Throne of God

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 700+ words | Copyright

Throne of God. Jewish vision of the transcendent power of God. God is described as sitting on a throne by the prophets Micaiah (1 Kings 22. 19), Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1) and Daniel (Daniel 7. 9). The imagery is also to be found in Talmudic and midrashic sources. Some mystical tracts speak of God's throne as his ‘merkavah’ (chariot). In the Pentateuch, the Ark of the Covenant is understood as the throne of God, (and in his mercy seat). Many Jewish philosophers, such as Saʿadiah Gaon and Maimonides, interpreted all talk of God's throne as allegory.

In Islam, the throne of God became a subject of controversy in the early years: how literally was it to be taken? The Qurʾān speaks frequently of al-ʿArsh (e.g. 7. 54, 9. 129) and of al-Kursi (the footstool, but often taken to be a synonym of al-ʿArsh), notably in āyat al-Kursi, the verse of the Throne, 2. 256. Conflict arose because to take these verses literally would imply extreme anthropomorphism; to take them metaphorically might seem to impugn the direct meaning of the Qurʾān.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN BOWKER. "Throne of God." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Throne of God." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-ThroneofGod.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Throne of God." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-ThroneofGod.html

Learn more about citation styles