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Ophanim
The ophanim ( , ; singular: ), alternatively spelled auphanim or ofanim, and also called galgalim ( , ; singular: ), refer to the wheels seen in Ezekiel's vision of the chariot (Hebrew ) in . One of the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q405) construes them as angels; late sections of the Book of Enoch (61:10, 71:7) portray them as a class of Heaven, celestial beings who (along with the Cherubim and Seraphim) never sleep, but guard the throne of God. In some systems of Christian angelology, they are one of the choirs (classes) of angels, and are also identified as Throne (angel), Thrones. These "wheels" have been associated with (mentioned as , traditionally "the wheels of ", in "fiery flame" and "burning fire") of the four, eye-covered wheels (each composed of two nested wheels), that move next to the winged Cherubim, beneath the throne of God. The four wheels move with the Cherubim because the spirit of the Cherubim is in them. The late Second Book of Enoch (20:1, 21:1) also referred to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merkabah
Merkabah () or Merkavah mysticism (lit. Chariot mysticism) is a school of History of Judaism, early Jewish mysticism (), centered on vision (spirituality), visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1 or in the hekhalot literature ("palaces" literature), concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God. The main corpus of the Merkabah literature was composed in the period 200–700 CE, although later references to the Chariot tradition can also be found in the literature of the Ashkenazi Hasidim in the Middle Ages. A major text in this tradition is the ''Maaseh Merkabah'' (). Etymology The noun ''merkavah'' "thing to ride in, cart" is derived from a verb, , with the general meaning "to ride". The word "chariot" is found 44 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, most referring to normal chariots on earth. Although the concept of the Merkabah is associated with Ezekiel's vision, the word is not used in Ezekiel 1. However, when left untranslated, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Throne (angel)
In Christian angelology, thrones (, pl. θρόνοι; , pl. ''throni'') are a class of angels. This is based on an interpretation of . According to 1 Peter 3:21–22, Christ had gone to Heaven and "angels and authorities and powers" had been made subject to him. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his work De Coelesti Hierarchia includes the thrones as the third highest of nine angelology, levels of angels. According to the Second Book of Enoch, thrones are seen by Enoch in the Seven heavens, Seventh Heaven. Christian angelology According to Matthew Bunson, the corresponding order of angels in Judaism is called the ''abalim (angel), abalim'' or ''erelim'',Bunson, Matthew. ''Angels A to Z''. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1996. . but this opinion is far from universal. The Hebrew word ''erelim'' is usually not translated "thrones", but rather "valiant ones", "heroes", or "warriors". The function ascribed to ''erelim'' in and in Jewish folkloreLouis Ginzberg: Legends of the Jews ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jewish Angelic Hierarchy
In Judaism, angels (, plural: ''mal’āḵīm'') are supernatural beings that appear throughout the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), Rabbinic literature, Jewish apocrypha, Christian pseudepigrapha, Jewish philosophy, Jewish mysticism, and traditional Jewish liturgy as agents of the God of Israel. They are categorized in different hierarchies. Their essence is often associated with fire. The Talmud describes their very essence as fire. Etymology Hebrew ''mal’ākh'' is the standard word for "messenger", both human and divine, in the Hebrew Bible; it is also related to the words for "angel" in Arabic (''malāk'' ), Aramaic and Ethiopic. It is rarely used for human messengers in Modern Hebrew as the latter is usually denoted by the term ''shaliyakh'' (). The noun derives from the verbal consonantal root ''l-’-k'' (), meaning specifically "to send with a message" and with time was substituted with more applicable ''sh-l-h''. In Biblical Hebrew this root is attested only in this noun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian Angelology
In Christianity, angels are the messengers of God. affirms that "all f them areministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation". In the Bible attributes the guardianship of men to the angels. In Jesus warns not to despise children because "their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." affirms that, like the angels, "those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die." General views Antiquity In chapter V of Ignatius of Antioch's ''Letter to the Trallians'', the bishop gives a listing of angels not unlike that later proposed by Pseudo-Dionysius. In his First Epistle of Clement, Clement of Rome exhorts his listeners to join the angels in praising God. Clement of Alexandria wrote that angels "breathe" in men's thoughts and reasonings, and "puts in" their hearts "strength" and a keener pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Book Of Enoch
The Second Book of Enoch (abbreviated as 2 Enoch and also known as Slavonic Enoch, Slavic Enoch, or the Secrets of Enoch) is a pseudepigraphic text in the apocalyptic genre. It describes the ascent of the patriarch Enoch, ancestor of Noah, through ten heavens of an Earth-centered cosmos. The Slavonic edition and translation of 2 Enoch is of Christian origin in the 8th century but is based on an earlier work. 2 Enoch is distinct from the Book of Enoch, known as 1 Enoch, and there is also an unrelated 3 Enoch, although none of the three books are considered canonical scripture by the majority of Jewish or Christian bodies. The numbering of these texts has been applied by scholars to distinguish each from the others. The cosmology of 2 Enoch corresponds closely with beliefs of the Early Middle Ages about the metaphysical structure of the universe. It may have been influential in shaping them. The text was lost for several centuries, then recovered and published at the end of the ni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old Testament
The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Israelites. The second division of Christian Bibles is the New Testament, written in Koine Greek. The Old Testament consists of many distinct books by various authors produced over a period of centuries. Christians traditionally divide the Old Testament into four sections: the first five books or Pentateuch (which corresponds to the Jewish Torah); the history books telling the history of the Israelites, from their conquest of Canaan to their defeat and exile in Babylon; the poetic and wisdom literature, which explore themes of human experience, morality, and divine justice; and the books of the biblical prophets, warning of the consequences of turning away from God. The Old Testament canon differs among Christian denominations. The Ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De Coelesti Hierarchia
''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (, "On the Celestial Hierarchy") is a Pseudo-Dionysian work on angelology, written in Greek and dated to ca. AD the 5th century; it exerted great influence on scholasticism and treats at great length the hierarchies of angels. In Catholicism Thomas Aquinas (''Summa Theologica'', I.108) follows the ''Hierarchia'' (6.7) in dividing the angels into three hierarchies each of which contains three orders, based on their proximity to God, corresponding to the nine orders of angels recognized by Pope Gregory I. # Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones; # Dominations, Virtues, and Powers; # Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Editions Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita, ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' Surrey, 1935. Shrine of Wisdom . * G. Heil, A. M. Ritter, ''Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita. De Coelesti Hierarchia, De Ecclesiastica Hierarchia, De Mystica Theologia, Epistulae'' (1991) . See also * Orthodox St. Dionysus Institute in Paris * Christian angelic hierarch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vision (spirituality)
A vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or religious ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that usually conveys a revelation. Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations. Visions are known to emerge from spiritual traditions and could provide a lens into human nature and reality. Prophecy is often associated with visions. Categories Evelyn Underhill distinguishes and categorizes three types of visions: # Intellectual Visions – The Catholic dictionary defines these as supernatural knowledge in which the mind receives an extraordinary grasp of some revealed truth without the aid of sensible impressions, and mystics describe them as intuitions that leave a deep impression. # Imaginary – In Teresa of Ávila, Teresa of Avila's ''The Interior Castle'', an imaginary vision is defined as one where nothing is seen or heard by the senses of seeing or hearing, but where the same impression is received that would ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization.Gerald O'Collins, O'Collins, p. v (preface). The church consists of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites#Churches, ''sui iuris'' (autonomous) churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and Eparchy, eparchies List of Catholic dioceses (structured view), around the world, each overseen by one or more Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishops. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the Papal supremacy, chief pastor of the church. The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
