what is the historical meaning of the three scepters in the royal arch

Placed in a triangular form beneath the canopy in the East, the three scepters refer to the regal, prophetical, and sacerdotal offices 2. They are surmounted respectively by a crown, an All-seeing eye, and a miter 2. Mackey notes that George Oliver described them as scepters in his Landmarks, though Mackey considers rod or wand to be the better term, arguing that a scepter is properly restricted to kings whereas a rod or wand acts as a general mark of authority across different offices 2.

These three offices correspond directly to the Three Principals—Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Joshua 2. Wilmshurst interprets these figures and their associated offices as personifications of the spiritual pole in man, expressing three conjoint attributes: holiness, royal supremacy, and functional power 1. In this reading, Haggai represents the passive, self-contemplative, and prophetic insight of the spirit, bearing the All-seeing eye 12. Joshua personifies the active, executive, and sacerdotal power that functions intermediately to redeem man's lower nature 1. Zerubbabel stands as the central, coordinating regal term from which the active and passive aspects issue 1.

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The supplied sources do not record specific colors assigned to the three scepters, though they detail the symbolic meanings of the colors associated with the veils 2. Blue signifies universal friendship and benevolence 2. Purple represents union, reflecting the connection between Craft and Royal Arch Masonry 2. Scarlet symbolizes fervency and zeal 2. White signifies purity, reminding the candidate that only through purity of life may one be found worthy to receive Divine Truth 2.