[182 ] And they are coming unto the Place of those of the Middle, and those of the Middle will baptise them (with) the spiritual unction, and seal them with the seal of their mystery and they will pass through in unto those of all Places of the Middle, and they will pass through in to the Place of those of (the) Right (hand), and the interior of the Place of the nine Guards, and the interior of the Place of the Twin-saviours, and the interior of the Place of the three Amens, with the twelve Saviours, and the interior of the five Trees, with the seven Voices, each giving to them their seal of their mysteries, and all (will) make their entry, and go unto the Place of the Inheritances [183 ] of the Light: and each (will) remain in the Place up to which he received mysteries in the Inheritances of the Light, in one word, all the souls of the mankind, these who will receive the mysteries of the Light will precede all the Rulers who repented, and they will precede those of all the Places of those of the Middle, with those of all the Places of those of (the) Right (hand), and they will precede those of all the Place of the Treasury of the Light, in one word, they will precede those of all the Places of the First precept, and (will) all enter and go unto the Inheritances of the Light, even unto the Place of their mystery, that each may remain in the Place unto which they received mystery.
[183 ] And those of the Place of the Middle, with those of (the) Right (hand) and with those of all the Place of the Treasury, each in the Place of the array in which they put him from at first, until the Universe should be caught up: each of them will complete his charge in which they put him, in regard to the collection (gathering in) of the souls who received mystery, in regard to this charge, that they should seal all the souls who will receive mysteries, these who will pass through unto their inner (place) unto the Inheritances of the Light.
Now therefore, Maria, this is the word about which thou seekest of me in an exactness with a certainty.
As for the rest therefore now, he who hath ear to hear let him hear.
It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying these words sprang [184 ] up Maria the Magdalene, said she, My Lord, my Light-dweller, hath ear, and I comprehend every word which thou sayest.
Now therefore, my Lord, concerning the word which thou sayest that all the souls of the race of the mankind, these who will receive the mystery of the Light will precede in unto the Inheritances of the Light before all the Rulers who will repent, and before every Place of those of (the) Right (hand), and before every Place of the Treasury of the Light.
Concerning this word therefore, my Lord, which thou saidst 99 unto us once, The first will be last and the last will be first, namely, all the race of the men who will precede in unto the kingdom of the Light as [184 ] those of all the Places of the Height, namely, the first.
Concerning this therefore, my Lord, thou saidst to us, He who hath ear to hear let him hear, namely, thou wast wishing to know whether we grasp every word which thou sayest.
This, therefore, my Lord, is the word.
It happened therefore, when she (Jesus, MS ) had finished saying these words, the Saviour wondered greatly at the assertion of the words which she saith, because that she had ( MS ) become spirit quite pure.
Themes
◆Cosmic Sympathycosmology
The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.
The passage describes souls completing their charge in relation to the collection of other souls who received mystery.
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 passage outlines a final ordering where souls precede rulers who repent and enter inheritances.
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 text mentions souls being put in an array until the Universe is caught up, implying a prior state of exile.