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
no-contract cleaning service Des Plaines ..The more we worry about money, and who's asking for... Read More
Who among us really understands the chakras? For all that... Read More
I can truly say to this day of August, 2005,... Read More
The bible tells a story about four men who sat... Read More
Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More
What is the purpose of guilt?Well, let's look at it.Some... Read More
Fanny J. Crosby's famous hymn, "Tell Me the Story of... Read More
"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,... Read More
For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you... Read More
How many of us rush blindly through our days, fall... Read More
Well I had a website that I was posting on... Read More
Who is God? This question would sound awkward to 80%... Read More
Connor, a man in his late 40's, has achieved everything... Read More
Would you like an exciting and wonder-full resolution for the... Read More
One cannot read the account of Benhadad and Hazael in... Read More
I have, in my opinion, the world's perfect job. Just... Read More
Don't be confused that a saint is a religious leader... Read More
Christianity: White man's religion?Martin Luther King referred to Sunday as... Read More
Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth. (Channelled)From time to time... Read More
My thoughts can get a little edgy at night. Possibly... Read More
Do you realize you are creating your future by the... Read More
Our church is infested with lobby lizards. They crawl around... Read More
An act of selflessness is the highest expression of selfishness... Read More
Recently I was watching a re-run of "Everybody Loves Raymond".... Read More
The following article is an exploration of the Spring holiday... Read More
bathroom cleaning service Lake Forest ..Some of us might hear from time to time that... Read More
Many consider anger a normal human emotion and continue to... Read More
In our fast paced society we often want everything done... Read More
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,... Read More
You may ask, "What are hot buttons anyway?"Hot buttons are... Read More
The formula for spiritual growth is given briefly in 2... Read More
It's amazing how - even when we're working from a... Read More
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me,... Read More
People engaged in kissing experience information and energy transfer, although... Read More
Let me say that marketing can be a corrupting experience.... Read More
Qohelet had grown old with time when he delivered his... Read More
Job was a spiritual man who loved and obeyed God... Read More
We want to hear from God so that we may... Read More
Walls as a blockade seem to be an integral part... Read More
Spiritual Inspiration Music is about Love, Growth, Spiritual and Personal... Read More
When do you pray?Prayer is the cornerstone of the Christian... Read More
To many people in the Western world Metaphysical Healing is... Read More
How did an artist accidently learn healing visualizations and improve... Read More
Spirit DancerThe spirit dancer is the card of creative expression.... Read More
Spiritual healing of the sick in Christ has many Christians... Read More
If you would like to learn to read tarot cards,... Read More
Because of the bright lights behind me, the golf balls... Read More
The great gate is open, but travelers seek everywhere??? -... Read More
When the storms in your life are raging, just believe,... Read More
Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?"... Read More
Spirituality |