Sacred Secrets: Freemasonry, the Bible and Christian Faith

by Mike Neville

Overview

The first book to show the enormous links between Masonic ritual, the Bible and Christianity

Who were Tubalcain, Jabal and Jubal and what is their significance for the Freemason?

There is a general interest in the rituals of Freemasonry, generated in part by the apparently obscure references they contain. This is the only book that offers a guide to the stories used in Masonic ritual and their links to the Bible and Christianity.

The new Mason is directed to a ‘serious contemplation of the Volume of the Sacred Law’ — but that is easier said than done without a grounding in the Scriptures, something that fewer and fewer people have. The historical and geographical setting of the Bible is explained here, making such contemplation easier for Mason and non-Mason alike.

Mike Neville has systematically cross-referenced the most influential Chapters of the Bible to the ceremonies. It is his intention to get Freemasons to understand the ritual — not just to memorize and regurgitate — as well as to elucidate for the non-Mason. Sacred Secrets will aid the clergy, theologians and any other person interested in Freemasonry to see the links between ritual and scripture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780750998963
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	02/01/2023
Edition description:	Second Edition,New edition
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Mike Neville has been a Freemason since 1995. He is a member of Craft lodges in Surrey and London. He is also a member of the Holy Royal Arch, Mark, Royal Ark Mariner, Royal & Select Masters, Allied Masonic Degrees and Red Cross of Constantine. He is active in Masonic charity and is the lodge historian.

Table of Contents

1 The Bible and the Lodge 9

Introduction 9

The Bible in the Lodge 10

The History of the Bible 10

The Historical and Geographical Setting of the Bible 12

Masonic Degrees 13

Masonic Terms Explained 17

2 The Book of Genesis 18

The Creation of the World 18

Adam and his Sons: Cain and Abel 19

Tubalcain, his Siblings and the Development of Civilisation 21

The Genealogy of Noah: Jared, Enoch, Methuselah and Lamech 22

Noah and his Sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth 23

The Tower of Babel 26

Raiders from the East: Biblical Warfare (Part I) 28

Melcbizedek, the First High Priest 31

Abraham and Isaac 33

Jacob, the Man who became Israel 35

3 The Time of Moses 40

Moses 40

The Holy Mountains: Sinai, Horeb, Moriah and Tabor 46

The Tent or Tabernacle Built by Bezaleel and Aholiab 48

The Ark of the Covenant 50

Aaron and the Biblical Impact on Masonic Dress: Consecration, Ceremonies and Furniture 53

4 The Israelites Secure the Promised Land 58

Joshua and Rahab: Biblical Warfare (Part II) 58

The Time of the Judges: Biblical Warfare (Part III) 61

Boaz and Ruth 65

Samuel 66

David, Jonathan and Saul 68

Book of Psalms 72

Araunah the Jebusite 77

The Mighty Men and Other Characters in the Story of King David 78

5 The Builders of King Solomon's Temple 82

Solomon, King of Israel 82

The Wisdom of King Solomon and the Book of Proverbs 84

Hiram, King of Tyre and Sidonia 88

Hiram Abif 90

Officers of King Solomon 93

Adoniram 94

Organisation of the Temple Workforce 95

6 King Solomon's Temple 99

The First Temple 99

The Plans 101

The Wood 101

Joppa, the Port Serving Jerusalem 102

The Stone 103

Dyes and Linen 105

Bronze and Gold 107

The Pillars: Boaz and Jachin 109

The Dedication of the Temple and Jachin the High Priest 111

The Queen of Sheba 112

7 After Solomon and into Exile 113

A Time of Prophets 113

Jerusalem Falls to the Babylonians 118

The Destruction of Jerusalem: Biblical Warfare (Part IV) 120

Ezekiel 123

Belshazzar's Feast 125

Cyras the Great 127

8 The Second Temple 129

Zerubbabel and the Second Temple 129

Joshua or Jeshua: the Son of Josedech the High Priest 131

Haggai and Zechariah 132

Darius and Daniel 134

Ezra the Scribe 136

Nehemiah and Malachi 137

Euclid and Pythagoras 139

The Desecration of the Second Temple and the Maccabean Revolt 141

9 The New Testament and Freemasonry 143

Herod's Temple and the Early Life of Jesus 143

The Ministry of Jesus 147

St John: The Patron Saint of Freemasons 152

St Peter 156

The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus 158

The Apostles after the Crucifixion 164

St Paul 167

The Book of Revelation 174

New Testament References in Degrees Open to Non-Christian Masons 178

The Destruction of Second Temple 181

10 The First Thousand Years of Christianity 185

St Lawrence the Martyr and the Persecution of the Christians 185

Emperor Constantine 186

St Helena and the Patriarch Macarius 189

Bishop Eusebius 192

Julian the Apostate 192

The Development of the Christian Theology 193

Islamic Conquest of the Holy Land 195

The Venerable Bede and the English Monastery 196

Athelstan, the First King of all the English 197

11 The Second Thousand Years of Christianity 199

The First Crusade 199

The Knights Templar and other Military Orders 201

St Thomas Aquinas 204

The Translation of the Bible into English 205

Biblical and Masonic Dating by Archbishop Ussher 207

The Book of Common Prayer 208

The Church and Freemasonry 211

Development of Masonic Ritual 213

12 Conclusions 216

The Biblical Influence on Freemasonry 216

De-Christianised Freemasonry? 218

The Use of Biblical Text in the Ritual 219

Satanically Inspired? 320

Sacred Secrets 222

Old Testament Characters used as Tides 223

Bibliography 225

Index of Bible Chapters 227

Index 252