Exodus 25:18-22; 37:7-9 Symbolism explained

                  Cherubim on Mercy Seat

¹⁸ And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

¹⁹ And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

²⁰ And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

²¹ And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

²² And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

-Exodus 25:18-22 King James Version (KJV)

⁷ And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

⁸ One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

⁹ And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims. -Exodus 37:7-9 King James Version (KJV)

 

Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com

277.

...[4] Because of this signification of "cherubim," two cherubim of solid gold were placed upon the mercy-seat which was upon the ark, thus described in Moses: Thou shalt make cherubim, of solid gold thou shalt make them, from the two ends of the mercy-seat; out of the mercy-seat thou shalt make the cherubim. And the cherubim shall spread out their wings upwards, covering the mercy-seat with their wings; towards the mercy-seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark. And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee between the two cherubim (Exod. 25:18-22; 37:7-9). The "ark" and the "tent" represented the higher heavens; the "ark," in which was the testimony or law, represented the inmost or third heaven; the "tabernacle," which was without the veil, the middle or second heaven; the "mercy-seat" the hearing and reception of all things of worship which are from the good of love and charity; the "cherubim" guards; and the "gold," of which they were made the good of love. From this it is also clear that the "two cherubim" represented guards that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity. (That the "tabernacle" in general represented heaven where the Lord is, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 9457, 9481, 10545; the "ark" the inmost or third heaven, n. 3478, 9485; the "testimony or law in the ark," the Lord in respect to the Word, n. 3382, 6752, 7463; the "habitation," that was without the veil, the middle or second heaven, n. 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9594, 9596, 9632; the "mercy-seat," the hearing and reception of all things of worship that are from the good of love and charity from the Lord, n. 9506; and "gold" the good of love, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881.)