Reference: Living Creatures
Easton
as represented by Ezekiel (1-10) and John (RE 4, etc.), are the cherubim. They are distinguished from angels (Re 15:7); they join the elders in the "new song" (Re 5:8-9); they warn of danger from divine justice (Isa 6:3-5), and deliver the commission to those who execute it (Eze 10:2,7); they associate with the elders in their sympathy with the hundred and forty-four thousand who sing the new song (Re 14:3), and with the Church in the overthrow of her enemies (Re 19:4).
They are supposed to represent mercy, as distinguished from justice, mercy in its various instrumentalities, and especially as connected with the throne of God, the "throne of grace."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who cried, and the house was filled with smoke. read more. Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!
And [the Lord] spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, Go in among the whirling wheels under the cherubim; fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city. And he went in before my eyes.
And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [ of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God's people (the saints). And [now] they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and before the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin]. No one could learn [to sing] that song except the 144,000 who had been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from the earth.
And one of the four living creatures [then] gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath and indignation of God, Who lives forever and ever (in the eternities of the eternities).
Then the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] and the four living creatures fell prostrate and worshiped [paying divine honors to] God, Who sits on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah (praise the Lord)!
Hastings
Morish
These in Ezekiel point symbolically to the attributes of God in connection with His throne, and His acting upon earth in His judicial government and providence. There were wheels on earth, and there was a wheel within a wheel. These wheels acted in concert with the living creatures; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. The faces of these living creatures correspond with the faces of the ' four beasts' (which should be translated 'living creatures,' the word being ????, and not ??????, which occurs for the 'beasts' of Ezek. 13 etc.) in Rev. 4, etc. Each living creature had four faces: the first was the face of a man, which speaks of 'intelligence;' the second the face of a lion, which symbolises 'strength.' the third the face of an ox, representing 'patient endurance;' and the fourth the face of an eagle, which implies 'swiftness of execution.' All show perfect organisation for carrying out the government of God according to His righteous judgement. Eze 1:5-25; 3:13; 10:15-22. See CHERUBIM.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures [or cherubim]. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man, But each one had four faces and each one had four wings. read more. And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like burnished bronze. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. And the four of them had their faces and their wings thus: Their wings touched one another; they turned not when they went but went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they each had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side and the face of an ox on the left side; the four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads]. Such were their faces. And their wings were stretched out upward [each creature had four wings]; two wings of each one were touching the [adjacent] wing of the creatures on either side of it, and [the remaining] two wings of each creature covered its body. And they went every one straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they turned not when they went. In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures darted back and forth like a flash of lightning. Now as I was still looking at the living creatures, I saw one wheel upon the ground beside each of the living creatures with its four faces. As to the appearance of the wheels and their construction: in appearance they gleamed like chrysolite; and the four were formed alike, and their construction work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in one of their four directions without turning [for they were faced that way]. As for their rims, they were so high that they were dreadful, and the four had their rims full of eyes round about. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit went, the creatures went and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit or life of the [four living creatures acting as one] living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up high beside them, for the spirit or life of the [combined] living creature was in the wheels. Over the head of the [combined] living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, looking like the terrible and awesome [dazzling of shining] crystal or ice stretched across the expanse of sky over their heads. And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. Every living creature had two wings which covered its body on this side and two which covered it on that side. And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, the sound of tumult like the noise of a host. When they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads; when they stood, they let down their wings.
I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched and joined each one the other [its sister wing], and I heard the noise of the wheels beside them and the noise of a great rushing.
And the cherubim mounted upward. This is the [same] living creature [the four regarded as one] that I saw by the river Chebar [in Babylonia]. And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. read more. When those stood still, these stood still; and when those mounted up, these [the wheels] mounted up also, for the spirit of life was in these [wheels]. Then the glory of the Lord [the Shekinah, cloud] went forth from above the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight, and they went forth with the wheels beside them; and they stood at the entrance of the East Gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel [the Shekinah, cloud] was over them. This is the living creature [of four combined creatures] that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar, and I knew that they were cherubim. Each one had four faces and each one had four wings, and what looked like the hands of a man was under their wings. And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces which I saw by the river Chebar, with regard to their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.