The Doctrine Of Angels #2 Series

15And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 17So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. [Dan. 8:15-17]

Gabriel also appeared to Zacharias -- the father of John the Baptist. Gabriel is a privileged angel who stands in God’s presence. Gabriel is the "revealing" angel because wherever he appears, he’s revealing something to man. He’s the agent of divine revelation, sent by God to give revelation.

And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. [Lk. 1:19]

C. Classes of Spiritual Beings.

1. The Cherubim.

The Bible many times makes reference to the cherubim (singular cherub). They are first identified in the book of Genesis.

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. [Gen. 3:24]

The cherubim were to stand guard over the entrance into the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve had been banished. Following their sin, the pair was no longer allowed in the Garden of Eden. They no longer had access to the garden, to the site of God’s presence. It was in Eden that God’s presence was made manifest. The Garden contained the tree of life and God sent the cherubim to keep Adam and Eve away from the tree.

The cherubim are a specific order, a different order of being than a mere angel. The cherubim were assigned to guard the entrance to the Garden so that Adam and Eve didn’t try to return to the Garden. Because of their sin, the couple had been expelled from the Garden and was now compelled to till the land and grow their food. While all was abundantly furnished by God’s hand while they were in the Garden, they now had to work, sweat and toil for everything they grew.

The cherubim could basically be described as human-like beings with four wings.

18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall be faces of the cherubims be. [Ex. 25:18-20]

The cherubim were the figures chosen by God to have their likeness formed from gold and placed on each side of the Ark of the Covenant, the throne of God. God’s presence was made manifest at His throne, this Ark of the Covenant that was set within the holy of holies. Only the high priest had access to the holy of holies, and he could enter only once a year, sprinkling blood with fear and trembling in a clearly defined ritual. These golden cherubim symbolized those angelic beings that actually stand in the presence of God. The images were so fashioned that their wings outstretched toward one another forming a covering over the Ark of the Covenant, over the mercy seat.