I pray you are well as we ride out one of the last winter storms here in the Eastern U.S.A. in 2014!
One of the biggest talked about mysteries in the bible amongst believers and non believers is the number mentioned in Revelation Chapter 13.
Revelation 13:18 KJV
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six. (666)
I recently revisited the George Washington Masonic Lodge in "Alexandria", Va. and came across some very interesting truths that might be worth your time to dig into! While we know there is NOTHING like singing, dancing and shouting a few Hallelujahs in the Presence of the LORD, I believe it is also good to know what is going on around us at the same time as we approach "The Final 7 Years!" We don't want to get snubbed the same way that Belshazzar did in Daniel Chapter 5!
I often have wondered what the "G" in the middle of the compass and square stood for and where this symbol actually came from. I had the opportunity to ask exactly that to a couple of masons while I was there on this visit. If you are not familiar with that symbol, please click here for a look at it or just look on one of you local town boards as you pass through the city you live in and more than likely you can catch a glimpse of it there!
At first glance it may not seem like much, BUT...... what is all of that really about?
As I got my answers when I asked about the "G" in the middle of the compass and square the pieces began to come together. Two people mentioned that the "G" stands for God and Geometry. Now I'm not sure exactly what God the "G" is suppose to stand for, but, somehow I don't feel I'd get too far talking about Jesus there! And as for the Geometry;
I mentioned awhile back that the so called "Star of David", more accurately, "The Seal of Solomon", actually consisted of a six inside a six inside a six, meaning, it has six points on the outside with six triangles in the middle and also consists of six planes on the inside. The compass and square can also form a so called "Star of David" by adding the horizontal lines across the top of the square and another horizontal line at the bottom of the compass. (Although some have lowered the compass on some images to make this seem unsure.)
I feel very safe to say that this is the same star that the prophets were trying to warn the Jewish people about for the last 2600 years or so! Amos brought God's message to the Jewish people a couple hundred years after Solomon's fall into idolatry.
Amos 5:25 KJV
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
The idolatry of this image didn't stop there though, we see the first martyr of the New Testament about 800 years later get stoned just a few breaths after mentioning this same idol in Acts chapter 7!
Acts 7:43 KJV
Yeah, Ye took up the Tabernacle of Molech, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them, and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
Interesting enough, The bible tells us that masons worked on Solomon's Temple 2800 years ago!
1 Chronicles 14:1 KJV
Now, Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timbers of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.
1 Kings 5:2&3 KJV
And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
Thou knowest how that David my father could not build a house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
After leaving the Masonic Temple that day it hit me also that it was in Alexandria, Va. and I began to wonder if that had anything to do with Alexandria, Egypt. After the death of Nelson Mandela I read that he was a Free Mason and began doing some research. In one article I read I learned that The George Washington Masonic Temple is actually designed after a lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt so I guess you could say there has to be some kind of connection there!
I feel certain that many reading this are wondering now, Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Let me put it like this, if you have accepted Jesus as your LORD and Savior AND been baptized in His Name as He commanded ALL believers to do, there really is nothing that can pull you from the Palm of God's hand therefor it's just information on what is going on all around us from day to day!
Paul knew well that there was a god running this world the way he wants to run it.
2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
When you really put all of this together it becomes a little more clear why we will soon be meeting JESUS in the air! I like the way one pastor in Texas put it "Because this place is gonna be on fire!" The pastor in Texas followed that statement with "You don't hear them preach it like that anymore!"
While it may not be a money maker to preach it like that, it still will not change the accuracy of the statements made!
There is another star that has also caught my attention that is found on the souvenir cups that are sold at the lodge. The upside down 5 pointed star. While I have not seen this image on as many town bill boards as I pass through local towns, it is on quite a few of them here in the Fairfax and Manassas Va. area.
I also asked about this star when I was there and they said that it is just simply the "Eastern Star". I'm not sure why you would turn the star of the east upside down but I guess that is a future question to be asked.
Matthew 2:2 KJV
Where is He who has been borne King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
When it comes right down to it, we really do NOT need any images to worship or give honor when we have the privilege of worshipping the living God!
Why settle for a generic soda when you can have The Real Thing! But then again, if you have never tasted "The Real Thing", I guess there is really no way for you to know what you're missing!
1 Kings 10:14
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold. (666)
Have a blessed week!
and don't forget to let someone know that there is ONLY ONE GOD and His Name is JESUS!