A Prophecy Against Egypt
29:1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel once again. The date was either December 12 or January 12, 588 or 587 B.C. This was about 14 months after the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began and seven months before the destruction of Jerusalem. This was not Ezekiel’s opinion or his human speculation.
29:2 “Son of man, turn toward Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
Ezekiel was to prophecy to Pharaoh Hophra. He reigned from 589-570 B.C. He was the fourth king of the 26th dynasty of Egypt. He was also to prophesy to all of Egypt. This prophecy included the Egyptians of all of history, especially those who will be living in the Millennial Kingdom.
29:3 Tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:“‘Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the midst of its waterways, who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.”
Pharaoh Hophra was like a sea monster who lurked in the Nile River. Pharaoh Hophra began looking upon himself as a god and a creator of the Nile River. He claimed to have been the creator and the owner of the Nile.
29:4 I will put hooks in your jaws and stick the fish of your waterways to your scales. I will haul you up from the midst of your waterways,and all the fish of your waterways will stick to your scales.
Jehovah would go fishing in the Nile River. His hook would capture a sea monster. This sea monster was a metaphor for Pharaoh Hophra. The fish were metaphors for the Egyptian soldiers. When Jehovah pulls up his fishing hook, then the Egyptian soldiers would stick to the scales of Pharaoh the sea monster.
29:5 I will leave you in the wilderness, you and all the fish of your waterways; you will fall in the open field and will not be gathered up or collected. I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the skies.
The Egyptian soldiers who followed Pharaoh Hophra would be defeated. Their dead bodies would be strewn and unburied over all of the Egyptian battlefields. Scavenger birds and wild animals would eat their corpses.
29:6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord
because they were a reed staff for the house of Israel;
Egypt was like a reed staff to Israel. The reed staff was a flimsily staff which grew in the Nile River.
29:7 when they grasped you with their hand, you broke and tore their shoulders, and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady.
Israel would lean upon Egypt, but Egypt was a flimsy staff. The staff would break and cut the shoulders of the Israelites.
29:8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will kill every person and every animal.
Jehovah will destroy every person and animal in Egypt. Since this event has never happened in recorded history, then this looks to the prophetic future of the end times.
29:9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord. Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,”
Egypt will become desolate in the prophetic future. The reason is that Pharaoh Hophra called himself a god. He claimed that he created and owned the Nile River. This was a self‑declaration of deity.
29:10 I am against you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border with Ethiopia.
The entire nation of Egypt from north to south will be desolated of all people and animal life. This historical event has not yet happened.
29:11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal’s foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years.
This desolation of all of Egypt will be total and complete. It will last for 40 years.
It is interesting to note that Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Egypt will also wander in the wilderness for 40 years. This event has never happened yet in history. This event could not have happened in the days of Pharaoh Hophra. This must be a future event of the prophetic end times.
29:12 I will turn the land of Egypt into a desolation in the midst of desolate lands; for forty years her cities will lie desolate in the midst of ruined cities. I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries.
This prophetic event will most likely take place during the first 40 years of the Millennial Kingdom. Just as Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, so will Egypt wander among the Millennial Gentile nations for forty years. Egypt will experience what it was like for Israel to be dispersed in the wilderness for 40 years.
It is important to note that Egypt will undergo a national conversion at the end of the Great Tribulation. However, they will still have some anti-Semitic feelings. It will take God 40 years to get this anti-Semitic attitude out of the new and regenerated Egypt. It also took God 40 years to get the Egypt out of Israel. Except for Joshua and Caleb, God had to remove the entire first generation of Israel out of the Exodus.
29:13 “ ‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered.
Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel once again. This prophetic message was not Ezekiel’s opinion or his human speculation.
29:14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and will bring them back to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; there they will be an insignificant kingdom.
Pathros was upper Egypt. After Egypt's future restoration after the first 40 years of the Millennial Kingdom, then Egypt will never be a great political power again. Instead of ruling over other nations, she will become a subservient nation under Israel. Egypt will be one of the lowest nations under Israel. This new relationship to Israel may be why Egypt chooses not to send a delegation to Israel in Zechariah 14.
29:15 It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Egypt will never rule over other nations. She will be a small and insignificant nation.
29:16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’ ”
Israel will no longer trust in Egyptian treaties. Israel trusted in past Egyptian treaties, causing them to lose Jerusalem to the Babylonians.
29:17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
The word of Jehovah came to Ezekiel in either March or April of 571 B.C. This time period was eight months after the destruction of Jerusalem.
29:18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it.
It took the Babylonian soldiers 13 years of hard labor to lay siege and defeat Tyre. When the city of Tyre finally fell, then there was very little plunder left to pay the Babylonian soldiers.
29:19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages.
Since the Babylonian soldiers received very little plunder from Tyre, then Jehovah would lead the Babylonian soldiers against Egypt. The Babylonians would conquer Egypt and carry away her plunder.
29:20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre, because they did it for me, declares the sovereign Lord.
Tyre showed anti-Semitism towards Jerusalem, so Jehovah raised up the Babylonians to lay siege to Tyre as well. The siege of Tyre lasted for a long 13 years. She continued to receive supplies from her ships of merchandise. Since the Babylonians received very little plunder from Tyre, then Jehovah would pay Babylon for her work from the plunder of Egypt.
29:21 On that day I will make Israel powerful, and I will give you the right to be heard among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
“On that day” is the day of the Millennial Kingdom. During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will be made the most powerful nation in the world. Egypt will be regenerated. Like Israel, Egypt will wander in the wilderness for forty years.