Bezaliel - An Angel Shunned by Heaven AND Hell - The Shadow of God

In my exploration of angels, there is an angel that has avoided being named to me until now. What I've been finding out is that he is the most misunderstood, shunned creature of God out there. With nicknames like, "Shadow of God" is it any wonder why this angel is surrounded by controversy. Is he a fallen angel? Or one of the Seraphim order doing God's work in secret? Did he in fact build the Ark of the Covenant?

Let's get into it. 

Bezaliel (Bez-A-liel) 101

First off, the basics.

I found this from Digital Bible, "Bezaliel, whose name is Hebrew in origin and means "Shadow of God," is often mentioned within esoteric and Jewish mystical traditions. If you've heard the phrase 'esoteric and mystical traditions' but couldn't define it, I found this. It is another way of saying 'mystery tradition' or the seeking of hidden or inner meaning. 

Back to the angel, or Shadow of God, at hand. While some sources suggest that he is a fallen angel, others propose that Bezaliel is an archangel who belongs to the order of angels known as Seraphim, famous for their six wings and their close proximity to God. 

In the grimoire "A Dictionary of Angels," writer Gustav Davidson includes Bezaliel as one of the many non-canonical angels. In some interpretations, Bezaliel is portrayed as an angel who fell from grace, although the specifics behind his fall are not elaborately explained. 

Seeking more information, I found it on YouTube.

Myth Cast from YouTube asks...

What if there was an angel so mysterious, so powerful and so hidden...that even Heaven and Hell don't fully understand him? Meet Bezaliel - the 13th Watcher and Angel of Shadows. 

In their short video linked in the show notes, they say that Bezaliel is mentioned as one of the Watchers, the 13th Watcher to be specific. Because of the nature of his work, he is not accepted in Heaven or Hell, and is begrudgingly envied by the other angels for the secret tasks he sets about doing for God, in the name of God. 

Mentioned in the Book of Enoch, a book banned from the conventional bible, he is a figure of great mystery and intrigue.

Show Sources:

Bezaliel, the Fallen Angel of Shadows, Myth Cast, YouTube

Bezaliel: The Intriguing Study of a Fallen Angel, Digital Bible

Bezalel (their spelling) on Wikipedia

The Complete Book of Enoch

Ark of the Covenant, Pastor Russell Mckinney's blog

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:16

In my exploration of angels, there's this angel that has avoided being named to me until now. What I've been finding out is he is probably the most misunderstood, shunned creature of God out there. With nicknames like Shadow of God, is it any wonder why this angel is surrounded by controversy? Is he a fallen angel or one of the Seraphim Order doing God's work in secret? Did he in fact build the Ark of the Covenant? Let's get into it. That's right. First off, the basics. I found this from Digital Bible. Bezaleel, whose name is Hebrew in origin and means shadow of God, is often mentioned within esoteric and Jewish mystical traditions. So if you've heard the phrase esoteric and mystical traditions and you kind of glazed over, you couldn't define it, I found this. It's another way of saying mystery tradition or the seeking of hidden or inner meaning, which kind of clarified it for me because I think I've said that before in the show, and I have glazed over. But back to the angel or shadow of God at hand. While some sources suggest that he is a fallen angel, others propose that Bezaliel is an archangel who belongs to the order of angels known as the Seraphim, famous for their six wings and their close proximity to God. In the Grimoire, a dictionary of angels, writer Gustav Davidson includes Bezaliel as one of many non-canonical angels. In some interpretations, Bezaliel is portrayed as an angel who fell from grace, although the specifics behind his fall are not elaborately explained. Okay, you know me. I was seeking more information and I found it on YouTube. Mythcast from YouTube asks this: what if there was an angel, so mysterious, so powerful, and so hidden that even heaven and hell don't fully understand him? Meet Bezaleel, the 13th Watcher and the Angel of Shadows. So, in this short video, linked in the show notes, of course, they say that Bezaliel is mentioned as one of the watchers, the 13th Watcher, to be specific. Because of the nature of his work, he is not accepted into heaven or hell, and is begrudgingly envied by the other angels for the secret tasks that he sets about doing for God, in the name of God. Mentioned in the book of Enoch, a book banned from the conventional Bible, he is a figure of great mystery and intrigue. I found more from Reddit, of course, right? His features are shrouded in darkness by a cloak that he wears at all times, and no method thus far has been able to reveal his face. He carries a sword that no one has ever seen him unsheathe, and a book that no one else has ever read, neither of which can be opened by any person besides him. Neither of these were present at the time of his fall, which confuses angels and demons alike. Bezalil can manipulate darkness and he can make it tangible and very, very deadly. He can also summon shades and compel them to do his bidding. Lastly, he can teleport between areas of shadow and become nearly invisible within them, though looking carefully enough will show that something is there, apparently. Bessalil speaks tersely, using few words and short sentences, not because he's stupid, but because he dislikes wasting time. He will serve any demon or human who can offer him a fair deal, but he also has a talent for making the other people regret it somehow. Divine sight. Bessalil can see the divine beings, angels, deities, holy spirits, and even the psychopomps and their actions and possess or gather divine knowledge. They are also able to see divine or mystic realms and perceive the world on many different planes of existence. Knowledge and manipulation. Bessalil can create, shape, and manipulate any and all information and knowledge. They can insert new knowledge into the universe that becomes established fact and reality, or destroy it to do the opposite. An enemy could be made to forget how to walk. While an ally could be given the knowledge of an enemy's weaknesses or mastery of a fighting skill. And it led me to this question: was Bezalil the entity behind the making of the Ark of the Covenant? Well, a lot of sources say yes. I found this from Wikipedia, which is a combination of multiple sources. Find links to the entry in the show notes, please. In Exodus 31, 1 through 6 and chapters 36 through 239, Bezalil, which they spelled in three different ways, was the chief artisan of the tabernacle and was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant, assisted by Oholiop. The section in chapter 31 describes his selection as chief artisan in the context of Moses' vision of how God wanted the tabernacle to be constructed. And chapters 36 to 39 recount the construction process undertaken by Bezalil, Oholiab, and every gifted artisan and willing worker in accordance with the vision. Okay, if I said Ark of the Covenant and your mind flip into readers of the Lost Ark, well, you are definitely my kind of person. But here's a physical description of the Ark from the Bible. According to the book of Exodus, the chest was built of akasha wood. It measures two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. This translates, thankfully, to roughly 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high, which is so much smaller than I actually pictured in my head as a kid, probably because of Indiana Jones. But I'm sorry to interrupt the Bible. The wooden box was overlaid with pure gold both on the inside and the outside, and was finished with an ornamental golden border around the top rim. Four solid gold rings were attached to the four feet of the arc, two on each side. So that's quite the work of functional art, isn't it? And then there's the lid of the arc, which is known as the mercy seat. Okay, I feel like when I was driving with my dad in the car, the mercy seat was the way, way back part of our Dotson station wagon. I hadn't heard of that term though, mercy seat, until I was doing this research. But here's a bit more detail. The lid of the ark, known as the mercy seat or atonement cover, was not made of wood, but was crafted from solid pure gold. God promised that he would meet with the Israelites from above the mercy seat and speak to them, quote, from between the two cherubim, and that's from Exodus 25, 22. This means that the lid of the Ark of the Covenant served as nothing less than God's throne upon the earth. And no description of the Ark would be complete without mention of the cherubim. This comes from Pastor Russell McKinney's blog. Atop the cover were two golden cherubim, hammered out of the same single piece of gold as the lid itself. The two figures faced one another with their wings spread outward and upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. End quote. Remember, I mentioned the gold rings earlier? Inside the ark, though, were found stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. They were etched on both sides of those tablets, by the way, and they were replacements for the first ones that Moses kind of had a tantrum and broke. But that wasn't all of the ark's precious cargo. According to the New Testament's book of Hebrews, the ark also contained a golden urn filled with mana, an Aaron's staff that had miraculously blossomed. If you hankered to read more about where that ark went, how it was lost to time and maybe found and maybe lost again and maybe found again, but not able to be dug up for political reasons. Check out Reverend McKinney's blog series that I've got linked to in the show notes. It was a fun rabbit hole to go down. So let's refocus again for a moment on this fascinating angel. The name Bezaliel means in the shadow or protection of the god El. Bezalel is described in the genealogical lists as the son of Uri in Exodus 31:1, the son of her of the tribe of Judah. And that's from 1 Chronicles 2, 18, 19, 20, and 50. He was said to be highly gifted as a craftsman, showing great skill and originality in engraving precious metals and stones and in wood carving. He was also a master craftsman, having many apprentices under him, whom he instructed in the arts. According to the narrative in Exodus, he was called and endowed by God to direct the construction of the tent of meeting and its sacred furniture, and also to prepare the priest's garments and the oil and incense required for the service. He was also in charge of the holy oils, incense, and priestly vestments. Caleb was his great-great-grandfather. In the rabbinic literature, I found this. The rabbinical tradition relates that when God determined to appoint Bezalil, architect of the desert tabernacle, he asked Moses whether the choice was agreeable to him and received the reply, Lord, if he is acceptable to thee, surely he must be so to me. At God's command, however, the choice was referred to the people for approval and was endorsed by them. Moses thereupon commanded Bezaliel to set about making the tabernacle, the holy ark, and the sacred utensils. Moses mentioned these in somewhat inverted order, putting the tabernacle last. Bezaleel sagely suggested to him that men usually build the house first and afterward provide the furnishings. But that inasmuch as Moses had ordered the tabernacle to be built last, there was probably some mistake and God's command must have run differently. Wow, that was a hard conversation to have. Imagine having a conversation with Moses saying, I think you got this wrong. You might not have heard God right. Whew, that takes some guts, right? Bezalil possessed such great wisdom that he could combine those letters of the alphabet with which heaven and earth were created. This being the meaning of the statement from Exodus 31:3. I have filled him with wisdom and knowledge, which were the implements by means of which God created the world, as stated in Proverbs 3, 19 and 20. By virtue of his profound wisdom, Bezaliel succeeded in erecting a sanctuary, which seemed a fitting abiding place for God, who is so exalted in time and space. The candlestick of the sanctuary was of so complicated a nature that Moses could not comprehend it, although God twice showed him a heavenly model. But when he described it to Bezaliel, the latter understood immediately and made it at once, whereupon Moses expressed his admiration for the quick wisdom of Bezaliel, again saying that he must have been in the shadow of God when the heavenly models were shown him. Bezaliel is said to have been at least 13 years of age when he accomplished his great work. He owed his wisdom to the merits of pious parents, his grandfather being her, and his great-grandmother Miriam. He was thus a grandnepheor of Moses. Wow, that is an interesting fact. And on top of it, if he truly is kind of an angel that saddles um heaven and hell and is lives in the shadow of God, we always hear about there's two angels that the Bible seems to suggest, and really very specifically in many places, was a human being before they were an exalted angel. And Bezaliel seems like he's kind of in that pool of people. Hmm. So Bezaliel comes with a legacy. The Bezaliel Academy of Arts and Design and the Bezaliel School Art Movement in Israel are both named after this mighty angel. I found more on the Bezaliel Academy of Arts and Design because I was so fascinated. It's a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem, established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz. Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education and is considered the most prestigious art school in the country. It is named for the biblical figure Bezalil, son of Uri, who was appointed by Moses to oversee the design and construction of the tabernacle. The art created by Bezalil's students and professors in the early 1900s is considered the springboard for Israeli visual arts in the 20th century. Bezalel's 460,000 square feet of main campus is located adjacent to the Russian compound in the city center. The architecture department remains at Bezalil's nearby historic campus. As of 2023, Bezalil offers 10 bachelor departments and five master's programs. It employs more than 500 lecturers and enrolls close to 2,500 students. That's pretty impressive. Oh, and before we close, I just had to talk about something that I hinted to in the beginning: the Lost Chapter of the Watchers. Rumor has it there was one section of the book of Enoch that's been hidden away called the Lost Chapter of the Watchers. I had to know more, and I did a deep dive, and I am going to link you to the complete book of Enoch in the show notes because you basically have to read the entirety of it to kind of understand all of the secret knowledge of the book of Enoch. Because remember, Enoch is one of those books that they have not allowed to be in the Bible. Apparently, it is in certain Bibles still, and it was in even the Catholic Bible for hundreds of years before it was taken out. In non-canonical texts, most notably, like I said, the book of Enoch, Bezalil is listed as the 13th watcher and one of the 20 leaders of the fallen angels. And in the Gregory, in modern mythos, such as Peter Moorbacher's Angelarium Art Project, he is conceptualized as the Angel of Shadows. His name translates to Shadow of God, and he personifies shadows, mystery, and unseen projections of inner self. Okay, his characteristics, he is described as a mysterious entity shrouded in permanent shadow, tasked by Samyaza to observe and relay information. It's also said that he never has a face. He never bears or shows his face. Like he not only hides it in the cloak that he wears perpetually, but people wonder about the features of his face. I have also linked to those so that you can look at images that artists have depicted of Bezaleel. And I encourage you to explore more about this very interesting, very mysterious, and very unusual and I don't know, compelling because he kind of saddles the darkness and the light. Angel, you can check out the breakdown on Angelarium, which I've linked to in the show notes, or read his mythological origins on that Wikipedia page. I hope you enjoyed my little spontaneous deep dive into Bezalil. And he has been a fascinating figure for me to start calling into my life because I find that the answers that he gives me really are they're very curt, they're very cut through the BS. And here's the truth. And I'm not going to sugarcoat it. And you said you wanted it, so here it is. So I kind of like the straight speaking version of this angel. It's very compelling to me. Until next week, please stay curious. And you know, I love you so, so much. Hey, I have a little tail end to this because after I hit the stop button, I just was fascinated more with Bezaliel. And I wanted to make sure the links were good that I had put in the show notes, but I found this. I wanted to know more about his mysterious side and if there were any like symbols, colors, and crystals that were associated with him. This is what I found: Mystery and the Unknown. Bezaliel personifies the shadows, darkness, and shades in creation. He represents the space where natural understanding fails and intuition or imagination takes over. I feel like he would be connected to dream life because of that, right? And divine sight and knowledge. He is associated with the manipulation of knowledge and the ability to perceive the world through different planes of existence and divine realms. He is the keeper of secrets. He is often portrayed as a scribe, an accountant, or silent observer who guards knowledge that is hidden from both angels and demons. The symbols that they associate with him are the unseen book. He is typically depicted carrying a small, leather-bound book on his belt, which remains sealed and unread by any other entity. The sheathed sword that I mentioned earlier, a sword hangs at his side that no one has ever seen him draw, symbolizing his latent power or controlled force. Shrouded or winged silhouette. His primary symbol is an obscured silhouette. His physical features are constantly shrouded in darkness, with the only defining feature being his eyes. Wow, that's interesting. Shades of black and gray are some of the colors that are most associated with bezalil. Deep shadows, charcoal, and dark grays are his primary signature representing the shadow of God. While his body is dark, his eyes are known to flare with a stark bright or blinding white light when he is under stress or manifesting his power. Deep purple and indigo also have an association with him. These mystical colors are sometimes used in invocation rites to represent clairvoyance, psychic awareness, and hidden dimensions. And then I asked about crystals and stones. And what was called out for him are the barrel family. The mineral barrel in all its versatile forms is closely tied to bezalil due to its metaphysical link to protection, the heart chakra, and balance. Then there's black obsidian, used for grounding, scrying, which is divining the future, and absorbing negative energies or shielding against the unseen. Labradorite, known as the stone of magic, its iridescent dark flash of colors, similar to a shadow, aligns with the unseen realm and divine sight attributed to Bezale. And finally, the Amethyst, a stone associated with spiritual protection, higher consciousness, and connecting with divine realms. And also they um they do mention that he is associated with woodworking and gold or bronze, which is very interesting. So thanks for letting me uh interrupt your peace and quiet at the end of the episode with some more facts about Bezalil. I am just so fascinated. I'm probably going to be dropping more facts in future episodes because what an interesting, intriguing figure. Really, until next time, stay curious. I love you.