What significance do the cherubim hold in 1 Kings 6:27 and elsewhere in Scripture? The passage: 1 Kings 6:27 “He placed the cherubim inside the inner temple. Since their wings were spread out, the wing of one touched one wall, while the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and in the middle of the temple their wings touched.” Cherubim in the Tabernacle and Temple • Tabernacle pattern (Exodus 25:18-22; 26:1): two golden cherubim stood over the mercy seat, their wings overshadowing the atonement cover. • Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:23-28; 2 Chronicles 3:10-14): two fifteen-foot-high olive-wood cherubim dominated the Most Holy Place, visually declaring that what was true in the mobile tent is equally true in the permanent house. • Position: “inside the inner sanctuary” underscores that the nearer one comes to God’s throne, the more prominent the cherubim become. Guardians of God’s Holiness • Genesis 3:24—cherubim block re-entry to Eden, guarding the tree of life. • Visual message: sin cannot invade God’s holy realm. The figures flanking the ark and filling the Holy of Holies remind Israel that only blood atonement can open a path past these guardians (Leviticus 16). • Eden, tabernacle, and temple all share the same pattern—holy presence protected by cherubim. Throne Bearers and Worship Leaders • “You who sit enthroned between the cherubim” (Psalm 80:1; 99:1; Isaiah 37:16). God places His throne in the midst of these creatures; they are pictured as bearing, surrounding, or forming the throne. • Ezekiel 1 & 10: living, four-faced, winged creatures support a glorious throne-chariot. Their perpetual motion and chorus of praise proclaim God’s sovereignty. • Revelation 4:6-9: the “four living creatures” (identifiable with cherubim) lead heaven’s worship, crying “Holy, holy, holy.” Portraits of God’s Nearness • The touching wingtips in 1 Kings 6:27 stretch from wall to wall, forming a canopy over the ark. Beneath that canopy rests the atonement cover where blood is sprinkled (Exodus 25:22). • This visual architecture says, “God meets His people here.” The Lord’s presence is both awesome (guarded by cherubim) and gracious (speaking “above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim,” Exodus 25:22). Foreshadowing Christ’s Mediating Work • The torn veil at Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:51) signals that the guardians no longer bar the way; His blood has satisfied God’s holiness (Hebrews 9:11-12). • When the women see “two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been” (John 20:12), the scene echoes the cherubim over the mercy seat: blood has been offered, the true Ark is open. Key Takeaways for Today • God is both unapproachably holy and wonderfully near; the cherubim keep those truths in balance. • Worship is never casual: everywhere cherubim appear, reverence and awe fill the scene. • Access to God’s throne now stands open through Christ, yet it remains the same throne “between the cherubim”—approached with confidence, but never with irreverence (Hebrews 4:16; 12:28-29). |
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