What is the significance of the "cherubim of glory" in Hebrews 9:5? Setting the Scene • “Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.” (Hebrews 9:5) • The writer is recalling the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant sat beneath two golden cherubim. • Those angelic figures were not decorative; they embodied profound truths about God’s holiness, His presence, and His plan of redemption. Old Testament Foundation • Exodus 25:18-22—God commands, “Make two cherubim of hammered gold… The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat.” • Genesis 3:24—after the Fall, cherubim guard Eden’s way, underscoring their role as protectors of holy space. • 1 Samuel 4:4; Psalm 80:1; 99:1—God is repeatedly called the One “enthroned between the cherubim.” • 1 Kings 8:6-7—Solomon’s temple also houses giant cherubim, confirming continuity from tabernacle to temple. Guardians of Divine Holiness • Cherubim mark the boundary between God’s unapproachable glory and sinful humanity. • Their posture—wings outstretched, faces downward—declares that even exalted angels reverence God’s presence (cf. Isaiah 6:2). • By standing over the mercy seat, they visually preach: “No one approaches the Holy One except on His terms.” Overshadowing the Mercy Seat—A Picture of Atonement • The mercy seat (kapporet) is the solid-gold cover of the Ark, sprinkled with sacrificial blood on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:14-15). • The cherubim gaze toward that blood, portraying heaven’s approval of God’s appointed sacrifice for sin. • Romans 3:25—God presented Christ as “an atoning sacrifice” (hilasterion, same word as mercy seat), fulfilling what the gold lid only foreshadowed. Cherubim of Glory and the Presence of God • “Glory” (doxa) links the cherubim directly to the radiant manifestation of God Himself (Exodus 40:34-35). • Ezekiel 1 and 10 reveal cherubim bearing God’s throne; Revelation 4 shows similar living creatures around His throne in heaven. • The tabernacle scene is thus an earthly replica of a heavenly reality. Pointing to Christ, Our Mercy Seat • Hebrews 9:11-12—Christ entered “the greater and more perfect tabernacle… by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” • John 20:12—two angels sit where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and one at the feet, echoing the cherubim’s positions and proclaiming completed atonement. • Through Christ, the veil is torn (Hebrews 10:19-22); believers now draw near, welcomed where cherubim once announced “Keep out.” Living Implications • Approach God confidently, yet reverently—Christ opens the way, but the cherubim still remind us of God’s blazing holiness. • Rest in finished redemption—the blood on the true mercy seat speaks “It is done,” silencing condemnation (Hebrews 12:24). • Worship with awe—heavenly beings continually magnify God’s glory; join their chorus (Revelation 5:11-12). |
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