Scripture’s own gates and camps
But suppose someone wished to find starting points for a more mystical contemplation of how souls enter into divine things, not in the very obscure sect that he cited, but in books partly Jewish, read in their synagogues and accepted by Christians as well, and partly belonging to Christians alone. Let him read the visions seen by the prophet at the end of the prophecy of Ezekiel, in which different gates are described, hinting at something about the different ways in which more divine souls enter upon better things (Ezekiel 40–48). Let him read also, in the Revelation of John, what is said about the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and about its foundations and its gates (Revelation 21:2, 10–21; compare Hebrews 12:22).
And if he is able to learn also the way, shown through symbols, of those who will journey to divine things, let him read the book of Moses entitled Numbers, and let him look for someone able to initiate him into what is written there about the camps of the sons of Israel (Numbers 2:1–31): which are drawn up on the east side as first, which toward the southwest or the south, which toward the sea, and which are last, toward the north. For he will see in these passages contemplations not to be despised, and not, as Celsus supposes, such as need foolish hearers and slaves; for he will discern who are in them, and what concerns the nature of the numbers listed in them and assigned to each tribe; but we did not think it timely to set these things out now.
Let Celsus, and those who read his book, know that nowhere in the Scriptures received as genuine and divine are seven heavens spoken of. Nor do our prophets say anything they have taken from the Persians or the Cabiri; nor do the apostles of Jesus; nor does the Son of God himself.
Greek
Εἰ δέ τις βούλοιτο μὴ ἀφ᾿ ἧς παρέθετο αἱρέσεως ἀσημοτάτης ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ βιβλίων πῇ μὲν Ἰουδαϊκῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν ἀναγινωσκομένων, ἅπερ Χριστιανοὶ προσίενται, πῇ δὲ Χριστιανῶν μόνων λαβεῖν ἀφορμὰς τῆς μυστικωτέρας περὶ εἰσόδου ψυχῶν εἰς τὰ θεῖα θεωρίας, ἀναγνώτω τὰ ἐπὶ τέλει τῆς τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ προφητείας ἑωραμένα τῷ προφήτῃ, ἐν οἷς διάφοροι πύλαι καταγεγραμμέναι εἰσὶν, αἰνισσόμεναί τινα περὶ τῆς διαφόρου εἰσόδου τῶν θειοτέρων ψυχῶν ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττονα· ἀναγνώτω δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς Ἰωάννου Ἀποκαλύψεως τὰ περὶ τῆς πόλεως τοῦ θεοῦ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίον καὶ τῶν θεμελίων καὶ τῶν πυλῶν αὐτῆς. εἰ δὲ δύναται διὰ συμβόλων καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν δεδηλωμένην τῶν ὁδευσόντων ἐπὶ τὰ θεῖα μαθεῖν, ἀναγνώτω τοὺς ἐπιγεγραμμένους Ἀριθμοὺς Μωϋσέως καὶ ζητησάτω τὸν δυνάμενον αὐτὸν μυσταγωγῆσαι ἐπὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν παρεμβολῶν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἀναγεγραμμένα, ποῖαι μὲν κατὰ τὰ ἀνατολικὰ τεταγμέναι εἰσὶ μέρη ὡς πρῶται, ποῖαι δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ κατὰ λίβα (ἢ) κατὰ νότον, καὶ τίνες αἱ κατὰ θάλασσαν, καὶ τίνες αἱ τελευταῖαι κατὰ βοῤῥᾶν. ὄψεται γὰρ θεωρήματα οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητα ἐν τοῖς τόποις οὐδ᾿, ὡς Κέλσος οἴεται, μωρῶν τινων ἀκροατῶν καὶ ἀνδραπόδων δεόμενα· διαλήψεται γὰρ, τίνες ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ (τίνα) τὰ περὶ τῆς φύσεως τῶν κατειλεγμένων ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀριθμῶν καὶ ἐφαρμοσθέντων ἑκάστῃ φυλῇ, περὶ ὧν νῦν ἡμῖν ἐκθέσθαι ἔδοξεν οὐκ εὔκαιρον εἶναι. ἴστω δὲ Κέλσος καὶ οἱ ἐντυγχάνοντες αὐτοῦ τῷ βιβλίῳ ὅτι οὐδαμοῦ τῶν γνησίων καὶ θείων πεπιστευμένων γραφῶν ἑπτὰ εἴρηνται οὐρανοί· οὔτ᾿ ἀπὸ Περσῶν ἢ Καβείρων λαβόντες ἡμῶν οἱ προφῆται λέγουσί τινα οὐδ᾿ οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπόστολοι οὐδ᾿ αὐτὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.