Chapter 25, XXV1 I commanded in the very lowest (parts), that visible (physical) things should come down from invisible (spiritual), and Adoil came down very great, and I beheld him, and lo! He had a belly of great light. 2 And I said to him: Become undone, Adoil, and let the visible (physical) (come) out of you. 3 And he came undone, and a great light came out. And I (was) in the midst of the great light, and as there is born light from light, there came forth a great age, and showed all creation, which I had thought to create. 4 And I saw that (it was) good. 5 And I placed for myself a throne, and took my seat on it, and said to the light: Go thence up higher and fix yourself high above the throne, and be A foundation to the highest things. 6 And above the light there is nothing else, and then I bent up and looked up from my throne. Chapter 26, XXVI1 And I summoned the very lowest a second time, and said: Let Archas come forth hard, and he came forth hard from the invisible (spiritual). 2 And Archas came forth, hard, heavy, and very red. 3 And I said: Be opened, Archas, and let there be born from you, and he came undone, an age came forth, very great and very dark, bearing the creation of all lower things, and I saw that (it was) good and said to him: 4 Go thence down below, and make yourself firm, and be a foundation for the lower things, and it happened and he went down and fixed himself, and became the foundation for the lower things, and below the darkness there is nothing else. |
Chapters 24-27 of 2 Enoch can be viewed as the climax of angelic and divine revelations to Enoch during his heavenly tour.
The book tells that Yahweh decided to reveal to Enoch the secrets of His creation, which he never explained even to his angels. Further the term "secrets" is applied only to this account of God's creation, conveyed to Enoch by Yahweh himself, "face to face."
The content of these revelations includes the following details:
1. Prior to the Creation Yahweh decided to establish the foundation of all created things;
2. He commanded one of the invisible "things" to come out of the very highest things and become visible;
3. By Yahweh's command a primordial "great aeon," bearing the title the spirit of the Light of creation (Adoil), descended and, disintegrating itself, revealed all creation which Yahweh "had thought up to create;"
4. Yahweh created a throne for himself. He then ordered the light to become the foundation for the highest things;
5. Yahweh called out the second aeon, bearing the title the spirit of the foundation of creation (Arukhas), which became the foundation of the lowest things;
the spirit of the Light of creation (Adoil) could come from a Hebrew translation of the phrases "The hand of God another understanding would be "the light of God" this means that Adoil is the hand of creation or light of creation
Arukhas may have originated from the Hebrew word "firmament" or it is the formation of creation or the foundation of creation the beginnings
both Adoil and Arukhas are personified they are not described as the agents but rather as the objects which are transformed and emanate creation
Adoil and Arukhas, are not primordial beings controlled by God they are aspects of the mind of God or mental powers, unfolding or expanding from its thought or idea to become a reality
From this point on we will call Adoil the spirit of the Light of creation
As for Arukhas we shall call it the spirit of the foundation of creation
by the term spirit we should understand this as a word of command from God: Psalm 33:6, compare Isaiah 34:16
It can also be used of the mind of God
for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
Who is able to advise the Spirit of Yahweh? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? Isaiah 40:13
Who comprehends the mind of Yahweh, or gives him instruction as his counselor? Isaiah 40:13
I have also, on one occasion, heard a more ingenious train of reasoning from my own soul, which was accustomed frequently to be seized with a certain divine inspiration, even concerning matters which it could not explain even to itself; which now, if I am able to remember it accurately, I will relate. It told me that in the one living and true God there were two supreme and primary powers--goodness and authority; and that by his goodness he had created every thing, and by his authority he governed all that he had created; (28) and that the third thing which was between the two, and had the effect of bringing them together was reason, for that it was owing to reason that God was both a ruler and good. (A Treatise on the Cherubim)
Before anything existed at all, from the very beginning, whatever exists I created from the non-existent, and from the invisible the visible....For before any visible things had come into existence, I the ONE, moved around in the invisible things, like the sun, from east to west and from west to east. But the sun has rest in it's self; yet I did not find rest, because everything was not yet created. And I thought up the idea of establishing a foundation, to create a visible creation.
"And I thought up the idea of establishing a foundation, to create a visible creation."
Here we have the forethought of God or foresight it is God's plan of creation and also his plan of salvation. the first movement of creation is self-reflective self-conscious thought, the expanding of the thought into an idea to be come a reality
God explains to Enoch how the visible and the invisible come forth from the very highest things.
And I commanded the highest things: “Let one of the invisible (concealed and hidden) things descend visibly!” (spiritual or ethereal)
And the spirit of the Light of creation descended, extremely large. And I looked at him, and behold, in his belly he had a great light. And I said to him, “Disintegrate yourself, O spirit of the Light of creation, and let what is born from you become visible.” (that is the establishment of the spiritual cosmos or the divine realms of light)
And he disintegrated himself, and there came out a very great light.
The word Disintegrate is not a good translation the word means to issue forth or to give birth therefore we should understand Disintegrate to mean an emanation. Another translation says
And I said to him: Become undone and let the visible come out of you.
the great light is the divine light which is without end it is the aeon of light of the upper foundation
The Great Light born from or with another Light!
this is the waters above of the Heavens, the light is the water Psalms 148:4 Ps 104:3
And I was in the midst of the |great| light. And light out of light is carried thus. And the great age came out, and it revealed all the creation which I had thought up to create. And I saw how good it was. And I placed for myself a throne, and I sat down on it. And then to the light I spoke: “You go up higher than the throne, and become solid |much higher than the throne|, and become the foundation for the highest things.” And there is nothing higher than the light, except nothing itself. And again I bowed myself, and I looked upward from my throne.
the primordial aeon called the spirit of the Light of creation, it has been noted that it seems to be identified with the upper sacred foundation that serves as the basis for the heavenly Temple represented by the Throne of God.
The light out of light that is the light expanding and emanating from within the Deity
the great light emanating from within is the pure light or the divine light which is without end. In the divine fullness or pleroma it always comes first into consciousness.
The light is the aeon which is the foundation for the highest things upon which the deity establish his throne
The light is the illumining power it is a heavenly light, such as surrounds angels, or of God. God is light. Yahweh is light Isaiah 10:17, Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:19,20.
The seat of the Deity thus serves here as the location from which God supervises the unfolding creation. The Throne plays an important role in the process of creation, being envisioned as the center of the created universes.
God initiates an invisible personified process called the spirit of the Light of creation. the primordial vessel of light is the first creative act of the Deity that gives life to the visible order of everything.
This is the Highest Light-world or Realm of Light.
God summons from the very lowest things this time, so that the spirit of the foundation of creation, both heavy and black, should come out.
And I called out a second time into the very lowest things, and I said, “Let one of the invisible ((concealed and hidden) things come out visibly, solid. (physical) |And| the spirit of the foundation of creation came out, solid and heavy and very black. And I said, to the spirit of the foundation of creation,“Open yourself up, and let what is born from you become visible!” (physical) And he disintegrated himself. There came out an age, dark, very large, carrying the creation of all lower things. And I saw how good it was. And I said to him, “Come down low and become solid! (physical) And become the foundation of the lowest things!” |And it came about.| And he came down and became solid. (the expansion of the universe) And he became the foundation of the lowest things. And there is nothing lower than the darkness, except nothing itself.
the opening of the spirit of the foundation of creation lays the foundation of lower things that is the physical creation
Darkness hides the glory of the heavens or the upper foundation and Light shines on the inferior physical universe
And I gave the command: “Let there be taken some of the light and some of the darkness.” And I said, “Become thickened, and be wrapped around with light!” And I spread it out, and it became water. (the formation of galaxies) And I spread it out above the darkness, below the light. And thus I made the solid waters, that is to say, the Bottomless.
the solid waters are the surface of the physical creation this may also be the Firmament
and I made foundation of light around the water, and created seven great circles inside it, and I gave them an appearance of crystal wet and dry, that is to say like glass and ice, and to be the circuit for waters and the other elements, and I showed each one of them its road, and the seven stars each one of them in its own heaven, so that they might travel accordingly.
the seven spheres contain the mobile celestial bodies
And I saw how good it was. And I made a division between the light and between the darkness, that is to say, in the middle of the waters, this way and that way. And I said to the light that it should be day, and to the darkness I commanded that it should be night. And Evening came, and again morning came, that is the first day.
— 2 Enoch 25-27
Nothing
Adoil -> the great light -> Upper Foundation
waters the Bottomless
Ar(u)khas -> darkness -> Lower Foundation
Nothing
both Adoil and Arukhas are personified they are not described as the agents but rather as the objects which are transformed and emanate creation
Adoil and Arukhas, are not primordial beings controlled by God they are aspects of the mind of God or mental powers, unfolding or expanding from its thought or idea to become a reality
From this point on we will call Adoil the spirit of the Light of creation
As for Arukhas we shall call it the spirit of the foundation of creation
by the term spirit we should understand this as a word of command from God: Psalm 33:6, compare Isaiah 34:16
It can also be used of the mind of God
for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
Who is able to advise the Spirit of Yahweh? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? Isaiah 40:13
Who comprehends the mind of Yahweh, or gives him instruction as his counselor? Isaiah 40:13
I have also, on one occasion, heard a more ingenious train of reasoning from my own soul, which was accustomed frequently to be seized with a certain divine inspiration, even concerning matters which it could not explain even to itself; which now, if I am able to remember it accurately, I will relate. It told me that in the one living and true God there were two supreme and primary powers--goodness and authority; and that by his goodness he had created every thing, and by his authority he governed all that he had created; (28) and that the third thing which was between the two, and had the effect of bringing them together was reason, for that it was owing to reason that God was both a ruler and good. (A Treatise on the Cherubim)
Before anything existed at all, from the very beginning, whatever exists I created from the non-existent, and from the invisible the visible....For before any visible things had come into existence, I the ONE, moved around in the invisible things, like the sun, from east to west and from west to east. But the sun has rest in it's self; yet I did not find rest, because everything was not yet created. And I thought up the idea of establishing a foundation, to create a visible creation.
"And I thought up the idea of establishing a foundation, to create a visible creation."
Here we have the forethought of God or foresight it is God's plan of creation and also his plan of salvation. the first movement of creation is self-reflective self-conscious thought, the expanding of the thought into an idea to be come a reality
God explains to Enoch how the visible and the invisible come forth from the very highest things.
And I commanded the highest things: “Let one of the invisible (concealed and hidden) things descend visibly!” (spiritual or ethereal)
And the spirit of the Light of creation descended, extremely large. And I looked at him, and behold, in his belly he had a great light. And I said to him, “Disintegrate yourself, O spirit of the Light of creation, and let what is born from you become visible.” (that is the establishment of the spiritual cosmos or the divine realms of light)
And he disintegrated himself, and there came out a very great light.
The word Disintegrate is not a good translation the word means to issue forth or to give birth therefore we should understand Disintegrate to mean an emanation. Another translation says
And I said to him: Become undone and let the visible come out of you.
the great light is the divine light which is without end it is the aeon of light of the upper foundation
The Great Light born from or with another Light!
this is the waters above of the Heavens, the light is the water Psalms 148:4 Ps 104:3
And I was in the midst of the |great| light. And light out of light is carried thus. And the great age came out, and it revealed all the creation which I had thought up to create. And I saw how good it was. And I placed for myself a throne, and I sat down on it. And then to the light I spoke: “You go up higher than the throne, and become solid |much higher than the throne|, and become the foundation for the highest things.” And there is nothing higher than the light, except nothing itself. And again I bowed myself, and I looked upward from my throne.
the primordial aeon called the spirit of the Light of creation, it has been noted that it seems to be identified with the upper sacred foundation that serves as the basis for the heavenly Temple represented by the Throne of God.
The light out of light that is the light expanding and emanating from within the Deity
the great light emanating from within is the pure light or the divine light which is without end. In the divine fullness or pleroma it always comes first into consciousness.
The light is the aeon which is the foundation for the highest things upon which the deity establish his throne
The light is the illumining power it is a heavenly light, such as surrounds angels, or of God. God is light. Yahweh is light Isaiah 10:17, Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:19,20.
The seat of the Deity thus serves here as the location from which God supervises the unfolding creation. The Throne plays an important role in the process of creation, being envisioned as the center of the created universes.
God initiates an invisible personified process called the spirit of the Light of creation. the primordial vessel of light is the first creative act of the Deity that gives life to the visible order of everything.
This is the Highest Light-world or Realm of Light.
God summons from the very lowest things this time, so that the spirit of the foundation of creation, both heavy and black, should come out.
And I called out a second time into the very lowest things, and I said, “Let one of the invisible ((concealed and hidden) things come out visibly, solid. (physical) |And| the spirit of the foundation of creation came out, solid and heavy and very black. And I said, to the spirit of the foundation of creation,“Open yourself up, and let what is born from you become visible!” (physical) And he disintegrated himself. There came out an age, dark, very large, carrying the creation of all lower things. And I saw how good it was. And I said to him, “Come down low and become solid! (physical) And become the foundation of the lowest things!” |And it came about.| And he came down and became solid. (the expansion of the universe) And he became the foundation of the lowest things. And there is nothing lower than the darkness, except nothing itself.
the opening of the spirit of the foundation of creation lays the foundation of lower things that is the physical creation
Darkness hides the glory of the heavens or the upper foundation and Light shines on the inferior physical universe
And I gave the command: “Let there be taken some of the light and some of the darkness.” And I said, “Become thickened, and be wrapped around with light!” And I spread it out, and it became water. (the formation of galaxies) And I spread it out above the darkness, below the light. And thus I made the solid waters, that is to say, the Bottomless.
the solid waters are the surface of the physical creation this may also be the Firmament
and I made foundation of light around the water, and created seven great circles inside it, and I gave them an appearance of crystal wet and dry, that is to say like glass and ice, and to be the circuit for waters and the other elements, and I showed each one of them its road, and the seven stars each one of them in its own heaven, so that they might travel accordingly.
the seven spheres contain the mobile celestial bodies
And I saw how good it was. And I made a division between the light and between the darkness, that is to say, in the middle of the waters, this way and that way. And I said to the light that it should be day, and to the darkness I commanded that it should be night. And Evening came, and again morning came, that is the first day.
— 2 Enoch 25-27
Nothing
Adoil -> the great light -> Upper Foundation
waters the Bottomless
Ar(u)khas -> darkness -> Lower Foundation
Nothing