THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
When those opposed to you strip you of your regal power, and when they bring about your demise, will we persist in pride and arrogance, claiming divinity as though to instill fear with the name of God? Such an assertion is impossible. A shift in circumstances will undoubtedly lead to a transformation in perspective. You will be wounded and hardened, facing death like your uncircumcised subjects, and you will come to understand that you are merely a man, not a god. My judgment is firm and beyond dispute. This truth resonates with what God declared when He stated, ‘As I have spoken,’ says Adonai the Lord. This applies to the deceiving spirit, represented by the visible ruler of Tyre. God likewise warns him of annihilation at the hands of foreigners, destroyers, and nations.
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These were those who embraced and received the knowledge of God through the Gospel preached since ancient times. The divine Apostle also reminds us that at times we were foolish, disobedient, and led astray, indulging in various desires, living in malice and envy, detestable, and hating one another (Titus 3:3). God, through the voice of the great Moses, stated, ‘They have provoked Me to anger with what is not God; they have stirred My wrath with their idols; therefore I will provoke them to jealousy with those who are not a nation; I will anger them with a foolish nation’ (Deuteronomy 32:21). This prophecy illustrates that through these previously foolish, unreasonable, and immoral destroyers—strangers and Gentiles—the prophetic word foretells the defeat of the devil. It is also noted that the name of strangers applies to the faithful who once were far off but now have been brought near (Eph. 2:13). God proclaims that with their swords they will dismantle the deceptions of the devil, thwarting your schemes, ending your malicious intrigues, and demolishing the altars erected for your sake. They will ensure that you fade into oblivion, exercising authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and to overcome all your power (Luke 10:19). Ultimately, you will discover that you have deceived humanity in claiming to be a god. This will be your downfall, for your wisdom is uncircumcised, and you have failed to sever the abhorrent passion of pride within you.