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The Gospel of Philip develops Hebrews' picture of a sanctuary that remains closed for a time. Opening the veil reveals truth and admits people to the bridal chamber, so a restriction on worship becomes an account of what full restoration will disclose.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Hebrews 9:8
New Testament
6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent as they perform their duties. 7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the Holy Place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle was standing. 9 This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They served only for matters of food and drink and various ritual washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came.
Gospel of Philip 12:19
Nag Hammadi
Consequently, the veil was rent not only above, given that it would have been opened only to those who belong to what is above, nor was it rent only below, given that it would have been made manifest only to those who belong to what is below. Instead, it was rent from above to below. Those above have opened for us, those below, in order that we can enter into the secrets of the truth. This is truly what is honorable, what is strong, yet we will enter there by means of lowly types and weaknesses. They are humbled before the perfect glory. There is a glory that surpasses glory. There is a power that surpasses power. Consequently, the perfect things were opened for us by the secrets of the truth, and the Holies of the Holies was disclosed, and the bedroom invited us inside.
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Notes and References
“... Certainly exegesis of Hebrews 9:1-10 also seems to have con- tributed to the development of these ideas,” but an exegesis informed by Jewish traditions about the heavenly Temple: Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and a earthly sane- tuary. For a tent was prepared, an outer one... itis called the Holy Place. Behind the second veil stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant. above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat ‘The priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties; but into the second tent only the high priest goes, and he but once a year... The holy spirit indicates that the way into the sane~ tuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing (which, is symbolic for the present age)... until the time of reformation, ‘This is most vivid in the Gospel of Philip. On the great day of com- plete “restoration”, the spirit of the person finally will enter the bridal chamber and marry his angel (67:16-20). Until that time, the Bridal Chamber, the Holy of Holies, remains hidden behind the veil (84:20 26). At the eschaton, however, the veil will be rent “from top to bottom” (85:10) and the interior of the Holy of Holies will be re- vealed (84:25-26). The world will be left desolate and the Demiurge will flee the cosmos. He, however, will not be able to flee into the heavenly Temple shrines because he “will not be able to mix with the unmixed [light] and the [flawless] pleroma” (84:27-34). ...”
DeConick, April D.
"Heavenly Temple Traditions and Valentinian Worship: A Case for First-Century Christology in the Second Century" in Newman, Carey C., et al. (eds.) The Jewish Roots of Christological Monotheism: Papers from the St. Andrews Conference on the Historical Origins of the Worship of Jesus
(pp. 340-341) Brill, 1999
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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