Friday, January 20, 2006
THE ROYAL ARCH
"A peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." That is the way that Masonic writers describe their Craft. Masonic allegory takes the shape of ritual dramas or a sort of mystery play in which the candidate being initiated takes part. Each degree has its own drama. The presentation of the drama is what a Mason means by "working" a degree. These rituals are precise, are recorded in books, and are peculiar to the Grand Lodge to which the local lodge belongs. English rituals and American rituals sometimes differ in minor points, though the story line essentially does not change.
Masonry has three degrees in what is commonly termed the "Craft" or "blue lodge"...Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, Master Mason. This constitutes what is called "regular" Masonry, affiliated with the Grand Lodge of England (GLE) which was founded in 1717, as opposed to esoteric Masonry (Memphis-Misraim, Martinism, Egyptian Rite, etc.) which is often called "irregular" Masonry.
There is a fourth degree, Royal Arch. In his book THE MEANING OF MASONRY, W. L. Wilmshurst describes the Royal Arch this way:
Freemasonry, under the English Constitution, reaches its climax and conclusion in the Order of the Holy Royal Arch. There exists a variety of other degrees ramifying from the main stem of the Masonic system which either elaborate side-points of its doctrine or re-express its teachings in alternative symbolism. These, while of greater or less merit and interest, are...superfluities tending rather to diffuse the student's attention than to deeper his insight into the central purpose of the Craft. ...[degrees] and to declare that "Masonry consists of the three Craft Degrees and the Holy Royal Arch and no more," for within that compass is exhibited, or at least outlined, the entire process of human regeneration; so that after the Royal Arch there really remains nothing more to be said, although what has been said is of course capable of elaboration." (p. 138-139)
It was...a sound instinct that prompted those who settled the present constitution of the Order to exclude these supplementary refinements
Wilmshurst goes on to explain that the Royal Arch had once been part of the Third Degree, but was detached from it for several reasons.
In THE CRAFT: A HISTORY OF ENGLISH FREEMASONRY, John Hamill writes:
Meetings of the Royal Arch are called Chapters and the ultimate authority is a Grand Chapter. The members address each other not as Brothers but as Companions. In English Royal Arch Masonry, and in those other Grand Chapters which have adopted the English Ritual, the Chapter is presided over by three Principals who rule co-equally. They represent, Zerubabel, prince of Jerusalem, Haggai the Prophet, and Joshua the High Priest. They are assisted by two Scribes, Ezra (who acts as Secretary of the Chapter) and Nehemiah; a Principal and two Assistant Sojourners; a Treasurer; and a Janitor who stands guard outside the door of the Chapter. The drama of the ritual is set in Jerusalem immediately after the return from Babylonian Captivity when Zerubabel is preparing to rebuild the City and Temple. The Chapter represents the Grand Sanhedrim...(p. 99)
As in the Craft, the Royal Arch ritual is an allegory. The three Principals and two Scribes are biblical characters but historically could not have been in Jerusalem at the same time....The intent of the ritual is the same ...to lead the Companion to a contemplation of the nature of and his relationship with his God, whatever his religion may be.
The ritual for the Royal Arch is given in detail in three lectures presented at the Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry website. Pietre-Stones describes itself as "A veritable free Encyclopeida of Freemasonry and a comprehensive tool for Freemasons looking for more light."
Lecture One of the "Royal Arch History in Three Lectures by Albert G. Mackey" presents "The Destruction of the Temple". There you can read the opening of the lecture which states:
There is no part of sacred history, except perhaps the account of the construction of the temple, which should be more interesting to the advanced mason than that which relates to the destruction of Jerusalem, the captivity of the Jews at Babylon, and the subsequent restoration under Cyrus for the purpose of rebuilding "the house of the Lord". Intimately connected, as the events which are commemorated in this period are, with the organization of the Royal Arch degree, it is impossible that any mason who has been exalted to that degree, can thoroughly understand the nature and bearing of the secrets with which he has been entrusted, unless he shall have devoted some portion of time to the study of the historical incidents to which these secrets refer.
The setting is the Babylonian captivity, "the seat of the captivity, and of the history of the Chaldee nation, whose leader was the conqueror of Judah." Zedekiah, "a monarch who is characterized by Josephus as "a dispiser of justice and his duty" is in charge.
It was in the reign of this ungodly sovereign that the incidents took place which are commemorated in the first part of the Royal Arch degree. Having repeatedly rebelled against the authority of the Babylonian King, to whose appointment he was indebted for his throne, Nebuchadnezzar repaired with an army to Judea, and laying siege to Jerusalem, after a severe struggle of eighteen months' duration, reduced it. He then caused the city to be levelled with the ground, the royal palace to be burned, the temple to be pillaged, and the captives to be carried to Babylon.
These events are symbolically detailed in the Royal Arch, and in allusion to them, the passage of the Book of Chronicles which records them, is appropriately read during the ceremonies of this part of the degree. ...
The very house of the Lord itself--that sacred building which had been erected on the "threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite" and which constituted the third Grand Offering of Masonry on the same sacred place, was to be burned to its foundations; the city led into a long and painful captivity. Hence the tale of devastation proceeds...
This, Mackey concludes, "may be called the first section of the Royal Arch degree."
Moving on to the second lecture Mackey explains:
Between that portion of the ritual of the Royal Arch which refers to the destruction of the first temple, and that subsequent part which symbolises the building of the second, there is an interregnum...in the ceremonial of the degree, which must be considered as a long interval in history, the filling up of which, like the interval between the acts of a play, must be left to the imagination of the spectator. This interval represents the time passed in the captivity of the Jews at Babylon.
According to Mackey's account, captive Judean artisans were employed by Nebuchadnezzar for the finishing of Babylonian buildings. They worked with the Chaldean Masons. The Jews were permitted to own property and establish a civil and religious government. They kept their priests and kings.
Their prophets of state, Daniel and Ezekiel, with their associates, preserved among their countrymen the pure doctrines of their religion, and taught that belief in the Divine Being which constituted the most important principle in Primitive Freemasonry, in opposition to the spurious system practised by their idolatrous conquerors. "The people," says Oliver, "who adhered to the worship of God, and they were neither few nor insignificant, continued to meet in their schools, or lodges, for the undisturbed practice of their system of ethical Freemasonry, which they did not fail to propagate for their mutual consolation during this calamitous reverse of fortune and for the benefits of their descendants.
The rabbinical writers inform us that during the captivity a fraternity was established for the preservation of traditional knowledge, which was transmitted to a few initiates, and that on the restoration, Zerubbabel, Joshua and Esdras carried all this secret instruction to Jerusalem, and there established a similar fraternity.
It was during this time, Mackey tells us, that Pythagoras visited Babylon where he interviewed Ezekiel and derived from the prophet's instruction the esoteric system of philosophy that he taught to his disciples.
In the third lecture
We have now arrived at that portion of history of the Babylonish captivity which is allegorised in the concluding ceremonies of the Royal Arch degree. And here we may incidentally observe, that the same analogy which exists in the Master's degree to the ancient mysteries, is also to be found in the Royal Arch. The Masonic scholar, who is familiar with the construction of these mysteries of the Pagan priests and philosopher, is well aware that they inculcate by symbolic and allegoric instruction, the great lessons in the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul. ...
There is a resurrection of that which has been buried--a discovery of that which had been lost--an exchange of that which, like the soul, is intended to be permanent.
This third part of the degree is concerned with rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. This would be the beginning of the second temple period in the history of Judaism. The lecture closes:
This ends the connection of the history of the restoration with that of the Royal Arch. The works were soon after suspended in consequence of difficulties thrown in the way by the Samaritans, and other circumstances occurred to prevent the final completion of the temple for many years subsequent to the important discovery to which we have just alluded. But these details go beyond the Royal Arch, and are to be found in the higher degrees of masonry, such as the Red Cross Knight and the Prince of Jerusalem.
The Royal Arch degree is a continuation of the story of the Jews begun in the First Degree. If we are to believe Wilmshurst that the Royal Arch is the conclusion of the first three degrees, we can conclude that Freemasonry is about the history of the Jews.
Consider that Royal Arch Masons place the Ark of the Covenant on their websites. Nowhere do you find a cross. Jesus has no part in the rituals of the blue lodge or the Royal Arch Chapters. It is undeniable that these degrees are about the history of Judaism.
One company even sells replicas of the Ark to Royal Arch Masons.
