# **The Four Luminaries in Sethian Cosmology: A Gnostic Reflection of Enochian Angelology**
In Sethian Gnostic texts, four celestial beings—**Harmozel**, **Oroiael**, **Daveithai**, and **Eleleth**—stand as eternal luminaries who emanate from the divine fullness (Pleroma) and participate in the salvation of the elect. These aeons are intimately connected with divine knowledge (gnosis), the restoration of spiritual humanity, and the opposition to the false rulers of the cosmos. Their roles echo the cosmic and moral duties of the four archangels named in the **Book of Enoch**: **Uriel**, **Raphael**, **Gabriel**, and **Michael**.
While Sethian cosmology and the Enochic tradition stem from different theological assumptions—one dualistic and anti-Yahwistic, the other rooted in apocalyptic Judaism—their shared schema of **four principal heavenly figures** reveals a deep conceptual inheritance. The Sethians reinterpreted this framework, grafting it onto their mythos to express their doctrine of divine emanation, salvation, and resistance to the cosmic tyrants.
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## **1. Harmozel and Uriel: Guardians of Form and Light**
In *The Apocryphon of John*, Harmozel is described as the highest of the four luminaries:
> “And the first one is Harmozel, who is over the first aeon with Adamas. And with him are grace, truth, and form.” (*Ap. John* II 12:25)
Harmozel presides over the aeon of **Adamas**, the primal heavenly human. He embodies divine structure, the ideal form, and the grace and truth that originate from the **Invisible Spirit** and **Barbelo**. His role is to maintain the archetype of humanity within the incorruptible realm, the Pleroma.
This role parallels **Uriel** in 1 Enoch, who oversees cosmic order:
> “Then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw the blood being shed on the earth…” (1 Enoch 9:1)
Later in 1 Enoch (chapters 33–36), Uriel reveals the movement of the sun, moon, and stars—the “courses of the luminaries.” Both Harmozel and Uriel function as **guardians of divine structure**, revealing the foundational architecture of heaven. The Sethians internalize this, seeing Harmozel as the principle by which the spiritual form of humanity is preserved in eternity.
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## **2. Oroiael and Raphael: Healers of the Elect**
The second Sethian luminary is **Oroiael**, who watches over the aeon of **Seth**, the spiritual ancestor of the elect:
> “And the second is Oroiael, who is over the second aeon with Seth. And with him are life, hope, and faith.” (*Ap. John* II 12:30)
Seth, in Sethian literature, represents a redeemed form of the human ideal, and Oroiael safeguards the process of spiritual rebirth and ascent. His aeon embodies divine vitality, patient trust, and the faith needed to navigate a cosmos ruled by deception.
In the Enochic tradition, **Raphael** is likewise the angel of healing and restoration:
> “Raphael, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of men.” (1 Enoch 20:3)
Raphael is tasked with healing the earth, binding Azazel, and guiding human spirits. His name means “God heals,” and he restores what has been corrupted by the Watchers. Like Raphael, **Oroiael is a protector of the righteous**, fostering life and faith in the midst of cosmic opposition. Both serve as intermediaries of divine healing and transformation.
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## **3. Daveithai and Gabriel: Protectors of Knowledge and Memory**
The third luminary is **Daveithai**, who guards the **seed of Seth**, the spiritual lineage that remains faithful to the truth:
> “And the third is Daveithai, who is over the third aeon with the seed of Seth. And with him are understanding, perception, and memory.” (*Ap. John* II 13:5)
Daveithai’s role is intellectual and mnemonic. He ensures that the divine spark within the elect remembers its origin, perceives reality correctly, and understands the message of gnosis. His qualities stand in opposition to the ignorance enforced by the rulers of the lower cosmos.
In 1 Enoch, **Gabriel** serves a similar function:
> “Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim.” (1 Enoch 20:7)
Gabriel appears in other texts as the one who **interprets visions** and delivers messages from the divine. To Daniel and Mary alike, Gabriel reveals mysteries and announces divine plans. He is the revealer of divine intention, just as Daveithai preserves divine knowledge in the seed of Seth. Both figures are guardians of truth and inner clarity.
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## **4. Eleleth and Michael: Saviors and Judges of the Righteous**
The fourth luminary, **Eleleth**, is a dramatic savior figure. In *The Apocryphon of John* he is the protector of those who repent and return to the light:
> “And the fourth is Eleleth, who is over the fourth aeon with those who repent. And with him are innocence, justice, and mercy.” (*Ap. John* II 13:10)
In *The Hypostasis of the Archons*, Eleleth appears to the struggling Norea, daughter of Eve, who cries out for deliverance:
> “Then the great angel came down from the height, Eleleth, and said to her, ‘I am Eleleth, the great angel who stands in the presence of the Holy Spirit. I have been sent to speak with you and save you.’”
Eleleth reveals the truth about the tyrant Yaldabaoth and grants Norea the knowledge of her divine origin. His role is both revelatory and salvific, offering liberation through gnosis.
**Michael** in 1 Enoch likewise defends the elect and judges the fallen:
> “Michael, one of the holy angels, who is over the best part of mankind and over chaos.” (1 Enoch 20:5)
Michael defeats the rebellious Watchers, casts them into judgment, and preserves the righteous remnant. Just like Eleleth, Michael is a **heavenly warrior, judge, and protector**—a patron of the faithful who fights for divine justice.
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## **Conclusion: Gnostic Echoes of a Jewish Heavenly Pattern**
The four Sethian luminaries—**Harmozel, Oroiael, Daveithai, and Eleleth**—reflect a Gnostic transformation of an older angelological model found in the Book of Enoch. The parallels are not accidental. The Sethians appropriated and inverted the Jewish tradition, assigning the roles of cosmic order, preservation, memory, and salvation to aeons emanating from the **Invisible Spirit**, not from the creator of Genesis.
| Sethian Luminary | Function | Enochian Counterpart | Role in 1 Enoch |
| ---------------- | ------------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Harmozel | Form, Truth, Grace | Uriel | Cosmic structure, revelation |
| Oroiael | Life, Hope, Faith | Raphael | Healing, preservation |
| Daveithai | Understanding, Memory | Gabriel | Interpretation, cognition |
| Eleleth | Mercy, Justice, Salvation | Michael | Judgment, protection of the just |
Through this reinterpretation, the Sethians reframe the cosmos as a drama of revelation and redemption—where the true God is hidden beyond the creator, and salvation comes through aeonic beings who mirror and transform the angelic hosts of older Jewish visions.
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