And
“It is recognised, however, that a ‘real and spiritual signification’ lies behind the ‘physical aspect,’ and that as the sun dies and rises so also does the soul. In attaining perfection it ‘becomes an Osiris, or incarnation of Deity.’” 8
Wilmshurst compares Osiris to Jesus Christ! 9
“In the great Mystery System of Egypt, which long anteceded the Hebrew system, the regenerate candidate, who has achieved the highest possible measure of self-transmutation of his lower nature, was accorded the title of Osiris. It was the equivalent of attaining Christhood.”
And
“If in Masonry the mystical death is dramatized more realistically than the resurrection that follows upon it, that resurrection is nevertheless shown in the ‘raising’ of the candidate to the rank of Master Mason and his ‘reunion with the companions of former toils,’ implying the reintegration and resumption of all his old faculties and powers in a sublimated state, just as the limbs of the risen Osiris were said to reunite into a new whole and as the Christian Master withdrew His mutilated body from the tomb and reassumed it, transmuted into one of supernatural substance and splendour.” 10
To the Royal Arch Mason, Osiris is known as the senior Scribe of the Royal Arch.
“In Hebrew the title Osiris became changed into Azarias (and sometimes Zeruiah) and still further corrupted into Esdras and Ezra, the name of the senior Scribe of the Royal Arch.” 11
In a detailed explanation of the Symbols and signs of Masonry in another chapter of this work, Osiris will be described as the Sun and representing “good” in the battle with darkness and “evil.” 12
From the foregoing the reader can readily see that Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead, plays an important part in Masonry as revealed in Masonry history books that are open to the general public, or the uninitiated. What the “secret” oaths and ceremonies reveal of the “hawk head” is something for the Christian Mason to be concerned about.
To the uninitiated Christian the prospect of Osiris is horrifying, and to give credence or meaning to an ancient god with a hawk’s head as the equivalent to Jesus Christ is an abomination to God and mocks the cross of Calvary. This is true whether or not it is taught as an allegory or revealed through signs and symbols. Further, this could very well be the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This certainly gives divinity and deity to an idol, and the same idol that King Solomon left God for.
This writer cannot close this chapter on Osiris without revealing the part that “ole hawk head” plays in America today outside of the prominent role that Masonry gives him. Take a one dollar bill out of your pocket and look on the opposite side of George Washington’s picture. Look at the seal on the left. At the bottom of the seal there is a phrase that says, “THE GREAT SEAL,” and at the top of the pyramid is a bright eye that is known in Masonry as the “All Seeing Eye.” Guess whose eye this is? That’s right, it’s Osiris’ eye. This is the symbol of Osiris as it appears in the funeral chambers of the Pharaohs and in the history books of ancient Egypt. 13 This is also the same symbol that appears on the apron of every Master Mason in America. Yes, Osiris reigns over our currency and in the halls of the Congress. His great seal is on us and the uninitiated is totally unaware. As a matter of fact, neither is the ordinary Master Mason aware. 14
Above the eye is the phrase, “ANNUIT COEPTIS”; this is the Latin motto meaning “He has smiled on our undertakings.” Below the pyramid is the second phrase, “NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM” and this means “A NEW ORDER OF THE AGES.” 15 Now, if the eye was the eye of our God, Jehovah, then we would have no problem. But that is not the case, and we have to seriously look at the meaning of the second phrase. What new age? The age of Osiris?
How did these Mason symbols get on our currency? Easy. Thirty-three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons and most of the early Presidents were Masters of their lodges, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. In fact, the famous Boston Tea Party was a Masonic affair and occurred after the meeting of the St. John’s Lodge in Boston.
Millions of Christian Masons through the years have been unaware of the true inner history of Masonry and the real meanings of their craft.
“What then was the purpose the framers of our Masonic system had in view when they compiled it? To this question you will find no satisfying answer in ordinary Masonic books. Indeed there is nothing more dreary and dismal than Masonic literature and Masonic histories, which are usually devoted to the external development of the craft and to its antiquarian aspect. They fail entirely to deal with its vital meaning and essence, a failure that, in some cases, may be intentional, but that more often seems due to lack of knowledge and perception, for the true, inner history of Masonry has never yet been given forth even to the Craft itself. There are members of the Craft to whom it is familiar, and who in due time may feel justified in gradually making public at any rate some portion of what is known in interior circles.” 16
Yes, Osiris does live in the darkness and shadows of the Masonic lodges and temples throughout this country and the world. And, yes, he does oversee our currency system and is on every apron of every Christian who is a member of that system. He is the HE that the altar in the middle of every lodge is built for. He was the God of Solomon and is the reason God tore the Kingdom of Israel from Solomon’s throne. 17 Solomon died serving the God of Egypt. Yet, the Masonic system is built on the greatness and wisdom of Solomon as this writer will discuss in another chapter. 18
Chapter 3: The East
Since every Mason is taught that Masonry is “a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols,” 1 then we must look to the allegory and symbols to unveil just what system of morality Masonry is really under.
Masonry is a “Divine Quest” as defined by their encyclopaedia: 2
“It communicates knowledge of that Quest and its terms in symbolism; while those who are willing to take symbolism into their heart—and the inmost heart—or in other words to translate it into life, may find that it becomes an open gate into a world of real knowledge, where the Divine Quest ends in Divine Attainment.”
The quest is necessary due to the “fall of man”:
“Humanity as a whole has fallen away from its original parent-source and place; that from being imbedded in the eternal centre of life man has become projected to the circumference; and that in this present world of ours he is undergoing a period of restriction, of ignorance, of discipline and experience, that shall ultimately fit him to return to the centre whence he came and to which he properly belongs. ‘Paradise Lost’ is the real theme of Masonry no less than of Milton, as it is also of all the ancient symbols of the Mysteries. The Masonic doctrine focuses and emphasizes the fact and the sense of this loss. Beneath a veil of allegory describing the intention to build a certain temple that could not be finished because of an untimely disaster, Masonry implies that Humanity is the real temple whose building became obstructed, and that we, who are both the craftsman and the building materials of what was intended to be an unparalleled structure, are, owing to a certain unhappy event, living here in this world in conditions where the genuine and full secrets of our nature are, for the time being, lost to us; where the full powers of the soul of man are curtailed by the limitations of physical life; and where, during our apprenticeship of probation and discipline, we have to put up with the substituted knowledge derivable through our limited and very fallible senses.” 3
The Quest is to the East, which is the symbolic centre, the source of all light, and the place of the throne of the Master of all life. The West is where we (the world) are held captive in a world of imperfection and darkness from which the divine spiritual light is in large measure withdrawn and only shines by reflection. 4
So, all Masons look to the East for their light, the source of all light, the throne of the Master of light. The Conquering Light. The seat of Divine Wisdom or attainment. I
n this regard the following symbol is found in the front of the New Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry, the accepted authority in all Masondom. 5
Its title is “THE EAST.” It appears to be a woman in a chariot drawn by four horses with a sphere (a globe) in her right hand, and a palm branch in her left hand. Standing on the sphere is a child (male) holding a torch that is lit. The woman appears to be offering the child the palm branch. Underneath the chariot is an old man that appears to have been either defeated or dying. He has a palm branch in his right hand also.
If I were called upon to interpret this symbol, then I would immediately acclaim that the young woman was Mary offering to the world her child, Jesus Christ, as the hope and bearer of the light of the world. The palm branch would symbolize peace and the horses would represent power and might. The old man is harder to interpret, but I would say he represents the old order of the world which was put under the feet of Christ. The branch would indicate an offering of peace to the redeemer.
Do you agree? Well, if you do, then you are not close to the meaning Masonry gives, it. The Freemasonry Encyclopaedia says:
“The East. From the Arch of Constantine, representing the victories of Trajan. Aurora is guiding the chariot of morning, to which are yoked four horses in the act of rising upward. There is a globe in her right hand on which is balanced a Genius, holding a torch, and said to typify the Morning Star or Lucifer, emerging from clouds—represented by the veil about him. Aurora bears a palm in her left hand. The bearded figure reposing on the waves has been regarded as the Guardian of the Euphrates or Tigris—because of the wars of Trajan. From the Masonic point of view, the symbol in its plenary sense is the coming forth of conquering light.” 6
Shocked? We Christians should be! But let’s look further into their explanation. “Aurora is the Greek goddess of the dawn.” 7 The chariot is “the chariot of morning.” The Sun rises in the East. In other words, the light of this world rises in the East. It is the claim of Masonry in its plenary (complete) sense that Lucifer holds that light! Not Jesus Christ! The veil that the child (Lucifer) is shrouded with indicates to this writer that the personage of the bearer is clouded, and appearing as a child it is telling me that the evil one is appearing to the world to be wrapped in goodness and coming in peace. Isn’t this what Masonry does to the Christian member or prospective member?
What appears to be a Quest to the East for Divine Wisdom looks now to be a Quest to receive Divine Wisdom from Satan, the bearer of the “light.” But, again, he could not give this to Eve, and neither can he give this to a Mason! To the Christian this is a Quest that he cannot take, because the Christian believes that only Jesus Christ is the light of this world, and that Satan holds nothing for him but death. Certainly, he cannot accept a doctrine or teaching that Satan is the bearer of the conquering light or Divine Wisdom in the East.
Again, the average Mason is not aware of this and he is urged to verify this by checking out the Freemasonry Encyclopaedia in his local library. The Christian Mason is now on notice of what “The East” is and what the Quest entails. Having this knowledge the Christian Mason must either prove me to be a liar, or renounce his oath to Freemasonry!
Chapter 4: The Structure of Freemasonry and Its Degrees
Its actual name is ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS. It is an entity that involves an elaborate system of symbolic ritual, beginning at the point of the initial step, and continuing throughout Craft Masonry. All the work of the Masonic Lodge is carried on through symbols and symbolic procedures. It is said that “the symbol constitutes the very essence of Freemasonry.” 1 Freemasonry is essentially the science of symbolism; it is a system of morality developed and inculcated by the science of symbolism.
“It is this peculiar character as a symbolic Institution, this almost exclusive use of the method of instruction by symbolism, which gives peculiarity to Freemasonry and marks its distinctive difference from every other institution devised by the ingenuity of man. This distinction also clearly establishes the antiquity of the Institution, bestows upon Freemasonry its pre-eminent power for cementing men into a common brotherhood, and contributes effectively to the perpetuity of Masonry.” 2
The basic and fundamental principles of Freemasonry are found in what is ordinarily known as “Blue Lodge Masonry.” Blue Lodge Masonry consists of three degrees: The Apprentice, the Fellow-Craft, and the Master. Royal Arch Masonry, which now forms a part of what is known as “York Rite,” was formerly a part of the Third Degree of Blue Lodge Masonry. Each of these Degrees of Masonry is set out insofar as a non-Mason can determine from what Freemasonry permits to be made public in the following pages.
BLUE LODGE MASONRY
The Entered Apprentice Degree: This is a preliminary degree intended to prepare the candidate for the higher and fuller instructions of the succeeding degrees. The candidate is a voluntary applicant for membership in the Lodge; he comes without an invitation from the Lodge or from any member of the Order, even though he may have been told by a Mason friend that he would probably become a true, tried and trusted material for the Masonic superstructure. Of his own free will and accord he petitions the Lodge, and seeks admission that he may begin his search for Light, the light of divine truth. At the threshold of the Lodge he is required to profess a belief in a supreme being. What supreme being depends upon the country and culture where the Lodge might be located. No Deity is disallowed under the tenets of the Order. 3
Although lacking in valuable historical information, the work of the Degree is replete with the instructions of the internal structure of the Order, especially in its lectures. The religious character of Masonry is impressed upon his mind, not only by a confession of a belief “in a deity,” but by the recitations of assigned passages of Scripture, by the open Bible upon the altar, and by his own dedication in prayer and meditation. If the Lodge is in an area of Moslem predominance, then it is the Koran that lies open upon the altar. In a Buddhist culture, then their holy book is used. Again, belief in a Deity is all that must be confessed.
The candidate now learns that a Masonic Lodge is an assemblage of Freemasons, duly congregated, having the Sacred Writings (this could be the Bible, the Koran, etc.), and Compass, Square, a charter, or warrant of constitution, authorizing them to work. It is explained that the room where the meeting is held represents some part of king Solomon’s Temple.
The candidate is told that the Lodge is supported by three great columns representing Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. These are represented by the Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden. In comprehending the course of the candidate’s movement around the Lodge room, the significance of the symbols employed, and the lectures given, including every phase of the Ritual, the Entered Apprentice Mason realizes that he has begun a noble pursuit for Truth. The aspiration of his soul toward the Absolute and Infinite Intelligence is encouraged and strengthened. The faculties of his mind have been directed toward the great ARCHITECT of the universe (whoever he may be), his own Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor; through the majestic irradiations of thought, meditation, prayer, and sublime comprehensions of instructions given, his soul pierces through the shadows of materialism and earthiness toward the Light for which his search has begun. When he has proved his proficiency in the work of the Entered Apprentice Degree, he will be ready for the next Degree of Blue Lodge Masonry.
The Apprentice is then entrusted with certain secrets of the Order, all of them moral, ethical and wholesome. He then pledges to “keep counsel” of all things spoken in Lodge or chamber by any Masons, Fellows, or Freemasons. 4 He is invested with certain “Secrets,” which he must keep inviolate and communicate them only in accordance with Masonic Law. He swears to submit to death in many and sundry ways if he should break these vows to the Order.
THE FELLOW-CRAFT DEGREE
Fellow-Craft Degree: This is the second degree of Blue Lodge Masonry and is derived from the union of Operative Masons, who were especially skilled in cutting and fitting stones for structural use, b
ut less skilled than the Master Mason. The emphasis of this Degree is on the significance of the term “fellow.” Its ordinary meaning is “a companion,” “a brother.” The work of this Degree is also a preparatory step for advancement to the higher Degree of Master, but it differs from the Apprentice in the character and, import of its symbolism.
The fundamentals of Masonry which claim for man the threefold heritage of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity are symbolized and expounded in the Fellow-Craft Degree.
“Among the ancients, all religion was more or less a mystery, and hence religions, and especially the mysteries of religions, were closely associated with philosophy. Among pagans, the multitude of allegories and symbols in their religions became accepted as realities, and the worship of celestial luminaries; of imaginary deities with human passions, appetites, and lusts; of idols in the forms of stones, animals, and reptiles, was the natural result. Hence the emphasis placed upon philosophy, upon intellectual enlightenment, upon advancement in reasoning faculties in order that these tendencies to idolatry might be counteracted. There, was innate in the hearts of humanity deep spiritual longings, lofty aspirations after a Living Deity, and a desire for logic in religion. Thus religion joined with philosophy in the use of symbols to illustrate what could not be explained, to excite an appropriate feeling even where the idea could not be made plain in words, to make the image a subordinate conveyance to right conceptions of moral and spiritual truth. Knowledge was conveyed by symbols, rites and ceremonies were employed to make attractive to the eye truth which was imperfectly comprehended merely through the Word. Masonry, successor of the Mysteries of antiquity, follows these ancient methods of instruction. This becomes more evident in the Ritual, Rites and Ceremonies of the Fellow-Craft Degree. Instruction is given by symbols, similar to the philosophy of the ancient mystics, and there is marked out for the Fellow-Craft a path of study, of meditation, of investigation, of intellectual progress—all of which means progress in the search for Truth.” 5
The Gods of the Lodge Page 2
