The Books of Enoch

by Joseph B. Lumpkin

God places Metatron on a throne as ruler in the seventh hall. Rabbi Ishmael said: Metatron, the Prince of the Presence, said to me: (1) All these things the Holy One, blessed be He, made for me. He made me a Throne, similar in form and substance to the Throne of Glory. And He spread a curtain of magnificently bright appearance over me. And it was of beauty, grace, and mercy, similar to the curtain of the Throne of the Glory; and on it were affixed all kinds of lights in the universe. The idea of a curtain could represent the divine secrets and processes unknown and not available to others. (2) And He placed the curtain at the door of the seventh hall and sat me down on it. (3) And the announcement went forth into every heaven, saying: “This is Metatron, my servant. I have made him a prince and ruler over all the princes of my kingdoms and over all the children of heaven, except the eight great, honored, and revered princes who are the ones called YHWH, by the name of their King.” The eight beings who are called YHWH may refer to those angels who have the Tetragrammaton as part of their name. These are highly ranked angels that are outside the normal system of authority. They are the ones God uses as his counsel.

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