In Exterminating Angel, Zaphkiel, former
leader of the angelic order thrones, lives on earth and works as a demon hunter
under his boss, Ophaniel, who insists on calling them ophanim, much to
Zaphkiel’s chagrin.
Angel politics aside, the names are actually
equivalent. Ophaniel is the eponymous leader of the ophanim, while Zabkiel and
Oriphiel are also considered the ruling princes of thrones. And to make it more
interesting, fallen angels, including Murmur and Raum, have been chiefs.
Confusing? Then how about this description
from 3 Enoch 25: 6-7: “All the ophanim are full of eyes and full of wings, eyes
corresponding to wings and wings corresponding to eyes…” Not only that, but
these thrones/ophanim are described as wheels (sometimes fiery). Called the “many-eyed
ones,” thrones/ophanim are tasked with dispensing divine justice and pulling
God’s chariot, which is steered by the cherubim.
The prophet Ezekiel’s description of
thrones/ophanim is probably the most well-known. “As I looked at the living
creatures, I saw wheels on the ground… The four of them had rims, and I saw
their rims were full of eyes all around.” (Ezekiel 1: 15-18)
A strange description for a celestial
entity. According to Rosemary Ellen Guiley, the “term ‘throne’ generally refers
to a symbol of majesty and the seat of God and God’s glory, and as such it is
not a spiritual being.” She goes on to say that Colossians 1: 16 is the only
time thrones are equated as being angels. And yet, according to the Talmud Bereshith
Rabba, “All patriarchs became angels of this order on arriving in heaven.”
So who’s to say that some reported UFO
sightings may not actually have been thrones/ophanim?
Sources:
Angels A to Z (Lewis, James R. and Oliver,
Evelyn Dorothy)
Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen
Angels (Davidson, Gustav)
Encyclopedia of Angels (Guiley, Rosemary
Ellen)
Exterminating Angel
Blurb:
Making a deal with the Devil is the least
of his problems.
Zaphkiel, a chain-smoking, hard-drinking
archangel, never intended to unleash the sun demon upon the city. Bad enough
his boss wants him dead, and this recent crime is the perfect excuse. The
timing couldn’t be worse. Somehow, Zaphkiel’s executed lover, Caliel, is alive
and reincarnated as Sean. Zaphkiel is thrilled to be reunited with Caliel
again, but will his lover feel the same when he learns Zaphkiel’s darkest
secret?
Hired by Lucifer, Sean wants nothing more
than to fit in. But how can he compete when the Devil’s friends include
archangels and a Tarot reader, and he was born without special abilities? Or so
he believes. The Tarot hints there may be more to him than he realizes.
Recruited by the Devil to find the two
pentacles sun demon Sorath plans to use to destroy the universe, Zaphkiel and
Sean find themselves pawns in a game of power and control. If the archangel
gives his boss the pentacles, Ophaniel will overlook his crime. But Zaphkiel
knows he can’t trust either Ophaniel or Sorath, and the deal he’s made with the
Devil could cost him not only his life, but also the lover he believed gone
forever.
Excerpt:
Is your decision worth it? Zaphkiel
replayed Lucifer’s words as he lay next to Sean. His lover’s chest rose and
fell in rhythm to his relaxed breathing. One arm was thrown up alongside his
face, hand balled into a fist. Sean’s other arm lay across his stomach.
Would their relationship change when he
became a fallen angel? He stroked Sean’s hair, marveling at how such an
innocuous action could stir such a possessive feeling in him. Leaning down, he
brushed his lips over the other man’s.
Sean opened his eyes, and smiled. “Morning
already?”
“No. It’s still early. Go back to sleep.”
Zaphkiel would never tire of looking into those eyes, irises green and rimmed
with blue. His heart swelled with relief he had this second chance. How
Sean—no, Caliel—had managed to escape Seraphic flames astounded him, and he
thanked whomever had saved his lover.
Sean pushed himself to a sitting position
against pillows, and turned on the nightstand lamp. “Something’s on your mind.”
He cradled Zaphkiel’s head against his chest, curling strands of his hair
around his fingers. “Care to tell me about it?”
Sean’s steady heartbeat was a comforting
sound to remind him he’d something tangible to believe in, rather than a
distant memory lingering in his subconscious, a reminder of an irretrievable
past. But he couldn’t tell Sean his true nature. He’d promised, and he didn’t
want to destroy their relationship.
Nor could he tell Sean what he planned to
do that could change both their lives.
Sean kissed the top of his head. He pulled
Zaphkiel close, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Talk to me.”
Zaphkiel leaned against Sean, closing his
eyes, and enjoying the closeness, clean smell of soap, and satiny feel of warm,
tanned skin.
Sean kissed him at the juncture of his
shoulder and neck. A nip, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make the
hair on his arms rise. He pressed his hands against Zaphkiel’s chest, gently
rubbing his nipples in a circular motion until they peaked under his touch.
A fluttering sensation filled Zaphkiel’s
stomach, and his breath hitched.
Sean ground his erection against Zaphkiel’s
lower back. Heat flowed through his groin and abdomen, temperature rising. His
body ached with need, and knowing Sean wanted him meant more to him than he
could express. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” He took Sean’s hand and
pushed it past the waistband of his cotton briefs. “Someone’s getting lonely
here.”
“We can’t let that happen.” Sean squeezed
his erection. That, along with the cotton fabric rubbing against his sensitive
skin, created a friction that drove him mad with desire. No one else made him
feel this way. Even in his loneliest moments, when he believed his lover dead,
the thought of another man or angel touching him sexually filled him with
revulsion. His body and soul belonged only to Caliel.
“Hope you don’t have to be anywhere in the
morning.” Sean shifted beneath him. He rolled Zaphkiel over and kissed his
throat, at the same time reaching between his legs and stroking him.
Zaphkiel arched off the bed. God, Sean knew
what erogenous buttons to push. His skin tingled and burned as his passion
rose. Always, Caliel saw to his needs first, insisting Zaphkiel’s pleasure was
more important than his own. Of course, it was a lie, and seeing the wanton
look on his lover’s face always drove him to new heights of arousal, even if
he’d just come. But that was Caliel, always giving, never expecting anything in
return. A pure, selfless lover.
Sean gently bit a nipple, and Zaphkiel
swore even more blood filled his cock. He ran his hands through Sean’s blond
hair, soft strands falling over his fingers. How many centuries had he dreamed
of touching Caliel, only to wake up alone, eyes wet with tears. Now they were
together again, he promised himself he wouldn’t let anyone, not even Ophaniel,
take Caliel away again.
Purchase Link: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30226
Publisher Link: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30226
Website Link: http://pamelaturner.net
Thanks for having me again, Blak! And thanks for posting the angel pic. I had one I could have sent you. Didn't even think about it. All I'm going to say is not enough caffeine. Yeah, that's it. That's the ticket. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was great to host you, Pamela, any time! :)
Delete