Angels 5 Cherubim

CHERUBIM

Class of winged angels. The Hebrew cherub (plural, cherubim) is of uncertain derivation.

Their main purpose and activity might be summarized in this way: they are proclaimers and protectors of God’s glorious presence, His sovereignty, and His holiness.”

Satan was a cherub.

Ezekiel 28:11-17

Ezekiel 28:11–17 NKJV

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.

We could say that the cherubim have to do with the altar - that is, the worship of God.

Associated with the temple/altar

Ezekiel 10:3-19

Ezekiel 10:3–19 NKJV

Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks. Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings. And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone. As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.” Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them. Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

They are first seen as guards at the gate of the Garden of Eden, preventing sinful man from entering

Guards at the gate to Eden

Genesis 3:24

Genesis 3:24 NKJV

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The only NT reference to cherubim is in a description of the furnishings of the holy of holies.

They are depicted in the temple and holy of holies

Hebrews 9:5

Hebrews 9:5 NKJV

and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

In fact, because of their association with the altar, we see cherubim as decorations in the temple.

Exodus 25:17-22

Exodus 25:17–22 NKJV

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Exodus 36:8

Exodus 36:8 NKJV

Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them.

1 Kings 7:29

1 Kings 7:29 NKJV

on the panels that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plaited work.

They represent the place of God's throne.

They are at the throne of God

Psalm 80:1

Psalm 80:1 NKJV

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

Ezekiel:10:1

Ezekiel 10:1 NKJV

And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

Cherubim participate in God's judgment

Ezekiel 10:2

Ezekiel 10:2 NKJV

Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

Ezekiel 10:6-7

Ezekiel 10:6–7 NKJV

Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.

What do the cherubim look like?

Ezekiel 1 22-24

Ezekiel 1:22–24 NKJV

The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings.

Ezekiel 10:8

Ezekiel 10:8 NKJV

The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

Ezekiel 10:12-14

Ezekiel 10:12–14 NKJV

And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.” Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel 10:21-22

Ezekiel 10:21–22 NKJV

Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.

Summary of appearance:

4 wings, 2 on each side

human like hand under the wings

Eyes all around

4 faces (Cherub?, man, lion, eagle)

Guardians of God’s holiness

They are guardians of God’s holiness, just as we should be

These magnificent creatures guard, defend, surround and enthrone God's holiness.

It is difficult to imagine the fullness or even the necessity of such service.

Certainly the Almighty Creator needs no help or protection from His creation, yet he chooses to use them in an awe inspiring way.

The realization of such mighty creatures, in such high service, should certainly cause us to view ourselves with the utmost humility.

Even so, when we put it all in perspective, even lowly man is called to defend God's holiness.

We do so by not taking His name in vain, thereby keeping it pure.

We are not to sit idly by in the face of blasphemy against our Lord.

We are not to be accepting of sin, but rather to demonstrate holiness.

We are to defend the authority of His word.

We too, are called to the high service of defending God's holiness, but let us never to think of ourselves too highly.