Description
This chapter contains end-time visions of Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations being defeated, and their armies being cast into the pit of hell.
Commentary
This chapter contains two revelations about the fall of Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations that Ezekiel received in the year 585 BC. In the first vision (v1-16), Egypt is defeated by the King of Babylon (v11). 'The King of Babylon' referred historically to Nebuchadnezzar, but in an end-time context is a figurative title for the Antichrist. Several clues indicate that these two visions relate to the end times. Verse 4 portrays a battlefield scene, with the corpses of Egypt's soldiers becoming food for the birds and wild animals. Vultures circling over a battlefield is one of the end-time signs that Jesus described in Matthew 24:28. Verse 7 describes the sun, moon and stars being darkened, which is another end-time sign (Matthew 24:29, Joel 2:10, 3:15, Revelation 16:10). Verse 10 describes many kings being shocked over Egypt's fall, and verse 16 portrays the nations lamenting and chanting over her. Given that historical records of Egypt's fall to Nebuchadnezzar in 568 BC are absolutely minimal, it suggests there will be a much greater end-time fulfilment of this prophecy.

In the second vision (v17-31), Egypt's slain are cast into the pit of hell, along with the defeated armies of Assyria (Syria and Iraq), Elam (Iran), Meshech and Tubal (Turkey), Edom (southern Jordan and western Saudi Arabia), northern countries (possibly Caucasus nations), and the Sidonians (Lebanon).

My understanding of these visions is that the fall of Egypt is its conquest by the Antichrist as described in Daniel 11:42. At the end of the Great Tribulation, Jesus defeats the whole of Antichrist's empire, including Egypt (Isaiah 19), Lebanon (Isaiah 10:34), and all the other nations in his empire (Jeremiah 25 and Revelation 19).

Among the list of defeated nations, Meshech and Tubal (Turkey) and Elam (Iran) are accused of spreading terror in the land of the living. In chapter 38, Ezekiel identifies Antichrist as 'the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal', and his allies include Persia, which was another part of Iran. In Isaiah 21, it is Elamites and Medes (Iranians) who attack 'the desert by the sea' (the Arabian Peninsula) which is figuratively called 'Babylon'. So Turkey and Iran appear to be the two major players behind Antichrist's military expansionism.

Ezekiel 30 also proclaims the coming Day of the Lord when the armies of Egypt will be slain, along with Cush (Sudan and northern Ethiopia), Put (Lybia & North Africa), Lydia (western Turkey), all the foreign nations, and the people of the covenant land.
Tags
Places: Egypt, Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Turkey, Edom, Northern countries, Caucasus, Lebanon
Symbols: Vultures
Tags: Armageddon, Nations invaded by the Antichrist, Nations cast into the pit of hell, Pit, Hell, End-time signs, Sun and moon darkened, Vultures over the battlefield
Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt
1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, the Lord’s message came to me:
2 “Son of man, sing a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: “‘You were like a lion among the nations, but you are a monster in the seas; you thrash about in your streams, stir up the water with your feet, and muddy your streams.
3 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘I will throw my net over you in the assembly of many peoples; and they will haul you up in my dragnet.
4 I will leave you on the ground, I will fling you on the open field, I will allow all the birds of the sky to settle on you, and I will permit all the wild animals to gorge themselves on you.
5 I will put your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your maggot-infested carcass.
6 I will drench the land with the flow of your blood up to the mountains, and the ravines will be full of your blood.
7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky; I will darken its stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not shine.
8 I will darken all the lights in the sky over you, and I will darken your land, declares the Sovereign Lord.
9 I will disturb many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among countries you do not know.
10 I will shock many peoples with you, and their kings will shiver with horror because of you. When I brandish my sword before them, every moment each one will tremble for his life, on the day of your fall.
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.
12 By the swords of the mighty warriors I will cause your hordes to fall – all of them are the most terrifying among the nations. They will devastate the pride of Egypt, and all its hordes will be destroyed.
13 I will destroy all its cattle beside the plentiful waters; and no human foot will disturb the waters again, nor will the hooves of cattle disturb them.
14 Then I will make their waters calm, and will make their streams flow like olive oil, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 When I turn the land of Egypt into desolation and the land is destitute of everything that fills it, when I strike all those who live in it, then they will know that I am the Lord.’
16 This is a lament; they will chant it. The daughters of the nations will chant it. They will chant it over Egypt and over all her hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the Lord’s message came to me:
18 “Son of man, wail over the horde of Egypt. Bring it down; bring her and the daughters of powerful nations down to the lower parts of the earth, along with those who descend to the Pit.
19 Say to them, ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!’
20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; they carry her and all her hordes away.
21 The bravest of the warriors will speak to him from the midst of Sheol along with his allies, saying: ‘The uncircumcised have come down; they lie still, killed by the sword.’
22 “Assyria is there with all her assembly around her grave, all of them struck down by the sword.
23 Their graves are located in the remote slopes of the Pit. Her assembly is around her grave, all of them struck down by the sword, those who spread terror in the land of the living.
24 “Elam is there with all her hordes around her grave; all of them struck down by the sword. They went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, those who spread terror in the land of the living. Now they will bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the dead they have made a bed for her, along with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword, for their terror had spread in the land of the living. They bear their shame along with those who descend to the Pit; they are placed among the dead.
26 “Meshech-Tubal is there, along with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword, for they spread their terror in the land of the living.
27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ancient times, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, having their swords placed under their heads and their shields on their bones, when the terror of these warriors was in the land of the living.
28 “But as for you, in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken, and you will lie with those killed by the sword.
29 “Edom is there with her kings and all her princes. Despite their might they are laid with those killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised and those who descend to the Pit.
30 “All the leaders of the north are there, along with all the Sidonians; despite their might they have gone down in shameful terror with the dead. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, and bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit.
31 “Pharaoh will see them and be consoled over all his hordes who were killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his army, declares the Sovereign Lord.
32 Indeed, I terrified him in the land of the living, yet he will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
(NET)