King Jesus by Robert Graves

Author:Robert Graves [Graves, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9780141970905
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2011-10-03T04:00:00+00:00

Then he expounded them as follows. “It is agreed that there are four New Years in a twelvemonth ; at the autumnal equinox, at the vernal, at midwinter, at midsummer. As I read this vision of Ezekiel, each Cherub is a wheel of four spokes, with each New Year a spoke of the wheel. Each spoke has a face, part of the hub, that distinguishes its New Year : the Ox of seven combats for the new-born Sun of winter, and for the planet Ninib ; the Lion for the young Sun in Spring and for the planet Marduk ; the Eagle for the Sun in his prime and for the planet Nergal ; the Man for the experienced Sun of autumn and for the planet Nabu. But each spoke is planted in the felloe of its wheel with a single golden calf’s foot, so that each wheel is a four-legged calf. Each Cherub, then, is a wheeling year of four seasons, and each year is a wheel in a four-wheeled chariot, and rolls straight forward without deflection ; and each of the many eyes upon the wheels is a day, for the Sun is called the eye of the day. Each wheel, also, turns within a wheel of four years (and so the Greeks reckon time by Olympiads), running from the beginning of things to the end of things. The Enthroned Man is an emanation of our God, but not our God himself. There are no beasts in the shafts of the Chariot, since the wheels themselves are the beasts, each wheel running, as I have said, upon the four feet of a golden calf. These wheels were the fiery steeds of the chariot in which the prophets Enoch and Elijah were carried up to Heaven. Yet Ezekiel hides a part of his vision from us : for the beast of midsummer is, in truth, an eagle-winged goat. Moreover, the beast of autumn is, in truth, a man-faced seraph, or fiery serpent. Thus each calf is in turn four beasts : it is lion, goat, seraph, and ox—the seraph when it is fully grown—and also it is a man, and an eagle. For this reason the Greeks and Cretans, who have drunk from the same well as ourselves, say : ‘The Calf has many changes.’ ”

“Cousin, beware of rash judgements !” John repeated.

Jesus continued : “The golden calf is not an idol, unless it be worshipped as a god. Those who worshipped the golden calves by Mount Horeb said : ‘These brought us out of Egypt!’ They lied : it was by the power of our God alone that they were brought out. Now, the whirlwind and fire, as I read Ezekiel’s vision, are an allegory of God’s presence ; for whirlwind and fire were the allegory of his presence on Mount Carmel when an inner voice spoke to Elijah. Yet an allegory only, for it is written : ‘And yet the Lord was not in the whirlwind. And yet the Lord was not in the fire.

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