The 17 books of prophecy included in the Old Testament, along with Revelations, the one book of prophecy included in the New Testament, are some of the hardest scriptures to rightly interpret and understand. That’s largely because prophecy tends to speak in symbolic terms, which offer plenty of opportunity for misinterpretation. Yet we feel a need to understand these mysterious verses, both to understand God’s message to us and because we have a desire to know what the future holds in store.
Prophecy has always attracted a lot of attention; not only in religious circles, but in the world as well. Everyone knows the name Edgar Casey, as the “prophet” who predicted so many future events, 70 years ago. While only a few of his predictions have actually come true, that was enough to gain him a lot of notoriety. In comparison, 27 Biblical prophecies were fulfilled during Jesus’ death on the cross, out of more than 300 that were fulfilled through His birth, life, death and resurrection.
Both of these examples help to spur the desire to understand prophecy, as of all the things we don’t know, the one we want to know the most is what is happening in our own personal future. While prophecy really doesn’t tell us that, we look for that answer anyway.
Actually, although prophecy often speaks of future events, it is not intended to show us what is to come. Rather, it is to warn of what is to come. Many of the prophecies which speak of future events are warnings to the people who received those prophecies. God makes this clear to us, when he has Jeremiah visit the potter. After the prophet saw the potter remake the flawed vessel he had been working on, God speaks to the prophet, saying:
“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord, “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel”… 8 If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. – Jermiah 8:6, 8
This doesn’t actually work only in this direction, as in the very next verses, God speaks about repenting from the good that He intends to do nations, when they turn away from Him. So, we can see that prophecy is conditional in both ways, all depending on what the people prophesied about end up doing. God is not telling them what will happen, as much as He is telling them what might happen, should they disobey His commands.
The Informative Nature of Prophecy
But that isn’t the only thing that prophecy can do. There are also times when God shows us something through prophecy, which we would otherwise not know. Such is the case of the passage in Ezekiel, chapter 28, where we find these fiery stones mentioned. Although the passage ostentatiously talks about and to the King of Tyre, it is widely accepted as speaking about Lucifer’s fall and conversion into Satan.
So, why does God use the King of Tyre as a reference for Lucifer (Satan before he fell)? Both the king of Tyre and the King of Babylon claimed the right to be worshiped as divine beings. This was actually not uncommon in ancient religions, many of which deified their royalty, identifying them as being one of the gods. In doing so, they set those kings up as anti-Christs, in the sense of being against Christ and His message, rather than as the great antichrist to appear in the end times. Therefore, using the King of Tyre here as a symbolic representation of Lucifer makes sense.
“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” – Ezekiel 28:12-15
In these verses, we see Lucifer’s appearance described, in the most complete way that it is described anywhere in scripture. First, we see him referred to as a cherub. That is, a winged angelic being. Cherubs seem to be a more general classification, which can include angels who have many different appearances; most specifically, they can have faces which look human or like various animals. From there, we go on to find that his body was covered in precious gems. Apparently, this wasn’t a garment, as much as it was the gems themselves being on or embedded into his skin. From there, it goes on to talk about musical instruments being built into his body. As heaven’s worship leader, he needed these in the execution of his duties.
This angelic being was “perfect in all his ways” at the start, although iniquity was later found in him. This iniquity was pride, the sin which caused Lucifer to sin and fall. God therefore cast him out of heaven, destroying him. How complete that destruction was and what form it took, we don’t know; but it resulted in Lucifer becoming Satan. He was no longer perfect, but embodied all that was evil in creation.
Another thing that leads us to believe that this speaks of Lucifer/Satan is that he was in the Garden of Eden, which God refers to as “the garden of God.” There is no reason to believe that the king of Tyre was ever in this garden or even knew where it was. There, it says that “God walked in the garden in the cool of the day,” when he would apparently talk with Adam. Since we know that Satan was in the garden, in the form of a serpent, tempting Eve, this helps prove that the passage is speaking about Lucifer.
But there’s something else that’s interesting here, even though it is somewhat of an aside to what we are discussing. That is, this changes our understanding of what the Garden of Eden actually was. We tend to think of it as someplace which God created for Adam, because of how it is described in Genesis, chapter 2. But we see here that it was God’s garden, rather than a garden that He created for Adam. He merely decided that His garden was a good home for Adam and placed him there.
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. – Genesis 2:8-9
This also gives further explanation of why God placed the cherubim and flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden, after expelling Adam and Eve. Sin cannot survive in the presence of God. Since this was God’s garden, He had to keep them, and the sin that they carried, out of His garden, so that they would not come into His presence and be harmed by being there.
The Fiery Stones
Going back to the prophecy in Ezekiel, we find reference made to “fiery stones.” What are these stones and where are they found?
To start with, we find them mentioned as being on “the holy mountain of God” there in verse 16 of Ezekiel, chapter 28. This is the same sort of language as is applied to the Garden of Eden being referred to as “God’s garden.” clearly the two are considered to be special possessions of God and places where He is known to inhabit. Since “God is Spirit” (John 4:24), we can see that this is a spiritual place, rather than a physical one.
Verse 14 refers to Lucifer as “the anointed cherub who covers.” This is an interesting phrase, which may indicate additional duties that Lucifer had, in addition to being heaven’s worship leader. The word translated as “covers” there, is the Hebrew word sakak, which can mean “to screen, fence about, shut in, block, overshadow, stop the approach, shut off, or cover.” While “cover” would indicate something overhead, like a roof covering our heads and protecting us from the rain, the rest of that sounds like part of Lucifer’s job was to keep people from approaching the throne of God, as if he were the gatekeeper for the courts of the Lord.
It is in this context that we see the fiery stones mentioned. The specific phrase tells us, “You walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones.” As this is on the holy mountain, it tells us that there were fiery stones on that mountain. But just what were those stones?
Surprisingly, there is very little written about these stones. If you look through various Bible commentaries, you will find the rest of the passage expounded upon thoroughly. About the only thing that is proposed as a meaning for these stones, is that they refer to the stars in the heavens. However, I must add that there is no supporting evidence given for this interpretation and those who mention it, do so with the caveat that this is an unsure interpretation. Looking at it in context, it is unlikely a correct interpretation, as the fiery stones are on the mountain of God, rather than in the heavens.
Nonetheless, it is possible to find meaning in this term, using the normal laws of hermeneutics and recognized symbolism that is found in prophecy. We’re essentially dealing with two things – stones, probably precious stones, and fire. So, we need to look at the symbolism associated with those two things.
The Mountain of God
Before looking at the prophetic symbolism of those two things, we need to recognize that this is mentioned within the larger context of talking about God’s presence. We’ve already seen the Garden of Eden mentioned, but we also see the “mountain of God” mentioned. Besides the two places where the Mountain of God is mentioned in this chapter of Ezekiel, we find it mentioned several times in Exodus. This refers to Mount Horeb, otherwise known as Mount Sinai, the place where Moses led the nation of Israel in the Exodus, to present the people before God and receive the Ten Commandments from God. It was known as the Mountain of God before Moses brought the people of Israel there and in fact was the very same place where he had his burning bush experience (Exodus, chapters 3 & 4). The fact that it was used by God for several different events, gives credence to the idea that it was a special habitation of God Himself. But even without that, anyplace which was referred to in ancient times as a “mountain of God,” was a place where prophets would meet with God, much as Moses did, both to receive his calling and to receive the tablets of the Law.
We don’t actually know where this mountain is today, although there is a mountain in Saudi Arabia, with a blackened top, which has been proposed by many archeologists and Bible scholars as being the original mountain. Called Jabal Maqla, this rocky mount has a blackened top, such as it would have, had the top been burnt with fire. This aligns with the account in Exodus, when Moses went up to receive the Tablets of the Law from God. However, the location of the mountain is not where one would expect it to be, based upon the journeying of Israel through the desert, after escaping from slavery in Egypt.
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. – Exodus 19:16-18
While this might not be the same Mountain of God that is mentioned in Ezequiel, it does give us a good image of what God’s appearance on a mountain would look like. The people of that time period, who experienced that or even those who heard about it, would be quick to identify that place as the Mountain of God.
The Stones
Since there is no clear indication in scripture of the meaning of “flaming stones” or “fiery stones,” we must look at this from other ways, specifically breaking the term down into the individual words. Most believers today could quickly come up with the analogy of Jesus referring to Himself as the cornerstone (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17). But were we to use this as the meaning here in Ezekiel, it would indicate that Lucifer was cast out of Jesus… or at least out of His presence. That makes sense, although it might not be all to be seen here.
The Hebrew word used here can mean any kind of stone, but is often used in the Old Testament to refer to precious stones, what we would refer to today as gemstones and semi-precious gemstones. There are several references to such stones in prophecy, even in the book of Revelations. The 12 foundations of the New Jerusalem, mentioned in Revelations, chapter 21, were all sorts of different gemstones (Revelations 21:19-20). Those foundations also had the names of the 12 apostles written on them.
Another place we find precious stones referring to people is on the breastplate of Aaron, which contained 12 precious stones, each inscribed with the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel (Exodus 18:21), written there to indicate that Aaron, in his office as High Priest, was there representing the people, as well as reminding God of those people.
We can see from these two examples (there are others) that God uses gemstones to represent people, specifically His people. There are many varieties of stones, because there are many varieties of people – different tribes, ethnicities and nations. All are precious to God, but especially those who are His.
Why did Lucifer have these same sorts of stones embedded into his skin or into his garment? Because as one of God’s chief angels, he was supposed to have the same concern for God’s people that God Himself had. Obviously, he failed in this, because of his own pride and selfish desires. He wanted to be God, not being satisfied with merely being one of God’s greatest creations.
God mentions Lucifer or the King of Tyre as being covered with precious stones. Using this symbolism of those stones being the multiplicity of people gives us the idea that he was cast out of the people. That can refer to Lucifer being cast out of heaven or cast out from amongst the people of God.
The Fire
Fire is actually a rather common symbol in Biblical prophecy. There are a number of places it is used, starting with God using the image of the burning bush to call out to Moses. He also used fire to represent Himself, as the people of Israel were led through the wilderness, even on Mount Sinai, as we discussed above, when He gave the tablets of the Law to Moses.
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. – Exodus 13:20-21
While God used the fire to represent his presence, He also claimed special ownership of fire, using His holy fire as a tool to purify. We find this in many places in prophecy, but most especially in the Books of Isaiah, Zechariah, and Malachi.
And it shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds of it (the people) shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon My name, and I will answer them. I will say, “This is my people;” and each one will say, “The Lord is my God.” – Malachi 13:8-9
He wills it as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. – Malachi 3:3
If you’ve never seen gold and silver refined or purified, the process is interesting; at least the old process is. In that old process, crushed rock, containing silver and/or gold was placed in a crucible and exposed to the hottest fire they could produce. That would cause many of the other minerals and materials to burn up, leaving behind the gold and silver, which cannot burn. The remainder of these other materials would float to the surface, as dross, where it could be scooped off, leaving a mixture of pure gold and silver. Since gold is considerably heavier than silver, the silver could be poured off first, leaving gold behind.
As we look at these verses, in the light of this understanding of this process of refining, we can see that God is talking about using His holy fire to purify His people. That fire, is the same fire of His presence. When it comes into our lives, as it did on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3), it removes the impurities from our lives, helping to purify us.
Adding to this symbolism, gold commonly refers to divinity in prophecy and silver represents sanctification. So, as God purifies us with His holy fire, he is removing those things which are of the world and of our flesh nature, leaving behind those which are of Him, divinity and sanctification.
Later in the same passage in Ezekiel, God speaks of His fire and the effect that it has on Lucifer, saying “Therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you” (Ezekiel 28:18b). This is the same holy fire, doing the same work of purifying. The difference is, it devoured Lucifer because there was nothing good within him. There was nothing of divinity or sanctification to be left behind, after being exposed to that fire.
Putting it Together
Now that we’ve looked at what Biblical prophecy says about stones and fire, we can put together what these fiery stones might be. That is, they are a representation of God purifying His people. God is in the midst of His people, using His holy fire to purify them. If that’s what those stones represent, then the King of Tyre being cast out of their presence and destroyed is indicative of God casting Lucifer out of the presence of His people. As believers, we no longer have to live with Him in our midst.
The only problem with this interpretation is timing. Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall light lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). That is commonly understood to have happened before the fall in Genesis, chapter 3, and quite possibly before God created Adam and Eve. While we don’t know exactly when that happened, it is clear that it happened before the fall, as Satan was there. But how could God’s people be there, when God’s people hadn’t been born yet? The only way that would have been possible, would be for their spirits to have been in heaven, before they were born on earth. While I have heard that theory before, there’s nothing in the Bible to back it up.
Our other possible interpretation is that the fiery stones represent God’s presence in some way, with all of us being in His presence in a symbolic sense, rather than a literal one. As this is prophecy, we can easily accept a symbolic sense, as prophecy is largely symbolic.