CHAPTER XXIV
The different chariots of the Holy One, blessed be He
R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, the glory of all heaven, said to me :
(1) Numerous chariots has the Holy One, blessed be He: He has the "Chariots of (the) Kerubim", as it is written (Ps.xviii.11, 2 Sam.xxii.11): "And he rode upon a cherub and did fly".
(2) He has the "Chariots of Wind", as it is written (ib.) : "and he flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind ".
(3) He has the "Chariots of (the) Swift Cloud", as it is written (Is. xix. i): "Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud".
(4) He has "the Chariots of Clouds", as it is written (Ex. xix. 9): "Lo, I come unto thee in a cloud".
(5) He has the "Chariots of the Altar", as it is written (Am. ix. i) :"I saw the Lord standing upon the Altar".
(6) He has the "Chariots of Ribbotaim", as it is written (Ps.Ixviii. 18) : "The chariots of God are Ribbotaim ; thousands of angels".
(7) He has the "Chariots of the Tent", as it is written (Deut.xxxi. 15) : "And the Lord appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud".
(8) He has the "Chariots of the Tabernacle", as it is written (Lev. i. 1): "And the Lord spake unto him out of the tabernacle".
(9) He has the "Chariots of the Mercy-Seat", as it is written (Num. vii. 89): "then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from upon the mercy-seat".
(10) He has the "Chariots of Sapphire Stone", as it is written (Ex. xxiv. 10) : "and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone".
(11) He has the "Chariots of Eagles ", as it is written (Ex. xix. 4) :"I bare you on eagles' wings". Eagles literally are not meant here but "they that fly swiftly as eagles".
(12)He has the "chariots of Shout", as it is written (Ps. xlvii. 6) :"God is gone up with a shout".
(13) He has the "Chariots of 'Araboth", as it is written (Ps.Ixviii. 5): "Extol Him that rideth upon the 'Araboth".
(14) He has the "Chariots of Thick Clouds", as it is written (Ps. civ. 3): "who maketh the thick clouds His chariot".
(15) He has the "Chariots of the Chayyoth", as it is written (Ezek. i. 14) : "and the Chayyoth ran and returned". They run by permission and return by permission, for Shekina is above their heads.
(16) He has the "Chariots of Wheels (Galgallim)", as it is written (Ezek. x. 2): "And he said: Go in between the whirling wheels".
(17) lie has the "Chariots of a Swift Kerub", as it is written (Ps.xviii.10 & Is.xix.1): "riding on a swift cherub". And at the time when He rides on a swift kerub, as he sets one of His feet upon him, before he sets the other foot upon his back, he looks through eighteen thousand worlds at one glance. And he discerns and sees into them all and knows what is in all of them and then he sets down the other foot upon him, according as it is written (Ezek. xlviii. 35): "Round about eighteen thousand". Whence do we know that He looks through every one of them every day? It is written (Ps. xiv. 2): “He looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek after God".
(18) He has the "Chariots of the 'Ophannim", as it is written (Ezek. x. 12): "and the 'Ophannim were full of eyes round about". 12
(19) He has the "Chariots of His Holy Throne", as it is written (Ps. xlvii. 8) :" God sitteth upon his holy throne ".
(20) He has the "chariots of the Throne of Yah", as it is written (Ex. xvii. 16) : "Because a hand is lifted up upon the Throne of Jah".
(21) He has the "Chariots of the Throne of Judgement", as it is written (Is. v. 16): "but the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment".
(22) He has the "Chariots of the Throne of Glory ", as it is written (Jer. xvii. 12) : "The Throne of Glory, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary".
(23) He has the "Chariots of the High and Exalted Throne", as it is written (Is. vi. i): "I saw the Lord sitting upon the high and exalted throne".
