Discourse on the Angels or Spirits of Empires

In chapters 26, 27, and 28, two particular prophecies were written to the Prince of Tyre. To someone who hears the first before they hear the second, it might perhaps seem that the first refers to a human man who was the ruler of the Tyrians. Therefore, for the time being, we will take nothing from that first prophecy.

However, because the second prophecy is so clearly of such a nature that it must not be understood as being about a man at all, but about some higher power virtue original: "virtute"; Origen often uses this term to refer to an angelic or spiritual rank or being. who fell from the higher realms to the lower and was cast down into a worse state, we shall draw an example from it. By this, it may be most clearly demonstrated that those opposing and great powers were not created or fashioned as such by nature, but fell from a better state into a worse one, and were transformed into something degraded.

For if he who is called the "Prince of Tyre" is described as being among the saints, and was blameless, and was established in the Paradise of God, and was also adorned with a crown of honor and fullness—how can he, being such a one, be considered inferior to any of the saints? For he is described as having been the very crown of honor and beauty, and as having walked blameless in the paradise of God. How could anyone think that such a being was not one of those holy and blessed powers, which must be believed to possess no other honor than this while established in beatitude? But let us finally see what the prophetic words themselves teach us.

And the word of the Lord, he says, came to me, saying: Son of man, take up a lamentation over the Prince of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of resemblance original: "signaculū similitudinis"; often translated as "the seal of perfection.", and the crown of honor in the delights of paradise; you were adorned with every precious stone or gem, and clothed in Sardius, and Topaz, and Jasper; you were inlaid with silver and gold; you also filled your treasuries and your storehouses within yourself with gold. From the day you were created, I placed you with the Cherubim; you were on the holy mountain of God; you were blameless in the midst of the fiery stones in your days, from the day you were created, until iniquities were found in you original: "comminuendae sunt iniquitates in te"; literally "iniquities were to be crushed in you," though Origen interprets this as the point where the being's inherent sin was revealed., because of the abundance of your trade. You filled your storehouses with iniquity and you sinned; and you were wounded, and I cast you out from the mountain of God, O Cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones; and your heart was lifted up...