Paul Huson, in The Devil’s Picture Book , mentions in passing that the “mysterious Merkabah….of the medieval Cabalists” fits in perfectly with the symbolism of The Chariot. The Merkabah, the throne/chariot of God, is mentioned 44 times in the Old Testament. It is a four-wheeled vehicle driven by “the likeness of a man” who is surrounded by four living creatures, each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle. It is further surrounded by several other layers or angels. This was the vehicle Jewish scholars assume Ezekiel saw in his famous wheels within wheels vision, although the word merkabah isn’t mentioned in that particular text. Rabbis typically forbid the study and discussion of Ezekiel 1 and the merkabah to all but the most advanced Jewish scholars because it can be so easily misinterpreted. (Wikipedia, Merkabah entry). Hasidic philosophy is more relaxed about the issue and explains that the Merkaba is “a multi-layered analogy that offers insight into… Read More »