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Pistis Sophia · 93 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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And each will remain in his Place in the Light of my kingdom. And each will be the authority unto the array which is below him; but [217 ] he will not be the authority to go unto the array which is above him, but he is going to remain in the Place of the Inheritance of the Light of my kingdom, becoming in a great light for which there is not measure by the Gods with all the Invisibles, and he (will) become in great joy with great delight. Now therefore also hear that I may speak with you concerning the glory of those who will also receive the mystery of the First Mystery. He who will receive therefore the mystery of that First Mystery, will become at the time (at) which he cometh out of the body of the matter of the Rulers, come the Receivers of the Contentious (ones), and bring the soul of that man out of the body; and that soul will become a great overflow of light among the Receivers of Contentious (ones): and those Receivers will fear before [218 ] the light of that soul, and that soul will go unto the Height, and pass through all the Places of the Rulers, with all the Places of the emanations of the Light: and it will not give answer nor defence nor symbol in any Place of the Light, nor in any Place 118 of the Rulers; but it will pass through in all the Places and it will surpass all, and go and reign over all the Places of the First Saviour. Likewise also he who will receive the second mystery of the First Mystery with the third with the fourth even until he receive the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, whenever he should become in the time (at) which they come out of the body of the matter of the Rulers, come the Receivers [218 ] of Contentious (ones) and bring the soul of that man out of the body of the matter, and those souls will become a great overflow of light among the Receivers of Contentious (ones). And those Receivers will fear before the light of that soul, and they will be weakened and fall upon their face. And those souls will fly unto the Height at the hour and pass over all the Places of the Rulers, and in all the Places of the emanations of the Light, and they will not give answer nor defence in any Place nor symbol: but it will pass through in all the Places and they surpass all within, and they will reign over all the Places of the twelve Saviours, so that those who receive the second [219 ] mystery of the First Mystery will reign over all the Places of the second Saviour in the Inheritances of the Light. Likewise also those who receive the third mystery of the First Mystery with the fourth with the fifth with the sixth even until the twelfth, each will reign over all the Places of the Saviour, who received the mystery unto him. And he who will receive twelve (twelfth, MS ) mysteries one after (upon, MS ) another of the First Mystery, namely, the absolute Mystery, this concerning which I speak with you. And he who will receive therefore those twelve (twelfth, MS ) mysteries these which are reckoned unto the First Mystery, whenever he should come out of the World, he will pass through all the Places of the Rulers, with all the Places of the Light, being with a great effluence of the Light [219 ]. And also he will reign over all the Places of the twelve Saviours. But they will not be equal with those who receive the one Mystery of the Ineffable, but he who will receive that Mystery will remain in those arrays, because that they surpass, and he will remain in the arrays of the twelve Saviours.
Themes
Body As Obstacleanthropology

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

The passage explicitly states that souls must be brought out of the body of the matter of the Rulers to achieve their glory.

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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 clear distinction is drawn between the Light/Inheritances and the material body/matter of the Rulers.

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Divine Lighttheology

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

Light is a central motif describing the kingdom, inheritance, and the state of those who receive the mysteries.

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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 text references 'Places of the Rulers' and 'emanations of the Light,' implying a structured hierarchy of divine levels.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

The passage describes the process of bringing the soul out of the body at death to guide it through the afterlife realms.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

Salvation and glory are contingent upon receiving specific mysteries of the First Mystery rather than faith or ritual.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

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

The text refers to 'mysteries' that must be received by those ready to receive them.

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Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

The Light of the kingdom is associated with the Place of Inheritance and the soul's overflow of light.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

The divine speaks directly to the recipients and actively orders their ascent through the mysteries.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

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

The text emphasizes specific numbers of mysteries (twelve) as conditions for receiving glory and reign.

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Pneumatic Electsoteriology

A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.

Only those who receive the mysteries are granted authority and reign over specific places.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

The soul is brought out of the body and passes through Places of the Rulers to reach the Height.

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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 soul's journey involves passing through levels of light and rulers toward a higher destination.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The process requires the soul to be brought out of the body of the matter, implying a state of preparedness.

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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 the soul flying to the Height and passing through all Places of the Rulers upward.

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Related passages · 3 parallels
egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 36 (part 2)
Verily the soul of Sut, which (22) is greater than all the gods, hath departed to [Amenta]. May it be granted that I bind his soul in the divine boat (23) at my will . . . . . . . . . O my Osiris, thou hast done for me that which…”
Both passages describe the ascension and glorification of the soul after death, emphasizing the soul's journey through divine realms and its ultimate reign and honor in the afterlife. The passages share a common theme of spiritual elevation and divine authority, though they are rooted in different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXII
LXII. Judgement of the Kings and the Mighty: Blessedness of the Righteous . CHAPTER LXII. 1. And thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted, and those who dwell on the earth, and said: 'Open your eyes and lift up your…”
Both passages describe a final judgment where the righteous are elevated and the unrighteous are punished. They share a vision of a hierarchical afterlife where the enlightened or righteous individuals ascend to higher realms and are honored, while the unrighteous face consequences.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXXXI
LXXXI. The Heavenly Tablets and the Mission of Enoch . CHAPTER LXXXI. 1. And he said unto me: 'Observe, Enoch, these heavenly tablets, And read what is written thereon, And mark every individual fact.' p. 108 2 And I observed the heavenly t…”
Both passages discuss the fate of the righteous after death and their ascent through heavenly realms. They share a common theme of spiritual elevation and the ultimate reward for those who have attained mystical knowledge or righteousness.