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Three angel references that come after
Genesis.
The story of Balaam (Numbers 22 – 24) is
rather involved. The Israelites were on the advance, and had already
dealt with the Ammonites. Balak, king of the Moabite kingdom, wanted to
stop them, and he ordered Balaam, a diviner, to deal with them by
cursing them. Balaam consulted with God, who told him that the
Israelites were blessed and he was not to obey the emissaries of the
kingdom of Moab. But Balak increased his reward, and Balaam gave in. The
story continues:
'And
Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the
princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the
angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he
was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass
saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in
his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the
field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel
of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side,
and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she
thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the
wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the LORD went further,
and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the
right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD,
she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote
the ass with a staff. And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she
said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me
these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast
mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill
thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou
hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do
so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam,
and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword
drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his
face. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou
smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand
thee, because thy way is perverse before me: and the ass saw me, and
turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely
now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive. And Balaam said unto the
angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in
the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me
back again.'
The
talking Ass makes a good story, but is clearly a myth: however, Balaam
himself may have been a historical character. An archaeological
reference to him was discovered in 1967.
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Now for two of the most
powerful pasages in the Old Testament: the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel. Both are theologically significant, both for Jews and
Christians, and both offer wonderful opportunities for resplendant art.
And yet, for some reason, few artists have taken up the challenge. Let's
look at Isaiah first. This is chapter 6.
'In the year that king Uzziah died I
saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his
train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six
wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his
feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the
LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full
of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that
cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me!
for I am undone; because I am a
man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one
of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he
had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon
my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity
is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I;
send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but
understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of
this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest
they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long?
And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the
houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have
removed men far away, and there
be a great forsaking
in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall
be a tenth, and it shall
return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose
substance is in
them, when they cast their
leaves: so the holy
seed shall be the
substance thereof.'
This is the only passage in the bible
to name the Seraphim, and, as we will see when looking at the angelic
hierarchy, the description and the link with fire will live on. The
passage is about the need to purge sins, which may be a painful process.
John's gospel (ch 12 v 39 -41) parallels it with Christ's suffering. An
important passage; but artists have for the most part ignored it. There
are a few engraved versions, but this rather dull fresco by Tiepolo is
the only painting I could track down.
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