Please join me in a study of the Hebrew word 'malak' (Strong's
#4397) and the Greek translation, or equivalent of that word, 'angelos' (Strong's
#32).
MALAK & ANGELOS
The easiest way to see that the translation of the Hebrew 'malak'
into the Greek 'angelos' is found in the following two verses. The first verse
refers to the two Israelite spies, or messengers as they are referred to here,
Joshua and Caleb. The Hebrew word for messengers in this verse is 'malak'.
Joshua 6:17
"Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who
are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the
house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
When these same men are referred to in the New Testament the
Hebrew word 'malak' was translated into the Greek word 'angelos'.
James 2:25
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the
messengers and sent them out another way?
On both occasions the English translation was messengers.
This study shows to the lay person that both these words are equal to each
other. When you refer to the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible you
will discover that both of these words mean 'to despatch a deputy or messenger'.
STATISTICS OF TRANSLATION
The word 'malak' has been translated into three different
English words, they are 'ambassador', 'messenger' and 'angel'. The Greek word 'angelos'
has been translated into 'messenger' and 'angel'. Personally I think it would
have been easier in our study if the translators had remand as consistent as the
writers and just used the one English word, the obvious choice being messenger
as that word represents the true dictionary meaning of the words 'malak' and 'angelos'.
'Malak' and 'angelos' have been translated 290 times in 276
verses, to 'angel' and its plural 'angels'. 'Malak' was translated into
'ambassador' 4 times in as many verses. Both words were translated into
'messenger' and its plural 108 times in 101 verses. According to language
scholars the only thing that determined which English word was used was the
context of the text. If the angel was described as a man who could live and die
then he would be called a messenger. If there was no evidence of this then he
could be called an angel. Upon further study of this subject I telephoned the
language consultant to the translations section of the Bible Society in
Australia. His response to my questions on this subject was that some of the
very early translations used the word 'messenger' as consistently as the writers
of the original.
ORIGIN OF THE ENGLISH WORD 'ANGEL'
The English word 'angel' is what we call an 'anglicised
transliteration' of the Greek word 'angelos'. It is a word that was taken
directly out of the Greek language and introduced to the English language. Upon
introduction it was anglicised to make it sound more English than Greek. Another
Greek word treated the same way was the Greek word 'baptizo' which in English is
'baptize'. This word actually means 'to dip or immerse'. Prior to the
transliterisation these words did not exist in the English language. This does
not mean that perfectly good words did not exist that could have been used.
CHERUB AND CHERUBIM
Common references to Cherubim
There are many references to cherubim in the Bible. A cherub
(singular) is typically depicted by the churches, as a cute baby angel with tiny
feathery wings. Some think a cherub is just another term for an adult angel with
wings. Either way, it is generally accepted that the cherubim (plural) of the
Bible are just supernatural ANGELS.
However, the Bible passages relating to cherubim give us an
amazing array of representations, including: an ox, an eagle, a lion, a man,
fantastic; monsters, idols, sculptures of the ark of the covenant, sculptures in
the temple, the camp of Israel, guardians in the garden of Eden, Adam, the king
of Tyrus, fire, and, God's elect! That's quite a line-up of images - most of
which do not even begin to resemble the popular concept of a cherub.
The fact is, it's hard to relate the popular angel stereotype
to the cherubim found in the Biblical passages themselves. There seems to be a
strange body of mythology that lends this stereotype its validity (among
churchgoers). On the other hand, if that church mythology is cleared from your
mind, you can see a no-nonsense message in the Bible... rather than tales about
mythical beings.
Angels are quite different from their usual portrayal by the
churches.
ORIGIN OF COMMON REFERENCES
In the fifth century A.D. Christian Mystics re-defined the
cherub into the popular misconception still with us today. A Syrian Monk, wrote
four books which outlined a complete theology mixing Christianity with
mysticism. This anonymous mystic published his works under the pseudonym "Dionysius
the Areopagite"... after the man of some 300 years earlier mentioned in
Acts 17:34. This pseudonym gave the writer's books and letters an air of
credibility. But because he was not the real Dionysius, scholars have called him
"Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite."
Today, almost everyone mistakenly thinks that the concept of
winged angels came from the Bible ... not realizing it actually came from 5th
century religious mystics. Over the centuries "cherub" has been
defined variously as: "the seat or dwelling of God," "the
fullness of knowledge", or "a celestial virtue." It was also
applied to persons to describe surpassing intellect, a beautiful, beloved woman,
or an innocent child. And there was even a narrow minded definition saying that
a cherub was a barn owl! But the most popular definition was that of a heavenly
supernatural being. This image was later combined with that of the innocent
child to create the vision of a cute baby angel with tiny, feathery wings. Since
then, flocks of cute babies with wings, flitting about like canaries in an
aviary, carrying ribbons, flowers, etc., have decorated millions of pages,
posters, wall papers, greeting cards, movies, and feminine decor. The winged
baby has become an established LOGO in the public mind. But this logo evokes the
pseudo sweetness and femininity of the churches, rather than Christ's real
kingdom on earth.
BIBLICAL CHERUBIM
The Biblical cherub is truly a logo ... but one that is
entirely different from the superstitious fantasies of the churches. Contrary to
the dreamy church cherub, Ezekiel describes a cherub as an awesome mixture of
four living creatures: a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle.
Ezekiel 1:4-10
Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great
cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and
radiating out of its midst like the colour of amber, out of the midst of the
fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this
was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces,
and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their
feet were like the soles of calves' feet. They sparkled like the colour of
burnished bronze. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides;
and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The
creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. As
for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four
had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox
on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.
Ezekiel 10:20
This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar,
and I knew they were cherubim.
Ezekiel 10:22
And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by
the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight
forward.
Keep in mind that Ezekiel is describing a VISION he saw in
his mind, not real flesh-and-blood creatures.
Ezekiel 1:1
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day
of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens
were opened and I saw visions of God.
In fact the Hebrew word for "cherub" and
"cherubim" (the plural form) is "K'ruwb" (Strong's #3742)
which means an "imaginary figure." This, in itself, tells us that
winged humanoids and ferocious four-faced monsters - called "cherubim"
- are symbolic figures rather than real beings.
But notice the difference between how the Bible describes
cherubim and how the church describes them. Ezekiel's depiction of a cherub is
like a monster out of a horror movie! This is a far cry from the churches
pleasant angels who flit softly around lending heavenly atmosphere to pleasant
scenes.
The pagans portrayed these mythological creatures as real
supernatural beings and not visions!
The Babylonian winged bull, the Sphinx in Egypt and the
Griffin which appeared both in the middle east and the far east, were thought of
as living creatures of protection: "spirit guards."
The cherubim in the Bible, on the other hand, while
symbolizing protection, were not depicted as real living creatures. The
difference, is that the pagan cherubim guarded mighty men (rulers) and their
treasures, whereas the Biblical cherub is concerned with guarding The Way of God
and rights and interests of all men.
So, are cherubim babies with wings? Are they four-faced
monsters wings?
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHERUBIM
The subject of cherubim is important to the serious
Christian. There is no doubt that cherubim were significant to the ancient
Israelites. God commanded Moses to have sculptures of these creatures placed on
the ark of the covenant, and King Solomon went to great lengths to have them
sculpted and placed inside his temple. Furthermore, God is described as dwelling
"between the cherubim".
2 Samuel 6:2
And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah
to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the
LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.
There are also six other instances in the Bible that refer to
God as dwelling between the cherubim: 1 Sam. 4:4, 2 Kings 19:15, 1 Chr 13:6;
Psalm 80:1; Ps 99:1; Isaiah 37:16. Think of the important position of cherubim.
The Creator of the universe was depicted as dwelling between them!
No wonder cherubim were so significant to the ancient
Israelites. Here are the Biblical instructions given to Moses concerning the
cherubim:
1 Kings 6:1,2
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of
Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign
over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to
build the house of the LORD. Now the house which King Solomon built for the
LORD, its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty
cubits.
1 Kings 6:8-10
The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went
up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. So he built
the temple and finished it, and he panelled the temple with beams and boards of
cedar. And he built side chambers against the entire temple, each five cubits
high; they were attached to the temple with cedar beams.
God then proceeded to spell out in detail exactly how the ark
was to be constructed. Then in verse 18 He directed Moses how the cherubim were
to be made:
1 Kings 6:18-20
The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open
flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone to be seen. And he prepared the inner
sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty
cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar.
Also, we read that King Solomon had cherubim painstakingly
sculpted for his temple:
1 Kings 6:23-28
Inside the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits
high. One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub
five cubits: ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. And
the other cherub was ten cubits; both cherubim were of the same size and shape.
The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. Then he
set the cherubim inside the inner room; and they stretched out the wings of the
cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other
cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle
of the room. Also he overlaid the cherubim with gold.
A VIOLATION OF GOD'S LAW?
To further add to the dilemma of what the cherubim really
are, we have the problem of applying God's Law which prohibits graven images.
God says it is very important that His people, Israel, refrain from making
graven images as the heathen do:
Exodus 20:4
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth;
"Graven" means carved or sculpted. The word
"beaten," in Exodus 25:18 (where Moses was instructed by God to make
cherubim to put on top of the Ark of the Covenant) is simply another way of
saying "graven," or "sculpted." The Hebrew words for
"beaten" is 'miqshah" (Strong's #4749 and means rounded work;
moulded by hammering (one of several ways of sculpting something).
Also, in Deuteronomy the command is spelled out in more
detail:
Deuteronomy 4:15-19
"Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke
to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make
for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or
female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any
winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the
ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.
"And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the
sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship
them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under
the whole heaven as a heritage.
A reading of this passage may lead you to the conclusion that
the Israelites were commanded to make no sculptures at all (including the
likenesses of animals or men) for any reason whatsoever. But this would leave us
with a serious problem. Moses and Solomon went to great lengths to sculpt
"graven" images of the cherubim representing the likeness of beasts on
the earth and fowls in the air. Furthermore, they did so following God's
instructions. So, where does this leave us?
A SYMBOL - NOT AN IDOL
The key is to realize the distinction between fantasy and
reality - Paganism and REAL CHRISTIANITY!
The pagan's life is guided by superstition and fantasy.
Therefore, he occupies himself with inventing imaginary creatures to which he
attributes life and supernatural powers. Then, he worships them as REAL
supernatural entities (gods). He views these graven images as physical forms in
which intangible - yet real - "ghost" creatures reside. The pagan
worships or bows down to the sculpture because of the supernatural creature
thought to reside inside it. The sculpture is something the pagan can see and
touch, thereby making the intangible creature inside more real to his senses. In
Exodus 20:3-5, Scripture focuses on this point of worshipping imaginary
creatures:
Exodus 20:3-5
"You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a
carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow
down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth
generations of those who hate Me,
When verse four is read by itself, it seems that the command
is against any type of SCULPTURE. However, notice that when the three verses are
all read and understood together, the point in question is the actual USE of the
sculpture. We are not to serve, bow down to and acknowledge belief in, such
mythical creatures believed to live inside the sculpture, or represented by it.
The worshipping of imaginary supernatural beings is the point of the commandment
- not the art of sculpture.
Instead of dwelling on superstition and fantasy, a Christian
should occupy himself with discovering the laws of God's nature, and finding
practical ways to apply them.
The cherub depicts a concept - not a real creature - and
Moses wasn't worshipping it. If the cherub is symbolic rather than literal, it
is obvious that God did not defeat His own law by having Moses place them on the
Ark of the Covenant. This explains the strange vision given to Ezekiel. The
vision depicted a symbol - not a literal, living supernatural creature.
This alleviates the otherwise apparent contradictions in
God's Law, and does away with the pagan-like hierarchy of lesser gods, it also
opens up our understanding of important passages of scripture which have been
buried by false church doctrine.
LOGO AND HERALDRY
Why did they use cherubim as a symbol? Is there any precedent
for this kind of symbolism?
Ancient Heraldry
-
"Standards"
-
"ensigns"
-
"coat of arms"
-
"insignias"
Modern Heraldry
-
"trademarks"
-
"logos"
Whichever term you use they are all essentially the same
thing: a visual mark used to communicate a concept or to identify something or
someone. (The Greek word, "logos," actually means
"communication.") Heraldry is an important facet of Israelite history,
especially in terms of following Israel's identity into our day and time.
THE FOUR "FACES" OF ISRAEL
Numbers, chapter two, reveals important information about
Israelite heraldry.
While the Israelites were in the wilderness, each tribe and
family had its own standard (logo) for identification:
Numbers 2:1,2
And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: "Everyone of the children of
Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father's house;
they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.
God even had a specific plan for the encampment layout. There
were to be FOUR main camps, each one forming a side of a rectangle.
The East Camp
Numbers 2:3a
"On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of
the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies;
The east camp was named after the tribe of Judah, with the
tribes of Issachar and Zebulon mentioned as "those that do pitch next
unto" (or share the camp of) Judah in verses five-eight. In verse nine the
total of all three tribes in the camp of Judah is given.
The South Camp
Numbers 2:10a
"On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben
according to their armies,
The south camp was named after the tribe of Reuben, with the
tribes of Simeon and Gad sharing the camp in verses twelve-fifteen. In verse 16
the total of all three tribes in the camp of Reuben is given.
The West Camp
Numbers 2:18a
"On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim
according to their armies,
The West camp was named after the tribe of Ephraim with the
tribes of Mannaseh and Benjamin sharing the camp in verses twelve to fifteen. In
verse 24 the total of all three tribes in the camp of Ephraim is given.
The North Camp
Numbers 2:25a
"The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according
to their armies,
In this verse the North camp is named after the tribe of Dan
with the tribes of Asher and Naphtali sharing the camp in verses 27-30. In verse
31 the total of all three tribes in the camp of Dan is given.
Remember, we are pursuing a point about ensigns and logos,
and attempting to solve the apparent Biblical contradictions. And, we can now
see the first connection to the symbol of the cherub: the number FOUR. Ezekiel's
cherub had FOUR camps. But, what about the four creatures that make up the
cherub - the eagle, the ox, the lion and the man? How do they tie in?
IDENTIFYING THE FOUR FACES
In modern society it is common to see animals used in logos,
especially symbolizing football teams and cars. Animals, as symbols, have been
used by many cultures throughout history.
Animals were used on standards among the ancient Israelites.
Our only clues as to exactly what animals were used, are
Biblical clues. Symbolic language was a very common technique employed by the
writers of the Bible in ancient times. And, since this deals with the
"IDENTITY" of Israel, we shouldn't take this symbolic language
lightly. The symbols God used for people were carefully chosen for a definite
purpose. These are clues for deciphering the Bible message about Israel and her
identity. These symbols were historically associated with the Israelites in the
Bible. Let's see how they are related to the four-faced cherub of Ezekiel's
vision?
Judah
A LION was the logo of Judah. Jacob compared him to a lion in
the following verse:
Genesis 49:9
Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down,
he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
Ephraim
Even though Joseph was one of the original twelve sons of
Jacob, a tribe was not named after him. However, two tribes were named after
Joseph's two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim and Manasseh were, in effect,
the representatives of Joseph. This is an important detail to note in the
following verse which reveals that the OX was the logo of Ephraim, for whom the
west camp was named:
Deuteronomy 33:17
His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox;
Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are
the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh."
We also find another Biblical reference comparing Ephraim to
an ox:
Hosea 10:11a
Ephraim is a trained heifer That loves to thresh grain;
The migrations of the Israel people took them from the middle
East up into Europe and Great Britain. Their tribal logos came with them. The
national seal of Great Britain has both a LION and a UNICORN within it
("unicorn" was the Anglicised perversion of the Hebrew phrase meaning
"wild ox").
Even though the unicorn is depicted as a horse with a single
horn growing out of its forehead, the term "unicorn" actual means
"OX". (#7214 'reh-ame' from 7213; a wild bull). And it's no
coincidence that the national nickname of Great Britain is "John
BULL."
Dan
Deuteronomy 32:11,12
As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings,
taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, So the LORD alone led him, And there
was no foreign god with him.
Jeremiah 49:20-22
Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Edom, And His
purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least
of the flock shall draw them out; Surely He shall make their dwelling places
desolate with them. The earth shakes at the noise of their fall; At the cry its
noise is heard at the Red Sea. Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle,
And spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that
day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
Reuben
Reuben has been assigned the logo of "MAN" by
traditional researchers. It is not totally clear as to how this logo came to
symbolize Reuben. However, the name "Reuben" means "Behold a
son." A son presupposes a man.
THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION
This study in symbolism and logos shows it was perfectly
logical for Moses to place a LOGO (cherubim), representing Israel, on the Ark of
The Covenant and in the tabernacle so there would be no doubt as to which people
the Ark belonged to. And it would be just as logical for King Solomon to
incorporate that same identifying logo into the design of an Israelite temple.
It certainly makes more sense than the theory of real live supernatural
creatures. God gave Ezekiel a vision which focused upon the identity of the
Israel nation through symbolism.
This conclusion makes a good study into the identity of
Israel down through the centuries ... but there are still many unanswered
questions:
.What is the importance of Israel's ancient logo to us in
modern times? How do you explain the Devil being called a "cherub" in
Ezekiel 28? Are there supernatural cherubim, or anyone else, still guarding a
tree (the Tree of Life) in the garden of Eden ... somewhere? How can cherubim be
just trademarks or logos when Ezekiel refers to them as "living
creatures?" Our study of cherubim does not end here. There is more to it
than simply a trademark of Israel. Further study needs to be done in these
areas:
1. In the Garden of Eden
Gen. 3:24, "Cherubim" are described in relation to
the Garden of Eden, Adam, and guarding the Tree of Life.
2. On the Ark of the Covenant
"Cherubim" Ex. 25,26, Describes how the cherubim
were positioned on top of the ark and what they were made of.
"Cherubim": Ex. 37:7-9. Gives details of how the
craftsman, Bezaleel, made the ark according to the directions given to Moses by
God.
3. In Solomon's Temple
"Cherub," "Cherubim": 1 Kings 6:23. etc.,
1 Kings 7:29,36, 1 Kings 8:6,7, 1 Chron. 28:18, 2 Chron. 3:7,10-14, 2 Chron.
5:7,8, Ezekial 41:18,20,25.
These verses give a detailed description of how big the
cherubim were, what they were fashioned out of, and where they were located in
the temple.
4. Where God Dwells
"Cherubim"; 1 Sam. 4:4, 2 Sam. 6:2, 2 Kings 19:15,
1 Chron. 13:6, Ps. 82:1, Is. 37:16. God dwells "BETWEEN THE CHERUBIM"
5. In Ezekiel's Vision
"Cherubim"; Ezekial 10 & 11, Ezekiel's strange
vision filled with flying cherubim. Note: Ezekial DOES NOT actually see real,
live cherubim; they are only in his vision.
6. The King of Tyrus
"Cherub"; Ezekial 28:14,16
