adamlhumphreys In reply to lcddisplay [2017-11-09 21:25:07 +0000 UTC]

Cool. Definitely a neat read. Of course there’s some heavy speculation going on, as nothing quite like that is particularly described in Scripture concerning cherubim, although a few similarities exist:

Ex. 25:18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Ex. 25:19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.
Ex. 25:20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
Ex. 25:21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
Ex. 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Also Exodus 37:7-9, Num. 7:89, (and other references in relation to the ark), and less descriptive mentions in Ex. 26:1, 31, 36:8, 35. There’s a cherub form this song of David:
2 Sam. 22:11/Ps. 18:10  He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind.

There’s the cherubim in the temple built by Solomon in 1 Kings 6:21-38 and 2 Ch. 3:10-14. But interestingly there’s also the cherubim mentioned concerning Solomon’s carts, lions represented separately:

1 Ki. 7:29 on the panels that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plaited work.
...
1 Ki. 7:36 On the plates of its flanges and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was a clear space on each, with wreaths all around.

Then of course Ezekiel’s vision of the judgment against Jerusalem, particularly concerning the Temple in Eze. 10. Cherubim doubtless had wings, but we’re given some further details (emphasis added):

Eze 10:7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.
Eze 10:8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man's hand under their wings.
…
Eze 10:12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around.
…
Eze 10:14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Eze 10:15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar.
…
Eze 10:20 This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim.
Eze 10:21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

It’s noteworthy that the creatures found in Ezekiel 1 aren’t referenced, described, or named cherubim, but may well be the same creatures in Ezekiel 10 (emphasis added):

Eze 1:1 [Ezekiel's Vision of God]
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Eze 1:2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity,
Eze 1:3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
Eze 1:4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Eze 1:5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Eze 1:6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
Eze 1:7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves' feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze.
Eze 1:8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings.
Eze 1:9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.
Eze 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.
Eze 1:11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies.

These also had wheels next to them, and I found the reference I was looking for of the wheels full of eyes ^^ :

Eze 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
Eze 1:17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went.
Eze 1:18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them.

So, none of these descriptions quite match our modern day depiction of a griffin. The cherubim each had 4 wings, and 4 faces, and if they are the same creature being referenced in Eze. 1, straight legs, so they may likely have stood upright. (This may be unlike the cherub mentioned in David’s song.) But the article also references Rev. 4:7:

Rev 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
Rev 4:7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
Rev 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

But a modern day griffion as we know it, (with only 2 wings rather than 6), technically fits a combination of two of those descriptive phrases, “like a lion” and “like a flying eagle.” A creature with the body of an eagle and the head of a lion could equally fit and be derived from such a combination of this description. Also, there is no reference in this passage describing these creatures as cherubim. But as far as I can tell in the Bible, this is intended as symbolism as per Rev. 1:1, “He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” Symbolism’s meaning isn’t the very thing described, but the characteristics associated with the things described. Of course angels are indeed real, created beings. From Strong’s reference H3742, the Hebrew word for cherub is defined as follows:

כְּרוּב
kerûb
ker-oob'
Of uncertain derivation; a cherub or imaginary figure: - cherub, [plural] cherubims.

And the Greek variation, (only mentioned in Heb. 9:5), seems to be a transliteration directly form the Hebrew based on Strong’s G5502: “Plural of Hebrew origin [H3742]; cherubim (that is, cherubs or kerubim): - cherubims.”

Despite the claims of the article, our “more extensive and sophisticated knowledge of etymology” doesn’t bear out such an association between the cherubim described in the Bible and the griffon as we know it. However, I suspect the cherubim in Gen. 3:24 must also have been a real created being, and they have been physically represented on the ark of the covenant, in the temple Solomon built, and elsewhere as part of the temple and its furnishings, but the only description we have of such beings is from Ezekiel’s visions. ...So, I suppose one man’s guess is as good as another as to where we originally got our image of a griffon, probably a combination of origins. (Our current representation of a candy cane seems to have an equally ambiguous history. )

Hope this sheds some light on the subject in relation to the Scripture.

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