And all the Angels with their Archangels and with all the Powers of the Height were all hymning unto the inner part of the inner parts.
So that all the earth heard their voices, not ceasing even unto the nine of the morrow.
But the disciples were sitting with one another being in 4 fear, and they had been disturbed [7 ] greatly greatly, but they were fearing because of the great earthquake which becometh, and they were weeping with one another, saying, What then is it that will happen?
Perhaps the Saviour is about to overturn all the Places.
These therefore they are saying, weeping toward one another.
At the hour of nine of the morrow the heavens opened, and they saw Jesus coming down, enlightening greatly greatly, there being no measure for his light in which he is becoming, for he was enlightening more than the hour in which he went up unto the heavens, so that it was not possible for world-men to speak of the light which was being from him: and he was casting out beams of [7 ] light greatly greatly, there being no measure for his beams; and his light was not being equal with itself (one another), but it was being of different kinds, and it was being of different types, some more excellent than one another at a time; and all the light was in itself different; it was being of three manners and one more excellent than one at a time; the second which is in the middle was being more excellent than the first which is below, and the third which is above them all was more excellent than the two which (are) below.
And the first ray placed below them all, being of the kind of light which [8 ] came upon Jesus before that he went up unto the heavens, and being equal to it only in his light.
And the three lights were being of different kinds of light, and they were being of different types, some more excellent than some at a time.
But it happened, (that) the disciples having seen these they feared greatly and were disturbed.
Jesus therefore the merciful and the sweet (of) heart, having seen his disciples that they were disturbed in a great disturbance spake with them, saying, Be confident of heart, I am, fear not.
It happened therefore, the disciples having heard this word said they, Lord if thou art, draw away unto thee thy light of glory, that [8 ] we may be able to stand, otherwise our eyes are darkened, and we were disturbed, and also was disturbed all the World out of the great light which becometh from thee.
Then Jesus drew away unto him the glory of his light, and this having happened were confident of heart all the disciples, they came up to foot of Jesus, they prostrated all, at once, they worshipped to him rejoicing in great joy.
Said they to him, Hrabbei, whither wentest thou, or what is thy Service which thou wentest (upon), or in what indeed were all these disturbances with all these earthquakes which happened?
Then said he to them Jesus, the merciful, Rejoice and be glad from 5 this hour, because [9 ] I went even to the Places out of which I came.
From to-day, therefore, henceforth I shall speak with you in boldness from the beginning of the Truth even to its end, and I shall speak with you face to face without parable, I shall not hide anything from you, from this hour, of the (things) of the Height and the (things) of the Place of the Truth; for they gave authority from the Ineffable and from the First Mystery of all the mysteries for me to speak with you from the beginning even to the Pleroma, and from within even to without and from without even to within.
Hear therefore that I may say unto you everything.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
Jesus is addressed directly as 'Hrabbei' and described with human-like actions such as drawing away light and speaking.
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
The text references 'the Height' and the ordering of lights from above to below.
Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.
The disciples fear an overturning of all Places and the Saviour's actions suggest a final judgment.
The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.
The disciples are described as disturbed and fearing because they have been separated from the great light.