Ezekiel chapter 28 is a prophecy about two different people; the Prince of Tyre and the King of Tyre. The Prince of Tyre is arrogant because of his riches and power. But the Lord says “yet thou art a man, and not God” (verse 2) and he will die at the hands of men.

But the King of Tyre is different; he is not a man. This entity was perfect in beauty, covered with gems (verse 13) and walked in a pre-Creation Garden of Eden. He was a guardian cherub and walked in the “midst of the stones of fire.” (verse 14) The “stones of fire” are the reason I believe this was a pre-Creation Garden of Eden. This created being was perfect in his ways until sin was found in him. (verse 15)

The five arrogant statements of this being are given to us in Isaiah 14:13-14. The culminating statement shows the arrogance; “I will be like the Most High.” This entity was not a man. He was, and is, Satan.

I believe that the creation of man was the result of the rebellion of Satan and those angels that chose to follow him. God had a plan. When Adam and Eve sinned, was God surprised? Of course not.

At least two major events showing the Plan of God came from the confrontation of God with Adam and Eve after their sin. The Lord told Satan (who was in the form of a serpent) that he would injure (strike the heel) of the seed, or descendant of the woman. But this descendant would destroy (crush the head) Satan. (Genesis 3:15) We know today that the seed of the woman was the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God.

The Lord also showed that the result of sin was the shedding of blood. God prepared coats of animal skin for Adam and Eve. Animals had to die to provide those skins. (Genesis 3:21) This principle was shown from the very beginning. And it continued long before the Law of Moses. Abel sacrificed the first-born of his flock. Noah sacrificed “clean” animals after the Flood. Abraham sacrificed animals and offered to sacrifice his “only begotten son” (Genesis 22) in a foreshadow of the perfect sacrifice made by our Heavenly Father.

Again, prior to the giving of the Law, on the night that the Children of Israel were released from slavery in Egypt, they placed the blood of an unblemished lamb on the door lintel (the overhead part) and on both door jambs (the side parts) of the door to their homes. (Exodus 12:7) The placement of the blood perfectly mirrors the Cross on which the ultimate sacrifice was made fifteen-hundred years later.

Over two thousand years after the sacrifice of Abel, the Law of Moses institutionalized the blood sacrifice. Daily, the Children of Israel were shown that blood had to be shed for sin. Every year an unblemished lamb was sacrificed at Passover. This was done in the Temple of God right up until the time that Jesus walked the earth.

Then John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus approach, said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Jesus was the perfect, unblemished lamb. It was the blood of Jesus that was shed as the ultimate and unsurpassable sacrifice. Oh, praise His name!

Satan thought he had the victory, but he was wrong. He thought he had killed the promised Anointed One, the Messiah. But the Lord raised Jesus from the dead, so Satan only injured Him. Now Jesus sits at the right hand of God, whole and complete, and possibly bearing the scars of His crucifixion.

The Apostle Paul confirms that the Plan of God was in place before the world was created. In First Corinthians 2:7-8, Paul speaks of this mystery, which has now been revealed to us. “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; Which none of the princes of this world knew;” And Paul notes that Satan and the princes of this world were fooled when they orchestrated the Crucifixion of our Lord. “For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Satan thought he had won, but was wrong. So now he moves about in hatred, fighting what he knows will be a losing battle. In the end the Lord Jesus will have the victory when Satan is flung into the Lake of Fire – forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) Satan will be destroyed by Jesus, just as was prophesied six-thousand years ago.

It is estimated that one-third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion. “And there appeared ... a great red dragon ... And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:” (Revelation 12:4) Whatever the number, the angels that were lost by following Satan, will be more than replaced by the Children of God.

Untold millions (billions?) of souls will gather around the Throne of God, offering praise and adoration to the One who loved us from the Beginning and had a Plan from before the Beginning. The angels who remained faithful to the Lord will have rest from their errands of mercy from the Lord, watching over us while we were here on earth. There will be peace and harmony, and no iniquity in Heaven.

That was God’s Plan. Praise Him for sending Jesus, the Lamb of God to pay the price and shed His blood for our sins. We will praise Him forever!