Entering the Pleroma by the Divine Name: A Comparison of the Book of Enoch and the Extracts from the Works of Theodotu

**Welcome to Pleroma Pathways: Apocalyptic and Mystic Christianity, where we explore esoteric and apocalyptic texts.**  

### **Entering the Pleroma by the Divine Name: A Comparison of the Book of Enoch and the Extracts from the Works of Theodotus**  

The ascent to the Pleroma is the ultimate eschatological fulfillment for those who receive the Divine Name. In this process, a believer becomes a high priest and a Logos, no longer merely a bride but one who rests with the Bridegroom in union with the First-Called and First-Created. This transformation is reflected in both *The Book of Enoch* and *The Excerpts from the Works of Theodotus*, where the granting of the Divine Name is a crucial step in passing through the barriers of creation and entering into the fullness of divine reality.  

## **The Ascent in the Book of Enoch**  

In *1 Enoch 14*, Enoch experiences an ascent into heaven, guided by celestial forces:  

> *“Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in the vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven.”* (1 Enoch 14:8-9)  

This visionary ascent brings Enoch to a structure built of fire and crystal, where he beholds the throne of God, surrounded by streams of fire and attended by countless angelic beings. The language here suggests an entrance into the higher realms beyond material existence, where only those sanctified can approach. The defining moment of Enoch’s transformation occurs when:  

> *“The Lord called me with His own mouth, and said to me: ‘Come hither, Enoch, and hear my word.’”* (1 Enoch 14:24)  

This calling by the Name of God mirrors the reception of the Divine Name in Valentinian thought, where being named by God signifies the believer’s transition into divine existence. Enoch, by receiving the divine call, is granted entry into the higher reality, which foreshadows the eschatological entrance into the Pleroma.  

## **The Divine Name as the Key to the Pleroma in Theodotus**  

Theodotus presents a Valentinian understanding of ascent, where baptism and the Divine Name serve as the means of passing through the cosmic barriers into the Pleroma. He explains that those who are baptized receive the same Name that the angels possess:  

> *“Now they say ‘those who are baptized for us, the dead,’ are the angels who are baptized for us, in order that when we, too, have the Name, we may not be hindered and kept back by the Limit and the Cross from entering the Pleroma.”* (Theodotus, *Excerpts*, 22)  

Here, baptism is not merely an earthly ritual but an esoteric initiation, aligning the believer with the redeemed angels. Just as Enoch is summoned into the divine presence, those who receive the Divine Name are recognized by the celestial powers and granted passage beyond the barriers of the created order.  

The passage through the second veil is symbolic of the transition from the material world into the spiritual domain. The high priest in the earthly temple was a figure of this process:  

> *“The priest on entering within the second veil removed the plate at the altar of incense, and entered himself in silence with the Name engraved upon his heart.”* (Theodotus, *Excerpts*, 27)  

This reflects the process by which the believer, purified and enlightened, enters into the highest realms. The Divine Name is the seal that allows for this passage, ensuring that the one who bears it is recognized as belonging to the Pleroma.  

## **From Bride to Logos: The Transformation of the Believer**  

Both *Enoch* and *Theodotus* describe a profound transformation that occurs during the ascent. In Enoch’s vision, he first experiences fear and trembling but is then strengthened by divine command. Likewise, in *Theodotus*, those who ascend cease to be mere disciples or brides; instead, they take on the nature of the Logos itself:  

> *“It is no longer a bride but has become a Logos and rests with the Bridegroom together with the First-Called and First-Created.”* (Theodotus, *Excerpts*, 27)  

This marks a transition from receptivity to active participation in divine reality. The believer does not merely receive revelation but becomes one with the Logos, sharing in the divine function of manifestation and order. This transformation parallels Jesus' own role, as Theodotus explains:  

> *“The visible part of Jesus was Wisdom and the Church of the superior seeds, and he put it on through the flesh; but the invisible part is the Name, which is the Only-Begotten Son.”* (Theodotus, *Excerpts*, 26)  

Just as Jesus bore the Divine Name and was thus the means of entrance into the Pleroma, so too do the believers who are sealed with the Name follow Him into divine communion.  

## **The Restoration of Unity in the Pleroma**  

The eschatological ascent is not merely about individual salvation but the restoration of all things into divine unity. Theodotus describes how the angels and the elect, once divided, are reunited through Christ’s baptism:  

> *“Now since we existed in separation, Jesus was baptized that the undivided should be divided until he should unite us with them in the Pleroma, that we ‘the many’ having become ‘one,’ might all be mingled in the One which was divided for our sakes.”* (Theodotus, *Excerpts*, 36)  

This echoes the idea in *Enoch* that entry into the divine realm is a collective restoration. Enoch’s vision of the heavenly temple is not for himself alone but represents the divine order into which the faithful are called.  

## **Conclusion: Entering the Pleroma Through the Divine Name**  

The Book of Enoch and Theodotus both emphasize that entry into the divine realm requires a transformation marked by the reception of the Divine Name. In *Enoch*, this is symbolized by his being called directly by God, while in *Theodotus*, it is actualized through baptism and initiation into the angelic redemption.  

Both texts depict this ascent as an eschatological return to unity—where division is overcome, the believer becomes Logos, and the barriers between creation and the Pleroma are dissolved. This path is not merely one of knowledge but of participation in the Divine Name, which alone grants the power to enter the fullness of divine existence.