In heaven, God created angels with various characteristics and different features. The one classification of angels alluded to more in scripture than any other is the cherub. The word cherub(singular form of the word) is mentioned thirty times in twenty one verses in the bible(in the old testament). Cherubim(plural form of the word),is mentioned sixty-five times in fifty-seven verses, all in the old testament, except for Hebrews 9:5, a passage referring to the cherubim that overshadow the mercy seat on the Ark of the covenant.
Satan was created by God at the very beginning of creation. The prophet Ezekiel informed his readers that there was an anointed cherub whom we can identify as the fallen angel, satan. The first anointed cherub(Satan) was created with pipes and tabrets, which enabled him to create some form of musical sound(Ezekiel 28:13).
Some scholars believe satan was the primary worship leader in heaven before his fall.
What are cherubim, and what was their original purpose? Ezekiel gives a more detailed description of a cherub than any other prophet. Ezekiel's vision reveals an interesting picture of specific details and features of the cherubim. First, they have the likeness of a man(Ezek.1:5) which as we continue reading, seems to refer to facial appearance and general bodily form.
Ezekiel noticed the cherubim were given four wings (Ezek.1:6). The description of their feet is quite strange (Ezek.1:7), as they are straight, the color of burnished brass, and like the hoofs of calves thus explaining the early name given by old timers for satan: splitfoot.
Under their wings are hands that appeared as the hands of men (Ezek.1:8). The prophet observed the cherubim's outward color was as "burning coals of fire" (Ezek.1:13), which is an orange-red glowing color. These cherubim move so swiftly that lightning flashes follow them (Ezek.1:13,14). Could this be why Christ said, "i beheld satan like lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18),referring to the swiftness of his fall from the upper celestial realm.
Based on Ezekiel's vision, the cherubim have four faces: an ox, an eagle, a lion, and man (Rev.4:7), meaning that these living creatures in Revelation are cherubim. These four angels give glory to God and continually cry "Holy,Holy,Holy," which was the original purpose of a cherub.
These same four cherubim (called "beasts" in the KJV) were directly involved in showing John future apocalyptic events and judgments to unfold upon the earth. Theres are four different "beasts" and in chapter 6, each of these four beasts says to John, "Come and see". They show John four different scenes with four horses of different colors and their riders (Rev.6:1-8). Thus, Christ allowed these four heavenly cherubim who have worshipped God fron the beginning of time, to reveal aspects of the future to the Apostle John.
What do the four faces of cherubim: ox,eagle,lion and man symbolize? Some note that these four faces can represent the fourfold ministry manifestations of Christ as revealed in the four gospels:
The head of a lion(Jesus the Lion of Judah)Matthew's Gospel.
The head of an ox(Jesus the Servant)Mark's Gospel.
The head of a man(Jesus the Son of Man)Luke's Gospel.
The head of an eagle(Jesus the eternal word)John's Gospel.
I believe Satan was the first created cherub, and the four faces reveal the spiritual corruption he introduced when he was expelled from the heavenly kingdom. At his fall, the four faces that were once positive became four negatives. The face of a lion represents Satan as the roaring lion seeking whom he may devour(1pet.5:8). The face of an eagle marks him as the "prince of the power of the air"(Eph.2:2),since the eagle is known as a powerful bird that dominates the air. The ox is a strong beast that lives much of its life under a yoke, reminding us that Satan brings people under a yoke of spiritual bondage and sin they are unable to break on their own (isa.10:27). The fourth face of a man is simply the face of temptation, as men continually deal with temptations that are often introduced to us through the influence of others (2Tim.4:17).
The first mention of cherubim was after Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden. At Eden's east entrance, God placed cherubim and a flaming sword that turned in all directions. This was done to prevent man from entering the centre of the garden and eating from the tree of life, thus living forever in a sinful condition (Gen 3:24).
This event poses several unanswerable questions, including: when did these cherubim stop guarding the tree of life? What happened to the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Eden's original location is unknown and marked only by tradition and obviously the cherubim at the tree have long been decommissioned from their guardianship. Perhaps God removed the tree during the flood of noah, when the giants perished, fallen angels were confined and the landscape of the entire earth was transformed. The answer to these questions will remain a mystery for the time being.
