Analogue 70

Analogue 70 

The Truth of Hidden Things

At first the way in which God works to govern the creation was covered by the Temple Veil, but once that veil was torn and what was inside revealed, the outer form of desolation was to be abandoned and left to be destroyed. Then everything was to flee those external places outside the Holy of Holies where it is impossible to unite with the Light or with the unflawed Fullness. Instead all were to come under the wings of the Cross and within the embrace of its arms. This is the ark of safety for us, a place of refuge when the waters of cataclysm overwhelm us.

In the priesthood there were those who were able to go inside behind the veil accompanied by the High Priest. So for this reason, then, the veil was not torn simply at the top so that it would be available only to those who are higher. Nor was it torn at the bottom to bring revelation only to those who are lower. Rather, it was torn from top to bottom, opening to those both above and below that all might have access to the truth of hidden things.

This truth is important and its excellence strengthens us to go inward through the symbols, humble and often rejected though they may be, and by this lowly means to enter into the presence of the fullness of glory—glory upon glory, light upon light, power upon power. Those who have reached this perfection open the way into the truth of hidden things for the rest of us, and thus saints and sacred beings bring us to the threshold of the Bridal Chamber and invite us within.

SYNOPSIS

• Focus is on the practice of contemplative awareness within the Bridal Chamber which is the Holy of Holies.
• The metaphor of unveiling is used to reveal the unseen realms and realities.
• Visionary mysticism expressed through the template of the first Temple, is revealed to the inner eye through the veil.
• Exoteric versus esoteric experience is contrasted. Interior and contemplative seeings are eventually made manifest in an outward way. 
• One cannot unite with Light or Unflawed Fullness (where nothing is lacking) in the exoteric realm or its fullness will be destroyed. This is perhaps a reference to the destruction of the 2nd Temple with its emphasis on the exoteric form of religion. 
• The ancient cataclysm, the waters of destruction, and the ark of safety is being used as an analogue. 
• The cross is a symbolic form of unity, bringing multiple dimensions into oneness. Its arms extend in both horizontal and vertical directions.
• The metaphor of the tearing of the exoteric from both directions to give equal access to the truth of hidden things. 
• Things which heretofore had been unavailable are being revealed in the fulness of time.
• An inward journey through the gate and avenue of the symbols and icons to the beauty, glory and power (the Reality) describes what lies behind the iconic symbols. 
• The pioneers of this pathway opened the path for others. It becomes easier for others to have this same access.
• This Gospel offers an open invitation, not a rejection nor exclusion. This is the fullness of inclusivity and inclusion. 
• The work and role of the saints and sages is to prepare the way for others by using wisdom-truth and inviting them within. We receive their constant invitation to freedom, light and interior perfection. 

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COMMENTARY

The Hidden Treasure Revealed

We are invited ever more deeply into the mysteries that the Gospel of Philip is teaching in this analogue. The secret inner chamber, which heretofore had been hidden away, inaccessible to the outer world, and only available to a particular priestly class, is now open to all. This Gospel invites those who are ready to fully enter into it. Using the image and metaphor of the Temple and its inner chamber, the reader is given a fresh understanding of the divine work which is disclosed through an unveiling and made available to the heart. Eventually, all created beings are to be given the same access. 

It appears that the analogue begins with a vision. Perhaps it is the very visionary experience that Yeshua himself had, revealed and then ultimately shared with all of his students. These seeings may have come early in Yeshua’s life, or were more fully revealed to him following his baptism, when he was driven into the wilderness by Spirit for forty days. Whatever their timeline (and to whomever they came), it was a disclosure of the divine provenance for the entire cosmos (the world of all created Being). This mystery was said to be initially hidden behind the veil of outer manifestation. But then (as in the Hadith Qudsi of Islamic revelation) the divine “hidden treasure” was revealed so that it might be fully known. 

Now it becomes possible for what was on the outside, alienated from the inner sanctum of Jewish worship (exiled in the external world, cut off from the inner mysteries) to unite with the Light and know the unbroken Fullness there that contains everything. 

The Veil is Torn

Through visionary seeing, the veil was lifted and the author was made to peer behind the curtain of the outward appearances to see the hidden chamber and its realities concealed within. With the tearing of that veil, the hidden design was made manifest so that the cosmos might ultimately be transfigured. Everything that was once outside in loneliness and exile is invited in. There is to be a great reversal between what is inside and what is outside. With the removal of the veil, nothing remains outside any longer—the inside and outside are One; they become a single whole. 

The question raised in this Gospel is, what is this inner reality that is continuously being hinted at? Here, at the end of the Gospel, it is being revealed. It can now be fully disclosed, and we may enter into the inner hidden chamber to enjoy and know its secrets. The analogy of the Jewish Temple and its veil is used to describe this great reversal and the means by which we have access to the inner sanctum. Metaphysically, these same secret chambers are at the core of our own soul as well as at the heart of the universe. 

The Mystical Revolution

Tradition says that at the time of the crucifixion, something strange occurred in the Temple itself. Whether it is a historical fact verified by witnesses or not, metaphorically it contains a significant truth which this Gospel uses to help us deeply understand. According to this way of seeing, the death of the Messiah suddenly and dramatically tore the historical veil that had been drawn between Temple chambers, and across the face of the cosmos itself, obscuring its mysteries. The annihilating arms of the cross became, instead, wings spreading out across the chasms of separation to heal our wounds in space and time. These mysteries concerning the rending of the veil became part of the secret esoteric teaching of the early Christian tradition, suggesting an early link to the first Temple and its mystical traditions. It also suggests that some fundamental and ontological change gave humankind immediate access to the Bridal Chamber, the Holy of Holies, in Yeshua’s day. It is now possible to imagine that what was on the outside, alienated from the inner sanctum of Jewish worship (exiled in the outer world and cut off from the inner mysteries) is united with the Light and can experience the unbroken Fullness that contains everything. 

This way of telling the history of the Messiah’s death became a mystical revelation. From that event forward, it became possible to experience the oneness of Interbeing at an interior level. The deep inner sanctuary of the heart was seen to be a refuge from the cataclysms occurring in the outer world (one of which had already happened or soon would be—the destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple, (the Herodian symbol of Jewish exotericism, which was destroyed). That similar destruction came in a furious apocalyptic moment in the first century. The symbolism of the inner sanctum (described here as an ancient ark of safety), refers, of course, to the ancient theme of how those saved from the deluge (described in many narratives in the ancient world) found safety. In an analogous ark, others found the same safety, refuge, and access to fullness and to light at the level of the heart. All of this was the result of the rending of the veil of separation between the exoteric and esoteric, the inner and the outer. As a result, it is now possible to know the “truth of hidden things”—the truth that heretofore had been unknown, concealed, or held in secret. 

The Truth of Hidden Things

The phrase concerning the truth of hidden things is suggestive of Yeshua’s saying recorded in the Gospel of Thomas that everything hidden would be revealed, and whatever was buried would be raised (Logion 5). In this Gospel, this truth is being raised into light, perhaps at a higher level. These two Gospel texts share a common vocabulary and understanding regarding a form of enlightenment that gives one access to truth normally hidden away. Through the Messiah’s teachings (and his disclosure of the mysteries to the world from the Cross), things that had not been previously known were being revealed to humankind. (Such a sentiment is also expressed in the Pauline corpus in Ephesians 1:9-10, 3:3-6, 5:31-33). Through the rending of the veil, the lowly ones, who were often excluded and separated, are given access to the experience of glory, light, and power available in that inner Sanctuary. 

Could common, ordinary people know these truths? Or were they only meant for the elite few? In this Gospel, the teachings of Yeshua are being spoken to the “little ones,” (who in Hebrew are also called the Ebionites). When they were ready, the teachings were made known to them and not hidden away. Reaching completion (full ripeness), the forgotten “little ones” were invited to enter in. The entire company of saints and sages who knew the secrets were also available to assist them. Here it is said that the common vocation of the saints and sages is to take those who were ready across the threshold and into the deep experience of the Bridal Chamber where the ultimate love-union of intimate oneness with the divine Beloved can be experienced. The plan was, also, to give every soul access to these same mysteries and to the intimate relationships that had been outside the boundary before. It is explicitly said that this is the vocation of the saints and sages, to assist all souls, preparing them for this breakthrough into eternal Light.  

Personal Biography

While it is difficult to fully grasp all the many meanings symbolized in this analogue, this Gospel is meant to be a personal biographical narrative for any individual who is drawn inwardly into the deep interior spaces of spiritual experience. This is clearly a mystical text created for personal contemplation so that experience with the divine Beloved can be known. The truth of these hidden things (and their relationships), while being offered to the many, is in the end a personal journey inward to that time and place where the veil is removed. In the same manner that at the moment of Yeshua’s death and crucifixion the veil was torn in two, so too the worshipper anticipates the rending. Standing before the veil, he or she awaits invitation into the inner sanctum where the divine Presence can be fully revealed. In that revelation in the inner sanctum, the secret wedding between the human and the divine occurs. 

We might say, then, that spiritually and metaphorically the human soul (signified by the Holy Place) is at last fully united to Spirit (signified by the Most Holy Place). The two become a single whole, united as the Holy of Holies in the human heart. This is an ontological change in human being itself. The inner separation that kept the soul apart from the spirit is overcome. Through this sacramental mystery (the union of the two), the Presence is revealed and the disclosure of the many mysteries becomes possible—the truth of hidden things is experienced. This has been the ultimate goal of Yeshua, the Anointed One, all along: to disclose these truths and make the mystery of union with the divine Beloved possible (consciously uniting us to that Presence which has always inhabited the hidden chambers of the heart). This revelation, then, is about you, the individual reader. Through the writings of Philip, you are being drawn by Yeshua into this deepest hidden chamber where you are also assisted by your spiritual ancestors, the saints and sages. In a synergistic collusion, they come to welcome you in so that you too may know this mystery, the same that Yeshua also knew.

It might seem strange to us, perhaps, but this inner secret place is not a static domain. It is remarkably active. Here it is said to be moving and growing from one degree of glory to another, from a lower to greater power, from one intensity of light to brighter illumination, extending itself into wider and more intense fields in every direction. For Yeshua, death experienced in the form of crucifixion (appearing to be the ultimate elimination of life), was the opposite. It made this transformative experience possible. As the arms of the cross became wings, expanding outward, they provided a safe shelter for all who wish to enter and move into Eternity. This same experience awaits all who turn inward toward the chamber beyond time, so that in this safe place outside time the mysteries can eternally unfold from within the heart. 

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. The imagery of this analogue is rooted in stories concerning historical events at the time of the death of Yeshua. The rending of the veil understood legendarily, perhaps (though recorded in the canonical Gospels) is understood in this Gospel to reflect a deeper interior meaning in the context of our own personal experience. How do you understand these events, either as history or metaphorically? 
2. The rending of the veil was a dramatic event in the history of the second Temple. Philip’s understanding of it reflects the beginnings of  a new relationship between its exoteric rituals and rites, and the inner, esoteric relationship that an individual can come to experience with the divine Presence in his or her own Holy of Holies. Describe how you yourself have experienced this inner relationship? 
3. How do you understand this significant phrase, “the truth of hidden things”? In your view, what is this truth? How can you know it? From your reading of this analogue, is this meant to be an exclusive mystical experience, or is it inclusive in some way? 
4. If this truth can be known inwardly, within the sanctum of your own heart, how do you gain access to it? What is the mystical experience that it might suggest? What inner veil might need to be torn? What or who might rend it? What would the result of such tearing be? These very mysterious metaphors were used in first-century Jewish teaching to help us understand what Yeshua taught. 
5. The latter part of this analogue speaks about orders of magnitude in terms of glory, light, and power? How do you understand this reference? From your reading of this analogue, could you assign them to any personal experience you yourself might have known?
6. Who are the saints, sages, and other sacred beings who may have united in solidarity with you and invited you into this experience of the mysteries? Can you identify who any of these might be? How has their invitation come to you?

NOTES FOR FURTHER STUDY 

AND REFERENCE

1. It is obvious that this analogue fits into the genre of mystical texts and is full of visionary and mystical symbolism. It is not unlike much of the mystical literature from the visions of saints and sages found not only in Christianity, but also across all sacred traditions. These experiences are difficult to put into words, and when they are, typically they are expressed poetically (as in the traditions of Sufi Islam, the Kabbalah of Jewish mystical tradition, and the visionary material of many Christian saints). In addition, today we have the narratives of those who have had Near Death Experiences reporting their crossing through the veil to return, and then describing such visionary scenes. Typically, mystics use metaphors and symbols that are available to them through their own tradition. This is the case with the Jewish author of the Gospel of Philip, who employs First-Temple mystical symbols in a very particular way. When reading such literature, it is important to acknowledge the particularity of that symbolic language as it seeks to express the universalism that is characteristic of mystical literature as a whole. In reading this Gospel, it is important to become acquainted with the many categories of mystical experience as well as its global literature. More importantly, it is critical to realize that not only are such experiences universal, but they are also available to all human beings in some manner. No one is excluded from mystical experience, however briefly we may have experienced it. As you can, acquaint yourself with the mystical literature of various traditions. For example, you might consult: Maria Jaoudi’s Christian Mysticism East and West: What the Masters Teach Us (1998), or Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s The Thirteen Petalled Rose (2010), or Sara Sviri’s Taste of Hidden Things: Images of the Sufi Path (1997). Each of these texts uses rich imagery similar to the Gospel of Philip. Evelyn Underhill’s classic text, Mysticism (1911), is also an important resource for such reporting. 
2. Based perhaps on Yeshua’s instruction to “Be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect,” the teaching about perfection (or better, completion) is central to an understanding of who we are as a species. In our current state, we are incomplete and in transition. One could also liken us to a piece of fruit that is as of yet unripe, but is on its way towards perfect ripeness. At a certain stage in our long development, we are destined to reach the point of ripening, and it is then that we will know something about the state of human completion. Until then, however, we are urged to move toward that goal, which appears to be a part of the definition of an “unflawed (or incomplete) fullness.” This and the final analogues describe a state where everything is brought into fullness. Nothing is lacking. 
3. The history of the cross centers, of course, on the historical details of Yeshua’s crucifixion, which was used as a means of execution commonly practiced by the Romans. It was a barbaric act meant to intimidate and terrorize a conquered people. It was also a vivid reminder of political power wielded through cruelty and fear that is remembered across the ages. This history, however, is not its symbolic origins nor its universal symbolism, which is far more ancient, having nothing to do with death, but its opposite, life. The deep metaphysical implications of the juxtaposed horizontal and vertical worlds are represented by this double axis, which ties heaven and earth together in a necessary unity. Life in its horizontal and vertical fullness was available and meant to be lived at the nexus point where the two axes meet. The crosspoint was the manifestation of a plenitude that could not be wholly experienced or understood without their necessary relationship and complementarity. The arms of the cross (described here as wings) can be understood, then, as the extension of the benefits of this bi-axial relationship. These extensions into space and time, spreading out infinitely in all directions, give lift and and make transcendence (wings) available to our world and the cosmos beyond it. The grace that is afforded by this juxtapositioning is made manifest when the two axes with their many dimensions meet and are held together. 
4. The symbolism of wings fills the texts of the Hebrew Bible. From the Psalms, the prophets, and the writings of the books of Wisdom, humankind is said to dwell under the outstretched wings of the divine Mercy which is a secure protection in a world of change and impermanence. These wings stretch out further and further, affording shelter, giving comfort where we feel most vulnerable. They also give us lift into the realms of transcendence from which we come and toward which we are journeying. 

Notes on the Translation 

• The opening lines in the first paragraph use the term “creation” which relates to the “founding of things” not only in their external manifestation, but also their spiritual originations.
• The outer form of desolation may be understood to be the exoteric forms of religion or the external temple of religious observance deprived of spiritual significance.
•  The interesting phrase “All-Soul” translates a Coptic idiom taken from the Greek, which means the whole or the totality. Here it is expressed as the World-Soul or the All-Soul of humanity.
• The phrase “the truth of hidden things” translates another which is often rendered “secrets of the truth.”
• “Light upon light” is a compounding of the term “glory upon glory” added for emphasis.