Dr. Michael Heiser proposed that Ezekiel’s visions, in Chapters 1 and 10 of the Book of Ezekiel, should be interpreted astrologically. The vision, according to this Astrological Hypothesis, interprets the wheels of the divine throne-chariot as the circle of the zodiac and the Living Creatures as the four constellations associated with the cardinal directions in ancient Babylonian astrology.
The mysterious eyes that appear in the wheel rims and all throughout the Living Creatures are also interpreted astronomically as the stars that make up the zodiac and the celestial background of the scene. To support this hypothesis
Dr. Heiser proposed that the word “eyes” in the text be translated as “Sparkling” or “gleaming”. He also proposed that the eagle face of the Living Creature correlates to the constellation Ophiuchus as represented in its ancient form. Interlinear bibles that provide Hebrew-to-English translations, validate the proposed translation of eyes. Heiser’s choice of Ophiuchus is not a suitable match for the eagle face. Scorpio is attested in the Babylonian star compendiums, but there is good evidence that the constellation Aquila – the eagle – which lies just outside the ecliptic but is located near Scorpio and Ophiuchus, is a better match.
l review and validate Dr. Heiser’s evidence and provide additional evidence that the Astrological Hypothesis is the most coherent explanation for the interpretation of Ezekiel’s vision.
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