Introduction

† Ezekiel 29 shifts from Tyre to Egypt, showing that God's judgment wasn't limited to one nation, it extended to all who exalted themselves against Him (Ezekiel 29:1-2)
† Egypt represented worldly power and false security, something Israel trusted instead of God, and that's why judgment was necessary (Ezekiel 29:6-7)
† From the fulfilled perspective, this points forward to the complete removal of Old Covenant reliance on earthly powers, fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Luke 21:20-22)

Ezekiel 29:1-2
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt

† God directly confronts Pharaoh, showing no ruler stands above His authority (Ezekiel 29:2)
† Egypt isn't just political power, it represents rebellion and pride against God (Ezekiel 29:2)
† This sets the tone, judgment begins with leadership and extends to the whole nation

Ezekiel 29:3
Speak and say, This is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers, That has said, My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it

† Pharaoh claims ownership of creation, this is open rebellion against God (Ezekiel 29:3)
† Pride is the root issue, just like Israel trusting in Egypt instead of God (Ezekiel 29:3)
† This mirrors the same pride judged in Jerusalem, claiming covenant privilege while rejecting God (Matthew 23:37-38)

Ezekiel 29:4-5
And I will put hooks in your jaws And make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales. And I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, And all the fish of your rivers will cling to your scales. And I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers, You will fall on the open field, you will not be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky

† God removes Pharaoh from his place of power, showing His total control (Ezekiel 29:4)
† The imagery shows humiliation, Egypt won't be honored but discarded (Ezekiel 29:5)
† This is consistent with covenant judgment language later applied to Jerusalem (Luke 19:43-44)

Ezekiel 29:6-7
Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of you with the hand, You broke and tore all their hands, And when they leaned on you, You broke and made all their backs shake

† Egypt failed Israel, proving worldly alliances can't save (Ezekiel 29:6)
† Israel's trust in Egypt was misplaced, leading to greater judgment (Ezekiel 29:7)
† This exposes the danger of trusting anything outside of God (Jeremiah 17:5)

Ezekiel 29:8-9
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am going to bring a sword upon you and cut off from you human and animal life. The land of Egypt will become a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, The Nile is mine, and I have made it

† Judgment comes because of pride and false claims of self-sufficiency (Ezekiel 29:9)
† The purpose of judgment is recognition of God, not destruction alone (Ezekiel 29:9)
† This same purpose appears in Jerusalem's fall in AD 70 (Luke 21:22)

Ezekiel 29:10-12
Therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia. A human foot will not pass through it and the foot of an animal will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands, and her cities in the midst of cities that are laid waste will be desolate forty years, and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands

† The desolation shows total judgment, not partial discipline (Ezekiel 29:10)
† The scattering mirrors Israel's own exile, showing God judges all nations consistently (Ezekiel 29:12)
† This reinforces that no nation escapes accountability (Acts 17:31)

Ezekiel 29:13-16
For this is what the Lord GOD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. And I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations, and I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the wrongdoing of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD

† Restoration is limited, Egypt returns but never regains former glory (Ezekiel 29:15)
† God removes Egypt as a source of false hope for Israel (Ezekiel 29:16)
† This ensures Israel won't repeat the same error (Isaiah 30:1-3)

Ezekiel 29:17-20
Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre, every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare, but he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am going to give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder, and it will be wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor which he performed, because they acted for Me, declares the Lord GOD

† God uses Babylon as an instrument of judgment (Ezekiel 29:20)
† Nations act, but God is the one directing outcomes (Ezekiel 29:20)
† This same pattern appears in Rome being used in AD 70 (Luke 21:20)

Ezekiel 29:21
On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD

† Even in judgment, God promises restoration for His people (Ezekiel 29:21)
† The horn represents strength and authority restored (Ezekiel 29:21)
† From the fulfilled perspective, this finds its completion in Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant (Luke 1:68-69)

Historical References

† Josephus records Egypt's weakening and decline under foreign powers, aligning with Ezekiel's prophecy
† Herodotus describes Egypt's loss of dominance and reduced status among nations
† Eusebius notes how God's judgments on nations demonstrated His sovereignty over history

How It Applies To Us Today

† We can't trust worldly systems, governments, or power, they'll fail just like Egypt did (Psalm 20:7)
† Pride always leads to judgment, whether individual or national (Proverbs 16:18)
† God is in control of history, even when nations rise and fall (Daniel 2:21)
† The fulfilled reality shows Christ is the only true kingdom that lasts (Hebrews 12:28)

Q & A Appendix

Q: Why was Egypt judged?
A: Because of pride and false claims of self-sufficiency (Ezekiel 29:3, 9)

Q: What did Egypt represent?
A: Worldly power and false security that Israel trusted instead of God (Ezekiel 29:6-7)

Q: Was Egypt completely destroyed?
A: No, it was restored but as a lowly kingdom (Ezekiel 29:14-15)

Q: Who carried out the judgment?
A: Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, used by God (Ezekiel 29:19-20)

Q: When was this fulfilled?
A: It was fulfilled historically through the Babylonian campaigns against Egypt around 568-567 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar struck Egypt and reduced its power just as prophesied (Ezekiel 29:17-20)

Q: How does this connect to fulfillment in the New Testament period?
A: It shows the same pattern of God judging prideful nations, which was fully demonstrated again in AD 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed (Luke 21:20-22)

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† Ezekiel 29
† Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews; Herodotus, Histories; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History