“Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art long gone up: he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an previous lion who shall rouse him up?”
Gen. 49:9
In the tribal benediction pronounced on Judah and the tribe of which he was the founder, the time period lion’s whelp symbolized strength. Therefore, the emblem on the banner of the Tribe of Judah was a lion. The very same symbolism is discovered in Masonic ritual and has enjoyed various philosophical and theological interpretations.
To our Christian brethren, the phrase “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” refers to the Messiah, who is claimed to have brought light-weight and immortality into the earth. To our Jewish brethren, Judah was the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob and represents the fourth level talked about in historic Freemasonry. Both equally Kings David and Solomon are also reported to have descended from the Tribe of Judah. On the other hand, there is a additional historical utilization of the lion’s paw that could have software to the Masonic mysteries.
Candidates who correctly passed the Mithraic initiations have been named Lions and ended up marked upon their foreheads with the Egyptian cross, or ankh. During the entire Mithraic ritual references ended up designed of Mithra as the Sun God, who came to earth to offer himself as a sacrifice for gentleman and by his death supplying adult males lifestyle eternal. Soon after initiation, the prospect was hailed as a single who experienced risen from the grave and was permitted to learn the mystery Persian mysteries that originated with Zarathustra.
While popularized by the Romans and the perception that at least one Roman Emperor was initiated into the order, the Rites of Mithra was of Persian origin and later on migrated into Southern Europe. “Mithra” is the Zend-Avesta title for the sunshine and he/she dwelled within just that orb. Mithra was both equally male and female and, as a deity, represented the “female principle.” That phrase has been extra not too long ago popularized in the work of fiction by Dan Brown entitled The Da Vinci Code. However, as opposed to representing the Holy Grail, as did Mary Magdalene in Brown’s perform, the female side of Mithra represented Mother nature when the male facet represented the sunlight that bathed Mother nature so that flora and fauna would expand. With this comprehension it is much easier to also comprehend the link among Freemasonry and the Rites of Mithra.
In a Masonic symbolism e-book, Masons are taught that sacred Pythagorean geometry connects gentleman to mother nature by teaching him about its most hid recesses how things in character are connected and that numberless worlds encompass mankind which the Excellent Architect of the Universe has connected by means of the laws of character. It is appropriately mentioned that a survey of nature first brought on man to study symmetry and order which led to the discovery of every single valuable artwork. Freemasonry also teaches that the Supreme Intelligence pervades all mother nature and which is more described in the e book of Revelation as the Sea of Glass.
The Masonic Symbolism E book Rites of Mithra also gave Freemasonry the symbolism of the lesser lights, i.e., the sunlight, moon and Mercury (afterwards replaced with Grasp of the lodge). That symbolism is intended to demonstrate the natural get of hierarchical authority – as the sun guidelines the working day and the moon governs the night time, so ought to the Worshipful Master, with equivalent regularity, rule and govern the lodge. Yet, even with these types of pervasive proof of the Mithraic influences on Freemasonry, what is the significance of the grip of the lion’s paw?
All those initiated into the Mithraic mysteries handed as a result of 3 essential levels. In the first degree, the candidate was taught about his have non secular mother nature which ought to be manifested by way of disciplined conduct. In the 2nd degree, the candidate was instructed that he represented the mediator between excellent and evil, light-weight and darkness and was despatched into a dark pit to wage fight against the beasts of lust. Ultimately, in the 3rd diploma, he was delivered a cape with patterns of the zodiac, which includes the indicator of Leo, which represented a lion. The prospect is stated to have risen from the grave by the power produced from the sun’s influence on Leo – or the sturdy grip of the lion’s paw. In that other Mithraic symbolisms are located in Masonic symbolism, the risk that this symbolism also originated from these rites can’t be ignored. But, even so, what is the symbolic significance to Masons?
Mithra derived from the teachings of Zarathrustra which taught that good and evil existed in the earth side-by-side. Masons are taught by 1 of its “ornaments” that human existence is checkered with excellent and evil. Serious existence ordeals establish that to be so – the battle in between excellent and evil was vividly on show through the 2nd Globe War, as perfectly as all through the system of other well regarded conflicts. The Rites of Mithra also educate that sooner or later fantastic will prevail around evil, as symbolized by the strength of the sunlight mounting each individual day in the east. It is claimed that that terrific orb is enabled to increase simply because of the strength of the Leo residing in its orbit – the grip of the lion’s paw!
As Freemasons pass by the 3 degrees important to lastly achieve the position of Master Mason, they grow to be starkly knowledgeable that the Craft needs of them a participation in routines meant to make them morally straight – fantastic troopers for the lead to of great in the conflict between fantastic and evil, light-weight and darkness. Symbolically mounting from the tomb of transgression, the prospect is at past acknowledged as becoming adequately prepared to exemplify goodness to the rest of the environment. Whether or not he helps make as very good use of individuals equipment as have Grasp Masons in ages earlier is strictly up to the person applicant. He could select goodness or evil, light or darkness and in so executing both produces the temple whereby the Supreme Architect of the Universe will reside, or the tomb into which evil will at some point be solid.
The Freemason who is aware of why he was lifted will under no circumstances, hardly ever, hardly ever die. He was not raised by falsehood and chicanery – he was elevated by the grip of the lion’s paw.
