Omnipresence in mythology5/30/2023 Interestingly, Ophanim are not directly classed as ‘angels’ within The Bible. Needless to say, artists have had a great time creating their interpretation of Ophanim based on Ezekiel, each more terrifying than the last: He observed the heavenly vision in awe, and the vision observed him back… with millions of unblinking eyes. Ezekiel 1: 15-18 (KJV)Īs the original Tumblr post observed, Ezekiel can’t seem to comprehend what he’s seeing since the existence of a creature in such close proximity to God is beyond the scope of human understanding. 18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. 17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. In his visions, Ezekiel saw the throne of God (or chariot) that featured Ophanim as the four wheels:ġ6 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. Thrones are also called Ophanim and refer to beings that Ezekiel witnessed in his vision from Ezekiel 1 in the Old Testament. So let’s dive in! Thrones or ‘Ophanim’Īccording to Pseudo-Dionysius, Thrones are found in the first tier and third rank of the overall angel hierarchy. Because frankly they are terrifying and wonderful and no one talks about them enough. I want to talk about the First Tier, the heavy hitters - Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones. While the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the most well-known of the angels, they’re a little too ‘normal’… too mainstream. ![]() The higher the classification of angel sits within the hierarchy represents their overall closeness to God. In Christianity the most influential angelic hierarchy was proposed by Greek author Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his De Coelesti Hierarchia (or, “On the Celestial Hierarchy”) sometime around fifth-century CE and contains nine orders and three hierarchies of angels. Alternatively, Islam doesn’t have any hierarchical system at all in place for angels, but they are more directly involved in the everyday life of humans when compared to Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism angels are broken down into ten ranks, though these ranking systems differ depending on the text. ![]() The evidence is readily available if you crack open a Bible and take a look at a few (completely bizarre) passages - which we’ll get to shortly.ĭepending on your specific brand of Abrahamic religion, the names of angels and where they sit in the general angel hierarchy varies. And this isn’t a blind accusation, nor is it meant to make a mockery of Christianity. In 2016, a viral Tumblr post by user revolution19 brought the internet’s attention to the fact that some angels aren’t the beautiful, soft, feminine creatures of our imaginations… they are Eldritch Abominations straight from our worst nightmares. In the collection of Forest Lawn Museum, California. ![]() The generally accepted image of a Christian angel.ĭetail from ‘Song of the Angels’ by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
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