Source: Margaret Barker, Temple Mysticism: An Introduction (London: SPCK, 2011), 97–132.
Secret_of_the_Divine_Throne.mp4
This podcast delves into temple mysticism in ancient Israel, arguing that the divine throne within the Jerusalem Temple was the central focus and a source of profound theological concepts. It explores how this tradition, centered on the enthroned LORD and associated with cherubim, Wisdom, and a heavenly Lady, influenced later religious developments, including early Christianity. We think that temple mystics experienced visions revealing the structure of creation as archetypal forms or engravings emanating from the throne, and that rituals enacted in the Temple mirrored these heavenly realities, aiming at atonement and restoring cosmic harmony. Ultimately, the ancient sources suggests that figures like the Davidic king and later Jesus were understood within this mystical framework as those who could access the throne, embody divine attributes, and restore a lost connection between the human and the divine.
When we picture a divine throne, most of us imagine a magnificent, golden chair—an ornate seat for an enthroned king, a symbol of static power and authority. It’s a simple, powerful image. But for the mystics of the ancient Jerusalem temple, this picture was just the surface of a reality that was infinitely more complex, dynamic, and surprisingly alive. The throne wasn't merely an object; it was the focal point of the cosmos.
For these ancient visionaries, the traditions surrounding the throne contained the deepest secrets of creation, divinity, and human potential. These weren’t just abstract theological points; they were the keys to a transformative spiritual experience, revealing secrets of a living, feminine throne, of a pre-Platonic cosmology engraved in its walls, and of a "resurrection" experienced not by the dead, but by the living. Drawing from a deep reading of mystical traditions hidden within and around the biblical texts, this article explores five of the most counter-intuitive and impactful ideas about the divine throne—ideas that reveal a universe of meaning far beyond a simple golden chair.
The modern understanding of resurrection is almost exclusively tied to the idea of a person coming back to life after physical death. It’s an event that happens at the end of life. In ancient temple mysticism, however, the concept had a radically different meaning: "resurrection" was a ritual experience for the living, specifically for the king at the very beginning of his reign.