The Casting Into the Pit in Ezekiel’s Prophetic Structure
The imagery of the pit, the abyss, and the casting down of the wicked—found in Enoch, Revelation, and the teachings of Jesus—is also embedded deeply in the prophetic visions of Ezekiel. Ezekiel does not merely describe the defeat of Israel’s enemies; he reveals the ultimate destiny of those nations: their descent into Sheol, the abyssal underworld, where they join the former destroyers of Israel. To understand how this works, Ezekiel describes two distinct cycles of war: The first war – the regional, near-neighbor conflict that matches Psalm 83 and Isaiah 11:10–16, sometimes described as the “inner ring” war. The second war – the distant, northern Gog–Magog assault (Ezekiel 38–39), involving nations far beyond Israel’s borders. Ezekiel then shows how both groups end up together in the pit, the underworld of divine judgment.
Ezekiel First Speaks of Those in the Psalm 83 War
Before addressing Gog and Magog, Ezekiel provides a long, detailed tour of the pit, where defeated nations lie in shame. These nations are the immediate neighbors of Israel—the same coalition described in Psalm 83, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 17, and Obadiah. Ezekiel 32 lists them: Egypt Asshur (Assyria) Elam Meshech and Tubal Edom (Idumea) The princes of the north The Sidonians These are the historic enemies that have repeatedly attacked Israel throughout Scripture. Ezekiel writes: “They shall fall into the midst of them that are slain by the sword; they are delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell.” —Ezekiel 32:20–21 Ezekiel calls this place the pit (שַׁחַת), the abyss where former nations lie in disgrace. These are the nations of Psalm 83, the “inner ring” neighbors that attempt to erase Israel’s name: “Come, let us cut them off from being a nation.” —Psalm 83:4 Isaiah 11 describes the same conflict, where the remnant of Judah and Ephraim fight together against: The Philistines Edom Moab Ammon These are the very nations Ezekiel places first into the pit.
Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 10 Describe the Same Regional Cleansing
Isaiah 11:10–16 is a direct parallel to Psalm 83: God raises a banner for the nations Ephraim and Judah are reunited The surrounding hostile nations are subdued The “tongue of the Egyptian sea” is smitten A highway opens for the remnant from Assyria Isaiah 10 expands this judgment: “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth?” —Isaiah 10:15 Assyria—representing the northern regional threat—is broken and cast down. These defeated powers become the first inhabitants of the pit.
After the First War, Ezekiel Adds Those From the Magog War
After listing the regional enemies of Israel in Ezekiel 32, the prophet turns—six chapters later—to a very different and much larger conflict: the Gog–Magog invasion (Ezekiel 38–39). This second war brings: Persia (Iran) Gomer Togarmah Magog Many nations with thee (a phrase indicating a massive coalition) After their destruction on the mountains of Israel, God says: “I will give thee unto the ravenous birds… and to the beasts of the field.” —Ezekiel 39:4 But Ezekiel’s earlier pattern shows where these nations ultimately go: Into the pit, joining the earlier enemies Into the realm of the uncircumcised Into the place of shame Into the abyssal underworld The same abyss described by Enoch, Isaiah, and Revelation The Gog–Magog nations become the second wave thrown into the pit—just as Revelation 19–20 shows the Beast’s armies following the earlier fallen ones into the lake of fire and the abyss.
The Two-Stage Judgment of the Nations
Ezekiel’s order is deliberate: FIRST – the local enemies (Psalm 83 / Isaiah 11) They fall after the final regathering of Israel. SECOND – the distant enemies (Gog–Magog) They fall after Israel is secured in the land and dwelling in safety. Ezekiel symbolically tours the pit in chapter 32 before describing Gog–Magog in chapters 38–39, indicating: These earlier nations are already there Gog and Magog will join them later The pit becomes the domain of: The destroyed nations The kings who exalted themselves The armies who fought against Zion The powers aligned with Belial Revelation continues the same story: The dragon is cast down (Revelation 12) The Beast and False Prophet are cast into the fire (Revelation 19) Satan is cast into the abyss (Revelation 20) Death and Hell are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14) Ezekiel’s pit is the Old Testament root of this final cosmic judgment.
The War Scroll (1QM) and the Two Conflicts
The Qumran War Scroll distinguishes: The War Against the Near Nations (the Kittim and neighboring peoples) The Final War of God This aligns perfectly with Ezekiel’s two cycles: The Psalm 83 / Isaiah 11 war corresponds to the 1QM.War Scroll Col.1 The Gog–Magog war corresponds to the final cosmic stage of 1QM, Both culminate in the same end: The enemies of Israel cast down The wicked cut off The abyss filled The righteous remnant preserved Ephraim and Judah restored
The Unified Prophetic Picture
Ezekiel + Isaiah + Psalms + Enoch + Revelation + Qumran = One Story Stage 1 — Local enemies fall (Psalm 83, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 10) These are placed first in the pit (Ezekiel 32). Stage 2 — Distant enemies fall (Gog–Magog, Ezekiel 38–39) They join the earlier nations in the same abyss. Stage 3 — Cosmic enemies fall (Revelation 12, 20) Draco/Belial/Satan is cast down, bound, and ultimately destroyed. Stage 4 — Israel restored Ephraim and Judah reunite The remnant survives the war The kingdom manifests on earth The vineyard belongs to the righteous
. The citizens of Tyre being brought down to “the lowest parts of the earth”—the pit. The Prince of Tyre (the human ruler) going down with them. The King of Tyre—the serpent of Eden, the anointed cherub—sharing their fate and ultimately being cast into the pit, the same abyss reserved for the great cosmic rebels. .
The Fate of Tyre and Its Prince: Descent Into the Lowest Parts of the Earth
In addition to the nations listed in Ezekiel 32 as descending into the pit after the Psalm 83 war, Ezekiel devotes a unique and extended prophecy to Tyre, revealing three separate layers of judgment: The people (citizens) of Tyre The prince of Tyre (the mortal ruler) The king of Tyre (the primordial serpent from Eden who in dwell the mortal ruler, who becomes Satan encarnate.) Each of these is assigned to the lowest parts of the earth, the biblical term for the underworld abyss—the same realm described by Enoch, Isaiah, and later Revelation.
The Citizens of Tyre: Cast Down to the Pit
Ezekiel 26 pronounces judgment on the merchants and sailors of Tyre—the commercial empire of the Phoenicians. God says: “I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and shall set thee in the lowest parts of the earth.” —Ezekiel 26:20 Here we see: Human populations descending into the same underworld realm Joining earlier nations already judged Entering the pit, precisely as described in Ezekiel 32 The citizens of Tyre fall among “the people of old time”—the ancient ones in the abyss. Tyre’s fall thus parallels: Egypt Assyria Edom The princes of the north Sidon Meshech and Tubal —all groups Ezekiel identifies as lying together in the lowest regions of Sheol.
The Prince of Tyre: A Mortal King Pulled Into the Pit
Ezekiel 28 then addresses the Prince of Tyre, a human ruler filled with arrogance: “Thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.” —Ezekiel 28:2 God says he will die: “the death of the uncircumcised, by the hand of strangers.” —28:10 This mortal prince shares the same fate as his people: He joins them in the lowest parts of the earth He is counted among those slain He is found in the pit alongside the others But this is only the surface level of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Behind the human ruler stands a supernatural power.
The King of Tyre: The Serpent of Eden and His Descent Into the Pit
After addressing the human prince, Ezekiel turns to another figure altogether—the King of Tyre. This king is not human. He is described as: “The anointed cherub that covereth” “Perfect in thy ways till iniquity was found in thee” “In Eden, the garden of God” “Full of wisdom and beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12–16) This being: Walked in Eden Stood on the holy mountain of God Was cast out for pride Was corrupted by traffic Led nations astray through trade, sorcery, and arrogance This King of Tyre is the same figure Isaiah calls: “The shining one, son of the dawn” “He that weakened the nations” (Isaiah 14) He is the ancient serpent of Eden—the spiritual power behind earthly Tyre, behind the prince, behind the economic empire, behind the corruption of nations. Ezekiel declares his fate: “I will cast thee to the ground… I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth.” —Ezekiel 28:17–18 And like the nations of Ezekiel 32, he descends into the pit, the same abyss: “I will cast thee to the lowest part of the earth.” He goes down: To be with the nations he deceived With the princes he empowered To the same place where the earlier enemies of Israel lie Exactly as Enoch describes: The Watchers bound in the abyss Azazel cast into Dudael The giants and wicked rulers thrown into the pit And exactly as Revelation concludes: The Dragon (Draco/Belial) cast from heaven Bound in the abyss for a thousand years Ultimately thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10) The King of Tyre represents that same cosmic being.
The Multi-Layered Fall of Tyre
Thus Ezekiel reveals three synchronized descents: 1. The people of Tyre → To the pit (Ezekiel 26) 2. The prince of Tyre → To the pit with his nation (Ezekiel 28:1–10) 3. The king of Tyre (serpent of Eden) → Cast to the earth then to the lowest parts (Ezekiel 28:11–19) These three levels mirror: Human nations Human rulers The unseen spiritual powers all judged together. This is identical to the pattern in: Psalm 83 → regional enemies judged Ezekiel 38–39 → distant enemies judged Revelation 12 → cosmic enemy cast down Revelation 19–20 → all cast into the abyss Ezekiel’s prophecy of Tyre stands as the bridge between human warfare and cosmic warfare.
Tyre’s Judgment as the Template for the Final WarsThe progression is clear: Human populations fall first – the citizens of Tyre, Egypt, Edom, Assyria Human rulers fall next – the prince of Tyre, the kings of the nations The spiritual powers fall last – the serpent of Eden, the cosmic King of Tyre, – ultimately cast into the abyss This template is repeated in: Psalm 83 war Gog–Magog war The war in heaven The parables of Jesus (harvest/separation) Enoch’s pit Qumran’s War Scroll Revelation 19–20 All these reveal the same three-tiered judgment
