The Mysteries of Saint John the Apostle and Holy Virgin 16

1And I said unto him, 'My Lord, be not wroth with me when I ask thee this matter also; shew me, what is it that beareth up the four pillars?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'He Who created them knoweth what appertaineth to them.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, what is the ordinance concerning the hours of the night and day?' He said unto me, 'Hearken, I will shew thee. God appointed twelve Cherubim to stand outside the curtain (or, inner veil), and they were not to toil in any way, but were to sing twelve hymns daily. When the first Cherubim had finished [singing] his hymn, the first hour came to an end. When the second Cherubim had finished [singing] his hymn, the second hour came to an end, and so on until the twelfth Cherubim. When the twelfth [Cherubim had finished singing his hymn], the twelve hours were ended.'

2Then I said to the Cherubim, 'As concerning the twelve hours of the night: are there Seraphim appointed over them, or not?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Assuredly not, but when the beasts, and the birds, and the reptiles pray, the first hour is ended. When the second hour is ended, the beasts pray [again], and so on until the twelfth hour of the night; it is the animals of God which set limits to them.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Doth the sun know when the twelve hours have come to an end, so that he may depart to the place where he setteth or riseth?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'When the angels who blow the trumpets have finished, Michael knoweth that the twelfth hymn is finished, and he speaketh to the Angel of the Sun, who goeth and bringeth to an end his course.'