U.M.W. St. Johns Grand Lodge of Louisiana A.F.&A.M. � � � Boaz & Jachin - The Pillars of the Porch We encounter the two great pillars Boaz and Jachin twice in Freemasonry. We encounter them physically, as brothers who had been regularly initiated and seeking more light by being passed to the degree of fellow craft. This of course happens as we prepare to make the ascent up the the winding stairs to the middle chamber to receive our wages of a fellow craft, which are corn, wine and oil, emblematic of peace, unity and plenty. This place being The Holy of Holies or Sanctum Santorum. We also encounter them in the historical sense as we examine them biblically on the porch of King Solomon’s Temple. While easily recognizable to any studied Mason... The representation of the pillars differs slightly. Below is the way the pillars appear in Lodges, followed by a representation of the biblical description. Boaz and Jachin - The Pillars of the Porch By Bro. Abraham W. Johnson Patterson Lodge #36
U.M.W. St. Johns Grand Lodge of Louisiana A.F.&A.M. The names of the pillars... Boaz and Jachin are given to us in the Bible. 1 Kings 7:21 reads: ‘And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz’. In the original Hebrew, “Boaz” means strength, “Jachin” meaning to establish. Collectively alluding to God’s promise to David to establish his kingdom in strength. As we examine the physical characteristics, first we start with the most obvious trait of the pillars, and that is the fact that there are two. The number 2 is significant of witness. In both the Old and New Testaments, the testimony of 2 was required. Deuteronomy 17:6 ‘At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.’ and 2 Corinthians 13:1 ‘This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.’ The Pillars Both representations of the pillars start with the shaft of the pillar. Lester’s tells us “These pillars were cast in the clay grounds on the banks of Jordan, between Succoth and Zarthan, where all the vessels of King Solomon’s Temple were cast by Hiram Abiff. They were cast hollow the better to serve as a safe deposit for the archives of Masonry against all conflagrations and inundations. Conflagration means an extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property, and inundation means flooding. The thickness of the pillars was a hand or four fingers. We find this in Jeremiah 52:20-21. The pillars were made of bright or scoured brass... we find this in 1 Kings 7:45 ‘And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to King Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.’ As well as 1 Chronicles 18:8 ‘Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.’ In the bible, brass is found to be symbolic of judgment against sin, and against self. The Holy Spirit is titled “The Spirit of Judgement and the spirit of Burning” (Isaiah 4:4) Scouring speaks of the suffering and chastisement that believers experience as the Lord deals with sin and selfishness. (Hebrews 12:11) Lester’s says “They were each thirty-five cubits in height, and were adorned with chapiters of five cubits, making in all forty cubits in height. This is confirmed in the bible in 2 Chronicles 3: 15 ‘Also he made in front of the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.’ This description is more detailed in 1 Kings 7:15 says ‘For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.’ 18 is a multiple of 9, nine being the number of Divine completeness and finality. It is also the number of the holy spirit. There are 9 fruits of the spirit, 9 gifts of the spirit, and 9 beatitudes (or commandments of blessedness). This means the pillars speak of that which is completed, that which is final as to the outer court ministry, or how we have lived according to how He wants us to live, the final step before entering the Lord’s house. The line of 12 cubits surrounding it is the circumference, indicating that it is 12 cubits, or 18 Boaz and Jachin - The Pillars of the Porch By Bro. Abraham W. Johnson Patterson Lodge #36
U.M.W. St. Johns Grand Lodge of Louisiana A.F.&A.M. feet around. The number 12 is the number of Divine government. Twelve is the number of God’s government being seen in the city of God, the new Jerusalem(Revelation 21-22). In this place everything is according to God’s Order, God’s law, and His government. When dealing with the height and circumference we see the unit of measurement called cubits. This historically has never been an exact measurement. It is understood to be a physical measurement of about 1.5 feet or 18 inches. Or in those days, the length from ones elbow to finger tips. Using this measurement we can assume that the pillars, from base to Lily work were approximately 60 feet. The column itself being roughly 52.5 feet tall. The Chapiters This brings us to the chapiters. The pillars had chapiters or crowns or caps on them. The crown speaks of that which is kingly. Christ is crowned with honor and glory. The saints receive their crowns when their earthly ministry is completed. We find this in Hebrews 2:9 and 1 Peter 5:4. We are given the physical description in 1 Kings 7:16 ‘And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits.’ We get a varying size in 2 Kings 25:17 which says it measures 3 cubits. This is most likely because the chapiter itself was 3 cubits in size, but the bowls which they were set in made up the other 2 cubits, being considered 1 ornament. The bowls or Pommels which are referred to in 2 Chronicles 4:12 and 1 Kings 7:41-42 are simply round bowls to hold the chapiters. 5 is the number of God’s grace, the number of life and atonement. Lester’s tells us that the chapiters were adorned with lily-work, network and pomegranates. The network is broken down into two parts... Nets of Checker Work, and Wreaths of Chain work. Nets of Checker Work Network, or as it is referred to as checker work is mentioned 6 times in the bible. These references often relate to the weaving of clothing. Lester’s says The intimate connections of its parts denotes unity. As we know from 1 of the first scriptures we learn in Masonry. Psalms 133... ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ Because that is how we should work, with an interwoven unified purpose. We see checker works in the bible relating to the pillars in: 1 Kings 7:17 ‘And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.’ The two bowl-like chapiters were set and then these nets of checker work were on top of these bowls. In the scriptures the net reminds us of Christ’s call to His disciples to become fishers of men and catch men in the Gospel net (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17; Matthew 13:47-50, Ezekiel 47:10-14). We know that Christ is the master fisherman and that He knows the right bait to catch fish out of the sea of humanity. The parable of the kingdom shows the Gospel net bringing in all kinds of fish, or people. Jeremiah 16:16 ‘Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after Boaz and Jachin - The Pillars of the Porch By Bro. Abraham W. Johnson Patterson Lodge #36
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