Buckle up for this series! Ophanim, Wheels within Wheels, Many-Eyed Entities and Living Thrones!

In the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, there are descriptions of celestial beings known as Ophanim, which translates to “wheels” or “whirling wheels.” These beings are often described as wheels within wheels, with rims full of eyes. They are associated with the chariot of God and are considered to be part of the angelic hierarchy. Their appearance is often linked with visions of divine glory and the presence of God.

Ezekiel 1:1 Wheels Within Wheels, a Gyroscope ?

Many artists have envisioned and attempted to illustrate what the Prophet Ezekiel vividly describes in his vision:

1 When I was thirty years of age, I was living with the exiles on the Kebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the sky opened up and I saw visions of God.

Ezekiel 1:4-9

^4-9 I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze. Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being, but each also had four faces and four wings. Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze. On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings, with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward.

Ezekiel’s vision describes these Ophanim in elaborate detail, highlighting their strange and awe-inspiring nature. The prophet sees a whirlwind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire engulfing itself, and a brightness around it.

Within the fire, he sees four living creatures, each with four faces and four wings, and their appearance is like burning coals of fire.

These living creatures move together with the wheels, indicating a synchronized movement symbolizing the divine presence.

Thrones are sometimes equated with ophanim since the throne of God is usually depicted as being moved by wheels, as in the vision of Daniel 7:9 (Old Testament). Rosemary Ellen Guiley (1996: p. 37) states that:

The ‘thrones’; also known as ‘ophanim’ (offanim) and ‘galgallin’, are creatures that function as the actual chariots of God driven by the cherubs. They are characterized by peace and submission; God rests upon them. Thrones are depicted as great wheels containing many eyes, and reside in the area of the cosmos where material form begins to take shape. They chant glorias to God and remain forever in his presence. They mete out divine justice and maintain the cosmic harmony of all universal laws.^[6].

The imagery of wheels within wheels and the Ophanim has inspired various interpretations and speculations throughout history, ranging from symbolic representations of God’s divine order and providence to more esoteric and mystical interpretations.

The term “Many-Eyed Entities” is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but it could be interpreted as a reference to the eyes that are often associated with the Ophanim. The description of the wheels being full of eyes suggests a sense of all-seeing or omniscience.

Similarly, “Living Thrones” is a concept that is not directly mentioned in the Bible but could be associated with the divine beings and the chariot of God described in Ezekiel’s vision. The idea of thrones being living entities could symbolize the authority and sovereignty of God over all creation.

The ophanim  (Hebrew: אוֹפַנִּים ʼōp̄annīm, ‘wheels’; singular: אוֹפָן ʼōp̄ān), alternatively spelled auphanim or ofanim, and also called galgalim (Hebrew: גַּלְגַּלִּים galgallīm, ‘spheres, wheels, whirlwinds’; singular: גַּלְגַּל galgal),
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 celestial beings who (along with the Cherubim and Seraphim) never sleep, but guard the throne of God. In Christian angelology, they are one of the choirs (classes) of angels, and are also called Thrones.
Colossians 1:16
¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

1 Peter 3:21–22, the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.^[a] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Overall, these celestial beings and their descriptions in the Bible serve to convey the majesty, power, and mystery of God’s presence and the divine order of the universe, inspiring awe and reverence in those who encounter them.