The ophanim ( , ; singular: אוֹפָן ), alternatively spelled auphanim or ofanim, and also called galgalim ( , ; singular: גַּלְגַּל ), refer to the wheels seen in Ezekiel's vision of the chariot (Hebrew merkabah) 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 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 Thrones.
These "wheels" have been associated with (mentioned as galgal, traditionally "the wheels of italic=no", 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 them as the " many-eyed ones".
The First Book of Enoch (71.7) seems to imply that the Ophanim are equated to the "Thrones" in Christianity when it lists them all together, in order: "...round about were Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophanim".
Function
It is said that they were the actual wheels of the Lord's Heavenly Chariot (
Merkabah).
"The four wheels had rims and they had spokes, and their rims were full of eyes round about."
They are also frequently referred to as "many-eyed ones".
Ophanim in specific spiritual traditions
Ophanim in Judaism
Maimonides lists Ophanim as the second to closest of angels to God in his exposition of the Jewish angelic hierarchy.
In prayer
The kedusha section in the
Shacharit (in the blessings preceding the recitation of the
Shema) includes the phrase, "The
ophanim and the holy living creatures with great uproar raise themselves up; facing the
seraphim they offer praise, saying, 'Blessed be God's glory from His place." The inspiration behind this particular passage is
Ezekiel's vision (ch. i.). The theme of angels praising God was inserted into the passage by
piyyut (Jewish liturgical poets).
Ophanim are mentioned in the El Adon prayer, often sung by the congregation, as part of the traditional Shabbat Shacharit service.
In the Jewish angelic hierarchy thrones and wheels are different. This is also true in the Kabbalistic angelic hierarchy.
Thrones in the Orthodox Church
De Coelesti Hierarchia refers to the Thrones from the
Old Testament description as the third Order of the first sphere, the other two superior orders being the Cherubim and Seraphim.
This view was also accepted by the Catholic Church and by Thomas Aquinas.
Lord of the Flame in the Western Wisdom Teachings
The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception refers that the "Lord of the Flame", the Hierarchy of Elohim astrologically assigned to Leo, are the Thrones (from the Old Testament description, "because of the brilliant luminosity of their bodies and their great spiritual powers."); the other two superior hierarchies being also the Cherubim and Seraphim. According to this conception, the heavenly Seraphim and Cherubim as well as the Ophanim continue to aid humans in spiritual evolution; as do the heavenly Archangels and Angels.
Connection to machine elves
Several users of
DMT (DMT) have reported encountering similar beings often referred to as "Machine Elves" leading some to speculate that Dimethyltryptamine has been involved in Abrahamic Religions in the past.
See also
