The Golden Bowl

In the beginning of Thel we read: Does the Eagle know what is in the pit? Or wilt thou go ask the Mole: Can Wisdom be put in a silver rod? Or Love in a golden bowl? The golden bowl! How do you place Love in a golden bowl? Does that make any sense? the golden bowl here is an antitype; but what is the type? Look at

 

Revelation 15:7

J.B. Phillips New Testament

^7-8 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives for timeless ages. The Temple was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could enter the Temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were past and over.

I found this in http://www.revelation-today.com/A1Bible%20Symbols.htm

Golden Bowl of Manna - represents immortality.

The golden bowl of manna was kept in the ark of the covenant. This manna never spoiled, representing the incorruptible characteristic of immortal life.

"...To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna..." Revelation 2:17

Aaron's Rod that Budded - represents divine authority given to the royal priesthood.

Aaron's rod was kept in the ark of the covenant. When Aaron's rod budded, it demonstrated that he was God's chosen priest. The Church, head and body, is God's chosen "royal priesthood" and mediator for establishing the new covenant between God and the world of mankind.

Look at Ecclesiastes 12:3-8: "In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

⁴And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

⁵Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

⁶Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

⁷Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

⁸Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity."

Here we have not only the golden bowl, but also the silver rod.

************************************************************************** Early in Thel we're introduced to the Lilly, in fact the Lilly of the Valley, a name for Christ; the Bible also uses the lamb for that purpose, in Rev 5 in fact. So Blake took the lamb and the golden bowl from Rev 5 and used them to set the stage for Thel, one of his earliest lessons for us from the Bible. Move now down to Blake's first vision of light, and note the identity that God (Christ) gave to him: Thou ram horn'd with gold. You might say we're still in Rev 15.