Kept in Silence through Times Eternal Romans 16:25

The Meaning of Silence 

or

The Meaning of Sigé

What though, in solemn silence, all

Move round this dark terrestrial ball

In this study we will look at the meaning of the word Silence in the Bible and how it came to be used as a name of one of the aeons. First we will have an opening reading from Pseuo-Philo and the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch  

2. There were darkness and silence before the world was, and the silence spake, and the darkness became visible. And then was thy name created, even at the drawing together of that which was stretched out, whereof the upper was called heaven and the lower was called earth (Biblical Antiquities of Philo or Pseuo philo chapter 60)

2 Baruch 3:7 Or shall the world return to its nature of aforetime, and the age revert to primeval silence (2 Baruch 3:7)

Both these texts mention primordial Silence. In 2 Baruch the texts says "the age revert to its primeval silence" here the words age and silence are used together to refer to a time before the aeons began to speak (See the Odes of Solomon Ode 12:8.)

Ode 12:8 8 And by it the worlds (aeons) talk one to the other; and in the Word there were those that were silent;

Silence is also used with a primordial meaning in Romans 16:25

Rom 16:25 Now to him who can make YOU firm in accord with the good news I declare and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret which has been kept in silence for long-lasting times 26 but has now been made manifest and has been made known through the prophetic scriptures among all the nations in accord with the command of the everlasting God to promote obedience by faith; 27 to God, wise alone, be the glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Romans 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret <4601> since the world began <166>,

Romans 16:25 ¶  Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence<4601> through times eternal <166>,

Here in Romans 16:25 the Greek words Aeon (Strong's 166) and Sige (Strong's 4601) are used together

In Romans 16:25 the sacred secret is HIDDEN in silence a secret in times of ages past has been concealed; 

this sacred secret is dwelling in the silence of the Aeons it is the Christ 

Therefore, the Father, being unknown, wished to be known to the Aeons, and through his own thought, as if he had known himself, he put forth the Only-Begotten, the spirit of Knowledge which is in Knowledge. So he too who came forth from Know ledge, that is, from the Father's Thought, became Knowledge, that is, the Son, because “through' the Son the Father was known.” (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus)

When suddenly a Voice Divine

Rang through the silence of the shrine

The Meaning of Silence 

The Greek word translated silence is the word Sigé (4602. σιγή), it is a feminine noun.

Definition: to keep silent, to keep secret, silence

1Cor 14:28  But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 

There are two Hebrew words translated as "silence" דְּמָמָה (Strong's 01827) dᵉmâmâh and דמם dâmam (Strong's 01826),

The word dâmam (01826) is a verb and the word dᵉmâmâh (01827) is a feminine noun

01827. דממה d@mamah dem-aw-maw’; feminine from of 01826; quiet: — whisper, calm, silence, still.

Job 4:16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

1Kings 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire ; but Yahweh was not in the fire : and after the fire a still <01827> small voice.

Heb. a voice of gentle silence. I think this could be an internal voice

The Hebrew word for Silence can also be translated rest

Psalm 37:7  Rest <01826> in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

01826 דמם damam daw-man’  a prim root [compare 01724, 01820]; v; [BDB-198b] {See TWOT on 439 } 

AV-silence 6, still 6, silent 4, cut off 3, cut down 2, rest 2, cease 2, forbear 1, peace 1, quieted 1, tarry 1, wait 1; 30 

figuratively of the unanswered prayers of the believer (#Ps 83:1; 35:22; Jer 8:14);
of awe in the presence of the Divine Majesty (#Isa 41:1; Zec 2:13).

Symbolic Meaning of Silence

Silence as a form of wisdom is frequently encouraged in Proverbs too. It can help wisely avoid transgression (Proverbs 10:19) and manifest respect and understanding (Proverbs 11:12; 17:27). It is part of wise and even-handed interactions (Proverbs 29:11; cf. Amos 5:13). Silence is so powerful that it can even make the fool at least appear wise and intelligent (Proverbs 17:28).

Silence, --A state of consciousness entered into for the purpose of putting believers in touch with the Christ consciousness so that the believer may listen to the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12).

Silence, or stillness “praise God in silence”

When one goes into the silence he enters the "secret place of the Most High," the house of prayer within. He closes the door and in the stillness of that meeting place he prays to God, he has fellowship with God, and he meditates on Truth. Then he listens to what God has to say to him.

Rev 8:1 And when he opened the seventh seal, a silence occurred in heaven for about a half hour.

Psa 65 There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God, And to You the vow will be performed.

For silence is the most excellent of offerings,

From 1Kings 19:12 we can see that silence is an attribute of the Deity is a feminine aspect. 
silence can be compared to wisdom thus Sigé is also Sophia

Valentinian Understanding

Silence is an aeon in the Valentinian pleroma. who is paired in a syzygy with Bythos

In many gnostic systems, the great power of the Monad was called Incomprehensible Silence — σιγή (sigé).

the Father, that is, the Root of the All, the Ineffable One who dwells in the Monad. He dwells alone in silence, and silence is tranquility since, after all, he was a Monad and no one was before him. He dwells in the Dyad and in the Pair, and his Pair is Silence. And he possessed the All dwelling within him. And as for Intention and Persistence, Love and Permanence, they are indeed unbegotten.

According to the Valentinian Exposition from the Nag Hammadi Library the Dyad is existing within the single Father--he is consequently without a female partner.

The Father has the principle of procreation in himself, being androgynous both male-female or above sexual distinctions

This is the completion in the Father’s thought, and these are the words of his meditation. Each of his words is the work of his one will in the revelation of his Word. When they were still in the depths of his thought, the Word – which was the first to come out – revealed them along with a mind that speaks the one Word in a silent grace. He was called “the Thought,” since they were in it before being revealed. It happened, then, that he was the first to come out at the time when it pleased the one who wanted it. Now the Father rests in his will, and is pleased with it. (Gospel of Truth)

Here in the Gospel of Truth Bythos or depth is an attribute of the Father with no suggestion of independence as the depth ‘of Him’ (22:25 compare romans 12) or ‘of His thought’ (37:7)

Several of the other attributes and qualities of God from which the thirty aeons of the Pleroma bore their names in the system of Ptolemy's disciples occur either in transparent Coptic translation or left as Greek, but they occur as attributes and qualities of God, not as independent mythological persons.

The Monad or the One is androgynous it has two eternal co-existent principles, a male and a female. The male was called Bythos the unfathomable depth or the Ineffable One. the female had the names Ennoea, Charis and Sige.

Sophia is the daughter of Sige or "silence", (Greek σιγή) Sophia is the youngest Aeon she was elevated to the position of the firstborn

29 They say that Silence, who is the mother of all who were put forth by Depth, with regard to what she had nothing to say kept silence about the inexpressible and with regard to what she did not understand she called it incomprehensible. (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus )

Sige or Silence an attribute of the Deity or The Monad 

The aspect through which the Father provides the universe with substance can be understood as feminine. In this aspect he is called Silence, Grace and Thought. Silence is God's primordial state of tranquillity (Valentinian Exposition 22:24: He dwells alone in silence, and silence is tranquility since, after all, he was a Monad and no one was before him.) 

and self-awareness (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus 7:1 Therefore, the Father, being unknown, wished to be known to the Aeons, and through his own thought, as if he had known himself, he put forth the Only-Begotten, the spirit of Knowledge which is in Knowledge.). 

She is the active creative Thought that makes all subsequent states of being (or "Aeons") substantial.

Sige is the Mother of All. She existed before anything else, the true feminine within all of us. Her partner, Bythos, was the original masculine principle. Together, they emanate Nous (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia (Veritas, Truth).

1 ¶  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep (Bythos the Ineffable male ). And the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit or Sigé  female) moved upon the face of the waters.

3 ¶  And God said (a voice, a word, logos), Let there be light: and there was light.

Both the physical and spiritual universe was created by the Deity the waters are the pleroma the spiritual heavens

The One, finally, is known in ineffable silence.

Silence Expression of the transcendence of the divine in mystical traditions. In the Secret Book of John, for instance, the divine invisible spirit is said to be ineffable, "dwelling in silence, at rest, before everything."