The Esoteric Mystery of Kolob

Through an ancient cosmology centered around Kolob, Abraham teaches us about the true order of the Kingdom of Heaven—accessible to those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

I use the term esoteric quite often, but I find a lot of people don't really know what it means. The word conjures up images of dark, occult rituals and dangerous, dusty books. Its impact borders on the conspiratorial.

The truth about esotericism is not quite so scandalous.

Knowledge which is esoteric is knowledge that can be accessed only by those holding certain prerequisite information—like keys that open secret doors.

Consider Jesus telling His disciples why He speaks in parables (Matthew 13):

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Christ teaches in parables not to make the teachings more accessible but to make them more exclusive. The only ones to whom the parables are clear are the ones who have received the prerequisite keys of knowledge (the disciples). Christ's parables are esoteric teachings, understood at a very basic level by the uninitiated but comprehended fully by those who know the kingdom of heaven and its mysteries.

So when detractors of our faith deride Kolob as loony, cultish science fiction masquerading as theology, we shouldn't take offense! But we shouldn't shamefully hide Kolob away either.

These scorners approach the text of Abraham 3 as though it were a textbook describing scientific observations. They do not possess the keys to access the doctrine. They are no different than non-Christians reading Christ's parables and thinking them quaint fables or practical advice on vineyard management.

I believe that if we want to understand the scriptures at their full depth, we must view them through an esoteric lens, always asking ourselves what knowledge is obscured from view. We must learn that knowledge comes line upon line to those who ask, seek, and knock.

Where do we learn about Kolob?

What we know about Kolob comes primarily from two sources: Abraham 3 and Facsimilie 2.

In Abraham 3, the patriarch Abraham explains that he was able to see beyond the world by the power of the Urim and Thummim. With this sacred tool he saw the heavens, including the throne of God, and a star by the name of Kolob, which was near unto the throne of God.

Facsimilie 2 is a recreated image from an Egyptian papyri Joseph Smith purchased. He offered an explanation of the revealed symbolic meaning of the image, including references to Kolob and other celestial bodies.

Using these two sources, we can explore the Kolob mystery and come to appreciate what was revealed by the Lord to the patriarch Abraham in ancient times and to the prophet Joseph Smith in the latter days.

Facsimilie 2

What can we discover in the mystery of Kolob?

Above is my depiction of the Kolob mystery, with each piece labeled to its corresponding reference in the text. Through this symbolic illustration, I hope to offer a clearer picture of what I believe was revealed to Abraham and Joseph Smith through the power of the Urim and Thummim.

Some people may hold different interpretations of a few points; I welcome different views. I approach my interpretation with an understanding that the Kolob mystery is linked directly to the temple.

1. The Throne of God

   Some people mistakenly believe that Kolob is the throne of God, or the planet where God lives. But this comes from a misreading of the text. God doesn't live on a star or planet named Kolob.

   "Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God," meaning Kolob is not the throne of God but rather close to it. Kolob is not the place where God dwells—the center of creation, the apex of our ascent to a celestial state, the holy of holies. But the place is not far.

   We are not told much about the throne of God, but in my illustration I depict it with the all-seeing eye, symbolic of God's omniscience in the cosmos. I have placed the rest of the cosmic bodies in the orbit of this symbol. All of creation is under His gaze and care.

2. Kolob

   Any symbolic reading of Kolob will draw the reader to Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, the one closest to God's presence. Kolob is described as "the first in creation" and "the first in government".

   The Lord says "I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest."

   He then says, "Kolob is the greatest of all the Kokaubeam that thou hast seen, because it is nearest unto me."

   The star that is nearest to the throne of God is the greatest of all the cosmic bodies in the heavens because it is the nearest unto the throne of God, just as Jesus Christ is the greatest of all God's children because He is the closest to God. Thus He is the One to whom authority was given to govern over creation.

   Kolob, the brightest star in Abraham's cosmology and the one closest to God, is Jehovah, our promised Saviour.

3. Oliblish

   I propose that Oliblish represents the Ancient of Days, Michael, who was also Adam. Oliblish is presented as the star closest to Kolob, so it is second nearest to the throne of God.

   Oliblish features in Facsimilie 2. It "stands next to Kolob" and is "the next grand governing creation near to the celestial or the place where God resides."

   It is also given the "key of power", with governing authority over celestial bodies.

   Note in the explanations of Facsimilie 2 that the character of Oliblish was revealed from God to Abraham "as he offered sacrifice upon an altar..." I believe that the connection between altars and Adam's priesthood further supports the understanding of Oliblish as representing our first father, Adam, known also by his angelic name, Michael.

   Just as Michael was close to Jehovah in the premortal realm, with vested authority over creation, Oliblish is close to Kolob in Abraham's cosmology.

4. Kokaubeam

   The Kokaubeam are the stars in the firmament, the expansive lights in the cosmos. Kokaubeam seems to be the plural of Kokob, or star. God shows Abraham the Kokaubeam and says that his posterity will be like these stars—innumerable.

   Surely these Kokaubeam, or stars, can be understood as the other spirits of God's children, or maybe even the intelligences (and remember that intelligence is light and truth).

   Thus the "noble and great" spirits that God shows Abraham, the elect intelligences who were predestined with missions on earth, are the stars that are closer in orbit to the throne of God. I've tried to depict this idea in my illustration, with certain stars (or Kokaubeam) being closer to God's throne while others are scattered more expanisvely in the cosmos.

   From this we understand that just as Jehovah is the greatest and nearest of God's children, others are nearer or farther depending on their election. This hierarchy of spirits might make our modern, egalitarian sensibilities wince, but this would not have been controversial in an ancient context.

5. Shinehah, Jah-oh-eh, Olea

   These terms represent the celestial bodies in our proximity. Shinehah is the sun; Olea, the moon; Jah-oh-eh, the Earth.

   There are a few possibile esoteric readings of these terms. My preferred interpretation is that of the sun and moon as Adam and Eve in mortality, respectively.

   In classical esotericism, the moon represents the feminine: receptive of light, gentle, cyclical (monthly), and cool. The sun then represents the masculine: piercing, dominant, cyclical (daily), and warm. A perfect balance of forces.

   In the Kolob mystery, we could be looking at a representation of the masculine and feminine dichotomy (think Adam and Eve), with the Earth as the shared backdrop of a telestial existence.

   The medium of Kae-e-venrash (see next section) grants power from Kolob to the sun, but the moon also receives and carries this light. This is similar to how the priesthood works in mortality.

   
   

   

   the sun and moon as masculine and feminine symbols

   
   

6. Kae-e-venrash

   This is quite an interesting item found in Facsimilie 2, which explains that the sun "borrow[s] its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-venrash, which is the grand Key, or, in other words, the governing power, which governs fifteen other fixed planets or stars..."

   Kae-e-vanrash is a medium of power and energy through which all the celestial bodies, including our sun, draw light from Kolob, which is the brightest and most central star. Let's not get muddled in the astrophysics of this claim. What does Kae-e-venrash mean symbolically?

   I think the clearest answer is the priesthood. The priesthood is the power that links the celestial bodies to Christ, the greatest of all and the nearest to God. It is through the priesthood that man has access to the Light of Christ and His authority.

   The priesthood keys are given by Christ and held by His earthly representatives, 15 high priests (3 in the first presidency and 12 in the quorum of the apostles).

   The priesthood is the medium by which we are tethered to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His light and His word that keeps us in orbit of the throne of God.

   Note also the reference to Kae-e-venrash as the "grand Key", which in esoteric practice would mean a keyword of some kind. This is not the only time that Facsimilie 2 alludes to keys, keywords, or keywords of the priesthood. All of this should call to mind the temple endowment.

   Fig 8. of Facsimilie 2 even says explicitly, "Contains writings that cannot be revealed unto the world; but is to be had in the Holy Temple of God."

   The Kolob mystery is undoubtedly a temple ritual.

   
   
   
   

This is my interpretation of the Kolob mystery based on what we can gather from Abraham 3 and Facsimilie 2. I believe that these two sources are remarkable esoteric texts, offering insights to those with the proper frame of reference on how to return to the presence of God. I'm sure there is even more to dig out of these sources, and I encourage anyone who has to share those thoughts in the comments of this post.

To me, the essential components of the temple endowment are present in the Abrahamic cosmos. We in the sphere of earthly mortality are anchored to God through the medium of the priesthood, which is held in the light and power of Jehovah, the greatest of all God's children and the One closest to Him. Our goal is to return (ascend) to the throne of God, the celestial state, through that priesthood power. That journey home involves certain sacred keys.

I am happy to let the detractors mock Kolob; they know not what they say. But I hope that through this esoteric lens we come to better appreciate the sacred truths Abraham and Joseph delivered to us. I hope that talk of Kolob will be met with enthusiasm and intrigue instead of awkward tip-toeing.

I believe strongly that the scriptures revealed to us in the latter days are sacred treasures, replete with the knowledge required to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.

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