What Are the Cherubim? Pt. 3: Their Hands and Feet

As we discussed in our two previous videos, the Cherubim are terrifying creatures with four faces and four wings. They have the face of a man, eagle, ox, and lion. They also have the likeness of man due to their connection with man. Not only do they have the likeness and face of man, but the Cherubim also have human hands. Their feet are like burnished bronze. But what does that mean? Why do the Cherubim have human hands and bronze feet? What does bronze represent in the Bible? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to explain the Cherubim’s hands and feet in part three of our What Are the Cherubim? series.

What Are The Cherubim? Pt. 3 Summary

The Cherubim’s Hands and Feet

⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:

Ezekiel 1:7-8

The Cherubim’s Legs

The Cherubim’s legs were straight, so that no one direction dominated. This is important because they had to be able to move in all for directions without turning.

⁹ their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went.

Ezekiel 1:9

If the Cherubim’s legs had knees that bent as we do, they wouldn’t be able to go in all four directions without turning. They would then also have one dominant side, and therefore all four sides could not be equal. This is important because each side of the Cherubim makes up an important piece of who they are. No one side is more important or dominant than the other, or when they went forward with the less dominant side, they would be at a disadvantage. This is why the Cherubim’s legs go straight forward; they need to go in any of the four directions without turning.

The Cherubim’s Bronze Feet

The Cherubim’s feet shone like burnished bronze because bronze is symbolic of the common man receiving healing, Salvation, redemption, etc. It wasn’t like gold, just for specific people, it was for everyone.

Examples of Bronze in the Bible

The Bronze Fiery Serpent in the Wilderness

⁴ From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. ⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” ⁶ Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. ⁷ And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Altar in the Tent of Meeting

²⁹ The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels; ³⁰ with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, ³¹ the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.

Exodus 38:29-31

¹ The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, ² “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. ³ If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.”

Leviticus 1:1-3

Summary of the Bronze feet

In the Bible, one of the uses of bronze was to represent that it was for everyone, not just one kind of person. It was for anyone willing to receive. Anyone willing to accept and be healed. Anyone willing to accept Salvation and be saved, delivered, and redeemed. So, the Bible records the Cherubim’s feet as bronze because they are angels, ministering spirits, bringing Salvation, redemption, and healing to all people willing to receive it by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior. The Cherubim’s hands and feet are connected in the way that they both are representations of healing, redemption, and receiving Salvation.

The Cherubim’s Human Hands

The Cherubim have human hands because they can bestow the Spirit of God and the gifts of God upon those whom they lay hands on, as all angels, both spiritual beings and human beings, can.

¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:17

¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

1 Timothy 4:14

⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:5-7

• 

• 

• 

• 

Part One?

Part Two?

Part Four?

Back to Too Deep?

Back to Theology?

Similar Content