10 Then I looked, and behold, in the [a]expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them. 2 And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the whirling wheels under the [b]cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the [c]temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5 Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of [d]God Almighty when He speaks.
6 It came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then the cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some and put it into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
There are a couple callbacks here, the first is to the “man clothed in linen” who marked those who were to be spared from God’s impending judgment. He is now told to enter into the temple and fill his hands with coals of fire to be scattered over the city. The second is the cherubim with whirling wheels, and a sapphire (or lapis) throne appears above them.
The latter is much like the vision Ezekiel had in chapter 1, and later in the chapter Ezekiel will confirm that they are the same beings. Now perhaps it’s just me, but as I’m reading this, it’s easy to picture these beings as somewhat mindless creatures, just going along with whatever God wants to do. After all, the cherubim certainly go wherever God’s Spirit leads, and the man in linen does whatever God asks.
Yet these are angels of one sort or another, of which a third had already fallen. These remained faithful though, and we don’t really know if their fate is sealed, or whether they can still fall. Either way, they chose to remain steadfast despite a whole host of their fellow angels rebelling against God. And here they are, not blindly following God around, but willfully serving the King of all Creation.
Naturally, it’s not so easy for us, as we don’t get to see God moving around in all His glory like Ezekiel did. However, these passages serve as a snippet, a brief glimpse, however far removed, of the incredible beauty and splendor that accompanies our Savior and Father. Again, He is the King of all Creation, not just on earth, but over all the Universe and everything that exists.
It is a great reminder for us to be faithful, to remember the One we serve. He is no god of mythology, duking it out with the other gods, striving for power and position. Rather, He is the only One, supreme ruler above all powers, and He calls us to be His children. Let that sink in for a minute, and then go out and live like who you truly are.
And if you forget, come back and read through this passage again, and maybe chapter 1 for good measure. Then stand firm in your faith, alongside the angels who stand faithfully at His side, going where He goes, and doing what He asks. Not mindlessly, but willfully serving the King of all Creation.