6
In the prophet Jeremiah we have the promise :
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign
and prosper" (Jer. 23:5).
The gospel according to Matthew sets forth the Lord as King, and traces His genealogy back through David.
The prophet Zechariah addresses Joshua the high Priest saying :
"Behold, I will bring forth My Servant, the BRANCH" (Zech. 3:8).
It is in this capacity and office of a SERVANT, that Mark presents the Saviour; hence there is no genealogy in
the opening chapter, but immediate service, and this feature persists even unto the resurrection, the Gospel closing
with the words "The Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following" (Mark 16:20). Luke
sets forth the Lord as the MAN and traces His genealogy back to Adam, it is of Him Zechariah speaks when he says
"Behold, the MAN whose name is the BRANCH" (Zech. 6:12). Some two centuries earlier Isaiah, looking forward
to the day of restoration, says "In that day shall the Branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious" (Isa. 4:2), and so
provides the text which is appropriate to the Gospel according to John.
The four gospels point to the Lord Jesus Christ as the One in Whom all these promises were or shall be
fulfilled. These four phases of prophecy however are all closely connected with Israel; there is another fourfold
promise that goes back to the days of Adam that must also be fulfilled in Christ as set forth in the four gospels.
From the earliest times, the Cherubim have been associated with the four gospels and it will be remembered that
these living ones are described as having four faces :
"The face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: ... the face of an ox on the left side; ... also ... the
face of an eagle" (Ezek. 1:10).
That these cherubim are not of passing interest, but seem to be woven as it were into the very text of Scripture,
a moment's consideration will prove. There are six different periods marked out in the Scriptures, where the cherub
or cherubim (im Heb. plural) accompany the unfolding of the Divine purpose :
Ezekiel 28. A supernatural being, who held the title "the anointed cherub that covereth". He was cast out as
profane. The word "anointed" is used of "The Messiah" or "The Christ" when applied to the Lord Jesus.
Genesis 3. At the fall of Adam and at the expulsion from Eden, the cherubim are seen associated with the flaming
sword that kept the way of the tree of life. "Paradise lost".
Exodus 25. The cherubim now appear in the holiest of all and form a part of the mercy seat at the meeting place
of the priest and God. They are intimately connected with the plan and purpose of redeeming love as set forth in the
typical teaching of the tabernacle.
1 Kings 6. The cherubim are a feature in the temple built and dedicated by Solomon, whose reign of peace and
abundant prosperity sets forth in type the glory that is yet to be.
Ezekiel. In the opening and closing sections of Ezekiel we see the glory of the Lord leaving and returning to
Israel accompanied by the cherubim.
Revelation 4 Under the term "the four beasts" (lit. "living creatures" as in Ezekiel 1), the cherubim are associated
with the great prophecy of restoration that leads up to "Paradise restored" in the last chapter.
If we attempt to set out these references to the cherubim in structure form, we become conscious of a gap, or
something missing, but if we include the four gospels as indicating that the cherubim find their fulfilment in Christ,
Who is set over against the fall and failure of the anointed cherub of Ezekiel 28, the pattern is complete.
A
The Anointed. His pride and fall.
B
Paradise lost. Pledge of restoration.
C
Tabernacle and Wilderness.
Temple and Land.
Glory and Temple.