And the cherubim lifted up their wings
As birds do, when they are about to remove and fly away; these being upon the motion, ready to depart, as well as the glory of the Lord: and mounted up from the earth in my sight:
the land of Judea, where the Gospel was first preached; but this being slighted and despised, the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel took their flight from thence, and turned to the Gentiles: when they went out, the wheels also [were] beside them:
wherever they went in the Gentile world, their ministry was successful, souls were converted, and churches formed; when the glory of the God of Israel departed from the temple, and from the city of Jerusalem, and from the land of Judea, the Gospel ministry and the Gospel church state were removed likewise, and carried and fixed elsewhere: and [everyone] stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house;
that is, the glory of the God of Israel, and the cherubim, and the wheels, they stood together in one place, the eastern gate of the temple, one of the outward gates: the gate of the court of the Israelites, or outward court, which looked to the east; which shows that they were just going, and leaving the house or temple desolate, no more to return to it; see ( Matthew 23:38 Matthew 23:39 ) ; the next remove was into the city, and then to a mountain on the east side of it; see ( Ezekiel 11:23 ) ; it was in the eastern part of the world that the Gospel was first preached, after it was carried from Judea: and the glory of the God of Israel [was] over them above;
both over the cherubim and the wheels; great gifts were bestowed upon the ministers, and great grace was upon the churches; and the presence of God was with both, and a glory on them, and on that glory a defence.