Cherubim: Guardians of Sacred Wisdom and the Throne of Glory
Ezekiel's vision of the Merkabah — the divine chariot borne by four Cherubim, each with four faces, four wings, and the appearance of burning coals. This is one of the most complex and influential visions in all of scripture. When most people hear the word "cherub," they picture a plump, rosy-cheeked infant with tiny wings — the decorative angel of Renaissance painting and greeting cards. This image could hardly be further from the truth. The Cherubim of scripture and mystical tradition are among the most awesome, most alien, and most theologically complex beings in the entire angelic hierarchy. They are not sweet. They are vast . Standing second only to the Seraphim in the celestial order, the Cherubim are guardians of the divine wisdom and knowledge — beings of such concentrated sacred intelligence that their very form defies ordinary description. They carry the throne of God. They guard the gates of Paradise. They form the living vehicle of the divine chariot. ...