The Responsibility Of The Priests In The Tabernacle

The Ministry Of Cherubims

What is the ministry of Cherubims?

Who are the cherubims?

The cherubims are spoken of in several books of the Bible. In Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10, as well as in Revelation chapter 1, the writers give us detailed descriptions of the cherubims. Ezekiel calls them living creatures, but in chapter 10 he calls them cherubims. In the book of Revelation John calls them beasts.

There is a very brief description in Isaiah chapter 6, but he calls them Seraphims. But if you pay close attention to his description, except for the six wings, the description agrees with that of Ezekiel and with John’s description in the book of Revelation.

They stand around or by the throne of God; they have wings; they have the appearance of fire; they have chariots with wheels. Below I list the different aspects of their ministry.

They are worshipers of God:

Isaiah 6:2, 3

Above it stood the Seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.

Revelation 4:8

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

They stand before the throne of God, and they carry the presence of God:

Ezekiel 22:-26

And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of speech, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

I Chronicles 15:14, 15

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the stave thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

When they move as they carry the presence of God there appears a whirlwind, fire, chariots, and horses.

II Kings 2:11, 12

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

Ezekiel 1:4-5, 13

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

Vs. 13

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures: and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

They intercede for God’s people:

Deuteronomy 9:18-20

And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.

For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also.

And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.

I Kings 18:36-38

And it come to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

I Chronicles 16:39, 40

And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon,

To offer burnt offerings unto the Lord upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel.

John 17:9, 10, 20-21

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me: for they are thine.

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

Vs. 20, 21

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one: as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Romans 8:34

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

They only went where the Spirit of God sent them”

I Kings 17:8, 9

And the word of the Lord came unto him (Elijah), saying,

Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

Mark 4:35

And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

John 4:3-6

He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.

And He must needs go through Samaria.

Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Acts 16:6, 7

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

After they were come to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

They only did what God commanded them to do:

I Kings 18:1, 2