The Books of Enoch

by Joseph B. Lumpkin

Merkaba means chariot, or in this case chariot of fire or chariot of light . It is pulled by four Chayot or living creatures, each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle… See Ezekiel 1:4-26. The Bible makes mention of three types of angel found in the Merkaba. The first is the Seraphim (lit. "burning") angels. These angels appear like flashes of fire continuously ascending and descending. These Seraphim angels powered the movement of the chariot. In the hierarchy of these angels, Seraphim are the highest, that is, closest to God, followed by the Chayot, which are followed by the Ophanim. The chariot is in a constant state of motion, and the energy behind this movement runs according to this hierarchy. The movement of the Ophanim is controlled by the Chayot while the movement of the Chayot is controlled by the Seraphim. The movement of all the angels of the chariot are controlled by the "Likeness of a Man" on the Throne.