Angels, 14of27

~ Cherubim & Seraphim ~

General Information  ~  Angels are powerful spiritual beings who perform specific tasks on behalf of God.  Angels are mentioned many times in Scripture but seldom by name.  In this post we will look at two specific types of holy angels: Cherubim and Seraphim.

Cherubim  ~  Cherubim are a special category of angels that protect God’s holiness from the sin of man. 

Cherubim in Scripture  ~  Cherubim are first mentioned in Genesis 3:24 and are mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament. 

“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 25:17-22).

Cherubims are also mentioned the New Testament. 

“Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.  For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.  Of these things we cannot now speak in detail” (Hebrews 9:1-5).

The Role of Cherubim  ~  We see cherubim first in the Garden of Eden where after Adam and Eve sinned a cherub guarded the garden.  “So God 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” (Genesis 3:24).

It is significant that images of cherubim were also on the Ark of the Covenant.  “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 25:17-22). 

Similarly, later images of cherubim were in the temple.  “Inside the inner sanctuary Solomon made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.  One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits: ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other.  And the other cherub was ten cubits; both cherubim were of the same size and shape.  The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub.  Then he set the cherubim inside the inner room; and they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall.  And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room.  Also he overlaid the cherubim with gold.  Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.  And the floor of the temple he overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries” (1 Kings 6:23-30).

In each of these instances cherubim seem to be a symbol of protection of the presence and holiness of God. 

In the Book of Revelation we read: “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.  And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures [cherubims] full of eyes in front and in back.  The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.  The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within.  And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’” (Revelation 4:6-8).

Key Difference: Cherubim and Seraphim  ~  Both are associated with the holiness of God.  Cherubim have more of an emphasis on God’s judgment whereas Seraphim relate more to sacrifice and purification/cleansing. 

Seraphim  ~  The word seraphim means “burners.”  Their purpose is aligned closely with the purpose of the cherubim—protecting the holiness of God (see Isaiah 6:1-7 below). 

Seraphim Described  ~  They have three pairs of wings.  As angels—God’s messengers while on earth—they have an emphasis on praising God and protecting the holiness of God.

Seraphim in Scripture  ~  Seraphim are only mentioned in Isaiah 6:2 and 6:6.  “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’  And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.  So I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am undone!  Because 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 live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.  And he touched my mouth with it, and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged” (Isaiah 6:1-7).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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