All creation was affected by death when Adam sinned.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope,
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
We are already reconciled to God in Christ before all creation will be.
Colossians 1:10-11 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet NOW hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
But all creation will be reconciled in Christ also. In Adam's day the cherubim blocked the entrance to the garden bearing their faces of the OX, LION, MAN, and EAGLE, according to Ezekiel's vision..
Ezekiel 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
There is the presence of the cherubim in many of the instances when God dealt with all of creation. And the rainbow is involved also.
Genesis 9:10 And with every living creature that [is] with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
Notice that the four faces of the cherubim represent these four classes of creation including man. In fact, Adam named the CATTLE, BEASTS, FOWL and his own human wife! These are the four faces of the cherubims.
Man's link with the fish and sea creatures and creeping things apparently was not in effect as it was with these others. And read the following interesting passage of scripture.
Genesis 9:15-16 And I will remember my covenant, which [is] between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.
It appears that there are two covenants noted here. The first in verse 15 regarding Noah, and the everlasting covenant noted in verse 16 being a broader covenant involving all creation. Could the EVERLASTING GOSPEL in Rev. be this same message?
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Could the everlasting covenant involve the creation getting back to God again since the fall of creation at the Garden? Ezekiel saw the cherubim with the faces of the creatures represented in Noah's covenant (Gen. 9:9) and he saw a rainbow in the chariot of the cherubim also.
Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
So these Cherubim seem to represent Emblems of the Restoration of creation. In Rev. 4 we find the FOUR BEASTS with the faces of the cherubim!
Revelation 4:7 And the first beast [was] like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast [was] like a flying eagle.
And these beasts praise God, and thus inspire the 24 elders to worship Him in a most unique manner.
Revelation 4:9-11 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
They worship God for CREATION, and how CREATION was made for God's pleasure!
Revelation speaks of the end of the age, where the restoration will be fulfilled. And we see indication that the cherubim REMIND the 24 elders of the fact that creation fell, but it is still God's creation made for His pleasure! Hence we can read between the lines and see that they are actually saying, "Creation may have fallen, but God created it for His pleasure. Therefore, creation is to be restored to Him once again!"
As it was in the Old Creation, it is opposite in the New. God is accomplishing a NEW CREATION. All affected by sin is OLD. And the OLD must pass away.
Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make ALL THINGS NEW. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a NEW heaven and a NEW earth: for the FIRST heaven and the FIRST earth were PASSED AWAY; and there was no more sea.
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the FORMER THINGS are PASSED AWAY.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, ALL THINGS are become NEW.
The first thing made was the heaven and the earth. These are the that will be made in the New Creation. The New Heaven and New Earth are made AFTER all else has been made new (Rev. 21:1). Man was made last in the old creation. Man is now made FIRST in the New (Col. 1:20-21). This only stands to reason since you cannot have a New Heaven and New Earth made first only to be corrupted by Old creatures. God must work in reverse order. Make the inhabitants of the New earth to come first, so that there will be no more contamination to deal with again in the New Earth.
Our OLD MAN must remain dead along with the Old Covenant and such in the coffin of the ark of the Covenant. The OLD SERPENT (Rev. 12:9) affects THE OLD MAN.
Eph. 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
But those made New who rely on the blood and have destroyed the Old Man (Ro. 6:6) with its affections and lusts are not susceptible the clutches of the Old Serpent from Eden.
Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, THAT OLD SERPENT, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The Woman who is clothed with the sun is ABOVE the world in the HEAVENS. And the Dragon is cast DOWN to earth, below the woman, for we are seated together with him in heavenly places.
Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder *in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun*, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Those of the Woman, the MANCHILD, "OVER-come" the Old Serpent, since they are born of the Woman as a New Creature. This second Eve, the Woman, bride to the Last Adam, Jesus, is superior to the "old Eve" and defeats the OLD SERPENT. And her Seed, the Manchild, as opposed to Eve's firstborn, Cain, bring down the accusations of Satan and strengthen Michael on their behalf to thrust the Old Serpent down. Instead of Cain thrusting down Abel, the Manchild casts down the serpent that crouched at Cain, tempting him to murder. By the WORD of our TESTIMONY we overcome. The Ark of the Covenant or Testimony is our place of REST (we are seated with Him), and speaks of Christ the WORD. Hence the ARK, the WORD OF TESTIMONY, overcame the serpent, with the Ark's cherub, Michael, the warrior archangel.
Michael fights for those who rest on the blood of Christ, the epicenter of the New Covenant with it's destructive effects against the Devil. The Word of our Testimony is Christ. And the Blood agrees with the Word!
1 John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
The water is the washing of water by the Word. Thinking about the "Word of their testimony" in Rev. 12:10-11, which connects Michael's warfare against the Dragon with the Blood, it is wondrous to note that the ark of the COVENANT was also called the ARK OF THE TESTIMONY!
Exodus 25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
And the blood spilled onto the ark's mercy seat connects us with the overcomers weaponry of the BLOOD OF THE LAMB.
Leviticus 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, and by the word of their TESTIMONY; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
One can say that the ark of the covenant and the Holiest place were actually part and parcel of the New Covenant. Man could only enter once a year, and that after much ritual.
Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Hebrews 10:3 But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. Jesus offered His OWN BLOOD ONCE.
Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
It was as much as saying the priests of the Old Testament merely tasted of the glory to come in the New Covenant! The Holiest was known as the SECOND TABERNACLE in Hebrews 9, whereas the Outer Court and Holy Place were the First Tabernacle with all it's ritual.
Hebrews 9:1-3 Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the SECOND veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
The veil was part of the first, only to be removed when the First tabernacle was removed.
Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
The rituals were veiled ministration under Moses, symbolised by his veiled face when God's glory saturated him and formed a reflection.
2 Corinthians 3:13 And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Moses, in effect, entered the true holiest, but could not dwell there.
Exodus 34:29-30 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
Exodus 34:33 And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
We see the full force of all His glory since the veils upon our hearts are removed by turning to Christ.
And the Cherubim always showed up when anything of major dealings with the CREATION occurred. Ezekiels' visions of the cherubim occurred in regards to the removal of glory from Israel's temple.
Ezekiel 10:18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
Such an event involved a major aspect of God's dealing with all mankind, in that Israel was witness to the world of God's sovereignty. We are glorified with HIS Righteousness as Jesus urged us to seek.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS go hand in hand.
Romans 14:17 For the *kingdom of God* is not meat and drink; but *righteousness*, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
It is HIS righteousness. His covering of glory. Law urges us to sew up our own coverings of righteousness as foreshadowed by Adam's independence in sewing fig-leaf aprons after committing his sin, in order to solve the problem of his nakedness. Man cannot solve his own problems of sin. Any attempts at doing so are purely incompetent, self-righteous. But such fig-leaf attempts of self- righteousness (Gen. 3:7) are subject to die as we are, and the iniquities of us all blow these faded leaves away like the wind. Coverings are meant to guard us from the elements.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all *our righteousnesses* [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade *as a leaf*; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
His righteousness is eternal, and not subject to temporal existence only to die. His righteousness heals our sorry states, and there is healing in the leaves of the Tree of Life.
The position of the Cherubim at the entrance to the Garden in Gen. 3:24 seems to have been a note that, though man could not enter at that time due to sin, a way would be open one day. "All creation was affected by you, Adam. But a day will come when humanity and all of CREATION will be reconciled to God!
Look at those faces on the cherubim. They represent all nature that fell. The creature has been made subject to vanity unwillingly - (Romans 8:19-20). They appeared again on the veil in the tabernacle. Notice the entrance to the Garden was on the east side (Gen. 3:24)! And the only entrance to the Tabernacle was on the EAST END! So when you entered the holiest, as well as the outer court, you walked towards the west. And you approached a barrier of the veil embroidered with cherubim (Ex. 26:31). Man was still blocked from entrance into the holiest place as foreshadowed earlier by the GARDEN.
You have the GARDEN "IN" EDEN (Gen 2:8), making Eden a larger district surrounding the Garden. And within the garden was the most holy TREE OF LIFE, completely coinciding with the layout of the tabernacle (Outer Court, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place). Ezekiel 28 refers to what many scholars feel is reference to Satan and his fall. There was no historical KING OF TYRUS, though there was a prince (Ezek. 28:2).
Ezek 28:2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart [is] lifted up, and thou hast said, I [am] a God, I sit [in] the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou [art] a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
The KING was the force behind the human Prince. Satan was that King. And in verse 14, you see the three sections again. Eden, Garden and Holy Mountain (Outer Court, Holy Place and Most Holy Place).
Ezek 28:13-14 Thou hast been in EDEN THE GARDEN of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the HOLY MOUNTAIN of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
But in Moses' day, approach was allowed if only for one day out of every year. Atonement was carried out with the shedding of blood and much ritual. The High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place beyond the VEIL embroidered with cherubim. It was as though man could enter the Garden again, but only one day a year. Reconciliation was on it's way to fulfillment!
Notice the following verses in lieu of reconciliation and Moses' day.
Romans 5:10-14 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
After Moses came along something changed! Death no longer held sway. It seems that the ATONEMENT of Moses' Law involved a death that would dethrone the rule of death let in by Adam. And isn't it wonderful to see that Man could enter the garden, as it were, one day a year (Lev. 16:12- 14). There is a definite link, here. He could, in effect, pass the cherubim as represented on the veil, but it could not happen every day (Lev. 16:2). Nevertheless, approach was at least available.
The VEIL WAS RENT in Jesus crucifixion as He died (Mark 15:37-38). The cherubim blocking man's way, but for one day a year, actually were removed for all those who believe in Jesus' atonement for mankind's reconciliation to God! Through the CROSS, Jesus' blood was shed. And the High Priest, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14), took His own blood into the holiest of heaven and offered it to the Father. We can now come BOLDLY to the throne of MERCY as symbolised by the MERCY SEAT on the ark of the covenant within the holiest (Hebrews 4:16), because of Jesus' blood.
There is an interesting passage in John 20:17 where Mary saw Jesus.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.
The Lord instructed her to avoid touching Him since He had not yet ascended to the Father. What does this mean? In verse 27 he allows Thomas to touch Him eight days later.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
There is a verse in Leviticus 16:17 that explains Jesus' words to Mary.
Levi 16:17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy [place], until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
During the annual Atonement, the High Priest had gone through much ceremony of purification for the rite of atonement in offering the blood on the mercy seat of the Ark. The verse tells us that no one could be in the tabernacle when the high priest made his way to the veil and the holiest to pass through and offer the blood. Should one touch him, the complete ceremony of purification would have been destroyed. The High Priest would be unclean. Jesus was actually ready to ascend to the Father after His resurrection to present the blood as man's atonement! And Mary was not to touch Him. Praise God! The covenant of reconciliation to God was made through the cross by Jesus' blood!
In Numbers 2 we find reference to the situation of the camps around the Tabernacle. When the pillar of fire stopped moving and leading Israel through the wilderness the people had to stop their journey and pitch their tents. The Tabernacle was then set up and everyone positioned themselves around the tabernacle as the Lord had instructed in Numbers 2. On the EAST of the tabernacle, the three tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun pitched tent under Judah's banner. On the SOUTH, the tribes of Reuben Simeon and Gad pitched under Reuben's banner. On the WEST, the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin pitched under Ephraim's standard. And on the NORTH, Dan, Asher and Naphtali pitched under Dan's standard. This is very fascinating, because the standards of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan are respectively symbolized with a LION, MAN, YOUNG OX and EAGLE! The four faces of the cherubim! Now, they pitched their tents with the doors facing the Tabernacle. That meant their backs were exposed to any potential enemy that might fall upon them. Oh, but there was no danger.
The faces of the Cherubim were represented on each of the four camp banners to indicate the protective forces of the angles over those who abide by the COVENANT! And the NUMBER of the people under each of these four camps also indicates a beautiful truth. There were 186,400 people at the EAST of the tabernacle. There were 151,450 - SOUTH 108,100 people WEST 157,600 people NORTH. The north and south were relatively similar in size. The EAST was the largest group. And the West the smallest group. YOU CAN SEE THE CROSS in this layout.
Picture the largest mass of people at the east as the trunk of the cross. And head of the cross would correspond with the WEST (smallest number of people). The two arms were relatively the same size, North and South.
The Tabernacle was in the middle. And the heart of the cross is the glory of God where we are reconciled to Him! The cross is the only way to reconciliation with God, due to the SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST offered on the true altar and sprinkled on the true mercy seat! The HEART of God is RECONCILIATION WITH MANKIND - God's greatest love. His cherubim will keep those who trust in His blood!
Psalm 91:1-16 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. {The Secret Place is the HOLIEST OF HOLIES under the shadow of the WINGS of the cherubim on the MERCY SEAT} I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. {AGAIN, WINGS of the cherubim indicate FEATHERS} Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, [which is] my refuge, [even] the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. {ANGELIC protection as indicated by sitting under their wings} They shall bear thee up in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Amen!