I am emphasizing this distinction because it is important to understanding Satan. But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. God showed him when he was on Mount Sinai. Thank you for subscribing to True Vine Life! Daniels recorded experiences affirm such notions. Other than the description given Moses for the building of the tabernacle, which was later repeated and enhanced by Solomon, the only Bible passages that describe the cherubim come from the explosive revelations of Ezekiels visions. The angel told Daniel, there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael. It could be that Michael is the only prince over a nation (Israel) that is not aligned with Satan. We are introduced to something called seraphim through Isaiahs vision of the Lord in 756 B.C. He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. The Hebrews who were bitten simply had to look at bronze serpent on the pool to be healed. The first guard was the Cherubim, members of the highest order of created beings. Years later, Ezekiel was again taken to Jerusalem in visions of God and shown how the millennial temple is to be built. He is a cherub and not an angel. For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!, Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl.
This expanse is some sort of foundation for the throne of God. (16:1718; emphasis mine), (See also Psalm 11:4, Isaiah 6:1, and Revelation 7:15.). The English word anointed is the Hebrew word mimshach which means expansion. This is the only time mimshach appears in the Old Testament and the implied meaning in this context is extended wings. The English word guardian is the Hebrew cakak which means cover, block, overshadow, screen, stop the approach, or shut off. Cakak is used in Exodus to describe how the wings of the cherubim overshadow the mercy seat (25:20, 37:9) and also to describe how the veil was used to screen the ark (40:3, 21). And now I will show you the truth. One of the primary roles of cherubim in the Bible is to uphold and carry this expanse underlying Gods throne. I want to emphasize that specific orders or rankings of celestial beings is not a clear, affirmative Biblical concept. In Holy Angels Parts 1 and 2, we looked at Gods messengers that are without sin and will remain so eternally because they did not choose to follow Satan. In his first account, Ezekiel also described these creatures as follows: As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. (10:2022; emphasis mine). The only other angel that the Bible mentions by name is Gabriel. (Revelation 4:6b10). The use of the English word principality in some translations is interesting because it implies that there are evil angelic princes with specific realms of authority delegated by Satan. Each individual seraph has its own singular face, unlike the four cherubim Ezekiel saw that each had four faces. This also comes out in the beautiful and powerful Psalm 91 where we are told: He will cover you with his pinions [feathers], and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler (4). These studies of the angelic world and heavenly creatures do much to enhance the fact that everything in Gods order revolves around Jesus Christ. Ezekiel described this as follows: Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. (I suppose one could use this to make the case that animals in heaven talk!) They were carved on the whole temple all around.
In his second account of the cherubim, he told us specifically: And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all aroundthe wheels that the four of them had. Biblically, we can see that historical patterns often repeat because men continue to live under the same spiritual atmospheres that have sway over them. Here is an excerpt from his dramatic first vision when God initially called him to prophesy to Israel: As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. Cherubim first appear in the Bible at the fall of man. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. (Ezekiel 1:428). Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. They seem to be distinctly animal-like, although one of them does have the face of a man. All this reveals that there are at least three different kinds of the living creatures classified as cherubim. Another valuable conclusion we need to grasp here is that cherubim and seraphim are heavenly creatures and not angels. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed [banished] you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. If accurate, and similar to what I discussed with the cherubim, God may have created these four seraphim to specifically reflect the four attributes of Jesus Christ revealed in the gospels. And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. Above him stood the seraphim. He also described them as having eyes all around and within. The angel later referred to him as the great prince which could even mean that he is the highest ranking angelic prince. The thrust of the early chapters of the book of Ezekiel was God withdrawing from His sanctuary (see 5:11).
We know that God had also just killed at least one animalprobably a lambto make clothing for Adam and Eve. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. The fact that these cherubim carry the throne of God almost makes their abundance of eyes symbolic for the omnipresence of God. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. Ezekiel tells us later in his book (10:15, 20) that the living creatures he described here are cherubim. Each one of them went straight forward. These names could simply be symbolicancient serpent clearly being a historical reference to the garden of Edenor perhaps his appearance changed to something more dragon-like after the fall. In his first account Ezekiel told us that only the rims were full of eyes all around. I dont know if he had a better look the second time or if something changed, but here he described their entire bodies, wings, and connected wheels as being full of eyes all around. The word likeness appears thirteen times in the ESV during these two accounts of the cherubim. There are different kinds of cherubim that vary by the number and types of faces they have. (2 Chronicles 16:9a), The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Everything was overlaid with gold. Matthew emphasized Jesus as the Jewish King (the lion of the tribe of Judah; Revelation 5:5), Mark emphasized Jesus as a powerful servant (Gods servant in Isaiah 42, 52; ox), Luke emphasized Jesus humanity (man), and John wrote to Christians, emphasizing the Holy Spirit (soaring in Christ; John described the fourth creature as an eagle in flight).2 Isaiah specified that each seraphim covered his face with two wings and covered his feet with two wings. We are told that Michael is one of the chief princes. The Hebrew word, translated here in English as chief, is rishown which means first in order or rank. This implies that Michael is simply one of the princes over a nation or kingdom (Israel) or that he is one of a select group of a higher order of angelic princes or both. there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. Later on, he would tell Daniel, At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people (12:1; emphasis mine). And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures.
Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it where a wheel within a wheel. (12:78; emphasis mine). It was carved of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. Daniel seems to have been praying for more understanding concerning what would happen to his people. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing the whirling wheels. (10:1213). The seraphim reappear throughout the book of Revelation, sometimes worshipping God, but often in an administrative role with respect to the unfolding events, such as the following: And when he [the Lamb] had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. This angel confirmed and strengthened Darius the Mede because it was Gods will to end the Babylonian empire at this time and raise up the Persian empire. Ezekiels prophecy concerning the king of Tyre in the 28th chapter shifts to a prophecy concerning Satan which includes the following description: You were an anointed guardian cherub. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Throughout the Bible, the cherubim are always associated with the presence of God. It will not be shared with anyone without your consent! Each of the four cherubs was seemingly connected or associated with a wheel within a wheel for we are told twice that the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. These creatures went with their wheels wherever the spirit wanted to go. Ezekiel emphasized this unique feature so we could comprehend the living connection these cherubim have to these whirling wheels. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Daniels (partial) fasting and prayer led to an angelic dispatch with conflict in the heavenly realm. Secular observers recognize that historical patterns repeat because human nature does not change. In his Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, described this event as follows: He actually placed two guards in front of the entrance. Of course, God may have simply given him this understanding during his visions which would affirm that the classification cherubim includes different kinds. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. When the Israelites turned away from God in the wilderness, they made for themselves a golden calf. The Shechinah Glory was going to leave the Most Holy Place of the temple.
We must remember that Ezekiel was doing his best to describe what he saw, but actual results may vary. Both carry out important tasks, but they are never seen fighting or sending messages to Gods people like the angels. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, Daniel had the following experience: On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. Is it any wonder that Israel is generally opposed by almost all nations today?
This recognition is needful as we examine the living creatures of Revelation residing around Gods throne which are these same seraphim that Isaiah saw. For example, the following verse: And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole worldhe was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. By the same token, the entryway to the Tabernacle, the gate of the doorway of the Tabernacle faced east in front of the Tabernacle and the Altar of Sacrifice. Since the cherubim are the highest order, and with Satans being the arch-cherub, this made him of a higher category than Michael. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. "And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. This would also perhaps explain why; Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calfs foot.. He only disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14; emphasis mine). This angel seems to have a specific task of influencing the rise and fall of kingdoms in accordance with the book of truth which I would say is the will of God already inscribed in heaven. It seems like a bit of a stretch to affirm that the the flame of a sword was the Shechinah Glory, but in light of the rest of the Old Testament, the fact that the cherubim remained there with it certainly gives credence to this view. The same word appears in Exodus 25:8 when God said, And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell [shakan] in their midst.. Biblical misunderstanding, artistic renditions, and popular culture have blurred peoples conceptions of angels. Isaiah knew about these serpents because he referred to them elsewhere in his prophecies as coming from the Negeb: An oracle of the beasts of the Negeb.
His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, and his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. One question that comes to mind here is, How did Isaiah know they were called saraph? It seems to me that he did not and just assigned the description of fiery serpent based on his experience. The cherubim appear so prominently in these chapters because of their key relationship to the Shechinah Glory. "I am the vine; you are the branches. (Numbers 21:49; emphasis mine). Recall the following account: From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. Since the entry to the Garden of Eden had this visible manifestation of Gods presence, this may very well have been the place of sacrifice before the Flood. He apparently did not know at the time that these were cherubim. They are, as the angel told Daniel, inscribed in the book of truth. That is, these are four heavenly booksparts of a greater book of truthpredetermined before the foundation of the world to reveal Christ in these last days. Furthermore, Isaiahs description seems to have included symbolism to reflect his experience and the need for Gods people to turn to Him to be healed and restored. (Daniel 10:1214, 2021, 11:12). I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. And those whom would aid it are generally those that have a strong Christian heritage or at least a sensitivity to Biblical reverence. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
Ezekiel was a priest so he would have been familiar with the cherubim decorating the temple. And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. One of the main aspects of Ezekiels vision where he was taken to Jerusalem by the Spirit (8:1 - 11:25) was him witnessing the Shechinah Glory (the glory of the LORD) leaving the temple as the wickedness of Gods people had reached the full measure.
The cherubim, then, are closely related to the throne of God; this closer proximity to the throne itself is the reason they are of a higher order than the seraphim. For more information, visit the Privacy Statement. My suspicion is that this is because they were beneath this expanse at the time and thus not visible to John. He was simply trying to describe it from his frame of reverence. Such a view of Satan starts to gain traction when one considers how prominent the worship of gods resembling bulls or horned goats, such as molech, were in the ancient world. This is a key difference. As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. One can thus imagine him delegating realms of authority to various evil spirits. The gate of the Garden of Eden faced east, and before it there may very well have been the place of sacrifice. (10:46, 89). Each had four wings, two of which covered their bodies and two of which touched each other, and human hands under their wings. (11:19). (11:2223). To be sure, this discussion of Satans appearance is all just speculation on my part. It is interesting to consider that if a cherub face indeed looks like an ox, then Satan could potentially look like an ox or perhaps did so before he fell. And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.
All Rights Reserved. There were four cherub in the combined group of cherubim that Ezekiel saw. Since the ox is known for its great strength it would make sense if the face of a cherub is the face of an ox. And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. The cherubim that will be carved into the walls of the millennial temple will only have two faces. He has mobilized one-third of the angels into his army. Daniels vision of the Lord was followed by an angel coming to him with the following message: Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. Recall that Ezekiel had explained in the account of his first vision that: Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. Satan took one-third of the angels with him when he fell. God may have created the cherubim to symbolically reflect some of His attributes which is inline with what Paul explained to the Colossians church: He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. In Ezekiels subsequent vision where the Spirit took him to Jerusalem, he again saw the cherubim. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. The ruling family of this empire would be responsible for commissioning the rebuilding of the temple and supporting the return of the exiled Jews and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The Greek noun, translated here in English as rulers or principalities in some other Bible versions, is arche which means beginning or first. The usage here implies the first place in a dominion of rule. As I pondered this over the course of several days, I finally realized why Ezekiel may have made this connection. The inner sanctuary was only twenty cubits wide so the combined wingspan of these two cherubim would have stretched the entire length of it. It is startling enough to conceive of a four-faced creature connected to wheels, yet alone one that has eyes everywhere in the same assemblage. Angelic beings cannot die (see Holy AngelsPart 2) so these princes still rule Iran and Greece today, no doubt in a weakened state.1. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. The cherubim are creaturesnot angelsthat carry the throne of God and cover Gods Shechinah Glory presence. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Including the human-like characteristics of the cherub, Satan could potentially even resemble something that looks like a minotaur with wings and maybe even have horns! Consider the following verses: But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke you. (Jude 1:9; emphasis mine), Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon [Satan]. Since this was a copy of the heavenly pattern, we know that the role of cherubim is to cover the Shechinah Glory presence of God. (10:14), Ezekiel told us that the four faces he saw the second time on each cherubcherub, human, lion, and eaglewere the same as the four faces he saw the first time on each cherubhuman, ox, lion, and eagle. And the people became impatient on the way. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. Likewise, during this same vision God told Isaiah, Make the heart of this people dull [or fat], and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed (6:10; emphasis mine). After comparing the following account from the apostle John, it is clear that Daniel saw the Lord Jesus Christ: Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the lamp stands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. However, the verses in the Bible explaining the construction of the tabernacle and (later) the temple, give us no reason to conclude that the cherubim decorating the temple had more than one face and more than two wings. Darius the Mede was a title for Cyrus the Great. The knowledge of these flying fiery serpents may have influenced Isaiahs description of the seraphim that he saw at the throne of God. Cherubim are consistently found covering the Shechinah Glory. John saw the seraphim after the death and resurrection of Christ and so their symbolic gospel identities were no longer hidden. And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. Paul used it here as a leadership classification for the invisible organization of evil angelic forces. Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. When King Solomon built the first temple, he made two large cherubim in the inner sanctuary or Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant of the LORD was to be placed: In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.