Aeon

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The word aeon, also spelled eon or æon, means "age", "forever" or "for eternity". It is a Latin transliteration from the koine Greek word ὁ αἰών (aion), from the archaic αἰϝών (aiwon). In Homer it typically refers to life or lifespan, but by at least Hesiod it could refer to ages or generations. It has a similar meaning to the Sanskrit word kalpa and Hebrew word olam. A cognate Latin word aevum or aeuum (cf. αἰϝών) for "age" is present in words such as longevity and mediæval.^[1]

Although the term aeon may be used in reference to a period of a billion years (especially in geology or astronomy), its more common usage is for any long, indefinite, period of time.

Eternity or Age

The Bible translation is a treatment of the Hebrew word olam and the Greek word aion. These two words have similar meaning, and Young's Literal Translation renders them and their derivatives as “age” or “age-during”. Other English versions most often translate them to indicate eternity, being translated as eternal, everlasting, forever, etc. However, there are notable exceptions to this in all major translations, such as Matthew 28:20: “…I am with you always, to the end of the age” (NRSV), the word “age” being a translation of aion. Rendering aion to indicate eternality in this verse would result in the contradictory phrase “end of eternity”, so the question arises whether it should ever be so.^[2] Proponents of Universal Reconciliation point out that this has significant implications for the problem of hell.^[3] Contrast Matthew 25:46 in well-known English translations with its rendering in Young's Literal Translation:

And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during. (YLT)^[4]

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (NIV)^[5]

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (NASB)^[6]

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)^[7]

And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life. (NWT)^[8]

In philosophy and mysticism

Plato used the word aeon to denote the eternal world of ideas, which he conceived was "behind" the perceived world, as demonstrated in his famous allegory of the cave.

Christianity's idea of "eternal life" comes from the word for life, zoe, and a form of aeon^[9], which could mean life in the next aeon, the Kingdom of God, or Heaven, just as much as immortality, as in John 3:16.

According to the heterodox Christian doctrine of Universal Reconciliation, the Greek New Testament scriptures use the word "eon" to mean a long period of time (perhaps 1000 years) and the word "eonian" to mean "during a long period of time"; Thus there was a time before the eons, and the eonian period is finite. After each man's mortal life ends, he is judged worthy of eonian life or eonian punishment. That is, after the period of the eons, all punishment will cease and death is overcome and then God becomes the all in each one. This contrasts with the traditional Christian belief in eternal life and eternal punishment.

Occultists sometimes speak of a "magical Aeon" that may last for far less time, perhaps as little as 2,000 years.^[10]

In Gnosticism

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In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of God, who is also known by such names as the One, the Monad, Aion teleos (The Broadest Aeon), Bythos ("depth or profundity", Greek Βυθός), Proarkhe ("before the beginning", Greek πρόαρχή), the Arkhe ("the beginning", Greek ή αρχή), are called Aeons. In the different systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described, but the emanation theory itself is common to all forms of Gnosticism. In the Basilidian Gnosis they are called sonships (uiotetes); according to Marcus, they are numbers and sounds; in Valentinianism they form male/female pairs called "syzygies" (syzygoi).

This source of all being is an Aeon in which an inner being dwells, known as Ennoea ("thought, intent"), Charis ("grace"), or Sige ("silence", Greek Σιγη). These are the primary roots of the Aeons. The split perfect being conceives the second Aeon, Caen ("power"), within itself. Along with the male Caen comes the female Aeon, Akhana ("love"). Complex hierarchies of Aeons are thus produced, sometimes to the number of thirty. These Aeons belong to the purely ideal, noumenal, intelligible, or supersensible world; they are immaterial, they are hypostatic ideas. Together with the source from which they emanate they form the Pleroma ("region of light"). The lowest regions of the Pleroma are closest to the darkness—that is, the physical world.

The transition from the immaterial to the material, from the noumenal to the sensible, is brought about by a flaw, or a passion, or a sin, in one of the Aeons. According to Basilides, it is a flaw in the last sonship; according to others the sin of the Great Archon, or Aeon-Creator, of the Universe; according to others it is the passion of the female Aeon Sophia, who emanates without her partner Aeon, resulting in the Demiurge,^[11] a creature that should never have come into existence. This creature does not belong to the Pleroma, and the One emanates two savior Aeons, Christ and the Holy Spirit, to save humanity from the Demiurge. Christ then took the form of the human Jesus, in order to be able to teach humanity how to achieve Gnosis. The ultimate end of all Gnosis is metanoia, or repentance, the undoing of the sin of material existence and the return to the Pleroma.

Aeons bear a number of similarities to Judaeo-Christian angels, including their roles as servants and emanations of God, and their existence as beings of light. In fact, certain Gnostic Angels, such as Armozel, also happen to be Aeons.^[12]

The Gnostic Gospel of Judas, recently found, purchased, held, and translated by the National Geographic Society, also mentions the Aeons and speaks of Jesus' teachings of them.^[13]

Valentinus

Valentinus assumed, as the beginning of all things, the Primal Being or Bythos, who after ages of silence and contemplation, gave rise to other beings by a process of emanation. The first series of beings, the Aeons, were thirty in number, representing fifteen syzygies or pairs sexually complementary. The most common form is outlined below:

The Valentinian system was, until recently, only known through the criticisms of its opponents; however, the discovery of the Nag Hammadi library has given access to Valentinian texts, including sources that have been tentatively identified as written by Valentinus.

Tertullian's Against the Valentinians gives a slightly different sequence. The first eight of these Aeons, corresponding to generations one through four below, are referred to as the Ogdoad.^[14]

Plérome de Valentin, from Histoire critique du Gnosticisme; Jacques Matter, 1826, Vol. II, Plate II.

• First generation:
  • Bythos (The Depth) and Sige (The Silence)

• Second generation:
  • Caen (Power) and Akhana (Immensity)

• Third generation, emanated from Caen and Akhana:
  • Nous (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia (Veritas, Truth)

• Fourth generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia:
  • Sermo (the Word) and Vita (the Drive)

• Fifth generation, emanated from Sermo and Vita:
  • Anthropos (Mankind) and Ecclesia (Civilization/ Community)

• Sixth generation:
  • Emanated from Sermo and Vita:
    • Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture)
    • Ageratos (Ageless) and Henosis (Unification)
    • Autophyes (Growth) and Hedone (Pleasure)
    • Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture)
    • Monogenes (Common origin) and Macaria (Destined death)
  • Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
    • Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith)
    • Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope)
    • Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love)
    • Ainos (Praise) and Synesis (Intelligence)
    • Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness)
    • Theletus (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom)

Ptolemy and Colorbasus

According to Irenaeus,^[15] the followers of the Gnostics Ptolemy and Colorbasus had Aeons that differ from those of Valentinus. Logos is created when Anthropos learns to speak. The first four are called the Tetrad and the eight are called the Ogdoad.

• First generation:
  • Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

• Second generation (conceived by the One):
  • Caen (Power) and Akhana (Love)

• Third generation, emanated from Caen and Akhana:
  • Ennoae (Thought) and Thelesis (Will)

• Fourth generation, emanated from Ennoae and Thelesis:
  • Nous (or Monogenes) and Aletheia

• Fifth generation, emanated from Nouse and Aletheia:
  • Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)

• Sixth generation, emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
  • Logos and Zoe

• Seventh generation:
  • Emanated from Logos and Zoe:
    • Bythius and Mixis
    • Ageratos and Henosis
    • Autophyes and Hedone
    • Acinetos and Syncrasis
    • Monogenes and Macaria
  • Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
    • Paracletus and Pistis
    • Patricos and Elpis
    • Metricos and Agape
    • Ainos and Synesis
    • Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes
    • Theletos and Sophia

The order of Anthropos and Ecclesia versus Logos and Zoe is somewhat debated; different sources give different accounts. Logos and Zoe are unique to this system as compared to the previous, and may be an evolved version of the first, totalling 34 Aeons, but it is not clear if the first two were actually regarded Aeons.

Modern interpretations

According to Myther, "The total number of Aeons, being 32, reflects the similarity of the mechanism to the Tree of Life, which, as suggested in the Zohar, incorporates 10 Sephiroth and 22 paths interconnecting these 10 Sephiroth; while 10 Aeons are created during the first five generations from which come the other 22 Aeons later during the sixth generation."^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Plato
• Gnosticism
• Kalpa

References

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

1. ^ Math words page 16
2. ^ Canon F.W. Farrar “Mercy and Judgment” 1904 pages 378-382 http://www.tentmaker.org/books/mercyandjudgment/mercy_and_judgment_ch1.html
3. ^ Thomas Talbott "Three Pictures of God in Western Theology" 1995 pages 13-15 http://www.willamette.edu/~ttalbott/PICTURES.pdf
4. ^ Matthew 25:46 Young's Literal Translation
5. ^ Matthew 25:46 New International Version
6. ^ Matthew 25:46 New American Standard Bible
7. ^ Matthew 25:46 King James Version
8. ^ Matthew 25:46 New World Translation
9. ^ Strong's link for the word Eternal (Aeon) in the Christian Concept of Eternal Life
10. ^ See Thelema.
11. ^ Lit. "half-creator," occasionally referred to as Yaldabaoth, "Son of Chaos".
12. ^ [1]
13. ^ The Lost Gospel - online feature from National Geographic, including Coptic text, English translation, and photos
14. ^ Tertullian. Against the Valentinians. (Latin: Adversus Valentinianos.) Books 7-8.
15. ^ Irenaeus. Against heresies (Latin: Adversus Haereses) also known as The Detection and Overthrow of Falsely So-Called Gnosis book 1, chapter 12

External links

• Tertullian's account against the Valentinians is the source text for much of what we know about the Æons.
• Corresponding text in original Latin
• Irenaeus: Against heresies
• Gnosis.org- Website of Information on Gnosticism
• Dark Mirrors of Heaven: Gnostic Cosmogony
• Aeon - a nonprofit developer, owner, manager of affordable housing