Cherubim

Cherubim

            Cherubim exist as a distinct class of angels.  The word “cherub” occurs within twenty-one verses in the KJV.  The word “cherubims” occurs within fifty-seven verses in the KJV.  The words “cherub” and “cherubims” mainly occur within the Old Testament.[1]  The Hebrew word “k@ruwb (ker-oob’)” remains as the only word used for both the words “cherub” and “cherubims” in the Old Testament.”  It occurred within sixty-six verses in the Old Testament. 

            Ezekiel and John the Beloved described the appearance of the Cherubim, including their faces.   They possess the body like a man with four different faces—a face of a man, a face of a lion, a face of an ox, and a face of an eagle.[2]These four faces reflect the fact that Cherubim dwell in the presence of Christ and reveal the four-fold symbols reemphasized by the Four Gospels.  The face of the lion corresponds with Matthew’s book, which is also portrayed by the symbol of a lion.  This symbol of the lion revealed that, as the lion reigns as the king of the jungle, so Christ reigns as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords as the Messiah.  The face of the ox corresponds with the book of Mark, who portrayed Christ as the Suffering Servant.  The face of the man corresponds with the book of Luke, who focused on the humanity of Christ and revealed Christ as the Perfect Man.  Finally, the face of the eagle corresponds with the book of John, who portrayed Christ as the Mighty God.  Just as the eagle is the king of the air, which is the first heaven, Christ is the king of all three heavens and He rules with majesty from on high.  John focused on the deity of Christ that transcends any earthly or fleshly appetite.  Further investigation of Cherubim reveals other physical features. 

            A compilation of information of Cherubim from Ezekiel and John the Beloved lends to the following depiction.  They contain the appearance of brass.[3]They also possess four wings with a hand under each wing.[4]God created Cherubim with a total of six wings combined.  While, Ezekiel only seen four of the six wings,[5] John the Beloved saw all six wings of the Cherubim.[6] They possess hoof feet like that of a calf[7]and they have the appearance of polished brass.[8] Revelation 4:6 revealed that they possess eyes before, behind, and within.  This revealed that the Cherubim’s intelligence and spiritual insight of things past, present, and future remain limitless.[9]

            God assigned duties to Cherubim throughout Scripture.  They lead worship in heaven.[10]  Cherubim protect the righteousness and holiness of God.  This is evident in the fact that Lucifer was the “anointed Cherub that covered God’s throne”[11] and also because Scripture rarely depicted any Cherubim separating themselves from the throne of God.[12]Also, the throne of God on earth, the Ark of the Covenant, and the veil, which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, contained Cherubim.  Cherubim also protected and possibly still protect the path to the Tree of Life.[13]  They represent the mercy of God as they sit atop of the Ark of the Covenant.[14]  Taking into consideration the four faces of the Cherubim, they remain constant reminders of the ministry of Jesus Christ.[15]

            The authors of the Bible referred to Cherubim with different terms throughout the Bible.  In some passages, they are referred to straightly as cherubim.  Ezekiel referred to these cherubim as “living creatures.”[16]  While, John the Beloved referred to them as “four beasts.”[17]

            Some people speculate that the “four beasts” of Revelation dwell not as Cherubim but as a mixture between Cherubim and Seraphim.  They claim that considering the fact that Cherubim possess four wings and that Seraphim contain six wings; also the fact that Cherubim possess the four faces—one lion, one ox, one man, and one eagle—that these “four beasts” must be some type of a cross-breed or mixture of angels.  Some authors claim that the “four beasts” worship in heaven as either a mixture of Cherubim and Seraphim or that they dwell as Cheribum of the new order.  Authors and theologians attempt to create all kinds of explanations for the distinctions between “living creatures” of Ezekiel and the “four beasts” of Revelation.  The truth of the matter remains that both the “living creatures” of Ezekiel” and the “four beasts” of Revelation both are describing one type of angel—Cherubim.   The descriptions of Cherubim stem from two different viewpoints—that of John the Beloved and Ezekiel, but they always remain around the throne of God. 

            God always associated His throne with Cherubim.[18]  When God delivered the blueprint for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, God instructed in Exodus 25:18-20, “And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.”  God instructed that cherubim be woven onto the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.[19]  Furthermore, when the Tabernacle was mobile in the wilderness, the Tabernacle travelled in the center of all twelve tribes.  Dan, whose symbol was that of the eagle,  travelled directly north of the Tabernacle; Judah, represented by the lion, travelled directly on the eastward side of the Tabernacle; Reuben, represented by the symbol of a man, followed directly behind the Tabernacle;  and Ephraim, represented by the ox, travelled immediately on the east side of the Tabernacle.  God illustrated to us through the Tabernacle that Cherubim are associated with the throne of God.  The Tabernacle was a revealing to us of heavenly things and when we read Revelation 4:6-8, God revealed to us that Cherubim surround the throne in heaven.[20]Since Cherubim surround the throne of God, what is their primary duty? 

            John the Beloved summarized the primary duty of Cherubim in one verse.  Revelation 4:8 states, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”  The primary duty of Cherubim remains that of praising God and magnifying Him. 

---

[1] Note: Out of these two words, the word “cherubims” is mentioned only once in the New Testament in Hebrew 9:5.

[2] Ezekiel 1:5-6 “Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.”

Ezekiel 1:10 “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.”

[3]Ezekiel 1:7 “And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.”

[4]Ezekiel 1:6 “And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.”

 Ezekiel 1:8 “And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.”

[5]Ezekiel 1:6 “And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.”

[6]Revelation 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

[7] Ezekiel 1:7 “And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.”

[8] Ezekiel 1:7 “And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.”

[9] Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture (Glendale, Pennsylvania:  Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1919) 41.

[10]Revelation 4:9-11  “And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,  10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

[11]Ezekiel 28:14 “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.”

[12] Note:  Refer to the first ten chapters of Ezekiel.

[13]Genesis 3:24 “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”  Note: The Tree of Life currently resides in heaven (Revelation 22:2 & 14).

[14]Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”

Exodus 37:9 “And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.”

[15] Note:  The explanation of why the Cherubim are constant reminders of Christ’s ministry through the appearance of their four faces is further described in the following two paragraphs.

[16]  Ezekiel 10:15 “And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.”

[17] Revelation 4:6-8 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.  7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.  8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

[18] Ezekiel 1:26 “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.”

Revelation 4:6-8 “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.  7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.  8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

[19] Exodus 26:31-33 “And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:  32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.  33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”

[20] Revelation 4:6 “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.”