The Aeons in the Odes of Solomon

**Welcome to Pleroma Pathways apocalyptic and mystic Christianity where we explore esoteric and apocalyptic texts.**

**Aeon in the *Odes of Solomon***  

The *Odes of Solomon* present a profound mystical vision that blends early Christian theology with Jewish wisdom traditions. Within this corpus, the term "Aeon" is a pivotal concept, interweaving the divine plan, the manifestation of God through His Word, and the destiny of His people. It is not merely a temporal term but encapsulates God's thought, His creative emanation, and the spiritual ages through which His redemptive plan unfolds.

**Joy and Knowledge in the Manifestation of God**  

Ode 7 begins with a joyful contrast:  

> “As is the course of anger over wickedness, so is the course of joy over the Beloved; and brings in of its fruits unhindered.” (*Ode 7:1*)  

Here, joy is not an emotion alone but a divine motion toward the Beloved—an experience rooted in the knowledge of God. The Ode affirms that joy and knowledge must come together, a recurring motif throughout the *Odes*, signaling that knowledge of the Lord is not mere doctrine but participation in divine delight.

**The Manifestation of God through the Word**  

The central section of *Ode 7* describes the manifestation of God in a comprehensible form:

> “He became like me, that I might receive Him. In form He was considered like me, that I might put Him on. … Like my nature He became, that I might understand Him.” (*Ode 7:4–6*)  

This is not about a metaphysical incarnation but a divine emanation—God manifesting Himself in such a way that His people might comprehend, receive, and put on His presence. The Lord’s kindness “has diminished His dreadfulness” (*Ode 7:3*), revealing the transcendent through simplicity.

The Father is revealed through the Word:

> “The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge. He who created wisdom is wiser than His works.” (*Ode 7:7*)  

This aligns with *1QS III,15* where “from the God of knowledge comes all that is and will be,” and *Ode 28:20* affirms:  

> “For the thought of the Most High cannot be anticipated; and His heart is superior to all wisdom.”  

**The Aeons Emanate from the Father**  

The climactic line in *Ode 7* identifies God as:

> “He it is who is incorrupt, the perfection of the ages and their Father.” (*Ode 7:11*, Charlesworth)  

> “He is imperishable, the pleroma of the Aeons and their Father.” (*Michael Lattke*)  

The Aeons are not eternal in themselves—they have a source, the Father, from whom they emanate. *Ode 16:19* reiterates:  

> “And the ages (Aeons) are by His Word, and by the thought of His heart.”  

Thus, the Aeons are formed by divine thought and speech, and they serve as the unfolding of God’s redemptive purpose across time—not time measured by celestial motions, but time as spiritual motion. This echoes *Hebrews 11:3*:  

> “By faith, we understand that the ages were prepared by the word of God…” (*New Heart English Bible*)  

And *Revelation 15:3* calls God:  

> “Thou King of the ages.” (*ASV*)  

**The Aeons as Believers and the Spiritual Generations**  

In *Ode 12*, the Aeons are personified as the generations who interpret and proclaim divine beauty:

> “And the Most High has given Him to His generations (Aeons), which are the interpreters of His beauty.” (*Ode 12:4*)  

These Aeons are the faithful: the confessors, preachers, and teachers who receive and transmit divine truth. They are not metaphysical entities but spiritual embodiments—past generations of the Elect who, though once silent, now “spoke to one another” (*Ode 12:10*) through the Word.

This idea aligns with the view that the Hebrew word translated into *aeon* in the Septuagint refers to the hidden and infinite past and future. *Psalm 77:5* reflects:  

> “I have thought upon the days of long ago, On the years in the indefinite past.” (*NWT*)  

Philo interprets “aeon” as the archetype of time—divine thought, always present. He says:

> “In aeon, nothing has passed away, nothing is future, but everything simply subsists.” (Philo, *De Aeternitate Mundi*)  

He refers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as “measures of aeon,” embodiments of God’s redemptive Thought. Faith, Joy, and Righteousness each mark a new spiritual aeon—a phase in God’s unfolding plan.

**The New Aeon and Restoration**  

*Ode 22* declares:

> “You have brought Your age (Aeons) to corruption, that everything might be resolved and renewed. And the foundation of everything is Your rock.” (*Ode 22:11–12*)  

This suggests the Aeons, while holy, are also subject to transformation. They are not static but participate in the divine cycle of renewal. Similarly, *Ode 8:22* promises:

> “You shall be found incorrupt in all the aeons, on account of the name of your Father.”  

The fulfillment of the Aeons is not their continuation but their resolution in incorruptibility—conformity to the nature of the One who is “the fulness of the Aeons and their Father.”  

**Conclusion**  

In the *Odes of Solomon*, the Aeon is not a mere span of time but a spiritual reality, a manifestation of God's eternal Thought. The Father, who is incorrupt and full, emanates the Aeons by His Word. These Aeons include the faithful generations of Israel and the Elect, who speak, proclaim, and participate in the divine plan. They are the movement of divine life, progressing through faith, joy, righteousness, and endurance, toward incorruption and renewal. The *Odes* thus invite us into the divine Aeon—God’s active, joyful, and knowing purpose manifest in His people.

Aeon in the Odes of Solomon

Ode 7

A wonderfully, simple and joyful psalm on the Incarnation.

1. As is the course of anger over wickedness, so is the course of joy over the Beloved; and brings in of its fruits unhindered.
2. My joy is the Lord and my course is towards Him, this path of mine is beautiful.
3. For there is a Helper for me, the Lord. He has generously shown Himself to me in His simplicity, because His kindness has diminished His dreadfulness.
4. He became like me, that I might receive Him. In form He was considered like me, that I might put Him on.
5. And I trembled not when I saw Him, because He was gracious to me.
6. Like my nature He became, that I might understand Him. And like my form, that I might not turn away from Him.
7. The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge.
8. He who created wisdom is wiser than His works.
9. And He who created me when yet I was not knew what I would do when I came into being.
10. On account of this He was gracious to me in His abundant grace, and allowed me to ask from Him and to benefit from His sacrifice.
11. For He it is who is incorrupt, the perfection of the worlds and their Father.
12. He has allowed Him to appear to them that are His own; in order that they may recognize Him that made them, and not suppose that they came of themselves.
13. For towards knowledge He has set His way, he has widened it and lengthened it and brought it to complete perfection.
14. And has set over it the traces of His light, and it proceeded from the beginning until the end.
15. For by Him He was served, and He was pleased by the Son.
16. And because of his salvation He will possess everything. And the Most High will be known by His holy ones:
17. To announce to those who have songs of the coming of the Lord, that they may go forth to meet Him and may sing to Him, with joy and with the harp of many tones.
18. The Seers shall go before Him, and they shall be seen before Him.
19. And they shall praise the Lord in His love, because He is near and does see.
20. And hatred shall be removed from the earth, and with jealousy it shall be drowned.
21. For ignorance was destroyed upon it, because the knowledge of the Lord arrived upon it.
22. Let the singers sing the grace of the Lord Most High, and let them bring their songs.
23. And let their heart be like the day, and their gentle voices like the majestic beauty of the Lord.
24. And let there not be anyone who breathes that is without knowledge or voice.
25. For He gave a mouth to His creation: to open the voice of the mouth towards Him, and to praise Him.
26. Confess His power and declare His grace.
    Hallelujah.

knowledge and joy

the whole Ode implies that "knowledge" must not come to us without "joy,":

Ode 7:1 As is the course of anger over wickedness, so is the course of joy over the Beloved; and brings in of its fruits unhindered.

wisdom and the word are with God in heaven: 

Ode 7:7 "The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge. He who created wisdom is wiser than His works.." 

wisdom one of the seven spirits of perfection

from the God of knowledge comes all that is and will be (1QS III,15)

the Father is wiser than his works and superior to all wisdom:

Ode 28:20 For the thought of the Most High cannot be anticipated; and His heart is superior to all wisdom.

The Father of the Aeons

Ode 7:11 "Because He it is that is incorrupt, the fulness of the ages and the Father of them." 

Odes of Solomon 7:11 Because he is, he is imperishable the pleroma of the Aeons and their Father. Michael Lattke translation.

7:11 For He it is who is incorrupt, the perfection of the worlds and their Father. James Charlesworth translation

"The Fulness of the aeons and their Father.

ode 16:19 And the worlds (Aeons) are by His Word, and by the thought of His heart.

God is the Father of the Aeons because they emanated from him

The Aeons are not eternal they have a beginning and a Father. The Aeons can refer to the hidden and infinite past

Psalm 77:5 NWT I have thought upon the days of long ago, On the years in the indefinite past.

Heb 11:3 New Heart English Bible
By faith, we understand that the ages were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.

Rev. 15:3 American Standard Version
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages. ("King of the aeons" )
"The Father of the Aeons", there exists high up in invisible and ineffable regions a perfect Aeon, pre-existent [to all]... and this they call Propator (i.e. Pre-existent-Father)

The Aeons are faithful believers

Ode 12

He has filled me with words of truth, that I may proclaim Him.
And like the flowing of waters, truth flows from my mouth, and my lips declare His fruits.
And He has caused His knowledge to abound in me, because the mouth of the Lord is the true Word, and the entrance of His light.
And the Most High has given Him to His generations (Aeons), which are the interpreters of His beauty, [the Key of Knowledge found within His Word]
And the narrators of His glory,
And the confessors of His purpose,
And the preachers of His mind,
And the teachers of His works.
For the subtlety of the Word is inexpressible [in its lower/outward (fleshly) meaning], and like His utterance so also is His swiftness and His acuteness, for limitless is His progression.
He never falls but remains standing, and one cannot comprehend His descent or His way.
For as His work is, so is His expectation, for He is the light and dawning of thought.

And by Him the generations (Aeons)spoke to one another, and those that were silent acquired speech. [Blessed are they who by means thereof have understood everything, and have known the Lord in His truth]

ode 19 Then She gave the mixture to the generation without their knowing, and those who have received it are in the perfection of the right hand.

IGNATIUS to the Ephesians CHAPTER 19
19:1 And hidden from the prince of this world were the virginity of Mary and her child-bearing and likewise also the death of the Lord -- three mysteries to be cried aloud -- the which were wrought in the silence of God.
19:2 How then were they made manifest to the ages (Aeons)?A star shone forth in the heaven above all the stars; and its light was unutterable, and its strangeness caused amazement; and all the rest of the constellations with the sun and moon formed themselves into a chorus about the star; but the star itself far outshone them all; and there was perplexity to know whence came this strange appearance which was so unlike them.
19:3 From that time forward every sorcery and every spell was dissolved, the ignorance of wickedness vanished away, the ancient kingdom was pulled down, when God appeared in the likeness of man unto _newness of_ everlasting _life;_ and that which had been perfected in the counsels of God began to take effect. Thence all things were perturbed, because the abolishing of death was taken in hand

In Scripture, the Heb. word rendered by LXX aeon is perhaps best explained as meaning originally (Gesen. 761 V) "hidden," and hence (i) the hidden and infinite past, (2) the hidden and infinite future

The Aeons are personified in the Odes the generations of [past] aeons (Ode 12:4, 8) are represents as, some of them, "speaking" while others are "silent." The generations are past aeons of believers the Elect. They speak to each other by the word, the prophetic messages of the scriptures

and the Father is actively carrying out His Thought of Redemption, by the Word, through the aeons, and not as the mere object of a contemplative

The Patriarchs were called Fathers of the Age." or the The Leader of the Age (or, World),  "the days of the Fathers of the Age (or, World}."

Philo speaks of "aeon" as being in the life of God what "time" is in the life of Man. Time is measured by material motion, but aeon by immaterial or spiritual motion. Spiritual motion can only be conceived of, by us men, as "Thought". It is God's Thought. God's Thought as is reiterated throughout the Odes is a Thought, Plan, or Design, of Redemption for Man. This Thought was revealed by God's Word or Son moving and expressing Himself in the sons of Man, more especially in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three Philo calls "measures of aeon," that is to say, phases of God s Thought of Redemption as it was developed through Faith, Joy, and Righteousness

For him the heroes of Israel are incarnate thoughts of God. His series of illustrations is a picture-book of the progressive phases of God's foreordained redemptive Purpose expressed in human beings. It represents spiritual lives (which are, as Philo says, "measures of aeon 1"],

Philo says (i. 277) that "time," xpuvos, being measured by the motions of the material Cosmos, may be called son of Cosmos, but only the grandson (not the son) of God, who is the Father of Cosmos. Aeon, he says, is the archetype of Time. We might be disposed to say that it must be measured by the motions of God's Thought; but he thinks of God's Thought as never past or future but always present: (id.) "In aeon, nothing has passed away, nothing is future, but everything simply subsists." The Hebrew view is that God combines past, present, and future, in a motion that is also rest. Elsewhere Philo says that the race of Wisdom produced (i. 455) "the threefold fruits of him that seeth, [namely], Israel." These are "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and he calls these three "measures of aeon" i.e. apparently of divine Time. According to Philo (i. 342), "aeonian" does not mean "infinite in time" but "He that is graciously giving (6 x n P l C"f Ji(l "^--- always and continuously...," in other words, "infinite in His scope of graciousness," so that no limit of space, time, or thought, can be attached to it.

The Jews believed that all through the generations, from Adam to Abraham, God was waiting for the latter that He might begin to build His Habitation. Before Abraham, all was swamp. When he came, the rock rose to the surface, and building became possible. In effect, the Building was begun when Abraham "believed." 

When Abraham "believed." Nothing outward and visible took place then. But inwardly and invisibly a new spiritual period began, the period, or age (aeon), of "belief." Such an age is not measured by days or years or by "time" at all. For time depends on material, acoti on spiritual, motion

With Abraham began the aeon of Faith.

Then after the aeon of Joy typified by Isaac, and the aeon of Hopeful Endurance typified by Jacob, and after the silent aeons of the Egyptian oppression during which the patriarchal seed was being prepared to grow up into the tree of national life came Moses

The New Aeon

Ode 22
11 Incorruptible was Your way and Your face; You have brought Your world (Aeons) to corruption, that everything might be resolved and renewed.
12 And the foundation of everything is Your rock. And upon it You have built Your kingdom, and it became the dwelling-place of the holy ones.
Hallelujah.

Ode 8:22 And you shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the name of your Father.

Hallelujah.

Ode 8:22 "Ye shall be found incorruptible in all the aeons to the Name of your Father."

It is God that is incorruptible, the fulness of the aeons and the Father of them"  The meaning is that, in the end of all the aeons, the Incorruptible Father of all the aeons will have kept His Promise to His human children that they should be conformed to His incorruptible nature. 

Jewish Gnosis

Jewish Gnosis

**Gnosticism: Its Roots in Jewish Mysticism and Esoteric Knowledge**

Gnosticism, a prominent religious and philosophical movement of the early centuries CE, emerged in part from Jewish mystical traditions. Its evolution can be traced back to the Second Temple period when Jewish thought began to embrace a more esoteric and speculative approach to knowledge, particularly in the Pseudepigrapha and Dead Sea Scrolls communities. This period also witnessed the development of Cosmogonic-theological speculations, which provided the foundation for later Gnostic ideas.

### Jewish Mysticism and the Emergence of Esoteric Knowledge

During the Second Temple period, Jewish intellectual circles engaged in deep theological and cosmogonic speculations. These were centered around the origins and structure of the universe, as well as the nature of divine beings. Two well-established terms emerged in Jewish mysticism: *Ma'aseh Bereshit* (the work of creation) and *Ma'aseh Merkabah* (the work of the chariot). These concepts were rooted in early Jewish traditions found in texts like Genesis and Ezekiel, which explored the mystery of the divine realm and the heavenly throne. 

In the *Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice*, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, the worship around the throne of God is described as a heavenly ritual. These texts reveal that Jewish apocalyptists and mystics were actively engaged in visionary exegesis, interpreting divine realities and the actions of heavenly creatures. Furthermore, some of the texts discovered at Qumran indicate that the Dead Sea community was also engaged in Merkabah exegesis, a mystic practice that focused on ascending to the divine realm through mystical visions and experiences.

### The Development of the Merkabah Doctrine

The Merkabah (or "chariot") mysticism, which deals with the divine throne and the vision of God's glory, was further developed in the apocalyptic literature of the period. From 300–100 BCE, the Book of Enoch, a key text in Jewish apocalypticism, began to incorporate Merkabah themes. The book, divided into ninety chapters, opens with a description of Enoch’s vision: 

*"In the Name of God, the merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and of great mercy, and holiness. This Book is the Book of Enoch the prophet. May blessing and help be with him who loves Him, for ever and ever. Amen."* (1 Enoch 1:1)

Enoch describes a visionary experience in which he sees the heavens and receives revelation from the angels. The narrative continues with the history of fallen angels and their interactions with humanity, particularly their instruction in the arts of war, peace, and luxury. One of the most significant sections is Enoch 41:1:

*"And after that I saw all the secrets of the heavens, and how the kingdom is divided, and how the actions of men are weighed in the balance. And there I saw the mansions of the elect and the mansions of the holy, and mine eyes saw there all the sinners being driven from thence which deny the name of the Lord of Spirits, and being dragged off: and they could not abide because of the punishment which proceeds from the Lord of Spirits."* (1 Enoch 41:1)

In this vision, the division of the heavenly realm and the destinies of the righteous and sinners are revealed. The heavens are portrayed as a place of judgment, where actions on earth are weighed and the elect are separated from the sinners.

### The Esoteric Knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Parallel to the development of Merkabah mysticism in apocalyptic texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls also emphasize the redemptive power of esoteric knowledge. This knowledge is seen as a means for the select few to bridge the gap between humanity and the divine. The *Community Rule* (Serekh ha-Yachad) from the Dead Sea Scrolls expresses this idea clearly:

*"From the God of Knowledge comes all that is and shall be. Before ever they existed He established their whole design, and when, as ordained for them, they come into being, it is in accord with His glorious design that they accomplish their task without change."* (1QS)

In this text, it is emphasized that knowledge comes from God, and that human beings are tasked with fulfilling their roles within a divine plan. The *Community Rule* also contrasts the paths of righteousness and wickedness, with the righteous guided by the "Prince of Light" and the wicked by the "Angel of Darkness." This dualistic understanding echoes Gnostic themes of light versus darkness, knowledge versus ignorance.

In the *Thanksgiving Hymns* found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is a plea for divine knowledge to guide the seeker toward truth:

*"For you shall instruct your servant with your holy spirit to know the spirits of man for you have cast their lot according to the spirits between good and evil to accomplish their task."* (1QH)

Here, knowledge is portrayed as a divine gift that enables the individual to discern between good and evil, and to walk in the light of truth. This echoes Gnostic thought, where knowledge (gnosis) is the means of salvation, leading the seeker out of ignorance and into union with the divine.

### Hebrew Names of God and Their Influence on Gnostic Systems

The Gnostic systems, especially those influenced by Jewish mysticism, incorporated various Hebrew names for God, which were believed to carry hidden, esoteric meanings. Names like *Iao* (possibly derived from Yahweh), *Adonaios* (from "Adonai," meaning "Lord"), and *Elohim* (meaning "God") were central to Gnostic theology. In some Gnostic traditions, these names were not merely titles but represented different aspects of the divine.

For example, Justin, a second-century figure, taught that there were three primary entities in the divine realm: the transcendent *Good*, the male intermediate figure *Elohim*, and the earth-mother figure *Eden* (or *Israel*). According to Justin, creation resulted from the union of Elohim and Eden, with the first humans created as symbols of their marital unity. This cosmology draws heavily on Jewish mystical ideas, especially those found in the Hebrew Bible.

### Conclusion

Gnosticism, with its emphasis on esoteric knowledge, cosmology, and the relationship between the human and the divine, emerged from the rich soil of Jewish mysticism during the Second Temple period. Texts like the *Book of Enoch* and the *Dead Sea Scrolls* show a deep engagement with Merkabah mysticism and the transformative power of divine knowledge. This tradition was later absorbed into Gnostic thought, which continued to develop the idea that esoteric knowledge could lead to salvation by bridging the gap between humanity and the divine. In this way, Gnosticism can be seen as both an evolution of Jewish mysticism and a distinctive theological movement in its own right.

Gnosticism grow out of the Jewish mystic schools 

During the second temple period the Jewish understanding of knowledge stared to take a more esoteric view in the Pseudepigrapha and Dead Sea Scrolls community. at the same time within Judaism Cosmogonic-theological speculations, started to develop

The Cosmogonic-theological are based on the first sections of Genesis and Ezekiel, for which there are in Jewish speculation two well-established and therefore old terms: "Ma'aseh Bereshit" and "Ma'aseh Merkabah."

The Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice from the Dead Sea Scrolls Qumran community The Songs describe worship around the throne of God in the heavenly realms. Jewish apocalyptists engaged in visionary exegeses concerning the divine realm and the divine creatures A small number of texts unearthed at Qumran indicate that the Dead Sea community also engaged in merkabah exegesis.

From 300–100 BCE, in Apocalyptic literature like the Book Of Enoch we can see that the Merkabah doctrine is being developed. 

The book of Enoch is divided into ninety chapters, and begins with the preface: "In the Name of God, the merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and of great mercy, and holiness. This Book is the Book of Enoch the prophet. May blessing and help be with him who loves Him, for ever and ever. Amen. Chapter I. This word is the blessing of Enoch with which he blessed the chosen and the righteous that wore of old. And Enoch lifted up his voice and spoke, a holy man of God, while his eyes were open, and he saw a holy vision in the heavens, which the angels revealed to him. And I heard from them everything, and I understood what I saw." After this follows the history of the angels, of their having descended from heaven, and produced giants with the daughters of men; of their having instructed them in the arts of war, and peace, and luxury.

1 enoch 41:1 And after that I saw all the secrets of the heavens, and how the kingdom is divided, and how the 2 actions of men are weighed in the balance. And there I saw the mansions of the elect and the mansions of the holy, and mine eyes saw there all the sinners being driven from thence which deny the name of the Lord of Spirits, and being dragged off: and they could not abide because of the punishment which proceeds from the Lord of Spirits. 3 And there mine eyes saw the secrets of the lightning and of the thunder, and the secrets of the winds, how they are divided to blow over the earth, and the secrets of the clouds and dew, and there 4 I saw from whence they proceed in that place and from whence they saturate the dusty earth. And there I saw closed chambers out of which the winds are divided, the chamber of the hail and winds, the chamber of the mist, and of the clouds, and the cloud thereof hovers over the earth from the 5 beginning of the world. And I saw the chambers of the sun and moon, whence they proceed and whither they come again, and their glorious return, and how one is superior to the other, and their stately orbit, and how they do not leave their orbit, and they add nothing to their orbit and they take nothing from it, and they keep faith with each other, in accordance with the oath by which they 6 are bound together. And first the sun goes forth and traverses his path according to the commandment 7 of the Lord of Spirits, and mighty is His name for ever and ever. And after that I saw the hidden and the visible path of the moon, and she accomplishes the course of her path in that place by day and by night-the one holding a position opposite to the other before the Lord of Spirits.

[Chapter 52] 

l And after those days in that place where I had seen all the visions of that which is hidden -for 2 I had been carried off in a whirlwind and they had borne me towards the west-There mine eyes saw all the secret things of heaven that shall be, a mountain of iron, and a mountain of copper, and a mountain of silver, and a mountain of gold, and a mountain of soft metal, and a mountain of lead. 3 And I asked the angel who went with me, saying, 'What things are these which I have seen in 4 secret?' And he said unto me: 'All these things which thou hast seen shall serve the dominion of His Anointed that he may be potent and mighty on the earth.' 5 And that angel of peace answered, saying unto me: 'Wait a little, and there shall be revealed unto thee all the secret things which surround the Lord of Spirits. 


In the literature of the Dead Sea Sect. Common to both gnosticism and the Dead Sea Scrolls is the view of esoteric "knowledge" as a redemptive factor, which enables a group of select people to bridge the abyss separating the human from the divine, and to rise "from a spirit perverse to an understanding of you and to stand in one company before you with the everlasting host and the spirits of knowledge, to be renewed with all things that are and with those versed in song together" 

 The Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yachad, 1QS)

From the God of Knowledge comes all that is and shall be.
Before ever they existed He established their whole design, and when, as ordained for them, they come into being, it is in accord with His glorious design that they accomplish their task without change.
The laws of all things are in His hand and He provides them with all their needs.
He has created man to govern the world, and has appointed for him two spirits in which to walk until the time of His visitation: the spirits of truth and injustice.
Those born of truth spring from a fountain of light, but those born of injustice spring from a source of darkness.
All the children of righteousness are ruled by the Prince of Light and walk in the ways of light, but all the children of injustice are ruled by the Angel of Darkness and walk in the ways of darkness.
The Angel of Darkness leads all the children of righteousness astray, and until his end, all their sin, iniquities, wickedness, and all their unlawful deeds are caused by his dominion in accordance with the mysteries of God.

the thanksgiving hymns

Because I know all these things I will utter a reply of the tongue praying and entreating and turning back from all my sins and searching your spirit of Knowledge and clinging fast to your holy spirit and adhering to the truth of your Covenant and serving you in truth and with a perfect heart, and loving your truth.

For you shall instruct your servant with your holy spirit to know the spirits of man for you have cast their lot according to the spirits between good and evil to accomplish their task.
You have favoured me, your servant, with a spirit of knowledge, that I may choose truth and goodness and loathe all the ways of iniquity.

Hebrew words and names of God provide the makeup for several gnostic systems

Iao Perhaps from Yahu, Yahweh, but possibly also from the magic cry iao in the Mysteries.

The Old Testament phrase Yahweh sabaoth or 'Jehovah of Armies' was thought a proper name, hence Jupiter Sabbas.

Adonaios  From the Hebrew term for "the Lord", used of God; Adonis of the Syrians representing the Winter sun in the cosmic tragedy of Tammuz. In the Mandaean system Adonaios represents the Sun.

From Elohim, God (El). Elaios, or Ailoaios, or sometimes Ailoein

 A 2nd-century figure, Justin (not to be confused with the more famous Justin Martyr), taught that there were three original entities, a transcendent being called the Good, a male intermediate figure named Elohim (the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament), and an earth-mother figure named Eden or Israel. 

According to Hippolytus, Justin taught that all things came from three unbegotten principles, two male and one female. The first male principle, and the most transcendent of the three, is a principle who alone is called “Good.” This is an allusion to some version of the saying attributed to Jesus about there being “only one who is Good,” though the “Good” as highest principle was also found in Platonic philosophy.26 The second male principle is Elohim, which is of course one of the names used of God in Jewish Scripture. In Baruch, Elohim is indeed the God of creation and Lord of heaven, but he is a secondary divine power. Unlike the Good, who has foreknowledge of all things, Elohim lacks foreknowledge and, at first, also lacks any knowledge of the existence of the Good. The third principle, who is female, is named Eden or Israel. Like Elohim, Eden is also without foreknowledge. She is Mother Earth and is described as looking like a young woman down to the groin, but like a serpent below that. In the beginning, creation results from the marriage of heaven and earth. Elohim and Eden desire one another with genuine love and from their union are begotten a company of twenty-four angels. Twelve of these belong to Elohim: Michael, Amen, Baruch, Gabriel, Essadaios (the remaining seven names are missing in the manuscript); twelve belong to Eden: Babel, Achamoth, Naas, Bel, Belias, Satan, Sael, Adonaios, Kavithan, Pharaoth, Karkamenos, and Lathen. According to Baruch, these angels are the true allegorical meaning of the trees of Paradise that “God planted in Eden.” Baruch asserts that the tree which Scripture calls the tree of life is actually the angel Baruch, while the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the same as the angel Naas, the Hebrew word for “serpent.” In this garden, the angels then create the first humans. The human beings are created from the finest portion of the earth, that is, from the humanlike regions of Eden above the groin; animals are created from the beastly regions of Eden below the groin. Then into each of the first humans, Adam and Eve, the angels place some soul from Eden and some spirit from Elohim. Possessing these elements from both Elohim and Eden, the first human couple are nothing less than living symbols of the marital unity and love of Eden and Elohim. The couple is commanded to “increase and multiply and inherit the earth, that is, Eden” (cf. Gen. 1:28). Eden brings all of her power, as a sort of estate, and gives it to Elohim in the marriage arrangement. “Whence,” according to Justin, “in imitation of that first marriage wives offer a dowry to husbands to this very day, obeying a divine and ancestral law that originated with the dowry to Elohim from Eden” (Hippolytus, Ref. 5.26.10). 

The Bridal Chamber as a Fivefold Ritual

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The Gnostic Ritual of the Bridal Chamber as a Fivefold Rite

“The master [did] everything in a sacred secret: baptism, anointing, eucharist, redemption, and bridal chamber.” — Gospel of Philip

The Bridal Chamber holds a central place in Gnostic ritual life, representing the culmination of five interconnected rites: baptism, anointing, eucharist, redemption, and the nuptial union. Described as a “sacred secret”, these rites are not mere symbolic gestures, but transformative enactments that mirror higher realities. Each element corresponds to a stage in the initiate's approach to the divine fullness—the Pleroma—with the Bridal Chamber as the apex of sacred restoration.

“There were three structures for sacrifice in Jerusalem. One opened to the west and was called the holy place; a second opened to the south and was called the holy of the holy; the third opened to the east and was called the holy of holies, where only the high priest could enter… The bridal chamber is the holy of holies.” — Gospel of Philip

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Symbolism of the Bridal Chamber

The Bridal Chamber symbolizes the reunion of the divine Bridegroom and the Bride, traditionally understood as the Savior and Sophia—Wisdom personified. This union restores what was divided, heals what was wounded, and reconciles what was cast down. It marks the reintegration of Sophia into the Pleroma after her descent and suffering.

“If the female had not separated from the male, the female and the male would not have died. The separation of male and female was the beginning of death. Christ came to heal the separation… and unite them.” — Gospel of Philip

This rite is therefore not merely allegorical—it is ritualized cosmology. The Bridal Chamber is the image of the union above, performed here in anticipation of the eschatological reunion at the Parousia.

“A woman is united with her husband in the bridal chamber, and those united in the bridal chamber will not be separated again.” — Gospel of Philip

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The Fivefold Rite

1. Baptism

Baptism is the initial purification. It is not merely a washing but an entry into divine knowledge. The initiate receives the sacred name of the Unknown Father and is consecrated through water and fire.

“Spirit and power have come into being from water and fire. The attendant of the bridal chamber has come into being from water, fire, and light.” — Gospel of Philip

Baptism opens the gate into the holy place, the outermost structure of divine approach. It marks the first step toward reunion with the fullness.

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2. Anointing (Chrism)

Anointing with chrism represents the descent of divine light upon the initiate. It is described as fire—“not ordinary fire… but pure white… imparting beauty”—a transforming substance that marks the recipient as prepared for what lies beyond.

“Fire is chrism. Light is fire.” — Gospel of Philip

Anointing conveys divine fragrance, a visible and olfactory sign of having received what comes from above. It signifies consecration, sealing, and empowerment.

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3. Eucharist

In the Gnostic tradition, the eucharist is not focused on memorial or physical consumption but on receiving hidden wisdom and light. It is an act of nourishment with the divine, a foretaste of the eternal banquet in the Pleroma.

It connects the initiate to the spiritual assembly above and reflects the mystical meal shared in unity.

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4. Redemption

Redemption is the invocation of sacred names and the calling upon divine powers. Among the names used are:

• Yahweh (4 letters)

• Eloah (4 letters)

• Yahweh Elohim (10 letters)

• Yahweh Sabaoth (12 letters)

“These letters total thirty, representing the full emanation of the Æons.”

This invocation removes the veil of ignorance and affirms alignment with the Christ from above. Redemption is the passage from the “holy of the holy” into the “holy of holies,” drawing the initiate into the inner sanctuary of divine union.

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5. The Nuptial Union (Bridal Chamber)

The final rite is the sacred union within the Bridal Chamber, performed in light—not in secret or darkness, like earthly weddings, but in the day that does not set.

“Everyone who [enters] the bedchamber will kindle the light. This is like marriages that occur… at night. The mysteries of that marriage… are performed in the day and the light, and neither that day nor its light ever sets.” — Gospel of Philip

The initiate becomes a bride, and the Savior the Bridegroom. Their union is not just symbolic but a mystical joining that echoes the reunification of Sophia with the Savior, of below with above.

“If one does not receive [the light] while here in this place, one cannot receive it in the other place.” — Gospel of Philip

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Eschatological Implications

The Bridal Chamber is not just a personal rite; it holds cosmic and eschatological meaning. At the Parousia—the final manifestation—all that has been divided will be reunited. The curtain concealing the divine will be torn, and access to the Pleroma will be open.

“The mysteries of truth are made known in symbols and images. The bedchamber is hidden, and it is the holy of the holy… when the curtain is torn and what is inside appears, this building will be left deserted… and the whole godhead will flee from here… This ark will be salvation when floodwaters surge.” — Gospel of Philip

Those who have received the mysteries now will be prepared to enter the fullness then. The Bridal Chamber is a mirror of the final union that will restore creation when all things are subjected to the One.

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Ethical and Liturgical Readiness

The Bridal Chamber requires preparation. Without the proper wedding garment—symbolizing purity and faithfulness—one cannot participate in the union.

This echoes the Gospel parable where those unprepared are cast out. The Gnostic Bridal Chamber is thus reserved for those who, through the fivefold rite, have been purified, anointed, nourished, redeemed, and joined in sacred union.

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Conclusion

The Gnostic ritual of the Bridal Chamber is a structured path to divine restoration, enacted in five rites:

1. Baptism – purification and entry

2. Anointing – consecration and light

3. Eucharist – nourishment in mystery

4. Redemption – invocation and liberation

5. Nuptial Union – mystical joining in the Bridal Chamber

Together, these rites enact the sacred secret that the Master performed. They are not philosophical abstractions but embodied rituals that anticipate the eschatological union at the end of the age. In these mysteries, the church, as the image of Sophia, is united to the Savior—and the fullness is restored.

“Our bridal chamber is the image of the bridal chamber above.” — Gospel of Philip

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Let me know if you'd like this adapted into a printable liturgy or instructional form.

Elaine Pagels on Satan and the Devil

Satan' is a personification of what early Church fathers considered evil: like judgmentalness, materialism, lust, greed, relentlessness, usury, and the merchandising of Jesus' teachings. Satan is "the power of materiality." (158)

The relationship of Satan with sin appears late in the Old Testament, "he [Satan] is an accuser, a heavenly officer [of God], whose function it is to question and to test the genuinity of human virtue." (159) The appearance of Satan as a tempter (the devil is like God's prosecuting attorney in the book of Job), however, does not affect the Old Testament belief that man is, himself, the responsible agent of his sin.

Satan, in the sense of a demonic personification of evil, can be seen as scare tactics to keep those in lower stages of spiritual development out of harm's way until they understood the Christ message.

We can liken parents using stories of the bogyman to scare children into obeying rules when they are too young to understand the purpose of the rules, to those who would use Satan to scare themselves and others into doing good until they wanted to do it on their own accord.

It is apparent in 2Co 11:13 that Paul is having trouble with those who claim to be Christian Apostles, but to Paul they were anti-Christs, who would use Jesus for their own personal gain, i.e. "ministers of Satan." (160)

"The scriptural doctrine of Satan is nowhere systematically developed [in the New Testament]...the source of evil is found in the flesh* and its passions, in self-love and ignorance, rather than supernatural personalities." (161) In short, Satan is a personification of evil, not a real character.

Exorcism can be seen as a concentrated effort to purge the mind of false standards, not to extract demons. See Elaine Pagels, The Origin of Satin, Pgs. 34 and 38, Vantage Books.

Fallen angels are those who have reached Stage IV, but are too weak in their commitment and understanding of Jesus' Christ teachings. They do not carry it into their daily lives. The term 'backsliders' is synonymous with fallen angels.


(156) Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Paul, p. 84.

(157) Ibid., p. 85.

(158) Ibid., p. 67.




(146) Elaine Pagels, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, p. 97.

(147) Ibid., p. 112.

(148) Ibid., p. 141.

(149) Ibid., p. 143.

(150) Ibid., p. 107.

(151) Ibid., p. 108.

(152) Ibid., p. 106.

(153) Ibid., p. 143.

(154) Ibid., p. 143

Elaine Pagels

Others have come to the same conclusions by different paths. Students of the history of ideas have found that the idea of a personal satan just isn't there in the Old Testament; and yet they've traced the development of the idea through the centuries, noting how various non-Christian ideas have become mixed in, a tradition developed and then picked up more and more accretions as time went on.

Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, is perhaps the highest profile writer and thinker to express agreement with our position about the devil. Her best selling book The Origin Of Satan is well worth a read if you're interested in this theme (4). She begins where we have done- that Christianity and Judaism taught only one God, and this left no place for a devil / satan in the orthodox sense. We have said time and again that one true doctrine leads to another, and Pagels grasps that clearly. One God means no devil. Simple as that. And so she comments: “Conversion from paganism to Judaism or Christianity, I realized, meant, above all, transforming one’s perception of the invisible world”. And this had a radically practical outworking- as does belief in any true Bible doctrine: “Becoming either a Jew or a Christian polarized a pagan’s view of the universe, and moralized it”. The pagan worldview would've felt that anything like a volcano or earthquake was a result of demonic activity. But instead, the Bible clearly describes the volcanoes that destroyed Sodom as coming from the one God, as judgment for their sins (Gen. 19:4). People were not just victims of huge cosmic forces; they had responsibility for their actions and met those consequences. We can easily miss the radical implications of the moral way the Bible describes such things which were otherwise attributed to demons /pagan gods. There was a huge political price attached to rejecting belief in ‘demons’. Rusticus, prefect of Rome, persecuted Christians because they refused “to obey the gods and submit to the rulers”. The Romans considered that their leaders were agents of the gods; and if the gods didn’t exist, then the Roman leadership lost its power and authority. For this reason, the Romans called the Christians ‘atheists’.

The following quotations from Pagels exactly reflect our own conclusions: “In the Hebrew Bible…Satan never appears as Western Christendom has come to know him, as the leader of an “evil empire”, an army of hostile spirits who make war on God…in the Hebrew Bible, Satan is not necessarily evil, much less opposed to God. On the contrary, he appears in the book of Numbers and in Job as one of God’s obedient servants- a messenger, or angel, a word that translates the Hebrew term for messenger (mal’ak) into Greek (angelos)… In biblical sources the Hebrew term the satan describes an adversarial role. It is not the name of a particular character… the root stn means “one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as an adversary”... But this messenger is not necessarily malevolent… John dismisses the device of the devil as an independent supernatural character… Paul holds a perception that Satan acts as God’s agent not to corrupt people but to test them” (pp. 111, 183)”.

But Elaine Pagels isn't just out there on her own. Neil Forsyth comments likewise: “In… the Old Testament, the word [satan] never appears as the name of the adversary… rather, when the satan appears in the Old Testament, he is a member of the heavenly court, albeit with unusual tasks”(5). Several respected commentators have pointed out the same, especially when commenting upon the ‘satan’ in the book of Job- concluding that the term there simply speaks of an obedient Divine Angel acting the role of an adversary, without being the evil spirit being accepted by many in Christendom (6). Commenting on the 'satan' of Job and Zechariah, the respected Anchor Bible notes: "Neither in Job nor in Zechariah is the Accuser an independent entity with real power, except that which Yahweh consents to give him" (7). A.L. Oppenheim carefully studied how the figure of a personal satan entered into Hebrew thought; he concludes that it was originally absent . He considers that their view of a Divine court, or council, such as is hinted at in the Hebrew Bible, was significant for them; but they noted that in some Mesopotamian bureaucracies there was a similar understanding, but always there was an "accuser" present, a 'satan' figure (8). And the Jews adopted this idea and thus came to believe in a personal satan.

(4) Elaine Pagels, The Origin Of Satan (Harmondsworth: Allen Lane / The Penguin Press, 1996)

(5) Neil Forsyth, The Old Enemy: Satan And The Combat Myth (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987) p. 107.

(6) See P. Day, An Adversary In Heaven: Satan In The Hebrew Bible (Atlanta, GA: Scholar’s Press, 1988) pp 69-106.

(7) C.L. Meyers and E.M. Meyers, The Anchor Bible: Haggai, Zechariah 1-8 (New York: Doubleday, 2004 ed.) p. 184.

(8) A.L. Oppenheim, "The eyes of the Lord", Journal of The American Oriental Society Vol. 88 (1968) pp. 173-180.




(9) In addition to Pagels op cit, see Knut Schaferdick, “Satan in the Post Apostolic Fathers” in Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ed., Theological Dictionary Of The New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971) Vol. 7 pp. 163-165 and George F. Moore, Judaism In The First Centuries Of The Christian Era (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1927) Vol. 1.




(10) Elaine Pagels, op cit pp. 100,111.