Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth. (Ezekiel 28:17)Was the devil ever an angel in heaven? I don't know. What I do know is that the biblical texts used to support that thesis only work when improper interpretive techniques are employed. Ezekiel 28 is one such text. Written against the King of Tyre, it speaks of his beauty, his wealth (through shrewd trade agreements), his tendency toward violence, as well as his pride.
Reading this chapter in the context of popular views of Satan's origins, there are some things that would seem to fit the accuser of souls. This evidence is at best anecdotal. Oracles Against the Nations are found in several prophetic writings including Isaiah and Jeremiah. In Ezekiel, the oracle against Tyre is just one of several. Ammon, Moab, Philistia and even Egypt are targeted. It would be odd to suggest that this oracle must be interpreted according to different rules than other oracles, but that's exactly what must occur in order to find Satan in these verses.
Was the devil ever an angel in heaven? I don't know. What I do know is that this oracle against Tyre illustrates the biblical axiom that pride goes before the fall. This city-state capitalized on Jerusalem's misfortunes to increase its own financial bottom line, but soon found its money couldn't save it.
Is pride an issue in your life?
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