The Thrones, also called Thronus or Throni in Latin, are a rank of angelic creatures most noted by Paul of Tarsus within the New Testament Book of Colossians Chapter 1 verse 16. These heavenly creatures are directly connected to the throne of God, and are the holy manifestations of God's justice and supreme authority. As stated within the New Testament, the Thrones are high ranking spirits, and are under the direct control of Jesus Christ himself. The Thrones also appear within the Book of Revelation Chapter 11 verse 16, where it states that twenty four elders, all of which are firmly seated high and exalted on their thrones before the Lord, all fell on their faces at once and worshiped God. Do note that some Christians however do not interpret the Book of Revelation passage to refer to the angelic Thrones, but instead to actual seats of power or governments on earth which are filled with righteous God fearing kings, rulers, princes, and governors.
Within Judaism the angelic Thrones are most commonly referred to as abalim, arelim, or erelim. It should be noted that often times within Judaic scripture the Thrones are confused with the Ophanim, also known as the Galgallin or Wheels. The Thrones and Ophanim however are totally different angels, as the Ophanim are great wheels hovering around God's throne, which are said to be completely covered with eyes. The Thrones on the other hand are angels from within the first angelic sphere within the Christian angelic hierarchy. According to the New Testament they are said to be angels who possess an extraordinary amount of power and movement, as they are the holders of expanded energy. This energy that they hold is said to fully flow between the spiritual world and the physical world, assuring that both are forever linked to one another. It is also said that without this holy energy, the physical world would totally cease to exist.
As far as the Western Wisdom Teachings are concerned, the renown Christian scholar known as Dionysius the Areopagite included the Thrones within his Christian angelic hierarchy, stating that they are ranked third out of nine ranks of angels. Rudolf Steiner the Austrian philosopher also had something to say about the Thrones, stating that these angels represent pure spiritual will, and that they used to be whole angels like the Seraphim, however they sacrificed their own spiritual matter to help create our universe. So in a way, all matter in physical existence is a part of the Thrones, including human being themselves. Outside of Steiner's strange theory on the Thrones, they have also been called the Lords of Wisdom by various religious scholars, claiming these creatures are the root of all wisdom and knowledge within our realm. They have also been astrologically linked with Virgo, as illustrated within the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, an odd Rosicrucian text.
Within popular culture, the angelic Thrones of Colossians appear often, and usually outside of a rigid religious context. For example they are featured within the Shin Megami Tensei series, where they are portrayed as demons instead of holy angels. In this series they are depicted as ashen or black skinned men who wear long flowing black robes, and who sit atop of a wheel of blazing fire. In a later Shin Megami Tensei spin-off called the Persona series, the Thrones appear again however this time they are depicted as the highest rank of angels, serving under the Justice arcana. In the realm of comic books, the Thrones also appear in Mike Carey's Lucifer series, with a Throne like character called Amenadiel having an active role. The Thrones also appear within Mobile Suit Gundam 00 as a rank of Gundam Meisters, and their suits are all entitled Throne, along with the names Drei, Eins, and Zwei. Cheers, we hope that you have enjoyed this quick article.
