Genesis 3: 24

So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned everyway to keep the way of the tree of life 

The tree of life should be a journey for the man in the garden; it’s for the taking. But not any more now as he cannot go for it in his present state that fouls up the creation. The Cherubims placed to prevent him from approaching the tree of life constitute the glory of God. Now, the glory of God is sumed up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, again, Christ as the be-all glory of God, the Cherubims enact this in a type or parable. In the first appearance here in the scriptures, they’re not well captured and are only faintly revealed here and there in the bible. Even in the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness in which they surfaced on the curtains as woven pictures and on either sides of the Mercy seat. One of God’s praise names in the Psalm is One that dwells between the Cherubims. Then we come again to the Cherubims in Ezekiel …out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of man, and every one had four faces, and every one had four wings (Ezekiel 2:5-5). They have four wings also. Description of man is preeminent here. They have hands like that of man underneath their wings (each has four wings). Obviously, this is about man (and man is about the Lord Jesus Christ). Revelation has its own description of the living creatures, the Cherubims … and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts (living creatures) full of eyes before and behind…. (Revelation 4:6). About the wings, the book of Revelation says each has six wings. And the four beasts (living creatures) had each of them, six wings about him, and they were all full of eyes within…. (Revelation 4:8). Here before the throne, they are shown to be dazed with the holiness of God, so much so that they never stop shouting, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty which was, and is, and is to come.” Again, we can see that this is all about glory. No, not the glory as is known on earth today. The mention of a throne here and in Ezekiel is noteworthy. …. in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne (Ezekiel 10:1).

Now about the appearance. The book of Ezekiel first. …they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side, and they four had the face of an ox on the left side, they four also had the face of an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10). Revelation’s description of the creatures, the cherubims, is not much different. Each of the cherubims or living creatures is an entity with a certain quality. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle (Revelation 4:7).

All said, there’s a lion quality; the ox, calf or bullock quality; the man and the eagle quality. They speak of Christ, learning Christ in order to come up to him and to partake of the tree of life. It’s said that the living creature shout, “Holy, holy…”. In Isaiah’s testimony, the creatures shout, Holy, and confess that the whole earth is full of God’s glory. These beings are wonderfully created, ever learning the awesomeness of the glory of God. A little imagination here will not derail us from our meditation. Here we are, a group of beings are forever discovering new things every second, every minute, every hour, twenty-four- seven…. and are shouting because of this new learning. Eternity is not enough to know all about God, about Christ. Here’s the eternal feast, inexhaustible!  Life is learning Christ; life is knowing God. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off (Isaiah 33:17). I often imagine this eternal learning to become everything Christ as the interlocking of the earth and the sky far off in the horizon. On arrival at the nadir point, another horizon is sighted – depending on the viewing field capacity of my eyes – far off. And on and on…. ad infinitum. The feasting on Christ is endless and this is the hope laid before his followers.

Lion here means mighty strength. Lion is majestic in movement, is not known to be turned back from his purpose or course. Cowardly nature is foreign to him. His roar can move the earth out of its orbit, especially as this is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah was first a sheep, nay, a Lamb that took away the sins of the whole world. So, coming to the status of lion is a journey, a journey of meek sheep, vulnerable lamb, the innocent dying for the sinner, until coming to the status of lion, able to take the book in the sealed book from the hand of him Who sits on the throne and to open the book (Revelation 5:5). …in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. And he came and took out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. This is Christ Who was first a Lamb that was slain now the Lion. Strangely enough, the narrative doesn’t devolve on this great lion quality but puts emphasis on the Lamb slain.

Apostle Paul is our best example. Jesus Christ tells him, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Do we need the lion strength of Christ? It’s accessed through weakness, through the vulnerability of a lamb. Paul says that he would take glory in his weakness for Christ’s sake, for when i am weak, then am I strong. The Lamb was crucified through weakness. Writes Paul who is the Apostle of this, For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God (2 Corinthians 13:4).

In the lion-like of Christ is the weak vulnerable lamb

Your strength Lord is made perfect in my weakness. Thus, I must learn to glory in my weaknesses so that your glory will rest on me. I certainly don’t see any good here in this but your wisdom supreme. Bring me to more weakness that I may come up, a lion

Thank You, Lord for this