Merkahvah and Hekhalot: Ascending in the MerKaBa Chariot to Visions of the Throne of God
"May the Holy One be restored unto His throne”
- Qabalistic prayer
The Chariot
The Palaces
“Merkabah Hekhalot refers to a mystical Jewish tradition that combines two related concepts: the Merkabah and the Hekhalot. The Merkabah refers to the divine chariot or throne of God, while the Hekhalot are the heavenly palaces or precincts that the Merkabah traverses.
In this tradition, the Merkabah is often described as a chariot or throne that is surrounded by angels and is said to be the vehicle of God’s presence. The Hekhalot, on the other hand, are the seven palaces or heavens that the Merkabah traverses, each one representing a different level of divine revelation.”
The Throne of God
The throne of God is the reigning centre of God in the Abrahamic religions: primarily Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The throne is said by various holy books to reside beyond the Seventh Heaven which is called Araboth
Micaiah (1 Kings 22:19), Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1)[2] and Daniel (Daniel 7:9) all speak of God's throne, although some philosophers, such as Saʿadiah Gaon and Maimonides, interpreted such mention of a "throne" as allegory.
The heavenly throne room or throne room of God is a more detailed presentation of the throne, into the representation of throne room or divine court.
Mahaseh Merkavah
“The work of the chariot”
Astral travel through the seven palaces of Heaven - the planetary spheres - ultimate goal is the vision of the throne of God
The 4 Cherubim
- Possibly dates back to ??? Years ago when Leo was rising on eastern horizon on Spring equinox, and the other three signs of Scorpio, Taurus, and Aquarius where in the other 4 cardinal directions.
7 Planetary Spheres
12 Zodiac
- Each divided into 2 halves
Merkahvah and Hekhalot: Ascending in the MerKaBa Chariot to Visions of the Throne of God
The Chariot
The Palaces
Ascending through the higher spiritual planes in one’s astral/spiritual body to have visions of the throne of God
Journey thourgh the 7 Heavens and 7 Throne Rooms
Seeing the inmost workings of God and the Powers and Principalities
- Seraphim
- Archangels
- Angels
Isaiah's Vision (Isaiah 6:1-4)
Isaiah sees the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne.
Attending angels called seraphim stand above the throne, each having six wings. They cover their faces and feet with two wings and fly with two.
The seraphim call to one another, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shake, and the temple is filled with smoke.
Ezekiel's vision of the divine Chariot-Throne - (Ezekiel 1:1-28; 10:1-22)
Ezekiel describes a vision of a throne on a chariot, drawn by four living creatures (often interpreted as cherubim).
Each creature has four faces (man, lion, ox, eagle) and four wings.
Accompanying the creatures are wheels, described as wheels within wheels, with eyes all around.
Daniel's Vision (Daniel 7:9-14)
- Throne of Fire: Daniel sees thrones set in place, and the Ancient of Days (God) takes His seat. His clothing is white as snow, and His hair is like pure wool.
- Fiery River: A river of fire flows out from before Him, and thousands serve Him while ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him.
- Judgment: The court sits in judgment, and the books are opened.
- Son of Man: Daniel describes seeing one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven, given authority and glory.
John's Vision (Revelation 4:1-11)
- Throne in Heaven: John sees a throne set in heaven, and the One who sits on the throne has the appearance of jasper and carnelian.
- Twenty-Four Elders: Around the throne are twenty-four other thrones, with elders seated on them, dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold.
- Rainbow: A rainbow resembling an emerald encircles the throne.
- Seven Lamps: In front of the throne are seven lamps, representing the seven spirits of God.
- Living Creatures: Four living creatures (similar to those in Ezekiel) surround the throne, full of eyes and continually praising God, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.”
the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four hayyot "living creatures", each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle.
“In their visions, these mystics would enter into the celestial realms and journey through the seven stages of mystical ascent: the Seven Heavens and seven throne rooms. Such a journey is fraught with great danger, and the adept must not only have made elaborate purification preparation, but must also know the proper incantations, seals and angelic names needed to get past the fierce angelic guards, as well as know how to navigate the various forces at work inside and outside the palaces.
This heavenly ascent is accomplished by the recital of hymns, as well as the theurgic use of secret names of God which abound in the Hekhalot literature.”
“The ultimate goal of the ascent varies from text to text. In some cases, it seems to be a visionary glimpse of God, to "Behold the King in His Beauty". Others hint at "enthronement", that the adept be accepted among the angelic retinue of God and be given an honored seat. One text actually envisions the successful pilgrim getting to sit in God's "lap". “