There has been much speculation about the nature of the four “Living Creatures” known as Cherubim seen in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 1:5 and 10:14) and John’s vision (Revelation 4:7).
Whatever else they may signify, they have an amazing relationship to the celestial revelation of Christ in the stars which we call the Star Bible, and they are a part of the prophetic calendar contained in the stars. In fact, the Greek word for Cherubim has the same root, Zoe (Life), as the word Zodiac (Way of Life).
In the book of Genesis we are told that God created the stars to be “signs for seasons, for days, and for years”. The earliest calendar we know of was developed by Enoch based on the signs, that is, the 12 constellations of Zodiac, and the 4 cardinal seasonal points of the Summer and Winter Solstices and Spring and Fall Equinoxes. These four seasonal change points and the four constellations residing there at the time of Creation form the faces of the four Cherubim:
- The Spring Equinox in Enoch’s era contained the constellation Taurus (The Bull). In Ezekiel 1:10 the Hebrew word for Bull, Showr, is mistranslated as “Ox”, and in Revelation 4:7 the Greek word for Bull, Moschos, is mistranslated as “Calf”. In actuality, the “Ox” or “Calf” faced Cherub represents Taurus (The Bull).
- The Summer Solstice contained the constellation Leo (The Lion), and that constellation is represented by the Lion faced Cherub.
- The Fall Equinox was in the constellation Ophiuchus (The Serpent Held) which pictures a man holding a serpent while preparing to crush a scorpion (Scorpio), and which is usually considered part of Scorpio. The Man faced Cherub pictures Ophiuchus.
- The Winter Solstice was in the constellation Aquarius (The Water Pourer). Nearby is the constellation Aquillia (The Eagle) which pictures a wounded eagle and represents the crucifixion of Christ. The constellation also contains the star Altair (The Wounding) which Chinese astronomers used to describe the part of the sky containing the Star of Bethlehem in 5 BC. Aquilla is the basis of the Eagle faced Cherub.
However, the signs and seasons represented by the Cherubim did not remain in place. Enoch attributed the change to God shortening the year and moving the stars out of their prescribed order because of the sinfulness of mankind. We call it the Precession of the Equinoxes, a wobble in the Earth’s rotation which moves the stars backwards from the seasonal change points by about 20 minutes per year. You could say that the precession is a wheel moving in the wheel of the Zodiac, like the wheel in a wheel described with the Cherubim (Ezekiel 1:16) By the time of the Call of Abraham, in 2091 BC, none of the signs at the seasonal change points corresponded to those reflected in the faces of the Cherubim.
The changes in the signs and seasons are, in fact, the great prophetic calendar of the ages. Changes have occurred at the time of the Flood of Noah, the Call of Abraham, the Exodus, the Exile, and the birth of Christ. And now, as we near the return of Christ, the Cherubim will return to the seasonal change points. This change can be seen in the order in which the faces are listed, first on earth in Ezekiel, and secondly in Heaven in Revelation:
- For the Fall Equinox, the Man is replaced by a the Lion.
- For the Summer Solstice, the Lion is replaced by the Bull.
- For the Winter Solstice, the Eagle is replaced by the Man.
- And for Spring Equinox, the Bull is replaced by the Eagle.
This return of the Cherubim in the signs and seasons is one of the signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars of the Return of Christ. It is currently scheduled to occur in 2121 AD, but, since no man knows the day or hour, this date can be changed by God simply by causing a change in Earth’s wobble.
But, like the Wise Men who knew the signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars of Christ’s birth, we should nevertheless watch for the signs as we await the return of Christ.
So tonight take a look at Taurus, Leo, Ophiuchus, and Aquilla as they pass overhead. And tell someone Christ is coming soon.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
