Answered Jesus, said he to Iohannes, Fairly (done) however at least because ye seek after everything in an exactness with a certainty.
[189 ] But now therefore, Johannes hear, that I may speak with thee, Every one who receiveth mystery of the Light, the Place unto which each receiveth mystery he is about to remain in it, and he hath not the authority for to come unto the Height unto the array which is above him, so that he who receive mystery in the First precept hath the authority for to come unto the arrays 102 which (are) below him, namely, all the arrays of the third Space.
But he hath not the authority for to come unto the Height, unto the arrays which are above him.
And he who will receive the mysteries of the First Mystery, namely, the twenty-fourth Mystery (reckoning) outwards, and that is the head of the first Space which (is) outside.
And he hath the authority for to come unto all the arrays which (are) outside of him; but he hath not the authority for to come unto the Places which (are) above him, [190 ] or for to move about in them.
And those who receive mystery in the arrays of the twenty-fourth Mystery, the Place in which each received mystery, he is about to go even unto it, and he will become having the authority to move about in all the arrays with the Spaces which (are) outside him.
But he hath not the authority for to go unto the arrays which (are) above him, or for to move about in them.
And he who received mystery in the arrays of the First Mystery which (is) in the third Space, hath the authority for to come unto all the arrays which (are) below him, and for to move about in all of them; but he hath not indeed the authority for to go unto the Places which (are) above him, or for to move about in them.
And he who receiveth mystery in the first Triple spirit, this who ruleth over the twenty-four [190 ] Mysteries all together, these which rule over the Space of the First mystery, these whose Place I shall say unto you in the Distribution of the Universe.
He who will receive, therefore, the mystery of that Triple spirit hath the authority for to come below unto all the arrays, which (are) below him, but he hath not the authority for to go unto the Height, unto the arrays above him, namely, all the arrays of the Space of the Ineffable.
And he who received the mystery of the second Triple spirit is having the authority for to come unto all the arrays of the first Triple spirit, and to move about in them all with all their arrays in which they become; but he hath not the authority for to go unto the arrays [191 ] of the third Triple spirit (which are higher).
And he who received the mystery of the third Triple spirit, this who ruleth over the three (third, MS ) Triple spirits with the three Spaces all together of the First Mystery, (hath authority to go unto all the Places below him) but he hath not the authority for to go unto the Height, unto the arrays which are above him, namely, the arrays of the Space of the Ineffable.
And he who received the absolute Mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable, namely, the twelve Mysteries all together of the First Mystery, these which rule over all the Spaces of the First Mystery.
He who 103 will receive, therefore, that mystery hath the authority for to move about in all the arrays of the Spaces of the three Triple spirits and with the three [191 ] Spaces of the First Mystery, and with all their arrays.
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 text describes a structured mapping of arrays and spaces that govern movement and authority across levels.
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 explicitly describes a structured hierarchy of arrays and spaces with levels above and below each entity.