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Pistis Sophia · 74 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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And ye will become in a great wonder greatly greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of the (Rulers of the) Destiny 93 [173 ] ye will see the glory in which they become, and out of their great glory which is preferable, ye will reckon this World with you as darkness of darkness: and ye will look out upon all the World of the mankind, being about to become the size of a speck of dust with you, from the great distance which it is distant from it greatly greatly, with the great size which it is great(er) than it greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the twelve Aeons, ye will see the glory in which they become, and from the great glory the Place of the Rulers of the Destiny will be reckoned with you as the darkness of the darknesses; and it will become the size of a speck of dust with you from the great distance which it is distant from it greatly, with the great size in which it is great(er) than [173 ] it greatly, according as I finished saying unto you another time. And again whenever I should take you unto the thirteenth Aeon, and ye will see the glory in which it becometh, the twelve Aeons will be reckoned with you of the darkness of the darknesses: and ye will look out upon the twelve Aeons being about to become the likeness of a speck of dust with you from the great distance which it is distant from it greatly, with the greatness of size in which it is great(er) than it greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of the Middle, ye will see the glory in which they are, the thirteenth Aeon will be reckoned with you as the darkness of the darknesses. And also ye will look upon the twelve Aeons and with all the Destiny and all the arrangement, and with all the Spheres [174 ] with all their arrays in which they become, they will be the size of a speck of dust with you from the great distance which it is distant from it, and the great size (in) which it is great(er) than it greatly. And whenever I should take you unto the Place of those of the Right (hand), ye will see the glory in which they become, the Place of the Middle will be reckoned with you as the night which is in the World of the mankind: and if ye should look out upon the Middle, it will become the size of a speck of dust with you, from the great distance which the Place of those of the Right (hand) are distant from it greatly. And if I should take you unto the Land of the Light, namely, the Treasury of the Light, and ye (will) see the glory in which it becometh, [174 ] the Place of those of the Right (hand) will be reckoned with you as the light of the hour of mid-day in the World of the mankind, the sun being not out (of cloud): and if ye should look upon the Place of those of the Right (hand), it will be the size of a speck of dust with you, from the great distance which is distant from it greatly, the Treasury of the Light. And 94 whenever I should take you unto the Place of those who received the Inheritance, of those who received the mysteries of the Light, and ye (will) see the glory of the light in which they become, the Land of the Light will be reckoned with you as the light of the sun which is in the World of the mankind: and if ye should look [175 ] upon the Land of the Light, it will be reckoned with you as a speck of dust, from the great distance which is distant from it, the Land of the Light, and from the greatness which it is great(er) than it greatly.
Themes
Aeonscosmology

Divine archetypal beings or eternal attributes dwelling within the Pleroma, often arranged in male-female syzygies.

The text explicitly lists and describes the twelve Aeons and the thirteenth Aeon as divine beings to be viewed in their glory.

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Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

The material world is described as darkness and dust compared to the divine glory, implying the body's deficiency.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

A sharp contrast is drawn between the divine glory and the material world described as darkness of darkness and dust.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The Land of the Light and Treasury of the Light are mentioned as realms of glory superior to the material world.

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Emanation Hierarchycosmology

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 passage outlines a structured descent through multiple levels (Destiny, Middle, Right Hand, Light) each less glorious than the one above.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The text is framed as esoteric knowledge reserved for those who will see the glory and understand the reckoning of worlds.

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Kenomacosmology

The void or emptiness outside the pleroma; the realm of matter, ignorance, and deficiency.

The material world is characterized as darkness and dust in comparison to the divine glory.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

Specific numbers like twelve and thirteen are used to structure the cosmological hierarchy.

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Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

The text uses paradoxical statements such as 'the size of a speck of dust' to describe vast cosmic distances.

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Pleromacosmology

The divine fullness or totality of the highest realm, populated by aeons and divine attributes, contrasted with the deficient material world.

The divine glory and realms like the Treasury of the Light represent the fullness of the highest realm contrasted with the deficient material world.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

The text describes a guided passage through specific heavenly realms (Place of Destiny, Middle, Right Hand) by the divine speaker.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The narrative implies a movement back to the divine glory from which the material world is a distant and small reflection.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The text describes a staged journey upward through heavenly realms toward the divine glory.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 29 (part 1)
PLATE XXI. "Thou dost place thy disk in the west, and my two hands are [raised] in adoration [of thee] when thou settest (30) as a living being. Behold, thou art the maker of eternity, and thou art adored [when] thou settest in the heaven…”
Both passages describe a journey through different realms or levels of existence, emphasizing the increasing glory and light encountered at each stage. They share a mystical theme of ascension and the revelation of divine splendor.
egyptian|The Egyptian Heaven and Hell|Chapter 30 (part 2)
When the disk is on the horizon all men know that the monsters of the Tuat have failed to destroy AFU-RA or to obstruct his passage, that the god has, with the aid of KHEPERA, made all his transformations, that he has appeared in the sky ag…”
Both passages describe a journey through various realms or states of being, culminating in a state of ultimate light and glory. They share a common theme of spiritual ascent and transformation, where higher realms are progressively revealed, and lower realms are diminished in significance.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter CIV
CIV. Assurances given to the Righteous: Admonitions to Sinners and the Falsifiers of the Words of Uprightness . CHAPTER CIV. 1. I swear unto you, that in heaven the angels remember you for good before the glory of the Great One: and your na…”
Both passages describe a hierarchical and progressive understanding of spiritual realms or states, emphasizing the increasing glory and insignificance of lower realms when compared to higher ones. They share a theme of ascension and the revelation of divine glory, though they come from different mystical traditions.
mandaean|Gnostic John the Baptizer — Some Typical Extracts|Section 12
Life is exalted and is victorious, and victorious is the Man who has come hither. The next piece I have selected, treats of the source of all glory and enlightenment, called the Treasury of Life, that in which all spiritual powers and bles…”
Both passages describe a hierarchical and increasingly glorious vision of spiritual realms, culminating in a supreme source of light and enlightenment. The Pistis Sophia text outlines a series of progressively more glorious places, while the Mandæan text focuses on the Treasury of Life as the ultimate source of glory and light.