Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth · 3 of 32 · tr. G.R.S. Mead
Section 3
Then all of the priests arose and said to Old Father Zakhriā, [they
said] in reproach: "Be at rest and keep thy seat, Old Father, and let the
calm of the Good (pl.) rest upon thee. Old p. 39 Father, if there were no dreams
in Judća, then would all that Mīshā has said, be lying. Rather shall thy word
and our word be made good, and the dreams we have seen. Yōhānā will receive
Jordan and be called prophet in Jerusalem."
Thereon Old Father removed himself from their midst, and Elizar
followed him. Then were seen three lights (lit. lamps) which companied with
him (Z.). They (the priests) ran up, caught Old Father by the hem of his robe
and said to him: "Old Father, what is 't that goes before thee, and what is
't that follows thee?" Then answered he them: "O Elizar, thou great house,
thou head of all of the priests, I know not whom the lights guard which go
before me. I know not with whom the fire goes which follows me. [But] neither
through me nor through you will Enishbai bear a child."
Then all the priests rose and said to Old Father Zakhriā, [they said]
in reproach: "Old Father Zakhriā, be at peace, firm and decided, for the
child will be planted from out of the most high height and be given to thee
in thy old age. Yōhānā will be born, Yōhānā will receive Jordan and be called
prophet in Jerusalem. We will be baptized with his baptizing and with his
pure sign [will we] be signed. We will take his bread and drink his drink and
with him ascend to Light's region."
All the priests arose and said to Old Father Zakhriā, [they said] in
reproach: "Old Father! We will enlighten thee as to thy race 1 and thy fathers, from whom thou hast come forth. . . . [there follows a list
of prophets and sages, beginning with Moses, which I omit, as it requires a
lengthy commentary for which space here does not serve,—ending with]. . .
Ṭāb-Yōmīn and the school-teachers have come forth from thy race. The blessed
princes, who are thy forbears, Old Father, all of them have taken no wife and
begotten no sons. 2 Yet in their old age 3 each of them p. 40 had a son. 1 They had sons, and they were prophets in Jerusalem. If now out of thee as
well a prophet comes forth, thou dost then revive this race again. Yea,
Yōhānā will be born and will be called prophet in Jerusalem."
Then Elizar opened his mouth and said to Old Father: "Old Father! If
Yōhānā receives Jordan, then will I be his servant, be baptized with his
baptizing and signed with his pure sign. We will take his bread and drink his
drink and with him ascend to Light's region." Then Old Father opened his
mouth and said unto all of the priests: "If the child comes out of the most
high height, what then will you do in Jerusalem?"
They 2 have taken the child out of the basin of Jordan and laid him in the womb of
Enishbai.
Life is victorious and victorious is the Man 3 who has come hither.
JOHN'S PROCLAMATION CONCERNING HIMSELF AND HIS ASSUMPTION
OF THE PROPHET'S MANTLE (§ 19).
§ Ask Guru about this passage →Themes
Divine Lighttheology
The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.
The passage explicitly mentions 'three lights (lit. lamps)' accompanying Old Father Zakhriā and the ascent to 'Light's region,' centralizing illumination as a divine attribute.
All passages →Divine Providencetheology
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
The priests' words about the child being planted from 'out of the most high height' indicate a divine ordering of events beyond human control.
All passages →Return To Sourcesoteriology
The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.
The promise of ascending to 'Light's region' signifies a return to the divine origin from which the child comes.
All passages →Ritual Puritypraxis
The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.
The text emphasizes being 'baptized with his baptizing' and 'signed with his pure sign,' highlighting purity as a required state for divine encounter.
All passages →Spiritual Ascentpraxis
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
The promise is that 'we will take his bread and drink his drink and with him ascend to Light's region,' indicating a journey upward toward the divine.
All passages →Related passages · 6 parallels
christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 1, Section 1f
“And in all the other Divine enlightenments which the occult Tradition of our inspired teachers hath, by mystic Interpretation, accordant with the Scriptures, bestowed upon us, we also have been initiated: apprehending these things in the pr…”
Shared concept: Divine Light — The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation. (derived)
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 161
“Section 5 5. Still more unreasonably: There are men, bound to human bodies and subject to desire, grief, anger, who think so generously of their own faculty that they declare themselves in contact with the Intelligible World, but deny that…”
Shared concept: Divine Providence — Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity. (derived)
neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter XXVII-a
“Moreover, neither is it sufficient to assert, “ that nature, art, and the sympathy of things in the universe, as if they were the parts of one animal, contain premanifestations of certain 188 things with reference to each other; nor that bo…”
Shared concept: Divine Providence — Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity. (derived)
western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|Atlantis and the Gods of Antiquity-g
“At the first gate the great crown is removed from her head, at the second gate the earrings from her ears, at the third gate the necklace from her neck, at the fourth gate the ornaments from her breast, at the fifth gate the girdle from her…”
Shared concept: Spiritual Ascent — A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source. (derived)
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 67
“Section 6 6. For, as the ancient teaching was, moral-discipline and courage and every virtue, not even excepting Wisdom itself, all is purification. Hence the Mysteries with good reason adumbrate the immersion of the unpurified in filth, ev…”
Shared concept: Ritual Purity — The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine. (derived)
western_esoteric|The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite)|Page 38 (part 1)
“Click to view DEVIL FROM HEARNE'S PRINT OF THE "DESCENT INTO HELL." Engraved by Michael Burghers , c.
1676.
CHAPTER I The Preparation of the Operator § 1.
Concerning the Love of God THE rites of so-called Transcendental Magic are, ex hyp…”
Shared concept: Ritual Purity — The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine. (derived)