Is the Removal of Satan and His Angels Prophesied of in Ezekiel 34:25?

Question

Recently, I have been comparing the famous passage of God's rebuke towards negligent shepherds and selfish sheep/goats in Ezekiel 34 with Jesus's famous teaching of the final day judgment in Matthew 25:31-46 where the sheep will be separated from the goats.

I have concluded that in Ezekiel 34,

1. The shepherds are a reference to the religious leaders
2. The sheep are a reference to God's covenant people.
3. Some sheep will be judged as evil and some as good based on how they've treated others.

All three can be seen in Jesus's teachings.

But what about Ezekiel 34:25 which states, “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods (NASB95).

Could this be speaking about satan and his angels? Was Jesus remezing this passage when He spoke of "...the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels..." (Matt. 25:41)?

Answer 1

The prophecy is messianic but not eschatological. In other words, it predicts the restoration of the Davidic throne, but not the end of evil. It does not mention Satan or angels. Rather, it is addressed to the rulers of Israel who had gone astray -- "shepherding themselves" rather than God's people. This is a reference to their selfishness and corruption. A note in the NABRE explains:

Shepherds: the leaders of the people. A frequent title for kings and deities in the ancient Near East; the ideal ruler took care of his subjects and anticipated their needs. Ezekiel’s oracle broadens the reference to include the whole class of Jerusalem’s leaders (v. 17). The prophet assures his audience, the exiles in Babylon, that God holds these leaders responsible for what has happened to Jerusalem and will give Israel a new shepherd worthy of the title.

Conclusion: “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods" means that after the Exile ends, God will bring his people back the land of Israel under rulers. The bit about the wild beasts is quite literal, as lions and jackals had roamed freely in the former cities, pastures and forestlands of Israel during the period of the Exile. (2 Kings 17:26, Jeremiah 9:10)