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| 1 Then I looked, and behold, in the sky that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. |
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| 2 And he spake unto the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in my sight. |
The man clothed with linen – Pastor Russell (see comment and additional comments Eze. 9:2)
Between the wheels – In the overlapping time between the Gospel and Millennial Ages.
Under the cherub – God dwells between the cherubim as represented in the Shekinah light in the Most Holy of the Tabernacle. There the light represents His Wisdom, the two cherubim represent His Love and His Power. What was under the two cherubim? It was the Mercy Seat - Justice.
Fill thine hand – "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." (Eccl. 9:10) The hand indicates what we do with the gifts we are given. In this case, Pastor Russell is told to take Coals of fire - the truth - and get to work (the hand) in its service.
Coals of fire – The word of God, Present Truth. Psa. 18:12-13 Note also that these coals of fire (Psa. 18:13) are also called "hail stones." - see Rev. 16:21 In other words, these Coals of Fire represent the "Seven Last Plagues." Rev. 15:1
Between the cherubims – Where God dwells (1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chron. 13:6; Psa. 80:1; 99:1; Isa. 37:16)
It is interesting to note that 7 times in God's word we find this description, that He dwells between the cherubims.
Scatter them over the city – Pour out the seven last plagues upon Mystic Babylon.
He – Pastor Russell.
Went in – To get the coals of fire (plagues, truth) from under the cherubim.
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| 3 Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. |
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| 4 And the glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah’s glory. |
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| 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaketh. |
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| 6 And it came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel. |
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| 7 And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
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| 8 And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man’s hand under their wings. |
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| 9 And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like unto a beryl stone. |
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| 10 And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been within a wheel. |
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| 11 When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. |
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| 12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. |
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| 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels. |
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| 14 And every one had four faces: the first faces were the faces of the cherub, and the second faces were the faces of a man, and the third the faces of a lion, and the fourth the faces of an eagle. |
And every one had four faces: – This indicates that the Four Attributes of God all work in connection one with another, i.e., one is never in violation of the others.
Since the sequence in which these 4 attributes are displayed in the Bible, (Eze. 1:10; 10:14; Rev. 4:7) is different each time, it behooves us to determine why. The thought seems to be that the attribute which is mentioned first is the one most prominently on display at that time.
The first face was the face of a cherub – Justice. This is actually the key for understanding that this attribute is Justice. The context here is that the Man Clothed with Linen (7th Messenger) is to scatter coals of fire (the plagues - judgments of God) over the (nominal) city, i.e., over Christendom. Thus, this attribute would be justice.
It is also of interest that this is the only attribute where the symbol changes. In Eze. 1:10 it is an ox. In Rev. 4:7 it is a calf. It is for us to determine why and what is God telling us by this.
Our initial thought is that a progression is being shown going from calf (young animal) to an ox (full-grown animal) to a cherub (mighty heavenly being). Since the mightiest of these is the cherub and the setting here is the pouring out of the seven last plagues, and these plagues are both the just reward coming to society as well as the fact that "in them is filled up the wrath of God," it seems appropriate that that the cherub should here be indicating God's justice.
The second face was the face of a man – Love. Man was made in the image of God and "God is love." 1 John 4:8, 16
The third the face of a lion – Power. Gen. 49:9; Num. 23:24; 2 Sam. 17:10; Pro. 30:30; 1 Pet. 5:8
The fourth the face of an eagle – Wisdom. Likely a reference to an eagle's far-sightedness In all three occasions where these attributes are shown in this manner, the Eagle (Wisdom) is always the last one mentioned.
Please see Four Attributes in Symbol. |
| 15 And the cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Kebar. |
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| 16 And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also turned not from beside them. |
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| 17 When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. |
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| 18 And the glory of Jehovah went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. |
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| 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Jehovah’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. |
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| 20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Kebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. |
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| 21 Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. |
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| 22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Kebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward. |
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