What is the Holy Royal Arch?

The Holy Royal Arch represents the climax and conclusion of Freemasonry under the English Constitution 1. Originally conferring its teachings as an expansion and completion of the Third Degree, the Royal Arch was later detached to form its own distinct Order 1. When the rival Grand Lodges of the "Antients" and "Moderns" united in 1813, they formally established that pure ancient Masonry consists of three degrees—Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason—including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch 1. Today, the United Grand Lodge of England and the Supreme Grand Chapter of England emphasize this historical connection, describing the Royal Arch as the natural completion of the Master Mason's journey.

Philosophically, the Order illustrates the final stage of human regeneration and spiritual restoration 1. Sacramentalized through the historical setting of a council of the Jewish Sanhedrim and the return of exiled souls from Babylon to Jerusalem, the ceremony typifies the soul's escape from temporal captivity into spiritual freedom and unity 1. The three Principals—Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Joshua—personify the high divine attributes of Royal Supremacy, Holiness, and Functional Power, while the Sojourners represent the faculties of the human personality 1. Through these allegorical representations, the Royal Arch expands upon the preliminary labors of the Craft degrees, bringing their moral and spiritual instruction to its ultimate fulfillment 1.