The Cherubic Hymn lays aside all worldly care in order to restore glory to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit, glory’s consummate completeness. The Cherubicon also raises on high the anointed King of all, whose Name is ‘I AM,’ wisdom unveiling glory in the highest heaven as glory’s consummate completeness. He who is, who was and who shall always be ‘I AM,’ is invisibly attended by numberless angelic and archangelic hosts. The Orthodox Church intones the Cherubic Hymn at the Offertory, the initiatory heart of every Holy Liturgy, but also sings the Thrice Holy Hymn, or Trisagion, before the reading of the Epistle and the Gospel, singing, “O Holy God, Holy and strong, Holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.” The Thrice Holy Chant, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’ is glorification of ‘I AM,’ mystical heart-centre of the angelic hosts, YHWH SABAOTH, cherubic throne of the hallowing Name, ‘I AM,’ the Thrice Holy Trinity, three in one and one in three. Wisdom’s opened door is the gateway to heaven, which the Spirit opens when the heart raises God on high by hallowing the Name. Awakened throne vision is not open to the confused, divided mind, but to the illumined heart that experiences resurrection, ascension and glorification in Christ, restoring glory to the Father through the Son in the Spirit.
In the great throne vision of the Book of Revelation, God’s Name ‘I AM,’ enthroned in glory, is surrounded by a radiant rainbow nimbus of uncreated light (Rev 4:3), ‘I AM’ in glory encircled by twenty four crowned elder’s thrones. Thrones and crowns are intrinsic to wisdom’s throne and chariot vision because the experience of enthronement of God in the midst and crowning of God on high are intrinsic to glorification. ‘Thrones’ of uncreated light enlighten the heart, just as ‘crowns’ of deifying glory crown light with glory, but lightning is also heard as thunder from the throne, glory awakening the ear of the heart. The Cherubic Hymn is Merkabah vision but also Menorah vision that gives voice to the sevenfold spiritual illumination of the Holy Spirit. Very ancient mystic symbols like ‘throne’ and ‘crown,’ ‘chariot’ and seven lamps, express ineffable mysteries that conventional rational and sensory experience cannot grasp. It is the unceasing prayer of the Holy Spirit which glorifies the Name enthroned, awakening awareness to presence as enthroning and crowning through the Name, ‘I AM.’
Wisdom’s vision of glory awakens to limpid translucence like a sea of glass beneath the glory of the throne, or like luminous crystal before it, purifying the heart for revelation of glory. Cherubic vision is ‘all-eyed’ or ‘all-round seeing’ vision, all face with no blind back behind, hallowing hearts with graceful, sevenfold wholeness. Seraphic vision is ‘all-round’ vision that wings on high all who intone the Thrice Holy Hymn. All-seeing vision is also inspired by the Spirit’s unceasing prayer of the heart, intoning, “Holy, Holy, Holy is ‘I AM,’ God Almighty, who is who was and who is to come!” (Rev 4:8). Angels and archangels give all-embracing glory, honour and thanksgiving to ‘I AM,’ enthroned by glory in the midst, unto ages of ages. Elders prostrate before throne glory, casting their crowns before it, saying, ‘Worthy are you, ‘I AM’ our God, to receive glory, honour and power, because by your will all created things arise’ (Rev 4:11).
‘I AM,’ is the Name of the slaughtered lamb, filled with the sevenfold Spirit of wholeness, who opens the seven seals of the holy scroll. Elders with lyres offer countless prayers of numberless saints as incense rising from their golden censors, singing the renewing chant of the Holy Name, wisdom’s ineffable song that makes all things new. The Cross of the slaughtered Lamb refers to the excruciating of dying to ourselves and rebirth in the Name that liberates and releases those bound by prisons of pride. The suckling, slaughtered Lamb is the wisdom and glory of ‘I AM,’ despised and disdained by the world, but rightly glorified here by angelic hosts in heaven. Both heaven and earth are filled with God’s glory, singing wisdom songs, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the Name of ‘I AM.’ God is ‘I AM’ and has revealed himself to us.’ (Psalm 118: 26-7; Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9; Lk 13:35). At this moment of deifying communion, the body of Christ is received with these words of glorification and the fountain of life is always received with this hallowing of God’s Holy Name.
The Spirit makes elders and saints into prophets, priests and kings in this Kingdom of the hallowed Name. Countless invisible angels and numberless saints surround the throne of glory, ascribing all glory to God. They see the true light of the Name and receive the Spirit that inspires heavenly hosts. They trust the Name to save them and they worship the undivided Trinity that saves all. They call upon the Name of Jesus, Yah Shuah: ‘I AM’ saves. Three in one and one in three, ascribe glory to the thrice holy ‘I AM.’ Hosanna in the highest! Hallelu Yah! The slaughtered Lamb unseals the scrolls of prophecy and prayer. The wisdom of ‘I AM’ unseals the mysteries of glory and the Name. The Cherubic Hymn ascribes glory to God that restores glory to God, glory curing every fall from glory, forgiving every fall from glory with forgiveness that renews all things. Seraphic glorification consumes confusion with uncreated, purifying fire so that Cherubic glorification may heal division with uncreated, enlightening light. Seraphic purification supports Cherubic illumination that sustains angelic glorification which is the angelic, deified state. The waters of light resound as thunderous glory when the Name is hallowed and the Kingdom comes. Yah Shuah! Amen. Hallelu Yah!
Wisdom, robed as solar radiance, flees into the wilderness to give birth to renewing wisdom, glory and the Name, far from the raging flames of the warring, seven-headed dragon. The Name ‘I AM’ illumines the foreheads of the saints, uniting awareness with presence in the hearts of all who hallow the Name. As renewing wisdom song, the Name renews creation by wedding wisdom and glory, awareness and presence, at the heart of the world. Wisdom beholds glory descend from heaven as the bridegroom’s bride, awareness embracing presence as God’s indwelling shekhinah or parousia, unveiling Emmanuel, God with us. The Name ‘I AM,’ enthroned in glory, makes all things new, overcoming death by death, releasing sobbing, sorrow and suffering. All is completed when ‘I AM’ is unveiled as Omega as well as Alpha so that everything begins at the end with the advent presence of the coming Kingdom. Fountains of wisdom quench thirst for completeness. The joy of ‘I AM’ embraces awareness and presence, the joy of wise glory’s completeness. God the Father generates God the Son, in whom the Spirit of sevenfold completeness dwells. Glory weds wisdom in the Name of the glorified slaughtered Lamb. His bride, the New Jerusalem, refracts glory into crystalline clarity that sparkles like precious stones. Her translucent purity is like pure gold or like crystalised glass, purifying the heart. Her sanctuary is transparent lucidity, refracting the uncreated light of rainbow glory in the midst, for only those who hallow God’s Name enter here, and they are all, without exception, called by God’s radiant Name as well as call upon it.
Wisdom appears at first to flow from the glory of the Throne, but since it is wisdom that beholds the glory of the Throne, this flow is not away from glory but towards it and into it. God’s ‘I AM’ dwells at centre in the midst. It is like a tree growing fruits of blessing, imparting life to all. The tree of life has wisdom flowing in its midst, because it is wisdom’s tree of life-giving glory. The symbols twist and turn to turn us round, unveiling glory to wisdom in the midst. Whoever beholds the Holy Face of God is crowned with glory, having God’s Name ‘I AM’ written on their foreheads. The truth of the Name is worthy of trust, because its crown of glory is trustworthy and true. Light and glory descend when the Name ‘I AM’ is hallowed, and the Kingdom comes when wisdom quickens hearts. Prophecy awakens the prayer of the Name in the heart, fulfilling all prophecy, answering all prayers. ‘I AM’ begins as Alpha where ‘I AM’ ends as Omega, because the veiling of ‘I AM’ ends where the revelation of ‘I AM’ begins. The bright morning star can never be postponed because wisdom’s completeness shines forth from the very beginning. Wisdom says to glory, come and dwell with me, beginning at the end. Glory says to wisdom, come and dwell in me, ending where we begin. ‘I AM’ is forever coming quickly and quickly quickens everything, as wisdom and glory conjoin and their union is consummated. The Cherubic Hymn raises on high ‘I AM’ its King, Christ mystically representing Cherubim in the Bridal Chamber, whose glorification of Holy Trinity in the Holy of Holies is a Thrice Holy Name, three in one and one in three.