Maaseh Merkavah

3 texts in Kabbalah & Mysticism

The Mystic Ascends Through Seven Heavenly Palaces

Maaseh Merkavah, The Heavenly Ascent

Maaseh Merkavah (מעשה מרכבה), the Work of the Chariot, is a Hekhalot (the heavenly palaces) text that provides a first-person account of the mystic's ascent through the seven heave...

Heavenly realmsAngelsDivine throneMerkavah

Angelic Guards Demand Passwords at Every Gate

Maaseh Merkavah, The Angelic Guards

The most dangerous part of the heavenly ascent described in Maaseh Merkavah (the Divine Chariot) is not the destination—it is the journey. At each of the seven gates leading to the...

AngelsHeavenly realmsDivine NamesMerkavah

What the Mystic Sees in the Throne Room of God

Maaseh Merkavah, The Throne Room

The climax of Maaseh Merkavah (the Divine Chariot) is the mystic's arrival in the seventh palace—the throne room of God. After passing through six gates, surviving the challenges o...

Divine throneHeavenly realmsAngelsMerkavah