Question 23: Concerning the King of Tyre and the anointed cherub.
Question 23: Concerning the connection between the King of Tyre and the anointed cherub, Why bring the king of Tyre into the conversation?
That’s a good question because many students encounter Ezekiel 28 for the first time and immediately wonder whether the chapter is talking about the king of Tyre or Satan. As they read through the passage, it can seem like the subject changes in the middle of the chapter.
Let’s begin by looking at the structure of the passage itself.
In Ezekiel 28:1-10, God is clearly speaking to the ruler of Tyre. This was a real historical king who ruled a wealthy and influential city. His great sin was pride. He had become so impressed with his own wisdom, power, and success that he began to think more highly of himself than he should.
Notice what God says in verse 2:
“Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God...”
Does that sound familiar?
By the time we reach Ezekiel 28:11-19, the language begins to expand beyond anything that could be said of an ordinary human king.
This is where careful observation becomes important.
Let’s ask a few questions about the person being described.
Was the king of Tyre ever in Eden?
Ezekiel 28:13 says:
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.”
Was the king of Tyre ever an anointed cherub?
Verse 14 says:
“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth.”
Was the king of Tyre ever on the holy mountain of God before human history unfolded?
Again, the description seems to go beyond anything that could be said about an earthly ruler.
So what should we conclude?
Many conservative Bible scholars believe that Ezekiel begins by addressing the human ruler of Tyre but then moves behind the earthly throne to reveal the spiritual power whose pride is reflected in the king’s behavior.
John Walvoord explained that the pride of the king of Tyre becomes a window through which God exposes the original pride of Satan. In other words, the earthly ruler becomes a historical illustration of a much older rebellion.
This is not the only place we see something like this in Scripture.
Think about Daniel 10. Daniel learns that spiritual powers are operating behind earthly kingdoms. The Bible sometimes pulls back the curtain and allows us to see that events on earth may involve realities in the spiritual realm.
Now let’s think about why God would do that.
Why not simply talk about Satan directly?
Because the king of Tyre provides a living example of the very sin that caused Lucifer’s downfall.
Notice the connection:
Lucifer’s heart was lifted up because of his beauty.
The king of Tyre’s heart was lifted up because of his success.
Lucifer desired a position that belonged only to God.
The king of Tyre began speaking as though he were a god.
The same pride that corrupted Lucifer was now visible in the king of Tyre.
John Phillips often pointed out that pride is one of the great themes connecting this passage. The king of Tyre becomes a historical reflection of the original rebellion that occurred in the angelic realm.
So what conclusion should we draw?
The king of Tyre is brought into the conversation because he serves as the historical setting through which God reveals a deeper spiritual reality. The prophecy begins with an earthly king, but the description eventually moves beyond that king to reveal characteristics that fit Lucifer before his fall. The king’s pride becomes a mirror reflecting the greater pride that first appeared in Satan.
One of the most important lessons from this passage is that pride always leads away from God. Whether it appears in an anointed cherub, a powerful king, or an ordinary person, pride attempts to take a place that belongs to God alone. That is why Ezekiel 28 is not merely a lesson about Satan’s fall. It is also a warning about the danger of pride in every generation.
Key Scriptures: Ezekiel 28:1-19; Daniel 10:12-21; Isaiah 14:12-15.
