Ezekiel 31: 1 – 18
The power behind the power
1 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs. 4 The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it height, with their rivers running around the place where it was planted, and sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field. 5 ‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; Its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the abundance of water, as it sent them out. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; and in its shadow all great nations made their home. 7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, because its roots reached to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches; No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.’ 10 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it. 13 ‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field will come to its branches— 14 ‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For they have all been delivered to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’ 15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. 17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations. 18 ‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”
We now come to the firth oracle against the Egyptians. You will remember from our study of our Holy Father’s Judgment against Tyre and how He zeroed in on the king of Tyre separately in chapter 28. We also realized that there was a power behind this leader, namely Satan. Interestingly enough, our Precious Master takes similar action against the king of the Egyptians and He also addresses the power behind this evil empire.
“ 1 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs. 4 The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it height, with their rivers running around the place where it was planted, and sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field. 5 ‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; Its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the abundance of water, as it sent them out. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; and in its shadow all great nations made their home. 7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, because its roots reached to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches; No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.’
We see a very startling description of the Egyptian king – He wasn’t Egyptian! He was an Assyrian. Does this sound strange? Let me do a quick history lesson for us. The first known World Empire was the Egyptian. We then see the Assyrian Empire emerge followed by the Babylonian Empire; then Media- Persia Empire; Greece; and lastly the Roman Empire.
If you look on a globe you will see what is referred as the 10/40 window. The Middle East falls within this area. After the flood mankind starting over with Noah bean to settle in this area. This also became the sector for intense spiritual battles. Look at these Scriptures.
Genesis 10, 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).
Genesis 11, “ 1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”
Nimrod was an Assyrian. He built the city of Nineveh. We then see another Assyrian show up that will cause the Israelites significant problems in Egypt.
Exodus 1: 8 “8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” This king was from Assyria. From historical records we find during the Exodus that a new dynasty started the Hysops. These people migrated from Assyria and settled in the southern part of Egypt. Due to political instability this group became dominant and the new king [Pharaoh] came from this group. When it says that he did not know Joseph it does not mean that he never heard of Joseph. Joseph was around 33 years of age when he was promoted to second in charge of the land of Egypt. He ruled for 80 years. Therefore, this new king had to know who Joseph was. What this statement is inferring to was that he did not accept Joseph’s style of rule, nor did he accept Joseph’s God.
You now want to hear another startling point. In the future another Assyrian will cause the Israelites problems.. Look at Micah chapter 5, “1 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. 2 “ But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” 3 Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5 And this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men. 6 They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders. 7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that tarry for no man nor wait for the sons of men. 8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver. 9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. 10 “ And it shall be in that day,” says the LORD, “ That I will cut off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots. 11 I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds. 12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers. 13 Your carved images I will also cut off, and your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands; 14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; Thus I will destroy your cities. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations that have not heard.”
This Assyrian shall come against Israel by trickery but will not fool The Holy One Who never sleeps nor slumbers. He guards over His people Israel. Here is another important reference.
Isaiah 10, 1 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 5 “ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’” 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.” 13 For he says: “ By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, and have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, and as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; and there was no one who moved his wing, nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send leanness among his fat ones; and under his glory He will kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child may write them. 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land. 24 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt. 27 It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 28 He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment. 29 They have gone along the ridge, they have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah has fled, the inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. 32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, The LORD of hosts, will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, and the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.”
Besides being referred to as an Assyrian this Pharaoh revealed a puffed up beauty and power ego. The analogy was to a cypress tree which grew tall and straight and was beautifully symmetrical. As the cypress tree’s branches exceed the height of all other trees in a forest and provided shade and protection due to its thickness, so this king reached a height of false power and protection for his allies.
Scholars try to explain away verses 8 and 9 in all kinds of unique interpretations. Who are the top angels in our Holy Adoni’s Heavenly Kingdom? You might answer Michael the Archangel. I believe that cherubim are ranked the highest. At one time the head or anointed one over all was Lucifer. Which type and how many angels did our God place in the Garden of Eden to protect the Way [ our Lord Jesus Christ] to the Tree of Life. – two cherubim. Satan has been trying to stop people from getting to God and allowing them to follow the true Way [ Our Lord Jesus Christ as you know is the Way, the Truth, and the Life]. In his first temptation Satan used pride and greed, then he used the same with Pharaoh, and even today pulls the same stunts on us humans.
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it. 13 ‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field will come to its branches— 14 ‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For they have all been delivered to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’
After our Lord has taken the time to describe this king of Egypt, He now talks about Pharaoh’s ultimate downfall. As big and powerful as cypress trees are they can be brought down. Our Holy Yahweh will bring down this big shot. Why? For one thing as verse 10 points out, ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height,’ This guy’s pride was obviously a big problem. His punishment would be when the people he rallied to give him support in his military ventures turn on him.
In verses 11 and 12 we see that the heathen [all the people of the world] left him. Now that is really being abandoned. His ultimate destiny was the pit.
15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. 17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations. 18 ‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”
On a general scale our Holy Maker describes the nation of Egypt as a cypress tree that will have a tree cutter take it down. Its branches will be cut off starting at the top. These will be scattered all over the ground. Then the tree will be taken down in sections until it is leveled. Egypt, which for centuries was great and impressive, will cease to be so. It will only be an archeological research area from now on.
On a spiritual level we see the final destiny of Pharaoh and all his evil cronies – it is hell. In addition look at verses 15 to 18 again. It is speaking about the power behind Egypt’s ruler – Satan. Just drop back a few pages in your bible to chapter 28 and see what our Precious King says to His fallen servant. Notice the words ‘cast down’.
“13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 “ By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. 17 “ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. 18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst”
Satan will be cast down from Heaven to the earth.. Please note that the devil is not in control and has never been. He is not ordering people to shovel coal. He will be the chief prisoner. Our Supreme Ruler God Most High Is In Control – no one else. He assigned one angel to deal with Satan as the book of Revelation chapter 19 and 20 inform us, “19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
“ 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Our Holy Master makes it clear through this chapter and the next that He Alone Is God. What He says will happen, as it did to Pharaoh, and it will happen again as His words speak of a future Judgment.
