Why were two golden cherubim placed upon the Ark of the Covenant?

Two golden cherubim were placed over the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle of Meeting and in the temple (Ex. 25:17–22). The Ark of the Covenant is also called “the mercy seat” as it represents the throne of God, full of mercy towards His children. And above it were two cherubim, one at each end, with their wings stretched upward and facing each other. On each side were two golden rings; and poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold were slid through the rings with which they carried the Ark. The children of Kohath were entrusted to guard and carry the ark (Num. 3:29–31).

The two cherubim represent divine glory and divine presence. God would speak to Moses from above them. The presence of the two cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant indicates that God, who dwells among His people, speaks to them and deals with them with mercy and love. The presence of two cherubim also helps us to understand the role of the heavenly beings toward us: praying for us and ministering to those who will inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14).

The two cherubim are a symbol of our access to heavenly creatures and of our fellowship with the cherubim and seraphim in their praise and liturgy. The Lord said to Moses: “And there I will meet 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” (Ex. 25:22).

As for the appearance of clouds between the two cherubim when God was present there, and the accompanying sound and the appearance of a sky-blue color around the two cherubim (Ezek. 1:26) — all these point to the eschatological⁶⁸³ nature of our liturgy at the new altar, and its heavenly character. The figure of a cherub was depicted on the curtains of the tent and on the veil (Ex. 26–31) as a winged human, showing the closeness of human nature to the divine presence.