The Son Reveals Himself

1. And [he] sowed a word in him invisibly which was intended to become knowledge, and he granted him power to move away and to cast away from himself those who are disobedient to him.

2. In this way, he revealed himself to him.

3. To those, however, who came to be for his sake, he revealed a form beyond their grasp.

4. They (consequently) behaved with enmity toward each other.

5. [He] suddenly revealed himself to them, drawing near in the form of lightning, and departed like a flash of lightning.

6. When finishing their mutual entanglement, he ended it by the sudden revelation, for which they were not prepared, were not expecting, and did not know.

7. This made them frightened and they fell down, because they could not endure the appearance of the light that had struck them.

8. The one who appeared devastated the two orders.

9. Just as the beings of memory [have been] named Little One, so they have but a dim idea of the Exalted One who pre-exists them, and they have sown within themselves a feeling of astonishment at the Exalted One who is to be manifested.

10. They therefore received his revelation and prostrated before him.

11. They became witnesses persuaded of [him], acknowledging the light that had appeared was stronger than those who resisted them.

12. However, those of the likeness grew sore afraid, because they could not bear to hear about him in the beginning, that a vision of this kind could exist.

13. They consequently plunged into the pit of ignorance called “the Outer Darkness” and “Chaos,” and “Death” and “the Abyss.”

14. He positioned them lower than the order of the beings of memory, given that it was evidently stronger than they.

15. They were deemed worthy to rule over the indescribable darkness, because they own it and it is the lot assigned to them.

16. He granted that they, also, would be of use in the plan of salvation that was to unfold, even that of which [they] were unaware.

17. There is a [great] difference between the revelation for the one who came to be and the revelation for the one who was deficient, and the revelation for those who came to be because of him.

18. He revealed himself to him within him, because he is with him, sharing in his suffering, bestowing on him repose little by little, causing him to grow, lifting him up, and giving himself to him to enjoy in a vision.

19. To those, however, who fell outside, he revealed himself on a sudden and in a flash, and he then quickly withdrew himself, not allowing them to gaze on him.