That time in the 1980s when the CIA hired psychics to try to find the Ark of the Covenant. https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00789R001300180002-7.pdf
Seems...unlikely.
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Angelic Ranks Across Religions
This is about the different ranks amongst different religions. We hope you enjoy!
Christianity:
The most famous ranking in Western culture comes from Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his 5th century work, The Celestial Hierarchy. He divided angels into 9 “choirs” organized into 3 “triads.”
The First Triad (Comtemplators of God):
Seraphim: The “Burning Ones” They have 6 wings & surround the throne of God, perpetually chanting the Trisagion (“Holy, Holy, Holy”).
Cherubim: Known as the “Plenitude of Knowledge.” In Scripture, they’re guardians of sacred space (like Eden or the Ark of the Covenant).
Thrones: Also called Ophanim (Wheels). They represent divine justice & the “chariot” of God.
The Second Triad (Cosmic Governors):
Dominions (Dominations): They regulate the duties of lower angels & represent the authority of God over the universe.
Virtues: Known as the “Brillant” or “Shining Ones.” They’re associated with miracles & bestowing grace & valor.
Powers: These are “warrior” angels who protect the world from demonic interference & maintain the laws of nature.
The Third Triad (Messengers to Humanity):
Principalities: The “Chief Messengers.” Though common tradition lists many, only Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael are officially recognized in most Catholic & Orthodox canons.
Angels: The lowest rank, most concerned with the affairs of individual humans (including Guardian Angels).
Judaism: The Maimonidean Hierarchy
In Judaism, the ranking of angels is primarily used to explain the different levels of “closeness” to the Divine Essence. The most widely cited list is from Maimonides (the Rambam) in his Mishneh Torah.
Chayot Ha-Kodesh: “Holy Living Creatures.” The highest possible rank.
Ophanim: “Wheels.” Associated with Ezekiel’s vision of the Chariot.
Erelim: “The Valiant Ones.” Linked to the concept of peace.
Chashmalim: “The Glowing/Amber Ones.”
Seraphim: “The Burning Ones.”
Malachim: “Messengers.” The general term for angels.
Elohim: “Godly Beings.” Referring to their divine reflection.
Bene Elohim: “Sons of God.”
Cherubim: Guardians & attendants
Ishim: “Person-like Beings.” They’re the closest to the human intellect.
Islam:
Islam doesn’t use a numbered “1 to 9” hierarchy in the same way Christianity does. Instead, angels (Mala’ika) are categorized by their by their functions.
The Four Archangels:
Jibril (Gabriel): The Angel of Revelation
Israfil (Raphael): The Angel of the Trumpet. This signals the Day of Judgment.
Mikail (Michael): The Angel of Mercy & Providence (weather & sustenance).
Azrael (Malak al-Mawt): The Angel of Death.
The Bearers of the Throne (Hamalat al-Arsh): 8 massive angels who carry the Throne of Allah.
The Cherubim (Al-Karubiyyun): Angels who are perpetually lost in the praises of God, unaware of anything else.
The Recording Angels (Kiraman Katibin): Every human has 2 (Raquib & Atib) who record good & bad deeds.
Munkar & Nakir: The interrogators of the soul in the grave.
Maalik & Ridwan: The guardians of Hell & Paradise, respectively.
Zoroastrianism: The Amesha Spentas:
In Zoroastrianism, the “angels” are emanations of the supreme God, Ahura Mazda. They’re known as the Amesha Spentas (Holy Immortals).
Vohu Manah: Good Mind/Purpose
Asha Vahishta: Best Righteousness/Truth
Khshathra Vairya: Desirable Dominion/Power
Spenta Armaiti: Holy Devotion/Piety
Haurvatat: Wholeness/Health
Ameretat: Immortality
Below these entities are the Yazatas. These are entities/beings “worthy of worship,” like Mithra.
Buddhism: The 26 Heavenly Realms
In Buddhist cosmology, “angels” are called Devas. Rather than a hierarchy, they’re ranked by the level of the Heaven they inhabit.
The 6 Sensual Heavens: Devas here still experience desire (like the Four Great Kings who guard the world).
The 16 Fine-Maternal Heavens (Arupa-loka): Beings of pure consciousness with no physical form at all, existing in states like “Infinite Space” or “Neither Perception nor Non-Perception.”
Hinduism: Celestial Classes
Hinduism features a vast array of celestial beings. While not always called “angels,” they function as intermediaries between the Trimurti (which we’ve covered in another post. Check it out!): Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva, & humanity.
Devas: The benevolent “shining ones” who govern natural forces (Indra, Agni, Vagu).
Gandharvas: Celestial musicians & messsengers.
Apsaras: Celestial dancers & spirits of the clouds & waters.
Yakshas: Nature spirits & guardians of the earth’s treasures.
Vidyadharas: “Knowledge holders” or magical beings of the air.
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Mercy Seat
This is known in Hebrew as the kapporet.
This was the solid gold lid put on the Ark of the Covenant. It had 2 cherubim at the ends to cover & make the space in which Yahweh/God appeared & lived. It holds major significance in Judaism & minor significance in Christianity. The Ark of the Covenant is mentioned only once in the Quran.
The design of the Mercy Seat was heavily detailed in the Book of Exodus (25:17-22). The space between the 2 cherubim was considered the earthly throne of God, the place where His presence (often described the Shekinah glory), where He would live & commune/communicate with Moses.
The Ark & Mercy Seat were kept in the Holy of Holies. This was the Temple’s innermost sanctuary which was separated from the other parts of the Temple by a thick curtain called a parochet. The Holy of Holies could only be entered by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. This is the holiest day of the year in Judaism.
The ritual described, in detail, in Leviticus chapter 16. The High Priest would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial bull onto the Mercy Seat as an atonement for the sins of his own & his family. A sacrificial goat would be for the sins of the people of Israel. This act of sprinkling the blood would be a symbolic covering of the sins of the people. This allowed for a temporary reconciliation between a holy God & His sinful creation. The blood was a substitute representing a life given in place of the lives of the people who transgressed against God’s law.
For Christians the Mercy Seat is seen as a powerful foreshadowing of Jesus. The New Testament, in Hebrews & Romans, draws a direct & profound connection between the Old Testament ritual & Jesus’ work on the cross.
Jesus on the cross was a greater atonement & the formation of a New Covenant (Hebrews 9:3-15). The continual sacrifices for sin under the Mosaic Law/Covenant became obsolete following Jesus’ one-time sacrificial death, as the Lamb of God.
The author(s) of Hebrews explains that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest (Hebrews 9:11). Unlike the Old Testament priests who HAD to offer sacrifices for sins, Jesus was without sin (or original Sin for that matter) & offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice “once for all.”
The blood of the bulls & goats could only give a temporary “covering” of sin(s) (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus’ own blood, that was shed on the cross, is presented as a perfect & final atonement. THis provides a permanent solution to the problem of sin & guilt.
At the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the building was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This is understood as a symbol that the separation between God & humanity had been removed. Thus through Jesus’ sacrifice, believers now have direct access to God’s presence.
The Greek word for Mercy Seat used in the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) is hilasterion. This is a term that carries the idea of an atoning sacrifice. In Romans 3:25, the Apostle Paul uses this exact word to describe Jesus: “…whom God puts forward as a propitation (or Mercy Seat) by His blood, to be received by faith.” This verse teaches that God’s righteous wrath against sin satisfied God’s justice in the Old Testament.
In this way, Jesus is seen as a fulfillment of everything the Mercy Seat represented. The place where God’s holiness & justice meet His mercy & love & the means by which humanity can be reconciled with God. The Mercy Seat was a physical representation of a spiritual truth, one that Christians believe was fully realized in the person & work of Jesus.
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The Ark of the Covenant – Taboot e Sakina Between Revelation, History, and Mystery
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AO THROWBACK - In the 1980s one man claimed he had found the elusive Ark of the Covenant an ancient chest said to contain the original Ten Commandments. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/adventist-adventurer-claimed-have-found-ark-covenant-beneath-crucifixion-site-007412
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A better Indiana Jones sequel would have been set in the 1990s as two trepid investigators find the CIA documents about the Ark Of The Covenant and everything else in that warehouse and go on merry adventures.
I've always liked the notion that the Ark is some mad radioactive rock that has to be kept in lead until the (suicide) pall bearers drop the lid and the skin starts to melt......hours later going by that Chernobyl series.
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