Here's what I was taught.
First, we must admit that Ezekiel is prophesying against the "King of Tyrus". However some interesting things are said of him that are not true of any man:
Ezekiel 28:11-19 King James Version (KJV)
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
None of the following can be said of a mere man. (Take into consideration that God just spent several verses explaining to the Prince of Tyrus that he wasn't a god, now, suddenly, the King was a cherub.):
- He seals up the sum of wisdom and is perfect in beauty.
- He is said to have been in "Eden the garden of God". (Genesis 2)
- He was covered in gems and musical instruments were prepared in his very being, implying his musical nature.
- He is referred to as the "anointed cherub that covereth" a reference going back to the cheubs on the mercy seat of the ark, where God was present, and worship is given before the very presence of God.
- God set him in this place of esteem and honor.
- He dwelt upon the holy mountain of God, and walked among the stones of fire (as Moses on Sinai, implying a face to face relationship in God's presence)
- He was perfect in his ways from the day he was created (not born), until iniquity was "found" in him, indicating he originally had no sin.
- His sin of pride regarding his beauty and brightness causes God to promise to cast him down before kings, in the destruction of the King of Tyrus.
Most, if not all of these things cannot be said of any earthly King. He was never in Eden. He was never created with music in his very being, he was never created and not born, he was never sinless, he was never a holy cherub in the face to face presence of God. These things can only be said of the ancient demonic power abiding within this pagan king.
And so, through this prophecy that identifies this king with the ancient demonic spirit possessing this king, we glean insight on the nature of Satan himself.
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