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
morning prayer (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
paytanim (Jewish liturgical poets). Ophanim are mentioned in the
El Adon prayer, often sung by the congregation, as part of the traditional
Shabbat morning service. In the Jewish angelic hierarchy thrones and wheels are different. This is also true in the
Kabbalistic angelic hierarchy. They also stand in the bible on Ezekiel 1:15-21.
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
dimethyltryptamine (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==