3. Antichrist in Ezekiel

We shall notice here but two passages in this prophet. First, in 21:25-27 — “and thou, profane wicked Prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.”

So far as we are aware, all pre-millennial students regard this passage as a description of the Antichrist. It pictures him as Satan’s parody of the Son of Man seated upon “the throne of His glory.” It sets him forth as the priest-king. Just as in the Millennium the Lord Jesus will “be a Priest upon His throne” (Zech. 6:13), so will the Antichrist combine in his person the headships of both the civil and religious realms. He will be what the popes have long aspired to be — head of the World-State, and head of the World-Church.

“And thou, O deadly wounded Wicked One, the Prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end; thus saith the Lord: remove the mitre, and take off the crown” (R. V.). This is clearly Israel’s last king, ere the King of kings and Lord of lords returns to the earth. He is here termed “the Prince of Israel” as the true Christ is denominated “Messiah the Prince” in Dan. 9:25. The description “O deadly wounded Wicked One” looks forward to Rev. 13:12, where we read, “The first Beast whose deadly wound was healed!” “Remove the mitre and take off the crown” point to his assumption of both priestly and kingly honors. The Heb. word for “mitre” here is in every other passage used of the head-dress of Israel’s high priest! Finally, the statement that his “day is come[hellip]in the time of iniquity of the end” establishes, beyond a doubt, the identity of this person.

In the opening verses of Ezek. 28 we have a striking view of the Man of Sin under the title of “the Prince of Tyre,” just as what is said of “the King of Tyre” in the second half of the chapter is an esoteric allusion to Satan. First, we are told his “heart is lifted up” (v. 2), which is precisely what is said to his father, the Devil, in v. 17. Second, he makes the boast “I am God” and “I sit in the seat of God” (v. 2), which is parallel with 2 Thess. 2:4. Third, it is here said of him, “Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee” (v. 3), which intimates he will be endowed with superhuman wisdom by that one of whom this same chapter declares, “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom” (v. 12). Fourth, it is said of him, “By thy wisdom and by thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures” (v. 4). Thus will he be able to dazzle the worshippers of Mammon by his Croseus-like wealth, and out-do Solomon in the glory of his kingdom. Finally, his death by the sword is here noted, see vv. 7, 8.