“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
The final verse of Genesis 3 records God placing cherubim and a flaming sword on the east side of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life. The garden is sealed. Cherubim in Scripture are associated with the presence of God — they guard the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:22) and appear in Ezekiel's throne-room visions. Their presence at Eden's gate is not simply a fence but a marker: the way to God's presence and the tree of life is now closed to ordinary human approach. The flaming sword turning in every direction implies an absolute barrier. But the tabernacle and later the temple — with their cherubim-covered ark, their imagery echoing Eden — are built as places where that closed access begins to reopen. And in Hebrews 10:19–20, the writer declares that through Jesus' body we have a new and living way into the holy place. The closed gate of Genesis 3:24 is the open gate of Hebrews 10:20. Today, the way to God is not blocked — it is open through Christ. Are you walking through it?
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