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| 1 And I look, and lo, on the expanse that [is] above the head of the cherubs, as a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne, He hath been seen over them. |
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| 2 And He speaketh unto the man clothed with linen, and saith, 'Go in unto the midst of the wheel, unto the place of the cherub, and fill thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubs, and scatter over the city.' And he goeth in before mine eyes. |
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 And the cherubs are standing on the right side of the house, at the going in of the man, and the cloud hath filled the inner court, |
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| 4 and become high doth the honour of Jehovah above the cherub, over the threshold of the house, and the house is filled with the cloud, and the court hath been filled with the brightness of the honour of Jehovah. |
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| 5 And a noise of the wings of the cherubs hath been heard unto the outer court, as the voice of God the Mighty One in His speaking. |
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| 6 And it cometh to pass, in His commanding the man clothed with linen, saying, 'Take fire from between the wheel, from between the cherubs,' and he goeth in and standeth near the wheel, |
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| 7 that the [one] cherub putteth forth his hand from between the cherubs unto the fire that [is] between the cherubs, and lifteth up, and giveth into the hands of him who is clothed with linen, and he receiveth, and cometh forth. |
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| 8 And there appeareth in the cherubs the form of a hand of man under their wings, |
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| 9 and I look, and lo, four wheels near the cherubs, one wheel near the one cherub, and another wheel near the other cherub, and the appearance of the wheels [is] as the colour of a beryl stone. |
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| 10 As to their appearances, one likeness [is] to them four, as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel. |
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| 11 In their going, on their four sides they go; they turn not round in their going, for to the place whither the head turneth, after it they go, they turn not round in their going. |
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| 12 And all their flesh, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, are full of eyes round about; to them four [are] their wheels. |
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| 13 To the wheels to them is one calling in mine ears, 'O wheel!' |
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| 14 And four faces [are] to each; the face of the one [is] the face of the cherub, and the face of the second the face of man, and of the third the face of a lion, and of the fourth the face 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 cherubs are lifted up, it [is] the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar. |
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| 16 And in the going of the cherubs, the wheels go beside them; and in the cherubs lifting up their wings to be high above the earth, the wheels turn not round, even they, from being beside them. |
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| 17 In their standing they stand, and in their exaltation they are exalted with them: for the living spirit [is] in them. |
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| 18 And go forth doth the honour of Jehovah from off the threshold of the house, and standeth over the cherubs, |
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| 19 and the cherubs lift up their wings, and are lifted up from the earth before mine eyes; in their going forth, the wheels also [are] over-against them, and he standeth at the opening of the east gate of the house of Jehovah, and the honour of the God of Israel [is] over them from above. |
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| 20 It [is] the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar, and I know that they are cherubs. |
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| 21 Four faces [are] to each, and four wings to each, and the likeness of the hands of man [is] under their wings. |
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| 22 As to the likeness of their faces, they [are] the faces that I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; each straight forward they go. |
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