Now the Ezekiel 31 version of God's usage of historical kings as 'types' for Satan himself. This will reveal Satan's exalted status in God's Garden prior and during his rebellion in wanting to be The GOD.
Ezek 31:1-18
1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; 'Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
God tells Ezekiel to speak this to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude. That "Whom art thou like..." is a question of comparison. So already, God is giving us notice that He's doing a comparison here and is going to be pointing to another entity in this.
Ezek.31:3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
What? Why does God bring up this "Assyrian" here in comparison to Pharaoh? This is not the time to forget about God's comparisons between the historical king of Assyria and Satan in Scripture like Isaiah 14 and the end of Isaiah 30 about Tophet.
God begins this with a high cedar analogy. This metaphor is used to represent kings as rulers (see Dan.4; Ezek.17). The Assyrian was like a high cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and cast a great shadow with its shroud of limbs and leaves, of a high stature, and its top among thick boughs. The idea is of one being exalted by God.
Ezek.31:4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.
The waters that fed the high cedar made him great. Waters from the deep set him high, and the waters as rivers flowed around to all the plants around him, and then little streams went to all the trees in the field. The description is with God's River feeding the high cedar in the center of His Garden, with all sorts of goodly plants at the base around the high cedar, and those waters flowing to the rest of the trees in the Garden.
Might think that explanation so far is a jump, but not if the whole chapter is studied thoroughly and gone over again.
Ezek.31:5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
The high cedar in the midst was exalted above all other trees in the field, because of the multitude of those waters from God's River of the waters of Life.
Ezek.31:6 All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.
God continues to describe this high cedar tree being exalted, giving shade to all the beasts of the field, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. At one time Egypt was a great kingdom, but it couldn't be said to be as high as this. Likewise with the historical kings of Assyria, Babylon, etc. Those empires included great nations, but certainly not all of them, otherwise they would not have been conquered by other nations as per history. That's the general idea God is pointing to though, the king of Assyria and Pharaoh of Egypt, but that's not the only one God is pointing to with this.
Many miss that per Rev.12:3-4 about the time of Satan's rebellion and drawing a third of the stars (angels) into rebellion with him, that a world kingdom is mentioned along with that time. It had ten horns, ten heads, and seven crowns. It had three less crowns than the beast kingdom mentioned in Rev.13:1. We know the Rev.13:1 beast kingdom involves a world kingdom of nations because of Rev.13:2 and Rev.17:15 of what Christ said the 'waters' represent there. So here in Ezek.31 with these "all great nations" in relation to this high cedar analogy, it's double meaning is about Satan when he was originally exalted as a high cedar by God, and trying to steal God's Throne as King.
So yes, the idea of 'nations' existed at the time of Satan's original rebellion against God. This Ezek.31 chapter is giving us a hint about it.
The idea of a 'king' does not originate from flesh kings. It originates from God's Own Office as KING. Satan was not created to be a king, but a heavenly cherub to guard God's Throne. It hurt God's feelings when His people Israel saw the flesh kings of the nations around them, and wanted their own flesh king, for God was their KING already. This is why the pagan kings of history, like Pharaoh, Assyria, Babylon, etc., always serve as 'types' for Satan himself, for that's the position Satan coveted when he first rebelled. God setup those pagan kings and kingdoms of history to show us what Satan had tried to do, which is also why God has shown them all failing in this world. The only King He has setup to remain forever is His Son Jesus Christ, with David as prince.
Ezek.31:7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
As per Ezek.28, God originally created the cherub Satan the full pattern of beauty. He does not have horns on his head and wear red flannel underwear. And God said that's one of the things that corrupted him, his beauty. This "garden of God" reference is not simply about some area called Eden in the Assyrian monuments like Bit-Adini. God is talking about His Heavenly Garden and His River, and how Satan was originally exalted in it.
Ezek.31:9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
Got more of a going back and forth about the historical king of Assyria as a type for Satan. God drove Satan out of His Garden, which is the idea of Satan's fall.
Ezek.31:12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
After Satan's fall, there are many Bible references to these ideas of his barren branches, like briars and thorns, and lack of casting a shadow in comfort. The 'bramble' analogy of Judges 9 is specifically about Satan as a bramble bush, with the other trees asking him to come reign over them. And he asks them if they'll commit to trust in his shadow. A bramble bush doesn't give much shadow. It's an analogy for Satan's lowly status after he rebelled against God and was cast out as an 'abominable branch'. The only way to learn how God uses all these tree and branch type analogies, is to stay in study of all of His Word.
Ezek.31:13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
Recall in Matthew 13 with the parable of the sower our Lord Jesus gave. He used the idea of planting seed for God's Word going into the mind. With those whom that seed doesn't take root or is closed off, the fowls eat up the seed, or the thorns take over and choke the seed out. These are all symbols He used from His Word in The Old Testament Books of the prophets like these fowls and beasts upon this fallen one's branches (i.e. Satan).
Ezek.31:14 To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.
With that God is pronouncing death to the king of Assyria, and to Satan, as with those like the children of men that go down to the grave. We saw that kind of metaphor used upon Satan also back in the Isa.14 example.
Ezek.31:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
What event with the king of Assyria was this? This is more about Satan's fall than death of the flesh king of Assyria. These flood waters are about the time of Gen.1:2 when God stayed the waters upon the earth that destroyed "the world that then was", the time when Satan first rebelled against Him.
Ezek.31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
God shook the whole earth back at that time. As per Jer.4, the mountains trembled, and the hills moved lightly, and all the cities were broken down at the presence of The LORD. God is speaking of more than just a simple grave there. He's speaking of the time of Satan's fall from Heaven, and the fall of his angels that rebelled with him, and the end of that world than then was. Artifacts buried under the oceans of those ancient cities are still being found today, though most consider such artifacts to be from the time of Noah's flood.
Ezek.31:18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
(KJV)
Now God reverts back to His speaking this about Pharoah. But He is not just speaking of flesh kings like Pharaoh and the king of Assyria, but about Satan himself.
