Swedish-Zinnendorf Ritual

V. Degree.

Fourth Article

Explanation of the hieroglyphs and allegorical symbols to be venerated

among the luminous Scottish St. Andrew's Masters;

in questions and answers.

1. Why is the luminous Scottish St. Andrew's Master Lodge divided into two main parts, of which the outer represents a destroyed temple, and the inner represents the forecourt to a new building?
Answer: Because we, like biblical figure associated with rebuilding Jerusalem Nehemias, are occupied with the rebuilding of a new one upon the ruins of the old temple, for which the St. Andrew's Masters have the privilege to interpret.

2. What does the compass divided in the degree mean, which surrounds the altar and Adoniram’s coffin as the center point of the destroyed temple?
It means both the Earth and the entire world.

3. What do the 12 degrees on it mean?
They are an allegory not only of the division of the year and the day into months and hours, but also of the 12 advancement steps of the order, of which the last three make up the highest main division, although this latter does not, in a certain sense, belong to the general main division of the order, but merely to the highly enlightened and governing brothers of the advisory cross, who are divided among themselves into the three main degrees, which with the 9 degrees of the order make up twelve advancement levels.
Namely, there belong to the first or lower class:
1. the working St. John's Apprentices,
2. the zealous " " Fellows, and
3. the worthy " " Masters,
which steps correspond to the numbers I, II, III on the compass, and make up the first main division on it.
The second main division consists of:
4. the highly worthy St. Andrew's Apprentice-Fellows,
5. the luminous " " Masters, and
6. the highly luminous Star-Builders;
which correspond to the numbers IV, V, and VI, and make up the second main division of the compass.
The brothers of the third class are:
7. the highly luminous trusted brothers of Solomon,
8. the enlightened and trusted brothers of the St. John's Lodge, and
9. the highly enlightened and trusted brothers of the St. Andrew's LL abbreviation for Lodges;
which correspond to the steps of the numbers VII, VIII, and IX, and make up the third main division of the compass.