It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary came forward, fell down at his feet, kissed them and said: My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, if I trouble thee many times.

2The Saviour answered in great compassion and said unto Mary: Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee in openness.

3Mary answered and said: My Lord and my Saviour, of what manner then are the four-and-twenty invisibles and of what type, or rather of what quality are they, or of what quality is then their light?

4And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: What is there in this world which is comparable unto them, or what region in this world is like unto them? Now, therefore, to what shall I liken them, or what shall I say concerning them? For there is nothing in this world with which I can compare them, nor is there a single form to which I can liken them.

5Indeed, there is nothing in this world which is of the quality of heaven. But, amēn, I say unto you: Every one of the invisibles is nine times greater than the heaven and the sphere above it and the twelve æons all together, as I have already told you on another occasion.

6And there is no light in this world which is superior to that of the sun. Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: The four-and-twenty invisibles shine more radiant than the light of the sun which is in this world, ten thousand times, as I have told you aforetime; but the light of the sun in its true form, which is in the region of the Virgin of Light, shineth more radiant than the four-and-twenty invisibles ten thousand times.