Thank
you for answering, that was a good explanation.
It did cause me to further wonder
about a few other things:
1. Those 12 angels at the 12 gates of
the new Jerusalem, are they at their posts forever, or
might there be some kind of rotating shift with other
angels - perhaps monthly?
2. At the entrance to the garden of
Eden, the flaming sword which turned every way, was it
in the hand of a cherubim, or did it operate on its
own?
3. It doesn't indicate how many
cherubims were there, but I have heard some
preachers/teachers speculate that cherubims had quite
an astounding presence.
When
angels, that apparently looked like men, showed up,
people needed to be told to fear not, so they had
quite a presence.
But
cherubims seemed to be even more so, considering the
description that Ezekiel gave, when he saw them.
Also,
in addition to the two chrubims of the mercy seat upon
the ark, in the temple, there were two figures of
cherubims:
I Kings 6:23 And within the oracle he
made two cherubims of olive tree, each
ten cubits high.
26 The height of the one cherub
was ten cubits, and so was it of the
other cherub.
Are
cherubims typically 10 cubits tall?
If
so, then considering their presence, like Ezekiel
described, and accompanied by the flaming sword that
turned every way,
then
additionally being 10 cubits tall, they must have been
extremely formidable.
That
would make sense, considering that they blocked
entrance to the garden not only to men, but before the
flood, they must have blocked entrance to giants, as
well.