From Genesis to Revelation, God is depicted as an artist – this aspect of his personality shows in the beauty of his creations.
Scripture describes two types of angels–Malakim and Cherubim–who appear as humanlike beings to carry out God’s will here on Earth. These beings often take human forms when performing divine will in this realm.
Angels
Angels, the messengers of God, appear at key moments throughout redemption history. They guarded Eden and performed many other duties for Him – such as spreading plague across Egypt (Exodus 7:1) or assassinating Israel’s leaders (2 Chronicles 22:20) or protecting Lot’s family during Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction (Genesis 18:23).
God uses angels as His servants, communicating his messages of hope and love while providing guidance and assistance. Angels sometimes appear as human figures to bring these messages directly to people directly – such as Gabriel who visited Joseph in his dream and later appeared before Mary during her annunciation of her pregnancy (Luke 1:26-33). When angels speak directly with humans they often begin their speech with “do not be afraid.”
Although we cannot know for certain what angels look like, we can draw some inferences based on Biblical descriptions. Though they possess immense power, there are limits to their abilities – Daniel stipulates in his book that angels cannot always be present everywhere at once–they cannot be everywhere all at once.
The classic image of an angel is often depicted as a glowing human-like figure wearing a white robe with wings and a halo, often due to countless depictions in art and media over time. Unfortunately, however, this depiction does not jibe with what the Bible reveals regarding angel’s form – but the most accurate portrayal can be found in Zechariah which mentions two winged women as angels.
These beings, known as cherubim, are mysterious beings with both wild human and animal features. With wings on their bodies and standing as guardians at the entrance to gardens where humans could access, cherubim serve to remind humans they’re meant for something better – Heaven-and-Earth spaces in which God lives eternally! Furthermore, these guardian beings honor God by staying close to humanity while leading people along paths towards holiness. Additionally, cherubim serve to guard God’s Ark of Covenant where his commandments are kept safe – making sure God stays close at hand in this regard!
Cherubs
Cherubim (cherubs in plural form) are angelic creatures mentioned multiple times throughout Scripture. After God banished Adam and Eve from Eden, cherubs became guardians at its entrance; later they would play an integral part in Ezekiel’s visions; they even appear large enough for riding (2 Samuel 22:11 and Psalms 18:11). Also they can sometimes appear depictions of God’s presence where it may even look as though He himself is riding them (Ezekiel 1, 10).
The Bible only gives limited details on what cherubim should look like, so artistic representations have differed dramatically over time. Some artists have depicted them as chubby babies with wings (recalling Renaissance art featuring putti), while others depict them more similarly to Mesopotamian art–with calves’ feet, wings to cover their bodies while flying, and heads that resemble bulls or lions.
Ezekiel 1:14-16 offers a more specific definition of cherubim, where they are described as possessing four faces–that of a cherub, human, lion and ox–representing God’s four domains: humanity; wild animals; domestic animals and birds (the latter symbolized by their faces). These eagle-faced beings symbolically rule over them all.
Jewish philosophers have generally classified angels into nine ranks; Maimonides placed them just under seraphim and ahead of ishim. Other scholars have argued that cherubim are inferior to seraphim because they do not serve as intercessors, as seen by Christianity and Islamic traditions alike; Christian tradition depicts them as celestial attendants constantly worshiping and glorifying God; in Islamic tradition they are known as karubiyun (). These angels are said to reside in an area of heaven inaccessible to Iblis, or Satan, and attend Allah’s throne regularly while continuously repeating a prayer called “tasbih” (“Glory to God”). Both the Hebrew Bible and Koran describe these angels with six wings similar to a seraph rather than a cherub.
Seraphim
The seraphim (from Hebrew: saraph), are six-winged fiery angels who continually worship God near His throne. Four wings serve for flight while two more cover faces and feet as an act of humility in God’s presence. Prophet Isaiah famously described these divine beings, which became the basis for much Christian art depicting angels; additionally they are mentioned several times throughout Revelations Book.
Although still divine creatures, seraphim appear more human than cherubim. Their appearance resembles winged creatures with half human and half animal features – they usually sport eyes similar to that of human, lion, ox or eagle eyes – that often depict guardian-type features resembling animals such as man lion ox or eagle eyes. Seraphim have often been described as guardians of God’s throne while appearing alongside cherubs as part of his hierarchy of angels serving him.
Seraphim and cherubim differ in several ways. While cherubs often appear as cupids, seraphim are described as more beautiful with feathered wings and sometimes depicted with crowns or scepters; likely reflecting their association with divine power as one of the highest ranks of angels in Jewish theology.
The biblical account of seraphim is both fascinating and terrifying. These celestial beings have six wings: two are used for flying while a third pair covers their feet in order to show humility before God and shield their feet from his radiant light. They often worship him without ever being visible by human eyes – yet cannot be seen by us either! One set covers their faces to symbolize reverence while adoring Him, with another pair used as protection from His splendor illuminating their path of worshipping.
The seraphim are an angelic group with great dedication and reverence for God, serving Him with great devotion. Although they may appear intimidating at first, these divine messengers can serve as sources of comfort during times of hardship or sadness – their story being one of many examples that demonstrate His loving care and forgiveness.
Cherubim
The Bible describes another group of angels known as cherubim as another group of angels that appear throughout its pages: these guarding angels were known for destroying any fruit of knowledge of good and evil after God drove Adam and Eve from Eden, with their form also found on Ark of the Covenant and first temple; other passages used cherubim to represent God’s majesty such as Psalms or doxological descriptions of Yahweh.
The Bible does not give much detail regarding cherubim, other than they appear as animal/human hybrids with wings that cover their bodies and two pairs that allow them to fly. Ezekiel witnessed four such creatures (a lion, an ox, a human and an eagle).
Artistic depictions of cherubim differ greatly from the accounts given in Scripture. While modern society often views them as mischievous baby angels who like playing around, the Biblical depiction was that these powerful beings carried out God’s will without regard for how others reacted to it.
As cherubs are symbols of God’s power, they are frequently depicted as symbolic thrones; hence their nickname of “throne-bearers of Yahweh.”
Cherubim are part of an invisible hierarchy of angels that protects God and ensures His presence is preserved, making them visible only in places like heavenly throne rooms, tabernacles and first temples. Both Isaiah and Revelation detail how cherubim surround His throne room to shield Him from humankind’s depravity while maintaining His holiness and sanctity – so much so that some Christians believe if anyone tries to harm one, they will suffer immensely as punishment!
