He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24 ESV)
The Sword
That sword sounds scary. Cherubim themselves are described in scripture as terrifying, and this one has a flaming sword, has alret eyes, and guards the way back to Eden.
It sure sounds like God really, really, really does not want people back in Eden.
But swords in scripture are often symbolic of something precious: God’s Word. Ephesians 6:17 clearly connects swords, particularly the sword of the Spirit with God’s Word. And this flaming sword is as spiritual a sword as has ever been seen.
Because God did not place that sword, wielded by a messenger of God, to stop people from coming back to Him. Rather, because He loves His people, He gives us a way back to Eden.
That way is found only in Scripture.
We can’t guess who Jesus was. Creation does not teach of us God’s Grace manifested astonishingly through Christ’s atoning work. Our brains can not imagine God’s plan of salvation.
Only God’s Word does those things.
The guarding angel is actually showing us the way to God… that sword symbolizes (as it does elsewhere in Scripture) God’s Word.
God loves His people, so He shows us the way back to Him, in His Word.