PAUL M. WILLIAMS BIBLE PROPHECY AND THE LAST DAYS [27/06/14] THE RISE OF THE CULTS – PART 32

FREEMASONRY – PART 5

HERESIES

In continuing to examine the teachings of alongside the teachings of the Bible, we want in this teaching to develop further what was presented in the previous teaching regarding the universalistic nature of the of Freemasonry. We have thus far seen that according to Freemasonry, the god of Freemasonry, T.G.A.O.T.U, is the generic name for the all-pervading god found in every religion:

“Freemasonry, which demands the simple confession of faith, asks no questions as to what God, nor even what kind of a God. The candidate-to-be may name Him by any syllables; Freemasonry cares not. That she does not care is one of her dearest symbols, since by this very lack she teaches to all her sons that brotherhood is not in a Name, but in hearts; that men may believe in God, or Great First Cause; in Love, Confucius, Mithra or a Cosmic Urge, and still be children of one Father, and therefore brethren in the true meaning of the word.” - Carl H. Claudy, Foreign Countries – taken from www.phoenixmasonry.org

Last teaching, we had no problem disproving such a concept as it relates the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man, Masonry’s core teachings. Scriptures abound to contrary which demonstrate beyond all doubt that the God of the Bible is unique and distinct from all other so-called and a Father to only those who come to faith in His Son Jesus Christ thus becoming children of God, adopted sons and daughters. Yet; Masonry seeks to absorb the false gods of all religions into its own particular deity. One way that it does this can be seen in the secret name of god, revealed to the candidate being initiated into the Royal Arch degree. The Royal Arch is present in all Masonic systems. In England and Wales, the Royal Arch degree is the only degree outside Craft Masonry that is formally recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England (U.G.L.E). About a fifth of all Master Masons go onto this ancient and prestigious degree, meeting in what are known as Royal Arch Chapters which are attached to Craft Lodges. In the , a candidate that is a Master Mason may progress onto the first of three Chapters, known as the Royal Arch Chapter which confers four degrees, the fourth being that of the Royal Arch Mason degree. During the oaths and obligations in the ritual of the Royal Arch exaltation ceremony, in England and Wales, the candidate is made to swear in part as follows:

“I further solemnly promise that I will not dare to pronounce the Sacred and Mysterious Name of the True and Living God Most High lightly or irreverently; nor to share it by syllables unless in the presence, and with the assistance of two or more Royal Arch Companions.” - Part of the Ritual of Royal Arch degree

What you may be thinking is the Sacred and Mysterious Name of the True and Living God Most High? The candidate is later told that secret name; it is the name JAHBULON. It is worth pointing out at this stage, nowhere in the Bible can such a name be found!! From whence then comes this name? During the ritual the candidate being initiated is given a series of three lectures by each of the three Principles who govern the Royal Arch Chapter. In the First Principle’s lecture the candidate is told about the meaning of the mystical name Jahbulon.

“It is a compound word and its combinations form the word Jabulon. It is in four languages- Chaldean, Hebrew, Syriac, and Egyptian. JA is the Chaldean name of God and signifies "His essence in majesty incomprehensible." It is also a Hebrew word, signifying I am and I shall be, thereby expressing the actual, future and eternal existence of the Most High. BUL is a Syriac word and signifies Lord or Powerful; it is in itself a compound word, formed of the preposition B in or on, and Ul heaven or high therefore the meaning of the word is Lord in Heaven or on High. ON is an Egyptian word signifying Father of All, and thereby expressive of the Omnipotence of the Father of All as is expressed in that well-known prayer in use amongst us beginning with "Our Father, which art in heaven." All the significations of these words may therefore be thus collected: I am and shall be; Lord in Heaven or on High; Father of All.” - Part of the Ritual of Royal Arch degree

Please note: The First Principles lecture would have Masons believe that the difference in the three syllables is one only of language and words which in essence refer to the same being whose name is merely expressed in different languages. However, upon closer inspection one finds that not to be the case at all! The Church of Scotland’s doctrinal report took strong objection to the given interpretation and meaning of the name given in the lecture by the First Principle, stating:

'To those who are unfamiliar with the original languages, the use made of what purport to be Hebrew and other Ancient Near-Eastern words must seem impressive and doubtless the use of Hebrew letters scattered across the documents adds to the sense of mystery. Much of it, however, is linguistic nonsense which anyone with a minimum knowledge of Hebrew can immediately recognise as such. For example, the explanation of the mysterious compound name JA-BUL-ON in Lecture 3 of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland as being the name of God in three (or four) different languages is totally unjustified. JA is not Chaldean for "I am", nor is it the Hebrew for "I shall be". BUL is not the Syriac word for "Lord" or "Powerful" nor is it a compound word made up of the preposition "in" or "on" plus "Heaven" or "On High". Nor is "ON" an Egyptian word meaning "Father". To conclude, therefore, that this name means "I am and shall be Lord in Heaven on High, the Powerful, the Father of all" is wholly misleading. Furthermore, when Hebrew letters are scattered round the divine triangle the explanations given to them are such that their inaccuracy should be evident to anyone with an elementary knowledge of Hebrew' - Church of Scotland doctrinal report

Rather…it has been suggested by many who have attempted to research into this topic that the name Jahbulon represents a hybrid name composing of three particular and distinct deities. In the 1980’s, Stephen Knight, an English journalist and author, wrote a book titled ‘The Brotherhood’. He wrote the book as a journalist as an extended piece of journalism that was both factual and accurate as best as humanly could be possible. Knight came to the conclusion that the name Jahbulon denoted a specific supernatural being – a common deity composed of three particular personalities fused into a trinity. He identified with Jahweh of the Hebrews; BUL with , the ancient fertility God of the Canaanites and On with Osiris, the Ancient Egyptian god of the underworld. If this is the case, once again we see the fusion of pagan gods with the true God. in the Old Testament strictly condemned the worshipping of Baal; indeed the Northern Kingdom of Israel were judged by God and taken into captivity at the hand of the Assyrians in 722 BC for that very reason!!

“16And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 18Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.” (2Ki 17:16-18)

What business then has a Christian, naming this blasphemous name which seeks to join the God the Bible with the wicked and base gods of the surrounding heathen nations? Howard E. Vos, in his book “An Introduction to Archaeology”, leaves the reader with no doubt whatsoever of the compatibility of Baal with Yahweh:

"One may question that those ancient enemies of Israel were as evil as the Bible claims that they were, but even a superficial glance at Canaanite religion alone ably demonstrates their iniquity. Base sex worship was prevalent, and religious prostitution even commanded; human sacrifice was common; and it was a frequent practice--in an effort to placate their gods--to kill young children and bury them in the foundations of a house or public building at the time of construction: Joshua 6:26 "In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn..." - Howard E. Vos, An Introduction To Bible Archaeology, p. 17-19 – taken from www.bible-history.com Masonic Doctrine of Salvation

We have given much attention in this series on Freemasonry to the Masonic doctrine concerning the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. There is however a third belief that we have thus far not touched on that is also central to the teachings of Freemasonry, namely the Immortality of the Soul.

“Masonry accepts good men who are found to be worthy, regardless of their religious convictions, and strives to make better men of them by emphasizing a firm belief in the Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man, and the Immortality of the Soul” - Mentor’s Manual, p17, Grand Lodge of Indiana USA

An unquestionable and integral part of Masonic doctrine is the principle of the Immortality of the Soul. For Masons, life does not end in death but rather asserts that spirit of man is immortal. However, you will in none find mentioned in any of the many rituals or ceremonies both at Craft Masonry and beyond, the concept or the word hell. Instead, the Mason despite his religious philosophy or persuasion, whether he be a Christian or a Muslim; a Jew or a Hindu; a Mormon or a Buddhist – is promised the hope of being granted admittance into the heavenly lodge above. The Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason states:

“Let us imitate the good man in his virtuous and amiable conduct, in his unfeigned piety to God, in his inflexible fidelity to his trust, that we may welcome death as a kind messenger sent from our Supreme Grand Master to translate us from this imperfect to that all perfect and glorious Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.” - The Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason, p68 – taken from The Secrets of the Masonic Lodge, John Ankerberg, p153

Many Masons outright reject the notion that Masonry is a religion on the grounds of that it offers no plan of salvation. This however as we shall see is not the case at all. Masonry almost certainly has a voice in affirming Masons in a false hope of salvation when they die. One of the most important and significant emblems in Freemasonry is the lambskin apron. During the ritual of the First degree, when the candidate is presented with the lambskin apron, he is told the following:

“Brother ...... by the Worshipful Master's command, I invest you with the distinguishing badge of a Mason. It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle, more honourable than the Garter or any other Order in existence, being the badge of innocence and the bond of friendship. I strongly exhort you ever to wear and consider it as such; and further inform you that if you never disgrace that badge.” - Part of the Ritual of the first degree – Entered Apprentice

In the Entered Apprentice candidate guide manual issued by Masons of California they offer the candidate the following insight.

“The lambskin apron is at once an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason…The lamb has always been a symbol of innocence and sacrifice. There are two senses in which innocence is being used here: Innocence, in one sense, meaning free from moral defect; the other sense is that of being newly born and without blemish, in the sense of fulfilling the goal of Masonic initiation—that of spiritual rebirth.” - Entered Apprentice Candidate Guide – taken from www.freemasons.org

In other words, when one becomes a Mason, and receives the badge of Masonry, the white lambskin apron; he does so symbolising that he is passing into to a state of innocence via a new birth initiation into Freemasonry. In the words of an unknown Masonic author, writing in 1922:

“In Masonry there are three great religious rites… The third is the rite of investure or purification; that is, the presentation of the Apron. In a qualified way it bears the relationship to the Lodge that baptism does to some Churches, it is the external symbol of an inner purification.” - Short talk Bulletin, Vol.V, November, 1927 No.11, taken from masonicworld.com

For the Christian receiving this badge it is a cause for great concern, for the Scriptures categorically state how a man is purified from his sins:

18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1Pe 1:18-19)

5…unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Rev 1:5)

11…but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:11)

According to the Holy Bible, the only means by which any man is going to be purified and washed from moral defects is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the purifying work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. Masonry flat out contradicts the Bible in asserting that purification can come via the initiation into the secret arts and mysteries of Freemasonry of which the lambskin apron is a symbol. How can a professing Christian where such a blasphemous icon? Freemasonry is a works based system of counterfeit morality which gives a false hope to those trusting in the system of Freemasonry for salvation instead of Jesus Christ. Masonry teaches through the symbolism contained in the lambskin apron that by his own good deeds and purity of life, he may gain admission into the Celestial Lodge above!

“As to its material, a Mason’s apron must be made of lambskin…for the material of the Mason’s apron constitutes one of the most important symbols of the profession. The lamb has always been considered as an appropriate emblem of innocence. And hence we are taught in the ritual of the first degree, that, ‘by the lambskin, the Mason is reminded of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct which is so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe forever presides.’” - Albert G. Mackey, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, p73

The address in the official Monitor of Texas concurs with Mackey in addressing the candidate who is being presented with the lambskin apron:

“May the pure and spotless surface of this Apron be an ever-present reminder of ‘that purity of heart and uprightness of conduct so essentially necessary’, thus keeping pure your thoughts, and inspiring nobler deeds and greater achievements. Then, when at last, your weary feet shall have come to the end of life’s toilsome journey, and from your nerveless grasp, shall drop, forever, the working tools of life, may the record of your life and actions be as pure and spotless as this Apron now is; and when your soul, freed from earth, shall stand naked and alone before the Great White Throne, may it be your portion to hear from Him who sits thereon, the welcome plaudit: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!’” - Masonic Official Monitor Texas, p72

The Holy Bible absolutely refutes such false doctrine when it declares

5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Tit 3:5)

God’s word is emphatic in condemning all of mankind under the curse and penalty of sin. 12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Rom 5:12)

10…There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one… 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Rom 3:10-12, 23)

Yet, Freemasonry denies original sin and the depravity of man in that it teaches that the righteousness required so as to render one fit for heaven can be obtained without the Lord Jesus Christ. What saith Holy Scripture?

22…the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (Gal 3:22)

12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Act 4:12)

When men stand in that final hour before God at the Great White Throne on the Day of Judgment; they most certainly will not be hearing the words “Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” Rather if their names are not written in the Lambs book of life, they will hear the words “depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41).

12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works….15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:12-15)

Masonic Funeral Service & Rites

Perhaps, the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul is nowhere more clearly felt than at a Masonic funeral service. All good standard Masons who have gained Master Mason status are entitled to a Masonic burial when they die which is carried out at the request of the deceased Mason or his family. The Masonic service may and usually is held in conjunction with another religious service being held in a Church, Synagogue, Mosque or Temple. It can also be carried out separately the night before or at the graveside. In the Masonic online web magazine ‘Freemason Information’, the question is posed…”What is the most important function of a Masonic Lodge? The answer given is as follows:

“The most important function of a Masonic Lodge is to bury its dead. The Masonic funeral service is the most important act of compassion and service that a Masonic Lodge can perform for a Freemason and his family.” - Freemason Information, The Masonic Funeral Service Done Well – freemasoninformation.com

Masonic funeral rituals do differ from one Lodge to another although the ones that I have looked at are basically the same in substance. I will now quote from portions of a Masonic Funeral Ritual found online.

Opening prayer

Chaplain: Unto Thee, O God, Father of all, do we come in this hour of grief and bereavement. Unto Thee do we send up the cry of our sorrowing hearts. Thou, who dost mark the sparrow’s fall, and number even the hairs of our heads, look with infinite compassion on our weakness, and, in this hour of need give the strength which Thou alone can impart. Standing by the open portals of this house appointed for all the living, we pray for light—for light to illuminate the dark path which our brother has trod, for light to drive away all the shadows of mortality and reveal to our anxious souls those serene heights of joy and beauty, whither, we trust, our brother has ascended…

Worshipful Master: BRETHREN: We mourn today the loss of a brother whose spirit has been summoned to the land where our fathers have gone before us… And now, my brethren, let us see to it, and so regulate our lives by the plumbline of justice, ever squaring our actions by the square of virtue, that when the Grand Warden of Heaven shall call for us we may be found ready. Let us cultivate assiduously the noble tenets of our profession—Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. From the square learn morality; from the level, equality; and from the plumb, rectitude of life. With the trowel spread liberally the cement of brotherly love; circumscribed by the compasses, let us ponder well our words and actions, and let all the energies of our minds and the affections of our souls be employed in the attainment of our Supreme Grand Master’s approbation. Then, when our dissolution draws nigh, and the cold winds of death come sighing around us—and his chill dews already glisten upon our foreheads—with joy shall we obey the summons of the Grand Warden of Heaven, and go from our labors on earth to eternal refreshment in the paradise of God, where, by the benefit of the pass of a pure and blameless life, and an unshaken confidence in the merits of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, shall we gain ready admission into the celestial lodge where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. There, placed at His right hand, He will be pleased to pronounce us just and upright Masons…

The LAMBSKIN, or white apron, was the first gift of Freemasonry to our departed brother. It is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Freemason. This I now deposit upon the casket… This evergreen is an emblem of an enduring faith in the immortality, of the soul. By it we are reminded that we have a life within us that shall survive the grave, and which can never die. By it we are admonished that we also. like our brother whose remains lie here before us, shall soon be clothed in the habiliments of death. Through our belief in the mercy of God we may confidently hope that our souls will bloom in eternal spring. This, too, I deposit with our deceased brother…

Closing Prayer

Chaplain: Almighty God, again we implore Thy blessing as we turn from this solemn service to the no less solemn duties of life. We have consigned the body of our brother to its resting place, and with unfaltering trust we commend his spirit to Thy care. If we feel that there is one tie less binding us to the earth, may we also feel that there is another, and a deathless tie, binding us to heaven. And there shall be no night there. O blessed assurance; the last farewell spoken, the last sigh breathed, the last cry of anguish changed into an anthem of immortal joy. In our present grief we cling to Thy promise that Thou wilt at last wipe away all tears…. - Taken from – http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masons/Misc/funeral-IL.pdf

Watch video clip of a Masonic Funeral Service – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ohBOm5LZJI

By what right and by what authority has Freemasonry to commend a Masonic Brother spirit to God’s keeping care upon death? Remember, Freemasonry is absolutely clear that it embraces men of all faiths barring none providing they believe in a supreme being. That means that the same funeral right afforded professing Christian is also afforded to Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews and Hindu’s, who are offered exactly the same benefits of gaining the approval of the Supreme Grand Master of the universe via their good and moral labours and are equally assured of a place in the Celestial Lodge above! The question remains to be asked…How can a Christian in good conscience insult the Saviour He professes to love and spit upon the Holy Bible he claims to place His abiding trust by being one with such blasphemy. Nowhere in the service will one hear the name of Jesus; nowhere in the service will one hear mention of the cross or of the spilt blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. No mention of any Gospel, no mention of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible declares:

“5…there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1Ti 2:5)

Masonry denies that one mediator and in so doing denies the Father also!

23Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. (1Jn 2:23) 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1Jn 5:12)

22Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1Jn 2:22)

In answering the question; ‘Is Freemasonry compatible with Christianity’, once again we have to respond with a resound NO!! No, because it fuses the names of the pagan deities of the heathen with the name of the one true God Yahweh to make the hybrid name Jahbulon. No, because it teaches that man may be made pure through the initiation rites of Freemasonry apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ. No, because it teaches that man by good works can merit a place in heaven apart from the redemptive work of Calvary. No because it denies the only name given under heaven by which men may be saved! Next week we shall conclude our teaching on Freemasonry in looking at some of the off-shoots of Freemasonry such as the Orange Order in Northern Ireland, Prince Hall Masonry composed primarily of African Americans and Greek-letter Organisations. We shall also reveal the ultimate secret of Freemasonry that lies at the very top of the degrees of Masonry.