Wings are invariably denoted in every description of the cherubim, and declare, I believe, rapidity of action, or I may perhaps say, wherever connected with the cherubim, that they describe the instantaneous action in heaven, consequent on the will of Jehovah, they are further symbols of the standing of everything in heaven as having power to do the will of God, and thus a difference as marked between them and the wheels, inasmuch as one expresses the character of heavenly speed, the other of earthly; and this the careful reader will see in the evident division made in the chapter at the end of the 14th verse; the wings only are described till then, as exhibiting the swiftness of obedience or the instant expression of God’s will, as “the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning,” and the wheels are then spoken of as distinct from the body of the vision, and yet in unity with it; “ for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels;” now as the wings denote rapidity of obedience in heaven, so do the wheels on earth, being severally the emblems of, speed in air or earth, and the difference is probably distinctly marked in the 19 verse where it is said,” when the living creatures Went, the wheels went by them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.” The wings were doubtless used to lift up the living creatures, and then the wheels became useless and were lifted up too; but when they moved on the earth, that is, “when the living creatures went, the wheels went on their four sides and turned not when they went.”
There are several visions of the glory of God, but in one other only are the wheels mentioned; viz., that of the throne of the Ancient of days: “ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool; His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire” (Daniel 7: 9); and their being so specially noted here is strongly confirmatory of this interpretation of their meaning; for the whole previous prophecy is a description of the dominion exercised on earth by the four empires included in the Image, during the casting of the throne of Judah down to the ground (Psalms 89:4444Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. (Psalm 89:44)); and the vision describes, as I believe, the judgment of, God, in which He declares all men unfit to rule but Him “ who loved righteousness and hated iniquity, and whom He therefore anoints with the oil of gladness above His fellows,” saying, “ Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter” (Psalms 45).; and having delivered the throne to Him as alone worthy of the trust, all the power and glory is brought into the world by the Son, to execute the Father’s judgments, “ for He has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son “of man” (John 5), and the thrones of the world (Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome, &c.) are cast down, “and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our ‘Lord and His Christ” (Revelation 11:1515And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15).; Psalms 89:20-2720I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: 21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. 22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. 24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. 26He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. 27Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. (Psalm 89:20‑27).; Psalms 110; &c. &c.): in a word, it is the same glory seen by Ezekiel, which in following its course, we shall see has now left the earth,—returning to it again to abide forever.
It will be seen, that though the throne described by Ezekiel is above the firmament, its action is below it, that is, on the earth, for the unity is not broken by the firmament. The Spirit of life, as coming from Him that sat on the throne, filled the living creatures and then the wheels, “for the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.” The whole vision is constituted in this unity, and on it depends its energy and rapidity of action, the instant and unimpeded answer to the will of Him, whose life was in. it all as the spring and power of its movements, and the completeness of unity between the will and act, is thus beautifully stated, “ and they went every one straight forward, whither the Spirit was to go, they went and they turned not when they went,” which doubtless describes analogously the unity of that mysterious body, instinct with but one life, which will be the “ fullness of Him that filleth all in all,” and will perhaps yet further— teach us indirectly what we pray for when we say, “ Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
The color of amber “with the fire and brightness round about it” (1: 27), as being the appearance of Him that sat on the throne, again. identifies that appearance which was in the throne above the firmament, with the living creatures below it; for the same description is given of them in the 4th verse. Again, the moving of the wings and wheels (verse 24, and 3, 12, 13,) is described as the voice of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech as the voice of an host.” In the 43rd chapter of this prophet, 2nd verse, this is said to be “His voice.” In, the vision in Daniel (Daniel 10), “the noise of his words like the voice of a multitude.” In the Apocalypse (Revelation 1), “His voice was as the sound of many waters,” thus clearly marking the action of the living creatures and wheels, to be descriptive of power consequent on, or coincident with, the utterance— of Him who sat on the throne. “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, the God of glory thundereth, the Lord is upon many waters; the voices of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of Majesty” (Psalms 29); and in Revelation 19, where a voice from the throne calls for praise, as I understand it, to the Almighty. Father who has given the Son both His throne, and His bride, the instant and universal answer, the responsive chorus, is described in its power to be as the voice of the Lord of glory, “as the voice of a multitude, as the voice of many waters, as the voice of many thunderings” (Revelation 19), and is but the proof how fully in that day the Church of God will be informed with the life of its Head, and how their innumerable voices will be but one voice, and their innumerable thoughts and deeds but one; and that, the mind and will and consequent act of Him “ who sitteth upon the flood, yea, who sitteth king forever.”
The voice from the throne as heard by the prophet (1: 25), was in mercy and grace, and not in power, the voice of God in communion with the weakness of the creature; and so when He was thus speaking, “the living creatures stood and let down their wings;” and this is more distinctly seen in the 3rd and 10th chapters. In the 3rd, while the Lord is giving the burthen to the prophet, all is still; but when He ceases, it is said, “ I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from this place; I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures, that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels—over against them, and a noise of a great rushing” (chap. 3: 12, 13); and in the 10th, where the humiliation of the Lord is denoted, the living creatures are again seen standing with their wings let down.
The throne, being “in appearance as the sapphire stone” (1: 26), identifies it with the glory seen on mount Sinai, “And they saw the God of Israel, and there was under His feet as it were the paved work of a sapphire stone” (Exodus 24:1010And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. (Exodus 24:10)).
“The brightness, as the appearance of a bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain,” is another symbol which connects the whole vision with the earth’s destiny; but as it is also seen in the vision when transferred to heaven, it will be better briefly to speak’ of it when considering it there.
“The likeness, as the appearance of a man oil the throne,” will not be doubted by any, I believe, to be the likeness of the only begotten Son, ever manifested thus as the pattern of man’s beautiful form, and into perfect conformity with which the Church is predestinated to be changed in the resurrection (Romans 8: 29); “ for our conversation is in heaven, from whence Also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Philippians 3: 20, 21).
Heaven will be glad, and rejoice, and sing “Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; Amen, Alleluia!”
Earth will echo back its answer of joy. “The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands’; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, for He cometh to judge the earth; with-righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity” (Psalms 97, and 98).
The Father then will commit all judgment unto the Son, and “ all men will honor the Son even as they honor the Father” (John 5:22-2322For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:22‑23)); and then shall “ every knee bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father” (Philippians 2: 9-11).
(Continued from page 84.)