Ever wondered what are the meaning of these "pillars" that are found all over the world from Washington (the Washington Monument) to the Vatican? Why do the "Freemasons" regard them as "powerful symbols" and what does the Bible have to say about them?
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An obelisk (Greek obeliskos, diminutive of obelos, "needle") is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top. Ancient obelisks were made of a single piece of stone (a monolith). The term stele (plural: stelae) is generally used for other monumental standing inscribed sculpted stones not of classic obelisk form
Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated - Dr. Cathy Burns (P340-342)
Another name for a four sided pillar is the Obelisk. Pillars have always been worshiped as gods. In Egypt, the obelisk stood for the sun god. The New Age Magazine had an article by 33° Mason, Henry Ridge Evans, in which he said that Osiris, the god of the underworld, was also depicted in the form of a pillar.
In fact, in Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues, we find the lingam (male sex organ) was an upright pillar.
H.L. Haywood, another Mason, states: "In some cases these crude rock pillars were thought to be the abodes of gods or demons: in others, homes of ghosts; and often as symbols of sex. Of the last-named usage one writer has said that 'pillars of stone, when associated with worship, have been from time immemorial regarded as symbols of the active and passive, the generative and fecundating principles, twin builders and supporters of the heavens..."
Masonic author, Rollin Blackmer, elaborates: : The Symbolism regarding solar (sun) worship indicated by the point within the circle has many variations, but one of the most primitive and natural was the sun was to be regarded as the male generative power of nature. To the ancient philosopher the origin and creation of life led to the contemplation of only one process, the generative act. The sun god was certainly the generator of life, light and heat, the male principle, and this was symbolically represented by the phallus or Lingam, which was some picture, more or less veiled, of the human male generative organ. The most frequent illustration was of a pillar set up in the center of a circle. The circle just as distinctively represented the earth or female principle. The sun was the great father, under his benign influence all nature germinated, and the earth was the universal mother in whose ample womb all these germs grew to maturity."
In Our Phallic Heritage we are told that "All pillars or columns originally had a phallic significance, and were therefore considered sacred." Pan, the goat god and god of sensuality, was often represented as an obelisk.
A former which gives some interesting information about the obelisk. He writes: "The obelisk is a long pointed four-sided shaft, the uppermost portion of which forms a pyramid. The word "obelisk" literally means "Baal's Shaft" or Baal's organ of reproduction. This should be especially shocking when we realize that we have a gigantic obelisk in our nation's capital known as the Washington Monument."
Of course the Masons and Egyptians aren't the only ones who had high regard for the obelisk. In front of the Vatican stands the very same obelisk that once stood in Egypt. Ralph Woodrow explains: "The very same obelisk that once stood at the ancient temple which was the center of Egyptian paganism, now stands before the mother church of Romanism. This seems like more than a mere coincidence.
"The red granite obelisk of the Vatican is itself 83 feet high (132 feet high with its foundation) and weighs 320 tons. In 1586, in order to center it in front of the Church in St. Peters square, it was moved to its present location by order of Pope Sixtus V. Of course moving this heavy obelisk was a very difficult task. Many movers refused to attempt the feat, especially since the Pope had attached the death penalty if the obelisk was dropped and broken. Finally a man by the name of Domenico Fontana accepted the responsibility. With 45 winches, 160 horses and a crew of 800 workmen, the task of moving began. The date was September 10, 1586. Multitudes crowded the extensive square. While the obelisk was being moved, the crowd, upon penalty of death, was required to remain silent. But after the obelisk was successfully erected, there was the sound of hundreds of bells ringing, the roar of cannons and the loud cheer of the multitude."
When the children of Israel would forsake God, they turned to worshiping idols. One of the idols they worshiped was the Obelisk. God had specifically forbidden them to do so.
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols - Udo Becker(p219)
A tall stone pillar tapering toward the top and having a square foundation and pyramidical tip. In Egypt, especially in the Eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties, it was a cult symbol of the sun god: in the morning, its tip was struck by the first rays of the sun. In addition, it's strong emphatic, directional shape represents the connectivity between the earth and the sky or sun. In ancient Egypt obelisks usually stood in pairs in front of temple entrances. Today, thirty obelisks are still standing or have been erected, about fourteen of which are in Rome (they were first consecrated by exorcism and crowned with a cross); only five obelisks are still standing in Egypt. Since the Renaissance, they have been a decorative Architectural component and are used today as a type of monument.