Ancient Cosmology: Many Heavens, Gods and the One [God]

[Peter Kirby]

^^

Coptic Apocalypse of Paul
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... epaul.html

THIRD HEAVEN
Then the Holy Spirit who was speaking with him caught him up on high to the third heaven, and he passed beyond to the fourth heaven.

FOURTH HEAVEN
The Holy Spirit spoke to him, saying, "Look and see your likeness upon the earth." And he looked down and saw those who were upon the earth. He stared and saw those who were upon the [...]. Then he gazed down and saw the twelve apostles at his right and at his left in the creation; and the Spirit was going before them.

But I saw in the fourth heaven according to class - I saw the angels resembling gods, the angels bringing a soul out of the land of the dead. They placed it at the gate of the fourth heaven. And the angels were whipping it. The soul spoke, saying, "What sin was it that I committed in the world?" The toll-collector who dwells in the fourth heaven replied, saying, "It was not right to commit all those lawless deeds that are in the world of the dead". The soul replied, saying, "Bring witnesses! Let them show you in what body I committed lawless deeds. Do you wish to bring a book to read from?"

And the three witnesses came. The first spoke, saying, "Was I not in the body the second hour [...]? I rose up against you until you fell into anger and rage and envy." And the second spoke, saying, "Was I not in the world? And I entered at the fifth hour, and I saw you and desired you. And behold, then, now I charge you with the murders you committed." The third spoke, saying, "Did I not come to you at the twelfth hour of the day when the sun was about to set? I gave you darkness until you should accomplish your sins." When the soul heard these things, it gazed downward in sorrow. And then it gazed upward. It was cast down. The soul that had been cast down went to a body which had been prepared for it. And behold, its witnesses were finished.

FIFTH HEAVEN
Then I gazed upward and saw the Spirit saying to me, "Paul, come! Proceed toward me!". Then as I went, the gate opened, and I went up to the fifth heaven. And I saw my fellow apostles going with me while the Spirit accompanied us. And I saw a great angel in the fifth heaven holding an iron rod in his hand. There were three other angels with him, and I stared into their faces. But they were rivalling each other, with whips in their hands, goading the souls on to the judgment. But I went with the Spirit and the gate opened for me.

SIXTH HEAVEN
Then we went up to the sixth heaven. And I saw my fellow apostles going with me, and the Holy Spirit was leading me before them. And I gazed up on high and saw a great light shining down on the sixth heaven. I spoke, saying to the toll-collector who was in the sixth heaven, "Open to me and the Holy Spirit who is before me." He opened to me.

SEVENTH HEAVEN
Then we went up to the seventh heaven, and I saw an old man [...] light and whose garment was white. His throne, which is in the seventh heaven, was brighter than the sun by seven times. The old man spoke, saying to me, "Where are you going, Paul? O blessed one and the one who was set apart from his mother`s womb." But I looked at the Spirit, and he was nodding his head, saying to me, "Speak with him!". And I replied, saying to the old man, "I am going to the place from which I came." And the old man responded to me, "Where are you from?" But I replied, saying, "I am going down to the world of the dead in order to lead captive the captivity that was led captive in the captivity of Babylon." The old man replied to me saying, "How will you be able to get away from me? Look and see the principalities and authorities." The Spirit spoke, saying, "Give him the sign that you have, and he will open for you." And then I gave him the sign. He turned his face downwards to his creation and to those who are his own authorities.

EIGHTH HEAVEN
And then the <seventh> heaven opened and we went up to the Ogdoad. And I saw the twelve apostles. They greeted me,

NINTH HEAVEN
and we went up to the ninth heaven. I greeted all those who were in the ninth heaven,

TENTH HEAVEN
and we went up to the tenth heaven. And I greeted my fellow spirits.

[Leucius Charinus]

Of course this evolves. Your references are most appreciated.

You're welcome. The original references were commenced by Kapyong, hence the group categories K1-K3.

Thanks for the actual collection of textual references.



LC

[Blood]

Good to see the little-discussed "Coptic Apocalypse of Paul" aka "Visio Pauli" (not the Nag Hammadi book of the same name) getting some love in this thread. I came across it today in E.A. Wallis Budge's "Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt." It's really a fascinating text, at times reading a lot like Dante's Inferno.

On page 1070 ff., the angel Michael takes Paul to Paradise in outer space, the place "wherein Adam and his wife transgressed," where the four rivers meet, two trees grow -- the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. The latter is where Virgin Mary dwells, who says, "Hail, Paul, beloved of God!" Abe, Isaac, Jacob, and the Prophets also appear to high-five Paul. And so on. I see no reason why the Christ could not have been crucified in outer space within this theology.

[andrewcriddle]

Good to see the little-discussed "Coptic Apocalypse of Paul" aka "Visio Pauli" (not the Nag Hammadi book of the same name) getting some love in this thread. I came across it today in E.A. Wallis Budge's "Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt." It's really a fascinating text, at times reading a lot like Dante's Inferno.

On page 1070 ff., the angel Michael takes Paul to Paradise in outer space, the place "wherein Adam and his wife transgressed," where the four rivers meet, two trees grow -- the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. The latter is where Virgin Mary dwells, who says, "Hail, Paul, beloved of God!" Abe, Isaac, Jacob, and the Prophets also appear to high-five Paul. And so on. I see no reason why the Christ could not have been crucified in outer space within this theology.

I think that Paradise here is supposed to be free of death, with Adam and Eve thrown out of Paradise to become mortal and die after they sinned.

Andrew Criddle