A VISIT TO KING SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

If the object of the first degree is to symbolize the struggles of a candidate groping in darkness for intellectual light, that of the second degree represents the same candidate laboring amid all the difficulties that encumber the younger beginner in the attainment of learning and science.

Let us go back in history to the year 965 B.C., when Solomon succeeded David as King of the United Israelite Kingdom, that consisted of the Twelve Tribes, each of which were named after Jacob’s twelve sons. A year later, Solomon ordered the beginning of preparations for the construction of the first temple. Hiram, King of Tyre, a good friend of both he and his father, had already volunteered to help him with the temple construction. Hiram, King of Tyre, was the son of Abibal and was about the same age as David and Solomon. David, during his reign, had asked Hiram for cedars, carpenters, and masons, to build him a house. Nearly forty years afterward, when Solomon ascended the throne and began to prepare for the building of the Temple, he sent for Hiram, King of Tyre, the friend of his father, for the same assistance. The two kings sealed their agreement with prayers together on Mount Moriah, and the construction of the temple began.

Let us now visit the temple. As you reach the temple, you notice two pillars of the porch. The left pillar is named Boaz, and the right one is named Jachin. The pillars are more than eight meters high, and are made of brass. They are huge and weigh approximately forty tons each. The legendary Master Hiram Abif, the widow’s son, who was a great artificer in brass and other metals, had built these pillars.

You now pass through these two pillars and enter the temple. After you enter, you notice there is a flight of winding stairs consisting of a set of three steps, followed by a set of five steps and finally, a set of seven steps, totaling fifteen steps. This odd number of steps is not without purpose. The purpose is that you are to start the ascent with your left foot and when you reach the entrance of the temple, you will automatically enter the temple, stepping off with your left foot, a custom that has not lost any significance, even with the passing of time.

The first three steps allude to the three first three degrees of Masonry, and to the three principle officers of the lodge. They further allude to the three great lights of Freemasonry, the Square, the Compasses, and the Volume of Sacred Law and to the three lesser lights of Freemasonry, the Sun, the Moon, and the Master of the Lodge.

The next five steps allude to the five senses of men, hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting, and remind us to excercise due control over these senses. These also allude to the five architectural orders, which are, the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite.

Each order has its specialization and you can see the workmanship of each of such orders in the temple. They also allude to the five points of Fellowship. The seven and last set of steps allude to the seven liberal arts and sciences, which are, Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astrology. They remind you that you are expected to keep improving your skills in these seven disciplines. Grammar, so that you may express yourself properly, Logic, in order that you can distinguish good from bad, and can make a reasonable decision when faced with a dilemma. Rhetoric because it beautifies your language, Arithmetic, because a Mason needs to be calculative in his actions, Geometry, because the whole science of the temple construction depends upon Geometry; Music, so when you shift from labor to refreshment you are able to appreciate the beauty of life, which is best expressed in terms of Music. Astrology, because it helps you to know the day and night; to know when to begin work and when to stop; to understand the seasons and to know the total area of jurisdiction of the Grand Architect of the Universe.

As you reach the outer door, you find that this door is open partially, and guarded closely by the Junior Warden, who demands a password. After due satisfaction, you are allowed to enter, but there is one more threshold to be crossed, credentials to be established again, and the password to be given again to the Senior Warden, who determines whether you enter the Middle Chamber or are refused admission. As you enter, you see a light emanating from the Letter “G”, which is displayed over the Masters chair in the East. You then notice King Solomon standing in the East holding a register in his hand. He inspects the register and calculates the wages due you. The wages paid to you are in the form of corn, wine, and oil; corn to feed you, wine to help you charge your energies, and the oil of joy. Having accepted your wages, you salute King Solomon, and withdraw from the Lodge with a sincere promise to return, remembering your obligation, whenever, you are summoned.


Hiram Abiff
The Widow’s Son


"No man has ever knelt at our altar of Obligation an arose the same man."
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SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001. Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say ‘Good-Bye.’ I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, ‘Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK, I am ready to go.’

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words as she realized he wasn’t coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to me for help. ‘I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!’ I said. ‘Of course I will show you the way home, only believe in Me now.’

I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were over-taken.

I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan, and Afghanistan. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name, though not all knew Me.

Some met me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought me with their last breath. Some could not hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames. ‘Come to Me, this way, take My hand.’ Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?

September 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then at any moment, you will know you are ‘ready to go,’ and I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

Hiram Abiff
“The Widow’s Son”

Click Here for more 9/11 Tributes at Project 2996

A BROTHER'S HAND

When you sometimes feel downhearted,
And life is hard to understand,
It’s great to feel the pressure,
Of a Brother’s friendly hand.

Just to know he shares your feelings,
Although he doesn’t say a word,
You can feel your attitude changing,
For your heart is touched, and stirred.

With an arm across your shoulder,
And a grip you seek to find,
You can always feel the bonding,
Of two hearts of humankind.

It is only a small token,
Like the waves against the sand,
For there is faith, and hope, and courage,
In a Brother’s friendly, hand.


Hiram Abiff
The Widow’s Son

"No man has ever knelt at our altar of Obligation an arose the same man."
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THE DEW OF HERMON

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

I wonder if we are able to catch all that this writer is trying to impart. These are words fill with extremely deep meaning. These are words needed to be heard in the society in which we live. Today, our society and our world are in desperate need of the message given in these three short verses. The profound message should go deep within the recesses of our being and assist us in finding a better understanding of what unity is all about.

Here we have two wonderful illustrations of unity among brethren. It is like the ointment descending from the head of the high priest to the skirts of his garments, and it is like the dew descending in refreshing power, from Hermon’s snowy top. It is one thing to talk about unity, and another thing altogether to dwell in it. We may profess to hold “the unity of the body, and “the unity of the Spirit,” the most precious and glorious truths, and all the while be really full of selfish pride, party spirit, and sectarian feeling, all of which are entirely destructive of practical unity. If Brethren dwell together in unity, they must be receiving the ointment from the refreshing showers from the true Hermon.

See the proof of the excellence of Brotherly Love, where Brethren dwell together in unity and the Lord commands the blessing. If we could persuade people to live together in peace, it would be wonderful. Most of the time our experience in life tends to be a life where there is everything but harmony. Our fast-pace, more or less, demands that we seek to achieve or climb a ladder. When this becomes the norm in life, there are too many occasions when we do not take the time to understand what others are thinking or feeling. We are always looking over our shoulder wondering who is creeping up on us, trying to by-pass us, or perhaps trying to push us out of line for something we seek. It is important that, when we come to this point in life, we take time to know who we are and what we are. We must examine our lives and feel the goodness that can be there when all is harmonious. I am sure there have been times in our lives when we have known this feeling of tranquility, peace or calm. Perhaps it has come when the kids are finally in bed and settled down. All is quiet, and for a few moments, you can sit back and enjoy the peace of life. The writer is saying that it is this kind of feeling that is great, and should be the norm in our lives. How good and how pleasant it is when we can dwell in unity. It is good for our honor and comfort, and brings constant delight to those who do live in unity. The pleasantness of this is similar to the holy anointing oil. It is profitable as well as pleasing. It cools the scorching heat of men’s passions, just as the dews cool the air and refresh the earth. It moistens the heart, and makes it fit to receive the good seed of the word, and to make it fruitful.

During my lifetime, I have witnessed all too often, when people disagree on issues, it is not just a difference of opinion, but it is like a wedge that separates and divides. People state their side of an issue and then immediately shut off their hearing. There does not seem to be any willingness to attempt to hear what the other person is trying to say.

Nor, is there an effort made to try to find a way where things can be worked out in agreement between the parties. Somehow, there must come a moment, when we take the initiative, and become the person who is willing to listen, and seek to dwell in unity. We are living in a time when there is great discord in our society. People are running here and there, each doing their own thing, not being mindful of others, and are bound and determined, to be there first.

By dwelling together, we confirm ourselves as Brothers united together in our search for truth. During that gathering, we invigorate each other by having the attentive ear listen to the instructive tongue of a Brother, as he exercises that instructive tongue to impart wisdom and speak from the heart. Finally, we use the faithful breast as a repository, not only for the secrets of Freemasonry, but also for the confidence entrusted to us, by our Brethren.

So remember my Brothers, to strive to be in unison with another, upon the level, with love, helping your Brother. In closing let me leave you with his thought:

We stand as a force, united together,
In rain and in snow,
Not only in fair weather.

As Brothers, we stand united forever.
Traveling upon the level as we endeavor
To reach that spiritual house, not made with hands,
While the hourglass slowly releases, those grains of sand.

We are standing and living by the golden rule.
Until that day when we lay down our working tools.
To that glorious light of yours we hasten
As your Creation, your children, and as Freemasons.


“BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IS FOR BRETHREN TO DWELL
TOGETHER IN UNITY”

Historical note:
Mount Hermon’s summit is on the border between Syria and Lebanon. The southern slopes have been in Israeli control since the six - day war in 1967. Mount Hermon supplies the bulk of the Jordan’s river water, and is Israel’s only ski resort.

Hiram Abiff
The Widow’s Son

"No man has ever knelt at our altar of Obligation an arose the same man."
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