The term "Royal Arch" is usually thought to be the degree that is given to those brothers that have been advanced as Mark Master Mason, Passed the Chair as Past Master Masons, have been Received and Acknowledged as Most Excellent Master Masons, and have been exalted as Royal Arch Masons. Yet, beneath it all, there must be a more meaningful purpose than just another degree in the fraternity called Freemasonry. There are several avenues to pursue, with the final one being the reason we celebrate the Highest Day of Royal Arch Masonry, Zerubbabel Day.
As in all our writings, please do not accept this as face value, but "prove me wrong by the spirit" not by the yardstick of some that have been written. This is not meant to be accepted as the "work of any jurisdiction unless the heart and mind are joined together to promote Prince Hall Masonry from Prince Hall Masons."
In the ancient rituals of symbolic degrees, there was a question after the usual opening statement, "To learn to subdue my passions and improve myself in Masonry." This is followed by a question, "How will you improve yourself in Masonry?" The answer is, "By conversing with a well-informed brother who is just as glad to impart it, as I am to receive it." My brother, I may not be that well informed, but I am just as glad to share with you what God has given to me.
We accept the first Royal Arch as the "rainbow" that God put in the heavens as a covenant between Him and man, that He would not destroy the world by water again, but by fire next time. This is found in Genesis 9:13-17.
There is a Royal Arch legend that Enoch buried the true name of God (given Him by flashing it on a cloud in a rainstorm while Enoch was standing on Mt. Moriah, which was not yet named in the Bible). It is stated that Enoch buried it nine stories below the surface in the bowels of Mt. Moriah, with each story reached by the removal of the "keystone" and at the furthest arch, was a room that was the abiding place of the Tetragrammation or Holy Name of God. The arches were termed Enochian Arches, with the last being termed, the Royal Arch.
Another allusion is made in Job 26:11 where, "The pillars of Heaven tremble; and are astonished at His reproof." It is allegorically stated that the pillars are Wisdom and Strength, meaning the Royal Arch is supported by the wisdom of the GAOTU, and the strength is the stability of the Universe. This what we learn through geometry and its brainchild, Freemasonry. If there is wisdom and strength, the rainbow is "Beauty."
The ancient religions have always thought of God as a Triune God, or God of Three Persons for want of a better word. Some viewed Him as the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. Some viewed Him as Mind Matter and Product. The Brahmas view Him as a Personification of the stages of enlightenment, reached by seven levels. Whatever, the ancients have always looked at God as the embodiment of the mysterious being, or as the Hebrews in Egypt called, the God of No Name, for like the Master's Word, His name had been lost.
While Enoch is a mystery as found in the Bible, we do learn from explanations found in other religious books that his name meant "initiator" and was highly revered in Ancient Egypt. Legend says that the two pillars at the entrance of Enoch's temple in the bowels of Mt. Moriah, one of Granite and one of Brass, that they were in imitation of the pillars found in Job 26:11. This is vaguely substantiated by the Lord's prayer when we say, "Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven." No matter, the Royal Arch is found Biblically and allegorically all around us.
The temple of Enoch was largely forgotten as man moved through time, and very little is heard about it. However, God has not forgotten His people and as man travels through the ages, certain things or events happen to further solidify the covenant of the "rainbow." Man had to be prepared for the fire.
Mt. Moriah remained the center of attraction after Enoch's "no more." In Genesis 9-10 chapters, we follow the perils of Noah and his sons, for they repopulated the world after the flood and ancient Masons were sometimes called the Noahchide, and some work in the Scottish Rite refers to "Father Noah." The saga of Noah and his sons are very interesting to the Royal Arch Mason as he traces the era of Prince Hall Masons, they that were rejected because of color. There were three sons and the Royal Arch Mason knows too well the "Three Times Three" of the order. The very interesting one is Ham, for he is considered by theologians to be the father of Black men and women. We refer you to Genesis 10 and then trace the sons of Ham to their conclusion, especially Cush and Canaan.
From Cush came Nimrod, the instigator of the "Tower of Babel" which became the site of future Babylon. Nimrod's claim to fame was to attempt to "be like God." By building a temple or tower, he sought to go up rather than traveling the way of Royal Arch Masons, "He that humbleth himself, shall be exalted." This was Masons' first attempt in building, and it was a bad trip. The one good thing about the tower was it put man on "one accord." It was a wrong purpose though. As stated, Babylon became the birthplace of Abraham, the Father of the Hebrew Nation as well as the Arab. It was called Ur of Chaldea, which was a province of the Empire of ancient Ethiopia, called Absynnia, which means, "The land of Sunburned People." The Hebrews would constantly be coming back to the influences of Babylon.
God took Abraham to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice his only son Isaac. This was a "Grand Offering" one to be given again and again as we shall see. It was here that Abraham was given a covenant of multiplicity of people, both Hebrew and Gentile. It was here that Abraham revived the promise that his seed would bring forth a savior after many trials and tribulations. The sacrifice of Abraham's only legal son, would be acted out again as Jesus went up to Calvary, called Golgotha, which is a "Low brow of Mt. Moriah" only there was not a "ram in the bush" for Him.
It was at the foot of Mt. Moriah that Jacob rested on a stone where he beheld the Jacob's ladder. This is found in Genesis 28:10-22. Particular attention should be paid to verse 18 when Jacob changed a p-i-l-l-o-w into a p-i-l-l-a-r. More attention should be paid to verse 22 where he states that this stone shall be God's house. It later became the abiding place of Solomon's Temple.
Solomon's Temple was started in the month of Zif which is the second month when reckoned to our calendar. However, it was the Jewish seventh month (the number of Royal Arch degrees). This was in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, making him about 24. Hold on to that number 24 for a while.
The temple was completed in just over seven years (seven again) and was dedicated with a great two week period of celebration. The month Zif is actually the seventh month (seven again) for the Jewish year starts with the month Tishri or Ethanim, which corresponds to our September-October period of time, which we know today as Rosh Hashanah. This followed by Yom Kippur, on the tenth of Tishri, or ten days later. Sometimes this is carried over between September and October by our calendars.
The Temple of Solomon lasted over 500 years, but was attacked several times, once by Shishack of Egypt and twice by Assyrians. The treasuries were given away three times by, Jehoash to the Syrains; Ahaz to Assyrians; Hezikiah to Assyrians. It was finally destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar and his Chaldeans (back to Babylon again). Over a period of time, 70,000 captives were taken away to Babylon along with the treasury of the Temple. There was no longer a king from the loins of Judah. There was no longer a High Priest from the loins of Levi. See Genesis 49:10 for help.
In Babylon, for a period of seventy years, the Hebrews lived, sometimes in fear, see Esther; sometimes under threat of death, see Daniel; but Thank God, through it all, some persevered and some of the most prophetic writings came out of their bondage. Then came the decree of Cyrus to go back and build the Temple at Jerusalem.
Jerusalem means, "City of Peace" and has always been a center of religious ideas for the world. It lay in ruins for some 70 years because of the Captivity, for none were left but the very old and the very young. Jerusalem set upon a table, formed by three (3 again) mountains, namely Moriah, Zion, and Olives. To the west lay the Mediterranean Sea, to the north Israel, now known as ancient Samaria; to the east lay the Dead Sea into which the Jordan River flowed. On the sea coast were the Giblimites or stone-squarers that built Solomon's Temple, and it was to these builders that Zerubbabel asked for help. See Ezra 3:7 (seven again).
Zerubbabel, "born in Babel" or "seed of Babel" was chosen as the "king" which in actuality was a governor, appointed by Darius, by virtue of being a direct descendant of David. See Genesis 49:10 again, all from the tribe of Judah. Joshua, or Jeshua was chosen as the High Priest. Ezra 3 tells us of the important dates and what was happening on them. In the seventh month, they built the altars and kept the feast of Tabernacles and offered burnt offerings. Verse 8 tells us that the foundation of the Temple was started in the second month which was Zif which means "splendor" or "bloom." And didn't the people's hearts bloom as they remembered the splendor of Solomon's Temple of old?
There were some 42,360 people returning from captivity, plus servants. Over the future years, some 70,000 returned to Jerusalem to assist in the "rebuilding of the Temple without hope of fee or reward." The Temple was completed after years of delay, some sixteen years, and was completed in the month of Adar which corresponds to our February-March area, some four years after work resumed.
In Ezra 3:8, we see that the day of celebration was when the foundation was laid in the second month which was Zif, or April-May. In Royal Arch work, this day is said to be April 24 of each year, with the celebration coming on the Sunday closest to it. The 9th through the 13th tells of the feelings of the people, but note what verse 12 and 13 say about shouts of joy and weeping.
Therefore, this writer holds that April 24th is the right day to hold Zerubbabel Day, but not for his birthday, for we knoweth not, but for the laying of the foundation of the House of the Lord. Consider your cornerstone layings, for are they not cause for great celebration? Yet there is more for Zerubbabel's Temple went the way of all flesh, and yet another temple was built, called Herod's Temple.
It was in this Temple that Zechariah received the promise of a son, called John the Baptist; it was here that the baby Jesus was greeted by Simeon and Anna; it was here that Jesus visited at 12 years old. It was here that he ran the money-changers out, and it was here that the Pharisees and the Sadducees sought to trap Him. It was here that Jesus prophesized about the destruction of Herod's Temple, and his own death and resurrection. See Matthew 24:1,2. It was here, when Jesus died on Calvary, the low brow of Mt. Moriah, the Temple veils were rent, and there would be no more Sanctum Sanctorem.
In Herod's Temple, we would see the spiritual resurrection of a dead people, namely those that believe that the temporal temple is all in all. Apostle Paul tells us of another Temple, "not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens." That Temple is the body of Christ and Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:14-21 about this Temple, that we, "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length, and width, and depth, and height;"
So my Royal Companions, you are the bridge that brings together the symbolic degrees of the Master Mason with the "higher" degrees of Cryptic and Consistorial, commonly called the York and Scottish Rite. Therefore, let Zerubbabel Day, as it brings back to memory the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple, let us, as Royal Arch Masons, rebuild our lives to the realization that we are just pilgrims here, and earth is not our home; that someday, we too, like the Hebrew captives, will have to leave "Babylon" and travel over "rough and rocky roads" and return to Jerusalem, a New Jerusalem, one that will have twelve gates to the city, one with streets of gold, gates of pearl; one that will know no darkness, for we will all be under the guiding light of the Ancient of Days.
And if our lives will stand such inspection, we will be caused to eat of the hidden manna, and receive a new white stone, on whose face is a name that none can read except he that receives it.
Then, and only then, shall we see the place where, "the wicked shall cease from troubling, and the weary shall be at rest. From the bowels of Mt. Moriah, there shall come a terrible rumble, and the true name of the Most High God, shall be revealed to all that are around the throne. The Master Mason shall throw away his "substitute" and the Royal Arch Masons will no longer need Three times Three to repeat that which has been found, and all of Heaven shall exclaim, "Holiness to the Lord, Holiness to the Lord, Holiness to the Lord!"
One greater than Solomon is here! A new High Priest has offered up to the Great "I AM!"