115: Barry Van Heerden - Cherubim

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   Welcome to the Good Christadelphian Talks podcast. I'm Levi. And I'm Chris. Thank you so much for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help each one of us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post at the start of each week for you to listen with a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk you're about to hear. And now let's hear more about this week's talk. Today's class is the fifth class in a series by Brother Barry Van Heerden that he gave at the Eastern Christadelphian Bible School in the United States here in 2006. The title of this class is The Cherubim. This is a pretty, really fun series. I listened to this whole series and really enjoyed all these classes. We'll definitely post this eventually, as we do, as it takes us some time to do, on the extended podcast as well to get the whole series on there. Because Brother Barry does a really good job of studying just all the different kind of parts of how God works with us, all the ministering spirits. That's the overall title of the series, including the angels and the cherubim.

2. 1:28

   This study is class five. He does the cherubim and the seraphim, examines a lot of passages, going through a bunch of verses to kind of learn more about how the cherubim work. So I really enjoyed this class and I'm excited to share it. Also posted this just thinking about Brother Barry, who I met 10 years ago. His wife, Sister Wyndeth, passed away very recently. So our prayers are with Barry and the whole Van Heerden family and all the many brothers and sisters that they have touched through the years. So our thoughts and prayers are with the Van Heerdens.

3. 2:11

   We thank all the people that send us suggestions. We'd love it when we get those. Please continue to send us any classes that you hear for us to take a look. And we, almost all of those get put on the podcast, basically. I was telling that to someone the other day. If we get a suggestion, it's pretty much likely going to be on the show. So please, please send in your suggestions. And here is Barry Van Heerden on the Cherubim.

4. 2:42

   Good morning, my dear brethren and sisters in the Lord. Good morning. Am I imagining things or are we getting fewer in number? There are two reasons, brethren and sisters, that I'd like to speak about Cherubim today. One is a very selfish reason, which I'll talk about in a minute or so. The first reason is that I do not believe that angels are Cherubim. A lot of brethren and sisters think that they are.

5. 3:13

   I don't believe that that is the case. And when you've finished listening to the study today, I'm hoping I'll convince you. If I don't, then don't stone me. I'm only the messenger.

6. 3:26

   The second reason that I'd like to talk about Cherubim is because they are very visual. They deal with my weakness or my strength. I don't know whether it's weakness or strength. But being a designer and a painter, as John last night, you can see as he dazzled us with numbers, I'm a person that works in the visual industry. And so because I'm a designer and a painter, I enjoy visual stimulus. And when you come to looking at all these things, all these characteristics that are associated with the Cherubim, I'm hoping that you too will be visually stimulated.

7. 4:06

   And hopefully that visual stimulus will lead us to a conclusion. For me, the Cherubim provide a kaleidoscope of colorful and fascinating stimulus, each of which, each little stimulus that I'm going to lay before you, which is totally biblical, in itself could be developed into a full Bible school. So when we talk about eagles, for example, there's a whole Bible school just on eagles, on lions, on fire, on all the different things that are associated with Cherubim.

8. 4:40

   So, obviously, the first characteristic that I'm just putting up on the screen behind me is the face of a man. You think of all the different faces that you see. Every single face has got its own DNA. It's got its own special look. This is one of the things that we need to associate with the Cherubim.

9. 4:59

   Then the face of a lion. We could do a whole Bible school just on lions. I come from Africa. We know a lot about lions. They're not pussycats, let me tell you. Then oxen. Those people that work in a farming community, especially rural farming communities. The whole issue of oxen. We could do a whole Bible school just on that.

10. 5:19

    And for those that witnessed the raptors the other day, the American bald eagle, for example. We could do a whole Bible school just on eagles. Each one of these visual stimulus, each associated with the Cherubim. And then gold. We could do a whole Bible school just on gold. It starts in Genesis all the way through the whole book of the Bible, right to the book of Revelation.

11. 5:40

    We could do a whole study just on gold. We could do a whole study just on rainbows. This is a beautiful rainbow that you see here. Then winds and storms. Sunlight. Twins. Quite often you'll see that the Cherubim have presented us as two equal objects. They are assimilations one of the other. Then wings and flight.

12. 6:07

    Fire. Wheels. Colors. All these things. And as I just put these up in front of you now, these are just different ideas. This is not a complete list at all. But these are the ideas and concepts that are associated with Cherubim as we start our study today. So Cherubim, I believe, are not angels.

13. 6:33

    Because Cherubim, for example, look like living creatures. Angels look like men. Cherubim have four faces. In one case, in Ezekiel, have two faces. Angels have one. Cherubim have wings. Angels don't. Cherubim are associated with wheels and chariots. Angels seldom do. Cherubim are associated with magnificent visions. Angels seldom are. Cherubim are associated with specific places of worship.

14. 7:00

    Angels seldom are. They are sometimes, but not always. Cherubim are usually presented as identical pairs. Angels seldom are. So it seems to me that whilst angels are all ministering spirits sent forth unto those who are to be heirs of salvation, the Cherubim, for us, are visual aids. They are visual aids telling us of God's glory, of the saints in glory.

15. 7:26

    These are pictures of the saints in glory. So when you watch an eagle drift softly over the landscape, think of yourself. Think of brethren and sisters in the kingdom. When you look at the majesty of a lion. When you watch a flaming fire. All these visual stimuli are telling us about attributes, about characteristics that belong to the saints in glory.

16. 7:49

    For the most part in the Old Testament, with the exception of Genesis chapter 3, and I don't know whether I'm going to have time to do an exposition on Genesis chapter 3, which is a unique kind of situation. Ezekiel and one or two other remote references. Most of the presentations of cherubim in the Old Testament are presented to us as inanimate forms.

17. 8:12

    They are associated with the tabernacle. And I'm going to bring you to the reading in the tabernacle now, Exodus chapter 25, as we begin our study together.

18. 8:26

    And as we focus on the cherubim in the tabernacle, and that's Exodus 25, the Old Testament association with cherubim and cherubim with places of worship, specifically in the tabernacle and in Solomon's temple, were related specifically to places of worship. But as we come to the New Testament, and we're going to develop a revelation in chapter 4, as we come to the end of the study, you'll remember what the Lord Jesus Christ said to the woman at the well.

19. 8:54

    He said, Woman, believe me that the hour comes when you shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father, but the hour cometh and now is when true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Nothing to do with location at all, but to do with time and space, to do with the state of immortality.

20. 9:18

    And as we come to looking at this little study today of cherubim, and we start just piecing some of these images together, we don't want them to remain on the page. Because in the end of the day, we don't want to just present a whole lot of facts. Because in the end of the day, if we just present facts, that's all they'll ever be, is just facts.

21. 9:41

    God intends the words, the visions, these visual stimuli to be engraved on our hearts. God wants to be part of our relationship, as we shall see as we begin our study now. So, let's just pick up in Exodus 25 and verse 18. Now, I'm going to just leave that slide up for you.

22. 10:01

    And as we're going through our study, you will see that there are different parts. Because there are parts of the Bible that are linear in terms of their presentation. It's a bit like a, what do you call these things when you clock them out and look through? Telescope, eh? Kind of that tunnel vision and, you know, I'm here and the kingdom is over there.

23. 10:21

    But there are parts of the Bible where you find layering. It's almost like you take different shapes of cellophane, colored cellophane, and you layer them one over the other. And that's the reason why I'm going to leave that up. And as we look at these various passages together, you will see that we've got this layered kind of effect.

24. 10:37

    Because there are some scriptures that will connect to other scriptures. And not one scripture, not one single vision gives you the total vision. We have different visions of the kingdom. Different visions. Different visual stimuli of the saints in glory. So, Exodus 25 and verse 18. Thou shalt make the two cherubim of gold.

25. 10:59

    Notice here that there are two. They have made a beaten work. Right? And they're going to be at the ends of the mercy seat. Verse 19. Make one cherub on one end, the other cherub on the other. Even on the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall stretch their wings on high, covering the mercy seat.

26. 11:18

    So, you notice now that the cherubim are not only made of gold. They're not only similar in form and in shape. But we see that they are also covering the mercy seat. They are related to God's mercy. And they look one to another. Verse 21. Thou shalt put the mercy seat above the ark.

27. 11:35

    And in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the cherubim that are upon the testimony. Now, just focus on that, if you will, for a minute. God is going to communicate with His people in this place above the mercy seat between the cherubim.

28. 11:58

    These are inanimate visual stimuli. What do they tell me? They tell me that whenever I'm in communication with a brother or a sister, I represent one cherub. They represent the other. And God communes with me through His mercy between me and Wendeth, between me and John, between me and Rachel. Because God, in the end of the day, wants to be part of a relationship.

29. 12:24

    Religion is all fair and well. Religion with rules and regulations. We need rules and regulations and religion. We need that. Otherwise, we couldn't run a Bible school. We'd have chaos. But what must grow out of that is a relationship. Jesus came for a relationship before He came for a religion. Yes, we need the religion.

30. 12:46

    But if a relationship does not grow out of that, it is still born. Come to Exodus 26 and verse 1. And here we look at the ten cherubic curtain of glory. The covering on the top of the tabernacle. It was heavenly. They had to look up this time.

31. 13:04

    And you'll notice that we are associating this now with colors. There are different colors that are associated with the cherubim. Exodus 26 and verse 1. Moreover, thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twine linen, of blue and purple and scarlet, with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make them. There's a Bible school, a whole Bible school that you can just do on scarlet.

32. 13:33

    Just on blue. Just on purple. Just on fine twine linen. All these, again, are visual stimuli. So when we see these colors around us, these things that God has placed. When you look at a beautiful, just look at this display in front of me. What do you think of when you see these flowers?

33. 13:51

    Do you think of God? Does it draw you closer to God? These colors? Every little thing that we see tells us of God's love for us. And specifically when we're looking at the cherubim of the saints in glory. These are pictures. Visual stimulus of the saints in glory. And now we come to the veil in Exodus 26 and at verse 31.

34. 14:14

    And notice the same colors. And look at the order starting with blue. Exodus 26 and at verse 31. And we know in the end of the day when Paul has his revelation. And he explains that revelation in his letter to the Hebrews. That the veil represented Christ's flesh. So as we look at Christ.

35. 14:34

    As we look at the crucifixion. As he is impaled on that stake. As he gives his life for us. We need to see in that. The scarlet. The blue. The purple. Remember they put on him a purple robe. And you remember too the scarlet blood. As it ran down the pole. That stake in the ground.

36. 14:55

    And so here in Exodus 26 and verse 31. Thou shalt make the veil of blue. And purple. And scarlet. And fine twine linen. See that fine twine linen is at the end of this list at this time. Of cunning work. With cherubim shall it be made.

37. 15:14

    Alright. We're going to move on now. To 1 Kings 6. And we're just going to look at a whole lot of added information now. Other visual stimuli. Other concepts. That are related to the saints in glory. As we look at the cherubim here. In 1 Kings 6 and verse 23. And here they are specifically told.

38. 15:34

    Especially the ones that have made out of wood. That they are exactly the same size. And so again we need to come to this consideration of communication. Between brethren and sisters. Between me and Wendek. There's neither Jew nor Greek. Bond nor free. Male nor female. You're all one in Christ Jesus. This is the concept that we see in the cherubim that are made together.

39. 15:56

    Of the same material. Of the same size. Made with one measure of one size. 1 Kings 6 and verse 23. And within the oracle. He made two cherubim of olive tree. Each ten cubits high. Notice there's a different material. That is brought into the equation. An olive tree. Well where does your mind go to when we talk about olive trees?

40. 16:18

    We start off with Noah. The olive branch. We think of the olive oil that was used. We think of the amount of olives. We think of the return of Christ. We think of all these things. All this just out of olive wood. Again visual stimuli. Which tell us about ourselves. In the kingdom of God.

41. 16:38

    Verse 24. And five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub. Five cubits the other wing. And verse 25. And the other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubim were of one measure. And of one size. They were of equal weighting. In the presence of God. And that's exactly the way we need to see each other.

42. 17:01

    Brethren and sisters. Not that one should be extended above the other. We are all equal in the eyes of God. Of one measure. And of one size. And the heart of the one cherub was ten cubits. And so was the heart of the other. And verse 27. You shall set the cherubim within the inner house.

43. 17:20

    And we'll see that the one wing touches the one wall. And the other one touches the other wing. And that one touches the other wing. And to the other wall. Right across the face of this most holy place. And verse 28. He overlaid the cherubim with gold. Gold. What do we think of when we think of gold?

44. 17:36

    Again we think of gold. The very first reference of gold. In the Bible. When the river that went through the Garden of Eden. Split into four heads. And at the end of the one head. There was gold. And the gold of that land was good. And Abraham was rich in gold. And silver.

45. 17:53

    And precious stones. And cattle. And then we think of the gold in the tabernacle. And what does this tell us about? I will come forth as perjured gold. It's all about immortality. That which is indestructible. That which is precious. Very precious in God's sight. Go back right to Revelation. You see the streets of the city are of gold.

46. 18:11

    This is telling us about us brethren and sisters. In the kingdom of God. All these visual stimuli. Telling us about the saints in glory.

47. 18:21

    Just a couple of references. That if you'd like to make notes of them. And I'm just going to read them to you. Psalm 18 and verse 10.

48. 18:30

    And he wrote upon the cherubim did fly. Yea he did fly with the wings of the wind. So cherubim are associated with wings. And with wind. Listen to the words of Jesus. The wind blows where it listeth. No one knows where it comes from. No one knows where it goes to. So is everyone that is born of the wind.

49. 18:51

    Of the spirit. Of the ruach. Marvelous concepts. Psalm 80 verse 1. Give ear O shepherds of Israel. Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock. Thou that dwellest between the cherubim. So here it's not that God just appears. Between the cherubim. Here he dwells between the cherubim. That's where we want God. To be part of our homes.

50. 19:15

    But to be part of our relationships. Dwelling in our lives. Being part of our every experience. Psalm 99 verse 1. The Lord reigneth. Let thy people tremble. He sitteth between the cherubim. Here we find another picture. He appears between the cherubim. He dwells between the cherubim. He sits between the cherubim. Where he feels comfort.

51. 19:40

    Come to Ezekiel chapter 1 now. Ezekiel chapter 1. The living creatures. And here we'll see the associations of a man. Of coals of fire. Of lightning. Of wheels. And there's a very interesting little word. Which I'm not going to bring out of the text now. You'll just find this little word. Amber. The color of amber.

52. 20:03

    In this Ezekiel vision. And that's the Hebrew word. Hashmal. Which is really interesting. It's the word for electricity. And there it is. 600 BC. Tucked away in the text. The Hebrews. As they developed. The Hebrew language. As the Jews came into the land. 1948. And they developed. The Hebrew language again. That's the word that they used for.

53. 20:25

    For electricity. Ezekiel 1 verse 5. And out of the midst thereof. There came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance. They all had the likeness of a man. Now you see that they are not inanimate. When we see them in places of worship. Namely the tabernacle. And the temple.

54. 20:48

    They were inanimate. They were just visual stimuli. Bringing us to this place. And notice that this vision. Takes place outside of the land. Outside of the land of Israel. And when we come to John 4. At the end of this address. We'll see that's on the isle. That is called Patmos. Outside of the land.

55. 21:06

    These two incredible visions. Which you cannot separate. And they look like a man. That relates to you. And that relates to me. Ezekiel 1 verse 13. And as for the likeness of the living creatures. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire. And like the appearance of lamps. It went up and down along the living creatures.

56. 21:32

    And the fire was bright. And out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned. As the appearance of a flash of lightning. Think of the kingdom brethren and sisters. As we go forth. Conquering and to conquer. With the word of God. Think of the gospel as it spreads out throughout the land.

57. 21:51

    Wheels within wheels. Motion. This is a picture of the saints in glory. Taking the gospel. To every nation, kindred and tongue. Living creatures that ran. Backwards and forwards. Like flashes of lightning. And as I beheld. Verse 15. The living creatures. Behold one wheel upon the earth. By a living creature with four faces.

58. 22:13

    And then verse 19. 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.

59. 22:25

    This is the beginning of the vision. The vision is concluded for us in chapter 10. And as we come to Ezekiel chapter 10. You'll notice that there are a whole lot of other elements. A whole lot of other visual stimuli. That we are given. Here we see God's throne. We see wheels. Coals of fire.

60. 22:43

    Standing at the right hand of God. The glory of Yahweh. Sounds of wings. The voice of the almighty God. Notice as we come in at verse 1. Ezekiel 10 and at verse 1. Then I looked. And I behold. In the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim. There appeared over them.

61. 23:02

    As it were. A sapphire stone. As the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed in white linen. And said. Go in between the wheels. Even under the cherub. And fill thine hand with coals of fire. From between the cherubim. God's dwelling. God's meeting place that is.

62. 23:24

    And scatter them over the city. And he went in. My sight. Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house. That's the position of authority. When the man went in. And the cloud filled the inner court. And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub. Notice that. The glory of the Lord.

63. 23:44

    What does the glory of the Lord mean to you? What does it mean to me? Well when God revealed his glory to Moses. He revealed his personality. His character. Love. Mercy. Kindness. And so we see here the association. With the glory of the Lord. Went up from the cherub. And stood over the threshing hole.

64. 24:05

    Of the house. And the house was filled with a cloud. And the court was full. Of the brightness. Of God's glory. Notice that. There's a close association here. With the cherubim. And God's glory. And so verse 5. The sound of the wings of the cherub. Was heard from the outer court. As the voice of the Almighty.

65. 24:25

    And it came to pass. That when he had commanded the man clothed with linen. Saying. Take the fire from between the wheels. And from between the cherubim. That he went in and stood beside the wheels. And one cherub stretched forth his hand. Between the cherubim. Unto the fire that was between the cherubim.

66. 24:43

    And he took thereof. And put it into the hands of him. That was clothed with linen. Who took it. And went out. And as we come down to verse 12. Their whole body. And their backs. And their hands. And their wings. And their wheels. Were full of eyes round about. What does full of eyes tell us about?

67. 25:00

    It talks about the omniscience of God. That God sees everywhere. And this is one of the characteristics. That will be used in the saints. In the future age. When we go out. Into the nations. To preach. Incredible vision. And we could spend a lot of time here. I'd just like to just bring you to Ezekiel 11.

68. 25:23

    Just for a minute. Just dealing with. The whole issue. Of glory. Again. Ezekiel 11. And at verse 22. Then did the cherubim lift up their wings. And the wheels besides them. And the glory of Israel. Was over them. The glory of the God of Israel. Was over them. Again. The strong connection. All the way through the study.

69. 25:46

    With the glory. Of God. We could spend a lot of time on the cherubim. I have a little problem. And I'm going to share this with you. And I'm hoping that you're going to be able to help me. Because I know that you're all very bright in this part of the world. And you know.

70. 26:04

    I'm just an African. From Africa. So. Hey. You know. You can teach me a lot. I have this problem. Cherubim seem to appear all over the Old Testament. Either. As inanimate. Or as animate. In terms of the vision. That we've just looked at in Ezekiel. Very briefly. But now. When we come to consider Isaiah.

71. 26:26

    All of a sudden. We come. With. One reference. In the whole Old Testament. To seraphim. What do you make of the seraphim? Clearly. By the time we come to Revelation 4. We will see that the cherubim. And the seraphim. In Revelation 4. Are one and the same. But in the Old Testament. They are presented to us.

72. 26:49

    Differently. And the question that I'm going to pose to you is. Why? I'm going to offer you a suggestion. And I'm hoping that you're going to come to me. With a whole flood of new ideas. Because with visual stimulus. The kind of visual stimulation. That we're looking at now. There are a whole lot of things.

73. 27:06

    That are optional here. So I'm going to bring you to Isaiah 6. And at verse 1. And we're just going to look at this incredible vision. That Isaiah saw. In the day that Uzziah died. In the year that Uzziah died. And obviously there are some things. Which are similar. But there are some things.

74. 27:25

    Which are different. And. I'm just putting up a list. On the screen again. And you'll see that there. Are some things that are similar. Some connections that you can make. As we look at this. But just notice. They are above God's throne. The whole earth is filled with God's glory. When is that going to be?

75. 27:51

    Well. We don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that. That's going to be. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns. When the saints. Ultimately. Fill this earth with God's glory. As the waters cover the sea. And here. Not four wings. But. Not two wings. But six wings. And now it's holy. Holy.

76. 28:08

    Holy. And you'll see that there's a lot of associations. With. The death of Christ. The slaying of the lamb. Which you'll see that I put at the end there. Which hopefully we'll type in Revelation 4. So Isaiah 6 and verse 1. In the year that King Uzziah died. I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up.

77. 28:27

    And his train filled the temple. Okay. So we've got a picture now of the Lord. Sitting upon his throne. High and lifted up. And above that. Above. Our vision of God. Sitting on the throne. Or the Lord Jesus Christ. Sitting on the throne. High and lifted. Above that. Stood the seraphim. Now this word seraphim.

78. 28:52

    Comes from. The Hebrew word saraph. S-A-R-A-P-H. If you want to just. Write that out in English. We can give you the Hebrew later. But. For the time being. That's it for the. For our. Our focus now. Seraphim. Comes from the Hebrew word saraph. And we're going to. Develop that in a minute. Each one of them had six wings.

79. 29:16

    One. With twain to cover the face. With twain to cover the feet. And with twain to fly. Alright. So the six wings. There were two. To cover the face. Two to cover the feet. And two to use to fly. And the one cried. Unto another. Verse 3. And said. Holy. Holy. Holy. Is the Lord of hosts.

80. 29:39

    And the whole earth. Is filled. With his glory. We're talking. End of revelation here. That's the. That's the picture. The whole earth. Is filled. With his glory. And the post of the door. Moved at the voice of him. That cried. And the house was filled. With smoke. Then said. I woe is me.

81. 29:58

    For I am done. Behold. I'm a man of unclean lips. And I dwell in the midst. Of a people. Of unclean lips. For mine eyes. Have seen the king. The Lord of hosts. Now here's one of the problems. Verse 4. Verse 5. Then flew one seraphim. Unto me. Having the live coal in his hand.

82. 30:19

    Which was taken from the tongs of the altar. And laid it upon my mouth. And said. Lo. This has touched your lips. And thine iniquia is taken away. And your sin is purged. So. That is one seraphim. So. Obviously. There are more than one.

83. 30:33

    And at the end of verse 8. Then said I. Here I am. Send me. So the question was. Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And Isaiah replies. Here I am. Send me. Now obviously that's true in the case of Isaiah. That's obviously true. In a sense. Of many of the.

84. 30:57

    Brethren and sisters of the Old Testament. And hopefully it's true of us. But it's primarily true. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. The single man. Singled out of the whole seed. Of Abraham. All the descendants of Abraham. There was one man. That stood out. Head and shoulders. Here I am. Send me.

85. 31:17

    And look at the words that follow. And just think. Of. The New Testament now. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he said. Go. Tell this people. Hear. Ye indeed. But understand not. Seeing indeed. Ye shall perceive not. Make the heart of this people. The heart of this people. Fat. Make their ears heavy.

86. 31:40

    Shut their eyes. Lest they see with their eyes. Hear with their ears. Understand with their heart. See where the understanding comes from. From the heart. And they be converted. And healed. Alright. So just. Hold those words for a minute. And come to the New Testament. Matthew 13 and verse 14. Again. We don't have to be a rocket scientist.

87. 32:02

    To put this together. It's in your margin. Right there. It's in your margin. Matthew 13 and verse 14. And what I'm doing. Is that I'm making a connection. Between the vision of the seraphim. And the experience. And life. And ministry. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm making this connection.

88. 32:26

    Matthew 13 and verse 14. And in them is fulfilled. The prophecy of Isaiah. Which saith. By hearing you shall hear. And not understand. And seeing you shall see. And not perceive. For this people's heart. Is wax gross. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes have they closed. Lest that any time. They should see with their eyes.

89. 32:50

    Hear with their ears. And understand with their hearts. And that they should be converted. And I should heal them. But for us brethren and sisters. Blessed are your eyes. For they see. And your ears. For they hear. For verily I say unto you. That many prophets and righteous men. Have desired to see those things.

90. 33:11

    Which you see. And have not seen them. And to hear those things. Which you hear. And have not heard them. Alright. So we can see that. The words from Isaiah. Are fulfilled for us. In the New Testament. Almost verbatim. Which links the seraphim. To the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The problem is.

91. 33:34

    That there were more than one. That's the problem. And that's why I'm going to ask you. To help me with this. Because if you've got a better suggestion. For me. I'm happy to change. Because these words. Are not set in stone for me. They are concepts. That we are working with. And I'd like your input.

92. 33:51

    Now. I mentioned the word seraph. Alright. And I want to come to Numbers 21 now. And you remember Numbers 21 well. It was. At Ezeon Geber. Where the children of Israel. Were complaining and moaning. Because they didn't have comfortable seats. At the Bible school. And they didn't have air conditioning. And they're probably complaining.

93. 34:17

    About the fact that. They weren't getting the right kind of food. And things weren't just right. And God responded. By sending fiery serpents amongst them. That's how God responded. And verse 6. The Lord God sent fiery serpents. The same word. That we've just seen in Isaiah. Saraf. He sent fiery serpents amongst the people.

94. 34:37

    And they bit the people. And much people died. And verse 8. The Lord said unto Moses. Make thee a fiery serpent. Same word. Make thee a fiery serpent. And set it up upon a pole. And it shall come to pass. That anyone that is bitten. When he looks upon it. He shall live.

95. 34:58

    The same word. From Isaiah. Saraf. This is to do with the seraphim. When you. Take the Lord Jesus Christ. And impale him on a pole. Says John.

96. 35:13

    When you do this. As Moses lifted up the saraf. As Moses lifted up the sarafim. As Moses lifted up the serpent on the pole. In the wilderness. Even so must the son of man be lifted up. That whosoever believes in him. Should not perish. But have everlasting life. So we see there's a connection here.

97. 35:37

    Not only to the work and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which we are called to emanate. But it's also associated with the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. High above the throne.

98. 35:55

    So the seraphim. I believe. Are in many respects. Like the cherubim. There are many of them. There are more than one. But they are the ones that have shared in Christ's suffering. I've mentioned this on more than one occasion. It's the Peter, James and John. Those that are called to suffer. More than others.

99. 36:17

    Those that are closer to the Lord's suffering. And when you come to the book of Revelation. You will see that as one of the great themes of the book of Revelation. It's the theme of suffering. The souls under the altar. John was on the isle that is called Patmos. For the word of God.

100. 36:34

     And for the testimony which he held. And the word testimony there is the word marturia. From which we get the word martyr. The souls under the altar. Those that are beheaded for the witness of Jesus. And the testimony which they hold. Time and time again. Suffering.

101. 36:52

     So my suggestion is that. The seraphim. For the time being until you correct me. And I'm happy to be corrected. Brethren and sisters. Please don't think that this is a one way. One way street this. Happy to be corrected. But my conclusion at this point in my life. Is that I see that the seraphim.

102. 37:10

     Are related to brethren and sisters. That share in the martyrdom of Christ. The suffering of Christ. I'm not saying that they necessarily have died for their faith. But those that have given up everything. Twelve thrones. Judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And when we come to Revelation 4. Twenty-four thrones. Jew and Gentile put together.

103. 37:32

     Linked back to the twenty-four Levitical orders. As we find back in the Old Testament. Come then to our final vision in Revelation 4. This grand vision. And again I'd like to just demonstrate to you. That there are sequences in the Bible. And that's true and proper. Seven trumpets. Seven this. Seven that. There are sequences.

104. 37:53

     And sometimes I think that what we do. When we come to understanding time. We have tunnel vision. We have the telescope. And we look it out. And we say. Here I am. And there is the kingdom down there.

105. 38:06

     But that's not the way we see it here. John is standing here. Opens the door. And he's in. And then he's out. Transfiguration. Think of the transfiguration. There will be some of you standing here that shall not taste of death. Until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Moses and Elijah.

106. 38:28

     Talking with him about his exodus. Which he's going to accomplish in Jerusalem. And then he's back with Peter, James and John. That's the way it's presented here. Not a long system of events. Not a long chronological concept of events here. Here it's a door open in heaven. You're standing one side. Open the door.

107. 38:47

     And he's inside. And this is exactly the way a lot of the prophets present their visions of glory. Their visions of the kingdom. Here is the throne of God. And some of them perceive it this way. Some that way. Some that way. Some that way. And so Revelation 4 and at verse 1.

108. 39:06

     After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven. Just a door. And the first voice which I had heard with me as of a trumpet talking with me. Which said, come up hither and I will show thee the things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven.

109. 39:25

     And one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper. Beautiful little lesson there, brethren and sisters. Jasper. Notice where jasper is now. Number one. You go back to the breastplate. You will see it was the last one. On the breastplate jasper was last. Here it's number one.

110. 39:44

     Go to Revelation 21. It's number one. It's the first because the first shall be last and the last first. And that's exactly the principle. The jasper. And again we could do a whole series just on jasper. And the sardine stone. And there was a rainbow around about the throne. In the sight like unto an emerald.

111. 40:06

     And so what do you think of when you see a rainbow? It's telling us about a covenant that God made with us. It's a covenant of mercy. It's a covenant of love. It's a covenant to tell us that he will never ever destroy the earth again. In the manner that he did in the days of Noah.

112. 40:25

     Is that what you see when you see a rainbow? Or do you just look at the rainbow and say, Oh, what a beautiful rainbow. Let's look for the little pot of gold, shall we? You know.

113. 40:36

     A rainbow, brethren and sisters, is just such a unique experience. When you look at a rainbow, see God's love. See the covenant and color that he has made. Every color just telling you and shouting at you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

114. 40:55

     Verse 4. Around about the throne were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed with white raiment. And they had on their heads crowns of gold. Which later in this vision they are going to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ. Twenty-four elders. Well, your margin will take you to the Old Testament and the twenty-four Levitical orders.

115. 41:18

     But the twenty-four can be looked at another way. Twelve and twelve. Twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And probably twelve Gentile thrones. I mean, there are different ways of viewing this.

116. 41:31

     And they have crowns of gold on their head. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. So when you are in the magnificence of a storm. I mean, if you come to Africa we can show you some real storms. I don't know whether you have real storms here. Thunderstorms with lightning and thunder.

117. 41:47

     You can ask when. I'm a complete crazy when it comes to storms. If there's a storm, I like to run outside and really look at it. It's just wonderful to watch an African storm just blowing across those open fields. And to feel the energy of God. And to listen to the voice of God.

118. 42:06

     When you look at the thunders and the lightnings. And all these things telling me of His love for me. And so there proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. Which are the seven spirits of God. And so we come to this incredible combination now.

119. 42:27

     Of the cherubim and the seraphim together in the vision. Verse 6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne. There were four living creatures. Full of eyes. Before and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion.

120. 42:51

     That's something that belongs to the cherubim. The first looked like a lion. The second living creature looked like a calf. The third living creature had the face of a man. And the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. So when you watch those birds the other day. Those that came to that out.

121. 43:13

     When you watch those birds. Did you think of this? Because that was a visual aid. Of what it's going to be like. In the kingdom. All the characteristics of all those things. Belong to the saints in glory. What an incredible hope. And the four living creatures. Verse 8. Each of them had six wings.

122. 43:35

     There you can see there's a connection now to the seraphim. And they were full of eyes. Within. And they rest not day and night saying holy, holy, holy. Lord God almighty. What a marvelous thing to be saying. Which was. Which is. And is to come. And so time is presented to us in terms of past, present, future.

123. 44:00

     From him who was. Is. And is to come. Revelation 1 doesn't present it to us like that at all. From him who is. This was. And is to come. The continual I am. And John spoke about that last night. Because in suffering that's what you need. You need the presence of God. The one that's here.

124. 44:19

     That goes through the suffering with you. And when those. Four living creatures give glory and honor. And thanks to him. That sat on the throne. Who lives forever and ever.

125. 44:35

     The four and twenty elders. Fall down. Before him that sat on the throne. And worship him. That lives forever and ever. And they cast their crowns. Before his throne. Saying. Thou art worthy, O Lord. To receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things. And for thou pleasure they are.

126. 44:54

     And they were created. Marvelous vision, brethren and sisters. And John, you remember, weeps. Because there was a scroll. Sealed in the backside with seven seals. In the hand of him that sat on the throne. And John weeps. Because no man in heaven. Or on earth. Or under the earth.

127. 45:17

     Was worthy to open the scroll. And to loose the seven seals thereof. But then he hears. I heard. It was the line of the tribe of Judah. He was the one that prevailed. It's the only time you're going to find a line. In relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation. This is the book of the Lamb.

128. 45:34

     Twenty-eight times you'll find in the book of Revelation. The Lamb. So he hears. Ah, the Lamb of the tribe of Judah. He's got it all worked out. It's all to do with the Old Testament. It's all got to do with the Jews. It's all got to do with Israel. And the covenant that God had made with Abraham.

129. 45:51

     But when he looks at something completely different. He looks. And he sees the Lamb. As it was slain. From the foundation of the world. A vision of what happened in the Garden of Eden. And so we'll close with the words in Revelation 5 and verse 6.

130. 46:10

     And I saw. I beheld. And lo. In the midst of the throne. Four living creatures. And in the midst of the elders. Right in the center. Right in the very middle. Stood a Lamb. As it had been slain. Having seven horns and seven eyes. Which are the seven spirits of God. Stand forth.

131. 46:35

     Into all the earth. Thank you for listening to the Good Christ Adelphine Talks podcast. Please subscribe for new episodes. And leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Or whichever service you are listening from. To help people find the show when they search for it. If you enjoyed this talk. Share it on social media so other people can find it too.

132. 47:02

     For show notes and links to the talk that you just listened to. Visit our show page at anchor.fm slash gct. We want to encourage everyone to share their thoughts from the talk this week. On Facebook or Instagram. Where we are at. Good Christ Adelphine Talks. Or on Twitter. Where we are at. GCT underscore podcast.

133. 47:20

     If you know of a great talk. We want to know about it too. Send a suggestion to goodchristadelphiantalks at gmail.com. Or message us on any of our social media platforms. Thank you for listening. God bless. And talk to you next week. Thank you. you