The following fragment was found in Qumran along with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls believed to be from the sect known as the Essenes. J. Strugnell made this particular translation in 1960, under the title The Angelic Liturgy at Qumran. The words in parentheses are assumed to be what was intended, as the manuscript was in very poor condition.
...the [ministers] of the Glorious Face in the abode of the gods] of knowledge fall down before Him, [and the cherubim] utter blessings. And as they rise up, there is a divine small voice...and loud praise; (there is) a divine [small] voice as they fold their wings.
The cherubim bless the image of the Throne-Chariot above the firmament, and they praise the [majesty] of the fiery firmament beneath the seat of His Glory. And beneath the turning wheels, Angels of Holiness come and go, as it were a fiery vision of most holy spirits; and about them (flow) seeming rivulets of fire, like gleaming bronze, a radiance of many gorgeous colors, of marvellous pigments magnificently mingled.
The spirits of the living God move perpetually with the glory of the wonderful Chariot. The small voice of blessing accompanies the tumult as they depart, and on the path of their return they worship the Holy One. Ascending, they rise marvellously; settling, they [stay] still. The sound of joyful praise is silenced and there is a small voice of blessing in all the camp of God. And the voice of praise [resounds] from the midst of all their divisions in [worship of]...and each one in his place, all their numbered ones sing hymns of praise.
Scholars think that the writers of this text got the inspiration from the book of Ezekiel and their imaginations took over from there. I don't think so. Men like Moses, David and Solomon were well acquainted with cherubims. In their accounts there was no hint of surprise or mystery, nor was there a sense of worship toward the cherubim. Ezekiel, on the other hand, was a priest in bondage at the time of his experience and probably not educated in the worldly sciences of the time. To Ezekiel, what he saw was a creature, and the LORD rode on this live animal of unknown origin.
What the writers of the Qumran text describe is a chariot that, supposedly, came from heaven and was driven by angels. Obviously these people were familiar with chariots, but because these were exceptionally beautiful they may have thought they were heavenly and the occupants angels. Who else could they be?
In the era of the Qumran scrolls, the Divine-Throne Chariot was also known as the Merkabah, and over time they would become objects of worship. To the Jewish people they were referred to as Angelic cherubims, and the Rabbinic Orthodoxy eventually felt that they had to step in and discourage the practice.
In some Jewish literature, such as the Mishnah, Ezekiel's chapter of his vision is forbidden to the common man. It even lays down the law that "no wise man is to share his understanding of the Merkabah with a person less enlightened than himself." That pretty well took care of the subject, and so far no other written material on the Divine-Throne Chariot, the Merkabah, or the Angelic cherubim have been found. "No wise man is to share his understanding of the Merkabah with a person less enlightened than himself."
A very significant statement! What it says is the wise men of the day knew all about the Merkabah and who the so-called angels actually were. The general public, however, was not aware of them, and any knowledge given out in a haphazard way would only cause confusion and maybe even fear to the uninitiated. Sounds familiar.
Vimana
In India, there are Sanskrit texts several thousand years old that, in amongst all of their fascinating legends and mythology, contain accounts of flying ships that "go on their own force like a bird, on earth, on water, or in air." These "Vimana" can fly through the skies and can visit other planets. Some of these stories even give descriptions of the building process, which have drawn modern day scientists to the ancient writings. Whether the vehicles were known as Vimana, Throne-Chariots, Merkabahs or cherubims, they were of the earth and piloted by earthly beings. Angels are spirits that "fly swiftly" and can appear and disappear whenever and wherever they want; they do not need to race around in the skies in motorized machines.
I have included the cherubims in the topic of heaven because they have always been associated with the heavenly host. I find it amazing that the true identity has never been recognized, or has it been that no one has wanted to see it? That is all too common in our society. There are many pebbles and shells of truth in the sands that some people would rather not see, or have to deal with.
Lauretta Lueck is the author of The Many Waters; a scientific interpretation of the creation story in Genesis and corroborrated by other ancient manuscripts.
http://www.rosettastonepress.com
It's late. But it's usually those words that you cannot... Read More
'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom... Read More
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and... Read More
If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to... Read More
Eden, the garden of ecstasy is no longer available to... Read More
Sometimes we're already free but we don't realize it. We... Read More
The word "psychology" is the combination of two terms -... Read More
It's human nature to point a finger when we think... Read More
Let us face reality squarely in the face by acknowledging... Read More
Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad... Read More
Attract and hold your family at home with some unique... Read More
Many may wonder what is God's will, or how do... Read More
I am a big believer in the strength of a... Read More
Hopefully you're reading this article because you're intrigued by the... Read More
When I first heard Donnie McClurkin's song, "We Fall Down... Read More
In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More
As we walk these halls of Life viewing the world... Read More
1. Life is a precious gift given to us by... Read More
If you would like to learn to read tarot cards,... Read More
Lately, I have been asked a lot of questions in... Read More
The word means different things to different people. Is it... Read More
Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?"... Read More
Excerpt from The Journey That Never Was: a guide to... Read More
It seems more people today are using the Christian god... Read More
(Channeled) Spirituality is about everyday life, which includes getting up... Read More
You are a spiritual being. You recognize something in you... Read More
How a Divine "Dream", gave me a Spiritual Principle for... Read More
The Apocalypse, or unveilling, is the name given to the... Read More
My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called... Read More
I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and... Read More
I have been reading a lot lately about the concepts... Read More
The "Left Behind" series is inspiring, in that it makes... Read More
Sundered Knight:Although the world, Denies the weak aid and justice,... Read More
Billy Graham once said, "Being a Christian is more than... Read More
Peter is a man after my own heart. I feel... Read More
If you were Satan and your goal is to destroy... Read More
Lectio divina is a very useful and practical discipline for... Read More
As we walk along our paths in life, we will... Read More
An interesting question arose within a poetry workshop I attended... Read More
Just for a moment think of what is stopping you... Read More
The gate of every year is the begining of that... Read More
Why Abandon Religion?It is so commonly believed today that religion... Read More
An analysis of Western man's guiding presuppositions, A Review of... Read More
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God;I... Read More
The Planetary Spread is an excellent layout to use when... Read More
Freedom....The cherished goal of humanity throughout its history.No society has... Read More
Spiritual growth is the process of inner awakening, and becoming... Read More
We are the beneficiaries of the promise God made to... Read More
Do you ever wonder about the other "YOU ?"The one... Read More
I am going to remind of some simple, yet important... Read More
Spirituality |