What does the Chapter mean by the Sacred and Mysterious Name?

The Sacred and Mysterious Name signifies the true name of the Deity, symbolizing the true God and representing His self-existent essence 1. In traditional Masonic commentary, divine titles such as the Tetragrammaton are understood as being derived directly from the divine substance itself, indicating a self-existent nature that stands separate from created works 1.

In present-day explanations, the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire confirms that the Sacred and Mysterious Name refers directly to the name of the True and Living God Most High. Furthermore, material published by the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire emphasizes that the symbolic search within the Holy Royal Arch extends to finding the "WORD"—defined as the Will or Law of God—rather than being confined strictly to the Sacred and Mysterious Name alone.

The designation of the Royal Arch as a fourth degree arose from the system maintained by the "Antients" Grand Lodge during the eighteenth century. The Antients viewed the Royal Arch not as an auxiliary or separate order, but as the culmination and essence of Craft Masonry, effectively treating it as a fourth degree in their working.

This interpretation created a structural disagreement with the rival "Moderns" Grand Lodge, who refused to recognize a fourth degree. As the United Grand Lodge of England notes, early draftings of Article 2 of the 1813 Act of Union originally attempted to formalize the Antients' perspective, explicitly defining pure Antient Masonry as consisting of "four degrees, and no more, viz. those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, the Master Mason and also, the Supreme Degree of the Holy Royal Arch."

To resolve the conflict between the two traditions and achieve union, the final wording of Article 2 was amended. According to the United Grand Lodge of England, the final compromise text established that pure Antient Masonry consists of "three degrees, and no more... including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch." This adjustment allowed the Antients to retain the Royal Arch as an integral completion of Craft Masonry while satisfying the Moderns' insistence on a three-degree limit.

The double cube—frequently associated with the oblong square—serves as a primary geometric symbol representing both the Lodge and its central Altar 21. The single cube historically signified equality, purity, and justice, which led to the selection of the double cube as the shape of the Masonic Altar.

In its ceremonial role, the double-cubical Altar acts as an altar of sacrifice where a candidate is directed to lay down passions and vices, while simultaneously serving as the pedestal for the Three Great Lights and the pedestal of obligation. On such an altar, as Arthur Edward Waite observes, the human soul symbolically offers itself in sacrifice in response to a divine call 2.

Beyond its physical place in the lodge, the double cube carries cosmic and allegorical meaning. As recorded by The Square Magazine, the oblong cube has from ancient ages signified the immensity of space, extending from the base of the earth to the zenith of the heavens. Waite further explains that the double cube represents the universe and, in a microcosmic sense, the human body containing an immanent divine nature 2.

Classical traditions preserved in Masonic commentary also connect the cubical form to divine truth and ancient altars 1. Doctor Oliver notes that ancient deities such as Mercury were represented by cubical stones as emblems of truth 1. In classical legend, when a fatal pestilence struck Delphi, the oracle commanded that the cubical altar of Apollo be doubled, establishing an ancient symbolic precedent for the elevated double-cube pedestal in a Lodge 1.

Symbolic differences between Craft Freemasonry and the Holy Royal Arch emerge primarily in their central allegories, spatial arrangements, and spiritual foci. In Craft Freemasonry, the central allegory is built around the construction of King Solomon’s Temple. In the Holy Royal Arch, the narrative shifts to the recovery of lost Masonic secrets and the rebuilding of the Second Temple, completing the symbolic journey started in the Third Degree by resolving its narrative and uncovering what was lost.

Geometric and spatial representations also marked a distinct change between the Orders. Symbolic allusions in Craft Freemasonry refer to the Sacred Square or Tetractys viewed in the West by the Junior Warden, whereas the Holy Royal Arch features a Sacred Delta, or triangle, illuminated from the zenith. Walter Leslie Wilmshurst explains that the circular symbol of the Grand Geometrician, which in the Craft's Second Degree shone high above in the ceiling and in the Third Degree moved to the East, descends in the Royal Arch completely to the chequer-work floor as a cubical focus bearing the Sacred Name 3. Additionally, while an assembly in Craft Masonry is designated a Lodge and governed by seven officers, in the Royal Arch it is designated a Chapter and constituted by nine officers grouped in three triads 3.

Color symbolism further distinguishes the two systems. While blue represents the foundational connection between Ancient Craft Masonry and the Chapter, the Holy Royal Arch introduces scarlet to denote fervency and zeal, alongside white to signify purity.