Bible
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19. If God in the second commandment forbids us to make any carved
image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven or that is in the earth,
why was there inside the tabernacle a curtain (the one which separated the
Holy Place from the Most Holy Place) with cherubim worked into it by a
skilled craftsman? We know that those images were not worshipped; however
could we then justify the untrue answer given by the Catholics according to
which there is a difference between the adoration to God and the veneration
given to the saints, to the dead and to Mary? And could we justify also the
making of carved images and sculptures which are put by the Catholics in
their houses, and in their places of worship, as the two cherubim were put
into the |
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First of all, I say to
you that there are three fundamental and substantial differences between the sculptures
of the two cherubim which were upon the holy ark and the sculptures of the saints,
of Mary etc. made by the Roman Catholics. |
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The first difference
is that while the cherubim which were in the Most Holy Place had been ordered
by God, these sculptures made by the Roman Catholics are not at all commanded
by God. For when God ordered Moses to tell the Israelites to make a sanctuary
for Him, among other things He said to Moses: “And thou shalt make two
cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of
the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on
the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two
ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high,
covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to
another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou
shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; 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 two
cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will
give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 25:18-22).
Therefore there was a divine commandment: Moses heard those words and obeyed. |
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The second difference
is that the two cherubim made in the desert at God’s command, were not made
in order to be put in a public place, open to everybody, where all the people
could see them and thus be led to bow down before those sculptures and
worship them. For the two cherubim were put upon the atonement cover or mercy
seat, which was placed on top of the ark, which was inside the Most Holy
Place where only the High Priest could enter once a year with the blood of
some animals – that were offered to make atonement for the sins of the
priests and of the people - to sprinkle it upon and before the atonement
cover or mercy seat (Leviticus 16:14-15). Whereas the sculptures and the
images of the Roman Catholic Church are placed everywhere to be greeted,
venerated, and worshipped by the Roman Catholics. |
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The third difference
is that the cherubim commanded by God were not made that the people might
serve them and give them some sort of worship; whereas the images and the
sculptures ordered by the Roman Theology are made to be served and to be
really worshipped. It does not matter how this cult is called, it is a religious
devotion directed toward some objects. And God calls this religious devotion
IDOLATRY, which is an abomination in His sight. |
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As for the cherubim
which were on the curtain that divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy
Place (Exodus 26:31-33), it must be said that they were commanded by God as
the sculptures, and they were seen only by the High Priest when he entered
into the Most Holy Place and also in the Holy Place to carry on the ministry
God had given to him, and by the priests every time they entered into the
Holy Place to carry on their ministry. Therefore, the people, since they
could enter neither into the |
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Furthermore, to
confirm what I have just said, I remember you that God did not order to make
the cherubim worked by a skilful craftsman into the curtain for the entrance
to the courtyard either, which was of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and
finely twisted linen (Exodus 38:18; 27:16), and you know that curtain could
be seen by all the people who were encamped around the tabernacle tribe by
tribe. |
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And I could add also
that God did not order to make the priestly sacred garments with cherubim
worked into them by a skilled craftsman either (Exodus 28:1-43). |
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All these differences,
existing between the sculptures and images of the cherubim and the sculptures
and images of the popish tradition, lead me to reaffirm that the sculptures
and images of the popish tradition are forbidden by God, are an abomination
in God’s sight, and that those who bow down before them and direct any kind
of religious devotion toward them are idolaters, who will not inherit the
kingdom of God. We cannot justify the sculptures and images of the Roman
Catholic Church through the sculptures of the cherubim and the cherubim
worked into the curtain inside the tabernacle which were
ordered by God. |
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Why did God order those things? Considering that it is written that
God “sitteth between the cherubims” (Psalm 99:1; cf. Isaiah 37:16 and Ezekiel
10:1-22), I believe that the reason was to remember His priests that His heavenly
throne was between the cherubim. |