In Ezek 28:11-19, the Lord addresses Satan in the king of Tyrus, in the same way that Jesus addressed Satan in Peter in Matt 16:23. What God says to the devil in this lamentation against the king of Tyrus begins with the devil’s creation.
The Devil Before His Fall
When the devil was created, he was full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, v.12. Thus, he sealed up the sum. That is, he was complete in the sum of his wisdom and beauty, and was lacking in neither.
He Was In Eden
According to v.13, he had been in Eden, the garden of God. This is the garden of God that was here before the earth was destroyed by the flood in Gen 1:2. Notice in 2 Pet 3:4-6, in the beginning of the creation, the earth was standing out of the water. In Gen 1:2, however, the earth was in the water and it had perished. It was without form and void. When the devil was in Eden the first time, he was beautiful and covered with precious stones. By contrast, when the devil was in Eden in Gen 3, he was not this beautiful cherub. He was a serpent. So, God is referring to Eden, the original garden of God, before the fall of the devil and the creation described in Gen 1. There is no way, then, a reference to the king of Tyrus.
He Was Covered With Precious Stones
In v.13, the devil was originally covered with nine precious stones and gold. These stones match all but the three stones (ligure, agate, amethyst) on the third row of the high priest’s breastplate in Ex 28:17-20.
He Was A Musical Being
Also, in v.13 the workmanship of his tabrets and pipes were prepared in him in the day when he was created. Tabrets are percussion instruments, like drums and tambourines. Pipes are wind instruments, like flutes, trumpets, and organs. Notice also in Is 14:11, that he had viols, which are stringed instruments, like violins. So the devil was made with all three categories of instruments in him, percussion, wind, and strings. Undoubtedly, he provided music when the morning stars sang and the sons of God shouted for joy at God’s creation in Job 38:7. Again, this cannot be the king of Tyrus.
He Was The Anointed Cherub
In v.14 he was the anointed cherub that covereth. So, he was created as a cherub and not as an angel. Furthermore, he was anointed. Only the high priest and kings were anointed in the Bible. And God said, “I have set thee so”. Cover here has no object; it is, thus, an intransitive verb. It means to act as a substitute or replacement during an absence. Therefore, it appears that the devil covered for God or acted in God’s stead in the original creation.
Notice also in v.14 that Lucifer was upon the holy mountain of God. The mountain of God is Mt. Zion. Is 24:23 says, “the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem”. Joel 2:1 refers to Zion as “my holy mountain” at the 2nd Advent of Jesus. V.14 also says that Lucifer walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. According to Deut 4:11, 5:23, Sinai was on fire when God was there in Ex 19:18. So, the stones of fire are evidently a reference to fiery stones on Zion when God created it as his mountain. Lucifer, in his capacity as the anointed cherub, was on this mountain. You see, this is a reference to the devil and not to the king of Tyrus.
He Had Dominion Over God’s Original Creation
Notice in Is 14:13 that Lucifer also had a throne (my throne). Evidently, then, God put Lucifer, the devil’s original name, in charge of what he created here on earth. He had dominion over what God created. When he fell, though, he lost his dominion. Subsequently, in the creation of Gen 1, Adam was given the dominion over the earth. Therefore, the devil tempted Adam, to regain the dominion that he had lost, and become the god of this world, 2 Cor 4:4, Lk 4:5-6.
The Devil After His Fall
In v.15 Lucifer was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created. However, this all changed when iniquity was found in him. He coveted the things that God created and wanted the power and position of authority that God had.
V.16 says, “by the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence”. Once he sought to possess the wealth under his dominion, the violence started. Like 1 Tim 6:10 says, “the love of money is the root of all evil”. This violence is exactly what was going on right before Noah’s flood in Gen 6:11, 13. God said to him, “thou hast sinned”.
Is 14:13-14 show us his sin. Lucifer said, (1) “I will ascend into heaven”. (2) “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God”. (3) “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north”. This mount is Zion in heaven, see Ps 48:1-2. (4) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds”. (5) “I will be like the most High”. The devil’s dominion was limited to things down here that God originally created. But he wanted more. He wanted the dominion over what God had in heaven.
Therefore, God responded to the devil with five “I will’s” of his own. God said, (1) “I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God”, v.16. He did. Jesus is going to rule on Mt. Zion when he returns. (2) “I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire”, v.16. He did. He turned him into Satan, a dragon, and a serpent, Rev 12:9, rather than a cherub. (3) “I will cast thee to the ground”, v.17. He will in Rev 12:12-13, Is 14:12. (4) “I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee”, v.17. He will in Is 14:9-10. (5) “I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee”, v.18. He will be brought to ashes by a fire that God brings forth from the midst of him to devour him, v.18. You can see this fire in Rev 20:7-9.
In v.17 we see that it was pride that caused Lucifer to fall. God said, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness”. He thought he was beautiful enough and wise enough to be like the most High. In his iniquities and traffick he defiled his sanctuaries. A sanctuary is a place to dwell, Ex 25:8. So, he was cast out of the sanctuary that God created for him dwell in. Today he’s homeless, roaming through the second heaven and through the earth, Job 1:6-7. In the future he will be cast into the bottomless pit and then into the lake of fire, Rev 20:1-10. As v.19 says, all they that know the devil among the people shall be astonished at him. He will be a terror and never shalt be any more.