CHURCH FATHERS 120-326 C.E.

 

No Seven Heavens in the Church

 

The Scriptures which are current in the Church of God do not speak of ‘seven’ heavens, or of any definite number at all, but they do appear to teach the existence of ‘heavens’, whether that means the ‘spheres’ of those bodies which the Greeks call ‘planets’, or something more mysterious.[1]

 

After this, Celsus, desiring to exhibit his learning in his treatise against us, quotes also certain Persian mysteries, where he says:

 

“These things are obscurely hinted at in the accounts of the Persians, and especially in the mysteries of Mithras, which are celebrated amongst them. For in the latter there is a representation of the two heavenly revolutions, of the movement, viz. of the fixed stars, and that which takes place among the Planets, and of the passage of the soul through these. The representation is a ladder with lofty gates, and on top of it an eighth gate. The first gate consists of lead, the second of tin, the third of copper, the fourth of iron, the fifth of a mixture of metals, the sixth of silver, and the seventh of gold.”

 

The first gate they assign to Saturn, indicating by the ‘lead’ the slowness of the star;

the second to Venus, comparing her to the splendour and softness of tin;

the third to Jupiter, being firm and solid;

the fourth to Mercury, for both Mercury and iron are fit to endure all things and are money-making and laborious;

the fifth to Mars because being composed of a mixture of metals, it is varied and unequal;

the sixth to the Moon;

the seventh, of gold, to the Sun - thus imitating the different colours of the latter.”

 

Let Celsus know, moreover, as well as those who read his book, that in no part of the genuine and divinely accredited Scriptures are “seven” heavens mentioned; nor do our prophets, nor the Apostles of Jesus, nor the Son of God Himself, repeat anything they borrowed from the Persians or the Cabiri.[2]

 

 

Names of Planets

 

Now he (Celsus) ought to have known that those who have espoused the cause of the serpent, because he gave good advice to the first human beings, and who go far beyond the Titans and Giants of fable, and are on his account called Ophites...

 

He next returns to the subject of the Seven ruling Demons, whose names are not found among Christians, but who, I think, are accepted by the Ophites.

 

Whereas we discovered that He who is honoured in the holy Scripture as the angel of the Creator is called by this accursed diagram Michael [Saturn] the Lion-like. Again Celsus says that the “second [Jupiter] in order is a bull;” whereas the diagram which we possessed made him to be Suriel, the bull-like. Further, Celsus termed the third “an amphibious sort of animal, and one that hissed frightfully;” while the diagram described the third [Mars] as Raphael, the serpent-like. Moreover, Celsus asserted that the “fourth [Sun] had the form of an eagle;” the diagram representing him as Gabriel, the eagle-like. Again, the “fifth,” [Mercury] according to Celsus, “had the countenance of a bear;” and this, according to the diagram, was Tauthabaoth, the bear-like. Celsus continues his account, that the “sixth” [Venus] was described “as having the face of a dog;” and him the diagram called Erataoth. The “seventh,” [Moon] he adds, “had the countenance of an ass, and was named Thaphabaoth or Onoel;” whereas we discovered he is called Onoel, or Thartharaoth, being somewhat asinine in appearance.[3]

 

 

Ophite Names of Planets

 

They have also given names to [  ] in their system of falsehood, such as the following;

he who is first descended from his mother is called Ialdabaoth;

he, again, descended from him, is named Iao;

he from this one is called Sabaoth;

the fourth is named Adoneus;

the fifth, Eloeus;

the sixth, Oreus;

and the seventh and last of all, Astanphaeus.[4]

 

Note 1. from the translator.

 

The probable meaning of this and the following names is thus given by Harvey;

Ialdabaoth = Lord God of the Fathers

Iao = Jehovah

Oreus = Light

Astanphaeus = Crown

Sabaoth = Hosts

Adoneus = Lord

Eloeus = God

 

Ascent Prayer of the Ophites

 

“I salute the one-formed king, the bond of blindness, complete oblivion, the first power, preserved by the spirit of providence and by wisdom, from whom I am sent forth pure, being already part of the light of the son and of the father; let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me...

 

“Thou, O first and seventh, who art born to command with confidence, thou O Ialdabaoth, who art the rational ruler of a pure mind, and a perfect work to son and father, bearing the symbol of life in the character of a type, and opening to the world a gate which thou didst close against thy kingdom, I pass again in freedom through thy realm. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me.” They say, moreover that the star Phaenon [Saturn] is in sympathy with the lion-like ruler.

 

“Thou, O second Iao, who shinest by night, who art the ruler of the sacred mysteries of son and father, first prince of death, and portion of the innocent, bearing mine own beard as symbol, I am ready to pass through thy realm, having strengthened him who is born of thee by the living word. Grace be with me father, let it be with me.”

 

“O governor of the fifth realm, Powerful Sabaoth, defender of the law of thy creatures, who are liberated by thy grace through the help of a more powerful Pentad, admit me, seeing the faultless symbol of their art, preserved by the stamp of an image, a body liberated by a Pentad. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me.”

 

“O Astanphaeus, ruler of the third gate, overseer of the first principle of water, look upon me as one of thine initiated, admit me who am purified with the spirit of a virgin, thou who seest the essence of the world. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me.

 

“O Aloaeus, governor of the second gate, let me pass, seeing I bring to thee the symbol of thy mother, a grace which is hidden by the powers of the realms. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me.

 

“Thou who didst fearlessly overleap the rampart of fire, O Horaeus, who didst obtain the government of the first gate, let me pass, seeing thou beholdest the symbol of thine own power, sculpted on the figure of the tree of life, and formed after this image, in the likeness of innocence. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me.[5]

 

 

Planets & Vowels

 

Irenaeus is describing the system of the Gnostic Marcus and his followers.

 

And the first heaven pronounces Alpha

the next is Epsilon

The third Eta

the fourth, which is also in the midst of the seven... Iota

the fifth Omicron

the sixth Upsilon

the seventh.. the elegant Omega. [6]

 

Hippolytus, in attacking an earlier heretic Marcus, has some interesting things to offer about the seven Greek vowels and the heavens.

 

He has, however, employed the instrumentality of the aggregate of seven numbers, in order that the result of the self devised counsel might be manifested...

 

And the first heaven sounds Alpha, and the one after that Epsilon, and the third Eta, and the fourth, even that in the midst of the seven vowels, enunciates the power of Iota, and the fifth that of Omicron, and the sixth of Upsilon, and the seventh, and fourth from the central one, Omega. And all the powers when they are connected together in one, emit a sound, and glorify that Being from whom they have been projected.[7]

 

 

Astrology and Great Year

 

“Hast thou,” said Bardesan, “read the books of the astrologers who are in Babylon, in which is described what effects the stars have in their various combinations at the Nativities of men; and in the books of the Egyptians, in which are described all the various characters which men happen to have?” “I have read books of astrology,” said Avida, “but I do not know which of those are of the Babylonians and which those of the Egyptians.” “The teaching of both countries,” said Bardesan, “is the same.”[8]

 

Bardesan, therefore, an aged man, and one celebrated for his knowledge of events, wrote, in a certain work which was composed by him, concerning synchronisms with one another of the luminaries of heaven, speaking as follows;

 

2 revolutions of Saturn, 60 years;

5 revolutions of Jupiter, 60 years;

40 revolutions of Mars, 60 years;

60 revolutions of the Sun, 60 years;

72 revolutions of Venus, 60 years;

120 revolutions of Mercury, 60 years;

720 revolutions of the Moon, 60 years.

 

“And this,” says he, “is one synchronism of them all; that is the time of one such synchronism of them. So that from hence it appears that to complete 100 such synchronisms there will be required six thousands of years.” Thus;

 

200 revolutions of Saturn, 6,000 of years;

500 revolutions of Jupiter, 6,000 of years;

4,000 revolutions of Mars, 6,000 of years;

6,000 revolutions of the Sun, 6,000 of years;

7,200 revolutions of Venus, 6,000 of years;

15,000 revolutions of Mercury, 6,000 of years;

72,000 revolutions of the Moon, 6,000 of years.

 

These things did Bardesan thus compute when desiring to show that this world would stand only six thousands of years.[9]

 

 

6,000 years of the world

 

And God made in six days the works of his hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it.” Gen. 2.2 Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, “He finished it in six days.” This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, “Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years.” Therefore, my children, in six days, that is six thousand years, all things will be finished. “And He rested on the seventh day.” This meaneth; when His Son, coming shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day.[10]

 

For in as many days as this world was made so many thousands of years shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says; “Thus the heaven and earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works he had made; and God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” This is an account of the things formally created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed; it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand year.[11]

 

 

Further sources for 6,000 years:

 

2 Enoch 32:1, 33:2, O.T. Pseudepigrapha. vol. 1, pp. 155-6

            Existence of the world for 7000 years, the 8th thousand is the end.

 

Apocalypse of Elijah, 5:36-9, O.T. Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1, p.753 n. p3

            Christ will spend 1000 years ruling the blessed.

 

Jubilees 4:30, O.T. Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2, pp. 63-4

            1000 years a day of the Lord.

 

Pseudo-Philo, 28:9, O.T. Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2., p.342

            Man will dwell here 7000 years.