In the previous article we endeavoured to fit the first six verses of chapter 1 into the context of the rest of Scripture. The whirlwind, the cloud and the fire, coming from the north, spoke of God’s impending judgment of the nation of Israel at the hand of the Babylonian. armies. They spoke also of the presence of God – Yahweh was coming dawn to judge his people.
The four living creatures (the cherubim) which Ezekiel saw emerge from the midst of the fire constituted the chariot upon which Yahweh would ride forth – the medium through which he manifests himself as ruler of the earth.
He visited the earth upon the cherubic chariot (and would shortly do so again) for the purpose of keeping (i.e. protecting) the Way of the Tree of Life. We considered examples where clearly the angels are shown to fulfil this cherubic work; they are in control of events which take place on the earth.
Israel at the time of Ezekiel were the chosen people. The WAY went through that nation, but it was in danger of becoming lost because of the apostasy of the people. God was about to visit them to JUDGE those who were threatening the Way and, by means of the captivity, to bring about the PROTECTION and PRESERVATION of a faithful remnant through whom the Way would be continued.
We come now to consider the detailed description of that which Ezekiel saw emerge from the midst of the storm cloud.
From the Midst of the Storm Cloud
The first things he describes were the “four living creatures” or the cherubim. He mentions in turn their feet (v.7), their hands (v.8), their wings (v.9), their faces (vv.10,11), and he describes their general appearance and movement (vv.12-14).
Associated with the cherubim were large wheels which were full of eyes and which touched the earth (vv.15-21). Above the cherubim was the firmament (vv.22-25), and above the firmament the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh (vv.26-28).
The whole apocalyptic vision appears to be a representation of Yahweh who is enthroned in the great temple of heaven, bringing his rulership to bear by riding down to the earth in this great wheeled chariot. Thus, although Yahweh himself NEVER LEFT HIS THRONE IN THE HEAVENS, his agents, the medium through which God manifested himself, are represented as bringing God’s rulership and authority – GOD’S PRESENCE – near to Israel. And so Jeremiah, speaking of the havoc to be wrought in Israel by the Babylonian cherubic-organised judgment storm, says, “I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the PRESENCE OF YAHWEH, and by his fierce anger.” (4:26).
I would like again to appeal for this vision to be considered in its historical context. We shall see that many of the details of the description of the cherubim are used in other Scriptures of Christ and the saints. We read, for example, of Yahweh’s FEET standing upon the Mount of Olives, in Zech.14. We read of Christ as the LION of the tribe of Judah in Rev.5. But such Scriptures do not prove that the cherubim of Ezekiel Ch.1 represent Christ and the saints. They demonstrate rather that Christ and the saints will perform cherubic duties in relation to the human race in the future as the angels have done in the past; they demonstrate the teaching of the apostle that “unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come…” (Heb .2 :5) .
Feet
The cherubim represent Yahweh coming to judge and to protect. We see in the feet the JUDGMENT aspect of Yahweh’s presence emphasised. Jeremiah (25:30) speaks of the overthrow of the nations surrounding Israel at the time of the Babylonian invasion,
“…he (Yahweh) shall give a shout, as they that TREAD the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.”
But first, warns the prophet,
“…he shall mightily roar upon his habitation”
, and of this roaring the prophet later lamented,
“Yahweh hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: Yahweh hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.” (Lam. 1:15).
Yahweh promised Israel that if they were faithful to him he would give them angelic protection; he would bring them into the Land and they would “tread upon” the “high places” of their enemies (Deut 33:29). But they had been unfaithful,and so instead,
“behold, Yahweh cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and TREAD upon the high places of the earth (Heb.”erets”, i.e. the Land)” (Micah 1:3)
and these high places were in Samaria and Jerusalem (v.5). Ezekiel sees a vision of this prophecy about to be fulfilled; Samaria had already fallen; the days of the high places of Judah were numbered.
Feet like calves’ feet with the colour of burnished brass reminds us of Micah 4:13, where the Daughter of Zion is told,
“Arise and thresh… for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people…”
Here it is Israel who does the threshing, but in the vision of Ezekiel Israel is about to be threshed. Malachi 4:2,3 speaks of a similar work of judgment to be performed by Christ and the saints – another example of the future cherubic work to be performed by them.
The feet are said to be “straight feet”. The word “straight” is the Hebrew YASHER which in Deut.12:25 is rendered “right”. Its connection here with the feet of the cherubim signifies that the judgments which God was to bring upon disobedient Israel (the treading with the feet) would be done in righteousness.
Hands
The hand is that part of the body with which we perform our work. It is used in Scripture as symbolic of Divine ACTION, and in relation to our subject this can be considered from two angles.- God’s action in judging his enemies; and God’s action in protecting his faithful people. Job indicates these two types of Divine action when he says,
“Shall we receive good at the HAND of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (2:10).
Evil, of the kind Job means, does come from God as God himself declares,”I make peace, and create evil: I Yahweh do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7). Israel in,Ezekiel’s day were about to experience evil at Yahweh’s hand, and later we shall see how that the prophet had to enact this before the captivity. He was told to
“smite with thine HAND, and stamp, with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine,and by the pestilence So will I stretch out MY HAND upon them, and make the land desolate.. and they shall know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 6:11-14).
Jeremiah prophesied in similar vein to the people in the Land.
“I will stretch out MY BAND upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Yahweh.” (Jer.6:12)
“Thou host forsaken me, saith Yahweh, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out MY BAND against thee,and destroy thee…” (Jer.15:6).
But there is also the other side of God’s character to be seen in the hands of the cherubim. There were some of Abraham’s true children among the captives with Ezekiel,and with Jeremiah in the Land,who doubtless, throughout this time of trouble upon Israel said, as did the Psalmist,
“My times are in THY HAND: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” (Psalm 31:15).
When later God did bring about a restoration,and Ezra came to assist in the work of restoration,it is recorded,
“Ezra went up from Babylon.. and the king granted him all his request, according to the BAND of Yahweh his God upon him.” (Ezra 7:6).
Ezra’s faith in the cherubic protection of the faithful children of God is written down for our encouragement –
“The HAND of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.” (Ezra 8:22).
Wings
The dominant idea behind the cherubic wings is that of protection. There are five differ. at Hebrew words translated in the A.V. by the word “wing”; this one in Ezek.1:9 etc. is the word KANAPH,and signifies A wing as a covering or means of protection. In Ezek.5:3 this word is rendered “skirt”, and the idea there is clearly that of protection.
The protection and deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an important part of the cherubic work of “keeping the way of the tree of life”, and of this event it is written,
“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so Yahweh alone did lead him…” (Deut.32:11,12).
Here it is the ability of Yahweh to deliver which is paramount; the Psalmist emphasises the protection afforded to his children by the One who delivers. We shall consider three Psalms where this is done very beautifully.
In Psalm 57 the writer is experiencing a time of trouble1 and so he cries,
“My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.” (v.4).
But he knew all about the cherubic activities of his God that God came down by manifestation on the angelo-cherubic chariot in order to deliver and protect those who formed the WAY of the tree of life, and so he says,
“He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up.”
Meanwhile his prayer is made in which he confesses his faith in God’s cherubic protection,
“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of THY WINGS will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”
Psalm 17 is undoubtedly Messianic (see v.15). In this Psalm Messiah prays that he might be protected from his enemies by having the cherubic wings stretched over him.
“Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of THY WINGS, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.” (vv.8,9).
All of these Psalms will repay more detailed study, none more than Psalm 91. Again the Psalm is Messianic (are they not all?) and Messiah is given the assurance that Yahweh’s cherubic protection would be afforded him.”Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. lie shall cover thee with his feathers, and under HIS WINGS shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” (vv.3-4). How was this cherubic protection to be given to Messiah?
“He shall give HIS ANGELS charge over thee, to KEEP (same word as Gen.3:24) thee in all thy ways.” (v.11).
The wings of Ezekiel Ch.1 speak then of Yahweh’s protection of those who trust in him, and to faithful men like Ezekiel and Jeremiah would represent God’s guarantee to protect and deliver his faithful remnant.
In v.24 the prophet tells us that the noise of the wings was
“like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host….”
This introduces us to the multitudinous aspect of the wing protection, and a contemplation of the number of “they that be with us” (II Kings 6:16) can be of great comfort. Are, they not ALL ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb.1:14).
Faces
Here, more than anywhere else in our study of the cherubim, we need to exercise care lest we jump to wrong conclusions.
It is often argued thus. Israel was a foursquare encampment (Numbers 2). It is highly probable (direct Scripture evidence is lacking) that the standards of the principal tribes corresponded with the cherubic faces. Judah = lion, Reuben = man, Ephraim = ox, Dan = eagle. And it is therefore maintained that the cherubim represent Israel, and in particular the Israel of God. It is submitted on the basis of what already has been advanced in this and the preceding article, that the foursquare encampment with its cherubic standards was an expression of the fact that here was God’s nation – He Was their king. The cherubic standards would represent His rulership over them. They were a nation organised on heavenly principles.
In considering the cherubic faces we must again start with first principles and ask ourselves, “What is the significance of ‘face’ in the Word in relation to God?”
In Numbers Ch.6 we have the formula of blessing to be pronounced on Israel by the priests. “Yahweh bless thee, and KEEP (Gen.3:24) thee: Yahweh make His FACE (plural ‘faces’) shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
Yahweh lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (vv,24-26). This blessing is actually a prayer for the continued cherubic protection of Israel. This protection depended upon obedience,and in Deut. 31:17 Yahweh spoke of the future disobedience of the nation,and the way in which he would withdraw the protection.
“My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will HIDE MY FACE FROM THEM, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them….”
As with most features of the cherubim, so with the faces, there is in Scripture both the judging as well as the protecting aspect brought out for our learning. Jeremiah brings out both aspects; Yahweh is said to have hidden his (protecting) face from Israel, and to have set his (judging) face against them. “I have hid my face from this city (Jerusalem).” “I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith Yahweh: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.” (33:5; 21:10).
What is the significance of the various faces – man, lion, ox and eagle? If, as has been suggested, the cherubim area representation of Yahweh’s ruler-ship then it may be that we are to look for the significance of each of these animals from this point of view. Man certainly is the head of creation and Yahweh’s purpose is that all things should ultimately be placed under his feet. (Psalm 8). The lion is the king of wild beasts,and a symbol of the ruler who came out of Judah (Rev.5:5). The ox renowned for his strength, the strongest of Israel’s domesticated animals, and the eagle the king of the air, are also “rulers” in their own right. Together they constitute a very appropriate symbol of the universal rulership of Yahweh over the earth.
Movement
The cherubim move “straight forward” (v.12) to execute the purpose of him with whom there is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” The sins of Israel were such that there could be no turning back.
“Whither the SPIRIT was to go, they went…” v.12. The word “spirit” is the Hebrew word RUACH and takes us back to v.4.
“I looked, and, behold a WHIRLWIND (Heb. Ruach Searah) came out of the north…”
The Hebrew word for “whirlwind” is usually the word SEARAH, but here it is RUACH SEARAH. And so whither that RUACH was to go – the wind judgment of God – whither this was to go the cherubim went. That is, to the land of Israel to execute the judgments written.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One