Statues Usage In Old Testament, Not as Idols. And Comparison With Statues On The Catholic Churches.
Moses and Joshua bowed before the Ark of Covenant depicts reverence for God's presence (according to Exodus 34:8, Numbers 10:35 and Joshua 7:6), which the Ark of Covenant has two Cherubim on the left and right side.
Olive oil (symbolize the Sacrament of Chrismation in Catholic Church), which two Cherubim statues are sticking at the Ark. According to Exodus 30:22-26.
Two Cherubim statues at St. Gertrude The Great Roman Catholic Church, Ohio. And many saints statues at the Church.
Two Medium Cherubim at the Bottom from Altar and Two Little Cherubim on the Top of Altar at Congregation of Saint Pius V's Chapel. With statue of Virgin Mary and St. Anthony Padua and many more Statues.
Arguments which strengthens making the statues, of course from Torah which this statues aren't be worshiped as God himself :
" Make two cherubim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover. Make one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end; of one piece with the cover shall you make the cherubim at its two ends.
The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their wings. They shall confront each other, the faces of the cherubim being turned toward the cover.
Place the cover on top of the Ark, after depositing inside the Ark the Pact that I will give you. " (Exodus 25:18-21)
וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃
וַ֠עֲשֵׂ֠ה כְּר֨וּב אֶחָ֤ד מִקָּצָה֙ מִזֶּ֔ה וּכְרוּב־אֶחָ֥ד מִקָּצָ֖ה מִזֶּ֑ה מִן־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י קְצוֹתָֽיו׃
וְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶ֨ל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃
וְנָתַתָּ֧ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
(Exodus 25:18-21 on Hebrew Bible)
Duos quoque cherubim aureos et productiles facies, ex utraque parte oraculi. Cherub unus sit in latere uno, et alter in altero.Utrumque latus propitiatorii tegant expandentes alas, et operientes oraculum, respiciantque se mutuo versis vultibus in propitiatorium quo operienda est arca, in qua pones testimonium quod dabo tibi. (Exodus 25:18-21 on Latin Vulgata)
There are many similarity between Traditional Roman Catholicism and Old Testament Judaism Liturgy Worship (which it's different with Rabbinic Judaism which is Satanic religion and from Pharisees, for more know about Judaism, read it : https://romancatholictraditional.blogspot.com/2025/03/what-catholic-church-views-about.html ), but for this topic, we explain about making of statues which is different with Idols ( for more know that Catholic Church fights against Idols, see it : https://romancatholictraditional.blogspot.com/2024/11/catholic-church-against-idolatry-and.html ) . In Old Testament, we know that Moses was instructed by LORD to make bronze snake, a statue which was hanged on a Pole:
They marched from Mount Hor on the Reed Sea[a] road around the land of Edom. The people became impatient on the road. The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us in the desert, where there is no food or water. And we detest this miserable bread!”
So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people and they bit the people. Many of the Israelites died.
The people went to Moses and said, “We’ve sinned, for we spoke against the Lord and you. Pray to the Lord so that he will send the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and place it on a pole. Whoever is bitten can look at it and live.” Moses made a bronze snake and placed it on a pole. If a snake bit someone, that person could look at the bronze snake and live.
(Numbers 21:4-9)
The Wage of Sins is dead, this is doctrine on Old Testament which when Israelites spoke against The LORD (YHWH) and Moses because their impatience as Sin, Lord sent a death to them with poisonous snakes. But because they requested to Moses to forgive them and cast out the Snake away from them, So LORD instructed Moses to make a Statue like Bronze snake to healed them and forgave them.
And if we see it, it implies for making the Crucifix ( statue for Jesus Crucifixion) at many Catholic Churches. This act of faith, where looking at the symbol brought healing, foreshadowed Jesus being lifted up on the cross for salvation, as explained in the Gospel of John (John 3:14-15) :
Lord Jesus said, " Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him" (John 3:14-15).
So, Catholic Church uses Statues as it should be, not be worshiped. About Jesus Statue which is binded on the Cross or Crucifix, many Protestant (not all Protestants) from Calvinist Background and Puritan who don't understand about it, accuse Catholics worship the Idol because this action paints the God.
We as Catholics believe that Jesus have two natures on his One Person (Hypostatic Union) , that Human Nature can be painted, can be made on the statue as art, and Human Nature of Jesus is not Divine Nature. We as Catholics worship God on Spirit because The Word of God is Spirit as what John 4:24 and 2 Corinthians 3:17 explained. So, we not worship Lord Jesus on His Human Nature which is same like us.
If some Protestants, including Calvinists and Puritans, assert that depicting Jesus in statues and crucifixes is wrong because it depicts God, then the question is: do they believe that the one can be depicted or pictured is God? They are trapped in a false illusion, a consequence of the forced understanding of the Sola Scriptura heresy, even this argument is contradicting to Luther himself, who continued to use statues.
If they act in this way, aren't they idolizing humanity because they consider Jesus' human nature to be divine? They are thus indirectly falling into the Monophysite and Docetist heresies (For More know about Docetism, please read it : https://romancatholictraditional.blogspot.com/2025/01/church-fathers-against-docetism-pagan.html ). Because the Monophysites rejected the existence of two natures in Jesus, the Catholic Church condemned Iconoclasm at the Second Council of Nicaea, citing its clear basis in Scripture and Tradition, dating back to the Old Testament.
(For more know about clashing between Catholic Church and Iconoclasts who were Schismatics before East-West Schism, please read it : https://romancatholictraditional.blogspot.com/2025/05/why-west-east-schism-could-be-happened.html and for more know How Catholic Church condemns Monophysitism, please read it : https://romancatholictraditional.blogspot.com/2024/11/council-of-chalcedon-451-citation.html?m=1 )
So, let us be wise in the use of statues, do not use them excessively as if they were worshipped, but also do not overdo it by prohibiting the use of statues as long as the statues are used aligned with the Holy Scriptures.
