaoh’s view of other fallen kingdoms. • Revelation 20:11-15 – The Great White Throne confirms a universal, final judgment; “anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Shared Themes Between Ezekiel 32 and Revelation • Universal reach: from Pharaoh to end-time kings, every power is answerable to God. • Equality in judgment: rank, wealth, or military strength offer no protection. • Visibility of judgment: both passages depict the condemned witnessing (or being witnessed by) others. • Divine finality: once the sentence is carried out, there is no reversal. The Irony of Pharaoh’s “Comfort” Versus Revelation’s Silence • Ezekiel shows a grim, hollow relief—misery loves company. • Revelation offers no such consolation; the lake of fire is a place of isolation and perpetual torment (Revelation 14:10-11; 20:10). • Together they underline that sharing punishment does not lessen its severity. Intermediate Sheol and Final Lake of Fire • Ezekiel 32 presents Sheol/Hades—the temporary abode of the dead awaiting final sentencing (cf. Luke 16:23). • Revelation 20:14 records the moment “Hades” itself is thrown into the lake of fire, transitioning from intermediate to eternal state. • The continuity affirms a literal, two-stage judgment: present confinement, future consummation. Takeaways for Believers • God’s justice is certain and comprehensive; no oppressor or rebel escapes. • Historical judgments (like Pharaoh’s) foreshadow the ultimate reckoning. • Confidence and hope rest in Christ, whose atoning work delivers from the same fate (John 5:24; Romans 8:1). |
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