This verse serves as a reminder of the placement of the gold-plated images of two cherubim as mentioned in 1 Kings 6:27–28. The cherubim along with the seraphim were heavenly beings (angels) associated with God’s presence, and the cherubim particularly are associated with the throne of God. This idea can be seen most clearly perhaps in Isaiah 37:16, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
The understanding of this relationship has a definite significance for our understanding of the ark of the covenant and its resting place in the temple , the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies). Although Solomon acknowledges in his prayer of dedication that God’s throne is in heaven, there is an earthly representation of this in the temple that Solomon built. Solomon’s throne was in his house in the city of David, but God’s throne was in the temple where he ruled as the Lord of the covenant represented by the ark of the covenant.
The images of two pairs of cherubim symbolized this. First, there was the pair that had been placed on the covering lid of the ark at the time of its making under Moses. Then there were the two images of 1 Kings 6:26–27, as well as our present verse. Thus, the idea of the Holy of Holies being the place of God’s rule and dominion is doubled.
7 For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.