While working on my last post, I noticed the Hebrew words for skin and light are both transliterated into the same letters owr, and they are pronounced the same, so I googled it to see what the difference was. This is the AI explanation:
The difference between the Hebrew words for skin and light lies in their first letter: Light (אור – ‘or) starts with an Aleph (א), symbolizing God/strength, while Skin (עור – ‘or) starts with an Ayin (ע), representing the eye/natural vision, even though both are pronounced identically as ‘or (with a silent first letter in modern Hebrew). This subtle difference creates a profound wordplay in Genesis, where Adam and Eve’s original light garments were replaced by “garments of skin” (עוֹר) after the fall, representing a shift from divine connection to physical, earthly covering.
This certainly supports the Jewish and Christian tradition that Adam and Eve were given garments of light before the Fall.
After they were given “coats of skins” the Lord “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” (Genesis 3:24) to prevent them from partaking of the Tree of Life. Alma 12:26 explains, “And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.”
The cherubim and flaming sword were there to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve were then driven out of the Garden of Eden. The cherubim were placed at the east end of the garden, and they would have exited the garden going eastward. Also, “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.” (Genesis 4:16).
The garden exit orientation is important because the temple reverses the direction. President Gordon B. Hinckley once said that as much as possible, the progression through the temple should be westward. This doesn’t always happen due to practicality though. Revelation 2:7 contains the promise: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” The atonement of Jesus Christ reverses the effects of the Fall. When Mary Magdelene found the empty tomb at Jesus’ resurrection, and when Jesus spoke to her, she thought He was the gardener (John 20:15). Some Bible scholars see this as an invitation to re-enter the Garden as a result of the Savior’s atonement, which now reverses the effects of the Fall when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
Just as cherubs are placed to guard the Tree of Life, cherubs are also placed in the ancient tabernacle and temple to guard the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant, representing the presence of God. For the tabernacle, Moses was commanded, “And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made” (Exodus 26:31). The veil separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, and cherubim were embroidered on the veil, symbolically guarding God’s throne. The lid of the Ark of the Covenant was called the mercy seat and considered to be God’s throne. The mercy seat points to the atonement of Jesus Christ. Its Hebrew origin is kapporeth from the Hebrew word kaphar, meaning atonement. Thus, the mercy seat should be considered as an “atonement seat.”
On the mercy seat and lid of the Ark are two golden cherubim facing each other with their wings covering the Ark and touching each other (see below). Thus, cherubs are guarding the throne of God. It recalls D&C 132:19 regarding those inheriting exaltation, who “shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.”
Brigham Young taught, “Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the House of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 2, p. 31).
The temple provides the covenant path enabling us to walk back to the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ, whose atonement reverses the Fall and makes it possible to enjoy exaltation with Them.
