By Sheila Barnett
Born in 622 BC, Ezekiel was a priest called by God to be a prophet. He received a vision from the Lord, recorded in the first chapter of the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. In these verses, Ezekiel describes the living creatures, also known as the cherubim. (See also Ezekiel 10:15 & 10:20) Ezekiel 10:12 provides us with a more detailed picture of the cherubim: “Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands, and their wings were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.” (Ezekiel 1:15-21 describes the wheels of the cherubim. These wheels moved as the living creatures moved.)
I am fascinated by the descriptions of the living creatures, seen by both Ezekiel and the apostle John, who recorded his vision in the book of Revelation. (See Revelation 4:6-11) What intrigues me most is the fact that both the wheels and the cherubim are covered with eyes.
God has created other creatures that have multiple eyes. Oysters, mussels, clams, and scallops are all aquatic bivalves that possess many eyes. Scallops can have up to 200 tiny eyes lining the mantle of their shells. The structure of their eyes is similar to the optics systems in telescopes! A scallop’s eyes are constructed of a pupil, a lens, 2 retinas, and a mirror made from 20-30 layers of guanine crystals. (Guanine is a highly reflective material, similar to the shiny scales of a fish.) The curved mirrors in a scallop’s eyes reflect light to the retinas, creating peripheral and central vision at the same time.
Clams have eyes that are special photo-receptor cells, allowing them to sense changes between light and dark, or light and shadow. Oysters and mussels have similar eyes as well.
The eyes of all these bivalves serve as a defense mechanism, helping them to avoid danger. A large shadow passing overhead might mean a hungry predator, and their shells will snap tightly shut. These creatures also use their eyes to orient themselves towards the daylight above the surface of the water. This allows for a better chance of a meal filtering down to it, which is plant matter dissolved in the water. Scallops also swim, so perhaps their eyes help them avoid collisions with rocks!
God created these simple aquatic creatures with multiple eyes for a reason – to help them survive. But why did He cover the cherubim and their wheels with eyes? Some biblical scholars conclude that the multiple eyes affirm God as all-seeing and all-knowing. In addition, perhaps it could be to remind us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Light of the World and to avoid the dangerous shadows of temptations in our lives. Or maybe the multiple eyes of the cherubim teach us to always watch for opportunities to share God’s love and the good news of salvation through Jesus to others. Perhaps all of these eyes should remind us to be watching for Jesus’ return to this earth, when He will make all things right. What do the eyes mean to you?
To me, the eyes are a reminder that because God is all-seeing and all-knowing, I can trust Him to show me opportunities to serve Him. But in order to do this, I need to keep my spiritual eyes open and keep them focused on Jesus.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being all-seeing and all-knowing, and at the same time, You are “all-caring” about me. I only have two eyes, but please help me to keep both of them focused firmly on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reference: www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature (May 6, 2019)