Chapter Twenty Seven: The Education. The following week was quiet; dull even, just how i liked it. But, it was during these times that the black cloak of depression could set in; if the lithium was low, no challenge was present to raise my defence mechanisms, and no pals were there to deflect my attention away from my own self despair: it could get bad and I would head for the fridge. Alcohol is an immediate and relaxing antidote to stress, depression and generally feeling like crap about anything; pity then, that it is a well-known depressant that will slowly drive you into a despairing roller coaster of doom and neglect. And exasperate any emotions you are feeling to double their normal intensity, so that any one issue will make you over react and behave like a complete moron. I would sit watching the TV, thoughts of Cat and pleasing images of her solid in my mind; they would not shift: ‘just leave me in peace, please’. I missed her terribly; my head hurt and my insides twisted with pain. It was 6 am and I have just got up for a drink of water to ease my dry and dehydrated throat. My head was throbbing and my conscience was torn in two. I had really downed a few last night, so much for staying on the wagon. There was a loud knocking at the door, thud, thud it went. It could only be Jeff; he is the only person I know with a fist big enough to nearly knock a door down. ‘All right, all right, take it easy, I’m just coming. I open the door and Jeff just barges in like any best mate would do. ‘Get the kettle on’ ‘Yes Jeff’ Ten minutes passes by before I put the coffees on the table. ‘Have you had a rough night Steve?’ ‘You could say that’ ‘Here you are, take this’. He hands me another five grand and a quite old looking booklet. Cash money has a strange effect on people and I am no different. The wad of notes makes me happier the instant I touch it, any stress or anxiety I may have had on paying the mortgage or household bills evaporates in a flash as I receive yet another donation to the cause. I quite rightly question his motives. Resign from your job he says; the night at the lodge sealed the deal; they love you, love what you stand for and absolutely love the way you stood up to McGowan and his cronies. ‘But why Jeff, why so easy’? ‘Look Steve, you’ve got two days to smarten yourself up again, you’re in a right state’. Let’s get out of the hallway, sit down and let me educate you about this world you live within but have no understanding of, it’s far bigger than the both of us that’s for sure. People go about their business trying to earn enough money to get by and are mostly content with their lot. You know the score, a four bedroom house with a garage, nice car, 2.2 kids and a dog; and maybe a few quid in the bank for the annual holiday. But there is so much more going on in this world Steve: unimaginable atrocities, brutality, crime, debauchery, paedophilia, pederasty, molestation, torture, incest and murder; every sin known to man is committed somewhere in this world every single day. It will come as no surprise to you that the Freemason is under oath to improve his and his brothers standing in this world, but to an end Steve, so that we may contribute to our local society by way of charitable contribution and influence of local political issues; and most of all Steve, something that is far bigger than mankind itself. This little speech stunned me into a sort of trance whereby I was not quite sure how to respond and when I did, it was with a hint of sarcasm: ‘Bigger than mankind itself; and what might that be Jeff’. He proceeds to inform me that in two days’ time we are to have a private meeting at the lodge. I will be inducted and this will take the form of a ceremony that follows a strict protocol handed down through generations of Freemasonry. I will be asked some very personal questions and I must answer them honestly; should I be found to be lying I will be excommunicated or at worst taken from this world. Everyone knows the Freemasons are a global fraternity and I was duly informed as a subtle way of letting me know they have ears everywhere. ‘Steve, let me tell you something, a Mason is duty bound to raise money, by hook or by crook as they used to say: whether it be by winning profitable contracts or by working his way through a company to be awarded high remuneration packages. But why; is it for self-gain? NO Steve it is not; it’s about Saddam in Iraq, Gaddafi in Libya, Mubarak in Egypt, and Bashar Al-Assad of Syria: all dictators installed into power by tribal traditions that date back 2000 years. In the Middle East the wealthy and strong endure and consume all the resources with no thought for the weak or any person of the working community. The ordinary working man or woman can be swept aside by corruption or cruelty at the wave of a hand. ‘Do you know who built the first temple? And what it stood for? And who destroyed it?’ ‘Wasn’t it built by Solomon in about 100BC or there a bouts?’ ‘Not bad for an atheist, you weren’t that far out’. The First Temple was built in 832BC by King Solomon under the command of our Lord God. The stones were prepared by his father David, the son of Saul: the king disposed by God for not following the way of the Ten Commandments and coming to war with the Philistines. Yes Steve, he started it, all those years ago. Remember David and Goliath? ‘Well yes, wasn’t David a small guy and Goliath some sort of giant warrior?’ ‘Well yes, but more to the point: David was a Jew against a Philistine called Goliath. This battle has continued in one form or another, for nearly 3000 years and we are here to bring this war of ages to an end. Solomon completed the temple and built the secret room called the Holy of Hollies, it was here that the Ark of the Covenant was placed in safe keeping. Before the temple was built, gods shrine was kept in a Tabernacle; a sort of ancient tent. The Temple lasted a good 400 years before the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar; who ransacked and burnt Jerusalem and also the First Temple to the ground. ‘That’s all very good and historic if you know what I mean, but what an earth has that got to do with the Freemasons’? ‘Sit, listen and learn, Freemasons spend many years climbing the Degrees of learning to achieve a full understanding of the historical facts and you are very privileged indeed to receive such advanced teaching’.
During the time of the Temple, peace and holy teaching calmed the land and maintained the right of man to a productive and peaceful life; free from the oppression of his neighbour and enemies alike. But when evil finds transmission through a weakened soul such as Nebuchadnezzar; man fights man and peace is lost to the wind. Only despair and unhappiness prevail. The booklet I gave you is called: ‘The way of the Freemason’, and is only a level one teaching, which is what you must know for tomorrow night. Read it tonight from cover to cover and be able to recite any part of it upon request. What I tell you today is in addition and only because you are to be one of the few. ‘One of the few, what the hell does that mean’? ‘Please Steve, be patient, it’s a lot to take in and the answers will come in time. Just think though, for you, the rat race is over’. That is a bonus for sure, but it’s all a bit weird. Curiosity gets the better of me though and I quieten down. Now the Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, but also something else which is not so well known and still exists today. It is a scripture of Moses called the Book of Deuteronomy, or second law, and is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Jewish Torah. The Ark of the Covenant was too big and heavy to hide and was easily discovered and hence destroyed by the Babylonians; but the Book of Deuteronomy and other important manuscripts survived, hidden by the Samaritan priesthood of Jerusalem. The Samaritans being a not so well regarded tribe of that time. Are you telling me that the United Grand Lodge Of England is a modern temple of god and houses ancient artefacts that are 2800 years old? Yes. And there is more if you are ready and willing to receive the information. Keep going Jeff, I’m all ears!
After many years of giving tribute to the kings of Babylon; the Kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem became strong again. Cyrus the great of Persia defeated the empire of Babylon and some years later when Cyrus died Jerusalem was free once more. Solomon’s Temple had remained a heap of stones for around 70 years until approximately 516BC when the Jewish people were released for a second time and work started on rebuilding the temple, the work was completed some years later. Then a new Jewish King emerged called Herod the Great; who took the renovation of the temple to a new level. The templ
e was hence forth known as Herod’s Temple. The scriptures were reclaimed from their hiding place and reinstated in the room of the Holy of Holies. Until: ‘Bloody hell Jeff; let me put the kettle on for god’s sake.’ ‘Easy son, this may be the modern world and we may be free and enlightened souls of democracy; but you must start to think like a Mason and show respect for our ancient fore fathers, the Israelites.’ ‘The Israelites: That’s a pop song innit’? ‘I am not laughing Steve and neither will the Master Mason tomorrow night, now get a grip of yourself and take this seriously. Please.’ ‘Well I do have a bloody hang over from hell. Sorry old boy, I have a very bad head ache and all that, you know’. OK Steve, enough is enough. Now pay attention for the next part of this crash course of human ancestry and the Promised Land.’ ‘Yes boss’. ‘It will be boss tomorrow night after the initiation. Your mine: after tomorrow.’ The look of terror on my face was a sight to see. Jeff spotted it straight away and realised his mistake. My thoughts: Fifteen grand and a few choice words and my best mate becomes my gang master! His thoughts: bloody hell I’ve lost him, all that bloody work and I’ve lost him. ‘Steve, Steve, take it easy, I didn’t mean it that way’. ‘The tone of your voice said something completely different Jeff, don’t walk all over me and expect me to be a puppet of the Masonic machine’. ‘It’s not like that Steve it’s just that I am rushing to give you a very brief history lesson on what we as Freemasons believe Is de facto history and very soon you will receive another briefing on an important mission from David; of which you and I will be two of the main team players’. ‘Two. Who are the others’? ‘My brothers: Paul and Kevin’. My surprise was evident: ‘Oh, is that so. OK Jeff, carry on mate, I can’t help but be over awed by it all sometimes and I get a little wary of ending up in a very week position, being pushed around by all and sundry’. ‘Are you ok now’? Having calmed down a little, he takes his chance to continue. ‘Right, are you ready for another hit of righteous reality’? ‘Yes’.
Well here we go then: The Romans arrived at the gates of Jerusalem, in response to the Jewish revolt against unfair taxation; which was controlled by the Romans and governed by their allies, the Syrians. Titus crushed the Jews and destroyed the Temple; but the priests of Samaritanism rallied once more and preserved the ancient scriptures of Yahweh. Who the bloody hell is Yahweh. Please Steve show a little respect. I could see in Jeff’s face that he meant it and he was offended; I took the hint and apologised. To be honest it was starting to make sense. I was always on the good side of society and even went to Sunday school when I was a kid, the base knowledge was there to draw on; I wasn’t a complete numskull. But some of these lesser known facts were a spanner in the works. He proceeded to enlighten me. Yahweh is the name of God as described in the Hebrew bible and is the correct Hebrew word for God, the one true god that instructed Moses to lead the Israelites, to the Promised Land, away from the tyranny of Egypt and a lifetime of slavery. Do you know nothing! The Promised Land stretches from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates River. The world was created by Yahweh, and he promised the fertile land between the rivers to the Israelites, and they called it the land of Israel. Anyway, back to the Samaritans. As the Romans battered the gates of Jerusalem, the Samaritan priests hid the scriptures in the Well of the Souls, a cave below Mount Zion and our pre-history was saved. It is these scriptures that were discovered by the Knights Templar and brought to England. Is this true and what about the cup of Christ and all that? Oh you mean the Chalice of Christ as used by Jesus at the last supper; that is with the Cathedral of Valencia. Our Spanish brothers have that safely under lock and key. The Chalice will join us in Jerusalem when the third temple is constructed. The third temple! Oh good, I’m glad about that. What about the Dome of the Rock, won’t the Muslims have something to say about a third temple? You do have a point, Muslim money does own the Dome, but the Dome was always meant to be a resting place for Pilgrims, to shelter them from the heat of the day and the cold of the night; it was never intended to be a Mosque. Sympathetic Muslim elders are on our side, ready to assist us, should our plan come to fruition; they want to see a lasting peace between all of their people, of all religions. They want to see an end to the 3000 year old war between the Israelites and the Philistines. You’re not doing badly for a bloke who cannot read or write Jeff, what’s going on? You forget I have spent 10 years learning this stuff; you have about 10 hours and must reproduce any part of it, on demand, at an Induction tomorrow night. The degrees of teaching are there for a reason, to ensure a systematic and achievable pace of learning for everyone. We want all our brothers to be successful and learn the ancient history of Yahweh. Including illiterate idiots like me. You are far from an idiot Jeff, please proceed to enlighten me. That’s about it for now. The rest will be explained to you at a later date. It was a lot to take in and Jeff was deadly serious about the whole thing. Me personally: I thought it was a pretty good history lesson and this was the base knowledge you must hold to be a Freemason. No problem then; or so I thought.