Before the things that really are, even the first principles of all things, is One Divine Being, prior even to the first God and King [Jupiter], abiding immovable in the aloneness of his own absolute unity. For neither is Intelligence nor any principle else intermingled with him, but he is established an exemplar of the God self-begotten, self-produced and only-begotten, the One truly Good. For he is the something Absolutely Great and Supreme, the Source of all things, and root of the first ideals subsisting in the Supreme Mind. Then from this One, the God [Jupiter] sufficient in himself caused himself to shine forth:3 and hence he is self-engendered and self-sufficient. For he is the Beginning and God of Gods, a unity proceeding from the One, subsisting before essence, and the principle of essence. For from him are being and essence; and he is called accordingly Noëtarch, Chief of the realm of thought.
Iamblichus, On the mysteries
God as the One
God as the One is the transcendent, ineffable and unknowable aspect of God.
It is, therefore, truly ineffable: for whatever you say about it, you will always be speaking of a “something.” But “beyond all things and beyond the supreme majesty of Intellect” is the only one of all the ways of speaking of it which is true.
Plotinus, V-3-13
God is the ultimate source of all things. But what does that really mean?
It means that God is where all things come from or the first cause of all things. When we say first cause, we don’t mean that God is the first in a series of causes, but rather the primary cause or foundation that allows all other causes to have existence.
Everything that exists comes from God. This does not just apply to the physical universe, but to the immaterial things as well, like our mind and soul. God is the basis of all things that exist. Everything is within God and God is within everything. For this reason, we call God, the One because God is the perfect, simple Divine unity.
God is also the ultimate Good. Our purpose as humans is to ultimately seek the Good and return to it spiritually.
Now that the One is God, follows from its identity with the Good: For the Good is Identical with God, God being that which is beyond all things and to which all things aspire, and the Good being the ‘whence’ and the ‘wither’ of all things.
Proclus, Prop 113
If the One is beyond our comprehension, How can we come to know God?
God is not, as some will think, without sense perception and without understanding. Through their very piety such men blaspheme; for, O Asclepius, all things that exist are in God. They have been brought forth by God and and depend on Him.
Hermeticum, 9:9
God is also immanent in the universe so there are aspects and attributes of God at all levels if reality. If all of this sounds confusing don’t worry, it is confusing. Because of Gods incomprehensibility, we literally can’t understand God’s true essence. Words will always fail to explain God’s greatness. However, God wants us to understand him in the best way we can. The form we can understand is the father of Gods and men, Jupiter, the highest and most great of all Gods.
God as Jupiter
Almighty Jupiter, sovereign of all things, and of all the Gods; Father and mother of the Gods; himself the only God, in himself, all Gods
Varro
God is revealed to us in the myths as Jupiter also called Jove. Jupiter is an ancient Latin contraction of Deus Pater, literally “God, The Father”.
Jupiter is known in other cultures by many names such as Zeus, Ammon, and Indra.
Jupiter is the Creator and sustainer of the universe.
He fabricates the whole world conformably to ideas, considered as one, and as many, and as divided both into wholes and parts, and that he is celebrated as the maker and father of the universe, and as the father of Gods and men by Plato, Orpheus, and the Oracles; generating indeed, the multitude of Gods, but sending souls to the generations of men, as Timæus himself also says
Proclus, Commentary on Timaeus
Jupiter is the supreme personality of God that we can come to know, love, worship and petition for his blessings. It is through Jupiter that we have access to the divine union with the Gods and our liberation from suffering.
Jupiter is all the gods
He [Jupiter] is likewise filled with the Gods above himself, but imparts from himself a progression into being to all mundane natures
Proclus, Commentary on Cratylus
All other Gods are contained within Jupiter. This doesn’t make the Gods less important. They are Divine aspects within Jupiter. Through our closeness and worship of the Gods, we get a more complete picture of Jupiter and thus God.
Jupiter’s attributes are infinite thus the number of his children and decedents manifest as “millions of visible embodiments” (Parmenides).
Jupiter is not only the father of Gods but also our Divine Father. For this reason, we have his love and infinite attention. If we need to ask God for something, we petition Jupiter for his blessings and grace.