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s MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD SYMBOL Cuff Links mormon lds:
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MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD SYMBOL aka SEAL OF MELCHIZEDEKAntique NICKELCuff Link SetThis is a great gift for any member of the church. The emblem measures(7/8") and very nice. For quantity pricing or questions, e-mail or visit CustomMementos.com. Niceadjustable link on back to insert into cuff. Comes as a set of two.This symbol is found carved into the doors and walls throughout the San Diego Temple, Newport Beach Temple, and possibly other temples around the world. This symbol represents the following according to Hugh Nibley's "TEMPLE AND COSMOS":"Another Ravenna mosiac, e. A.D. 520, shows the priest-king Melchizedek in a purple cloak, offering bread and wine at the altar (Gen. 14: 18-20). The white altar cloth is decorated with two sets of gammadia, as well as the so-called "seal of melchizedek," two interlocked squares in gold. Abel offers his lamb as Abraham gently pushes Isaac forward. The hand of God reaches down to this sacred meeting through the red veils adorned with golden gammadia on either side. The theme is the great sacrifice of Christ, which brings togetherthe righteous prophets from the past as well as the four corners of the present world, thereby uniting all time and space."The intertwined squares represent 1. The four corners of the earth 2. The four tokens of the priesthood. The sphere in the center represents the light of Christ.8 = Jesus Christ, (Also 888). Also Rebirth, Periodic Renewal, Resurrection, Baptism, & Reconciliation, & Melchizidek Priesthood Authority. The number 8 can represent More than Full, (7 being full), Great Abundance, Deliverance, Salvation, and Spiritual Elevation. It Can also refer to Geographic Fullness - All Directions from Center, as in the 4 Cardinal Directions plus 4 additional in-bettween directions, (northwest, southeast, etc.). The number 8 is used to designate rebirth and renewal, often in a period of time involving an 8th step, (going beyond complete or full / 7). A total of 8 Witnesses were later provided for the Book of Mormon, after the original 3 witnesses. 888 is also the number for Jesus Christ as given by Gematria, (Jesus / I am the Life). The Urim and Thummim used by Joseph Smith in the translation of the Book of Mormon was described as a figure 8 shaped silver frame containing two crystal like stones, one on each side. Most baptismal fonts and basins around the world are 8 sided, especially in cathedrals and churches of the middle ages. The Holy of Holies in the Salt Lake Temple is a round room with a dome overhead, and has 8 pilasters encircling the sacred space. (See also 888 below)
The Octagon, the 8 Pointed Star, and Two Rotated Squares Together are associated with the number 8. These 2 intersecting squares often symbolize Priesthood Power or the Melchizedek Priesthood. Stars made from these 2 squares are found on the Nauvoo Temple and in the dome above the entrance to the Holy of Holies in the Salt Lake Temple. The number 8 points to resurrection, rebirth, & renewal, (baptism at age 8, circumcism at 8 days), and the Savior, as he is the source of these. Many architectural towers and spires of temples, (Nauvoo Temple), are eight sided. In Islam the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem is 8 sided, etc. Many Knights Templar buildings are 8 sided.
Left: 8 Arch Dome, Church of Cristo de la Luz, Toledo, Spain, 999 AD, (later converted to a Christian church)
Right: 2 Rotated Squares / Dome Before the Mihrab, The Great Mosque at Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain, 756 AD
Scriptural Examples of Usage of the Number 8:
The number 8 points to resurrection, rebirth, & renewal, (baptism at age 8), and the Savior, as he is the source of these.
Children are not accountable until age 8 in the LDS faith.
Males were circumcised in the Old Testament at an age of 8 days.
Christ rose from the dead on the 8th day, (or 1st day of the following week).
Only 8 people survived the great flood in Genesis, (rebirth, renewal of the human family. (1 Peter 3:18-22).
Aaron and his sons were consecrated on the 8th day.
On the Day of Atonement in Ancient Israel, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies of the Temples wearing 8 peices of clothing: (1.The golden crown on his forehead. 2.The breastplate on his heart. 3. The outer robe decorated with pomegranates and bells [the people listened for the bells while the priest was in the Holy of Holies to be sure the priest was still alive]. 4.The apron. 5. Four white garments made from white flax. 6. The belt. 7. The turban. And 8. Pants.)
8 Sided Baptismal Font & Cover with Dove, Canterbury Cathedral, England
Christ was seen by 512 people after his resurrection, (3 8's - 8x8x8=512).
Christ will come in the 8th age, (after the 7 seals of time).
The Jaredites prepared 8 barges with 2 stones in each to travel to the promised land to start life anew.
Nephi and his family spent 8 years in the wilderness before going to the promised land.
Alma & his people traveled 8 days to escape King Noah, then were later baptized starting new lives.
The Octagon and other 8 sided shapes are often seen on sacred architecture, (Nauvoo Temple Spire & exterior 8 sided stars, Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem, Holy of Holies - Salt Lake Temple - 8 sided stars in the Terrestrial Room and on the domed ceiling, which also has 8 pilasters encircling the cylindrical room, etc.). The Octagon is a transitional shape between the Cube, (earth), below, and the Sphere, (heaven), above it. This is a perfect metaphor for the Savior Jesus Christ as he is The reconciler and mediator between man and God.
An 8 sided star symbolizes the Melchizidek Priesthood on the Altar-Table mosaic in San Vitale, (Ravenna, Italy).
Early Christians used an Alpha-numeric system based on the New Testament Greek language, (Gematria), which when adding the letters of Jesus name, gives us 888, (3 - godly - 8's).
The Urim & Thummin used by Joseph Smith was in the shape of a figure 8. It was used to receive revelation from Jesus Christ. It featured to cyrstal like stones in each side of the frame.
The Endless & Eternal symbol, (two horizontal intertwined circles), found in the Kirtland Temple is very similar to a horizontal figure 8.
Christ is also known as Alpha & Omega, The Beginning and the End, etc., a Reconciler and Mediator between the Heavenly and Earthly worlds.
8 witnesses were provided for the Book or Mormon, (3 before hand).
The 8 pointed star can be made of the perimeter of two offset squares. This symbol is very common in Islam and often refers to shrinking and expanding, pulsing, etc., a symbol for the influence of God in all living things.
2 cubed / 3 2's / 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. The Holy of Holies of most biblical Temples was in cube shape. This is where God / Jehovah / Jesus revealed himself to the High Priest within the Holy of Holies of the Temple.
8 Sided & 3 Tiered Tower, (8 - Jesus Christ & Melchizedek Priesthood / 3 - Godly), Nauvoo, Illinios Temple, 2002 AD
Heavenly Symbols for Jesus Christ & the Number 8:
Venus Alignments: According to John Pratt, Astronomer, and many Bible scholars, the exact date of the ressurection of the Savior may be Sunday, 3 April, AD 33. All of these numbers have symbolic value. One of the symbols for the savior is the planet Venus, (the Evening and the Morning Star / Rev. 22:16). Since it is always close to the sun, it can only be seen in a dark sky at morning or evening. This planet would have risen as the Bright and Morning Star on this exact date, (AD 33), giving astronomical credence to the accuracy of the date.
Star Pattern in the Heavens, 8 Year Cycle: The inverted pentagram is a symbol found in numerous places, including some Gothic cathedrals and LDS Temples, (Salt Lake, Nauvoo, & Logan). It features a five pointed star with an elongated point facing downwards. This star is often associated with and symbolic for Jesus Christ as he has been called ‘The Star of the Morning', 'The Bright and Morning Star', or ‘The Evening and The Morning Star’ in scripture, (Numbers 24:17, Rev. 22:16, JST Rev. 12: 1, 7, Isaiah 60:1, & D&C 115: 5-6). In reality the evening and the morning star is really the planet Venus. It is the brightest object in the sky just prior to sunrise. It reflects or ‘borrow’s' it’s bright light from the sun. The elongated ray points downward to the rising sun as a symbol of where it gets its light. It is a pre-cursor or heralding star, announcing the dawning of a new day. It is THE star symbolizing the Savior Jesus Christ for these reasons and because it goes through a period of cyclical movement in its orbit, symbolic of the quickening, birth, death, and resurection of the Savior. In addition, the birth, death, baptism, and resurection dates in the Savior’s life align with the Mayan astronomical Venus Calendar holy days, (see John Pratt’s astronomical symbols information at <johnpratt.com> ). Every 8 years the moon and Venus are aligned with these year dates, and the cycle of alignments repeat. When the planet Venus disappears, or symbolically dies, it does so for 8 days, and then reappears, or resurrects. The 8 year movement of the planet Venus within the Zodiac of constellations also creates an exact pentagram, (star), shape in the vault of heaven. The number 8 is typically associated with both the Savior and with Resurrection, Renewal, & Rebirth, (8 = Abundance, baptism at age 8, circumcision at 8 days, etc.). Much of early Christain Art features The Star of Bethlehem, The Nativity Star, or The Star of the East, as a inverted pentagram, (Numbers 24:17, D&C 88:44, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Rev. 22:16 & 2:28). Besides LDS and Masonic Temples, inverted five pointed stars of equal length rays are also found in or on the following: The U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, early American flags, (the Great Star flag, 1837-45), the back of the Royal Seal of the Emperor Constantine, the Line Officer’s uniform of the U.S. Navy, the Official seal of Jerusalem, (300 - 150BC), Mount of Transfiguration paintings in Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, the North Transcept window of the Amiens Cathedral in France, and the stars surrounding both Mary and Christ at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France.
Note: Alphonse Louis Constant, a defrocked French Catholic deacon, began publishing books in 1855 associating the inverted five pointed star and a goats head with satanic worship. Previous to this time the inverted pentagram star was NOT linked to evil.
Left: Startrail Pattern, Anasazi Ruins, Middle: Inverted Pentagram, Logan Temple, Right: Inverted Pentagram, Nauvoo Temple
The Mayans and the Number 8: The movement of the planet venus in it's orbit in the dome of heaven has great symbolic value. The Mayans, (skilled astronomers), were aware of these associations with the tall, white skinned, bearded God, (who is said to have visited them in the 1st century AD), and attributed these heavenly movements of Venus with the birth, life, resurrection, etc., of this white God who would one day return. For them the resurrection of the Savior coincided exactly with the resurrection of the planet Venus, the Evening and the Morning star. It meant that when darkness cleared away in the morning, after the destruction experienced by the Nephite people, one of the first things their eyes saw was the rising of th dawn star, heralding that death was overcome.
Many other Native Americans hold this same tradition, believing that this great white God, (half man half God, born of a virgin), taught a religion of love and service. He forbade human sacrifice. He taught them agriculture, metallurgy, astronomy, medicine, government and gave them the calendar. He was known by many names; Wako in the Amazon, Quetzalcoatl in Mexico, Totem in Alaska, Montezuma in Texas, Tiki in Polynesia, etc. The English translation of some of these names is 'Feathered Serpent'. The feathers implied Godliness in the power to fly in the heavens and the serpent symbolized mortality, Christ's two-fold nature. The serpent is found in Moses's imagery of the fiery, flying serpent which was used to represent the Savior being lifted up on the pole, which would heal all those who looked upon it. (Numbers 21:6,9 / Joseph Smith used a cane in the shape of a serpent. It had his initials on it just below a crown symbol.)
Native American tradition links the Feathered Serpent to the Evening and the Morning Star in it's 4 orbital points as it rises and sets on the horizon. The Mayans provided 4 specific and accurate orbital points for Venus relative to the visual horizon. These correspond to 1. Quickening, 2. Birth, 3. Death, & 4. Resurrection. (Midpoints at high peak of the orbital points are Prime of Life and possibly Conception). The Mayans stated that, "At the time when the planet was visible in the sky, (an evening star), Quetzalcoatl died. And when Quetzalcoatl was dead he dwelt in the underworld...not until 8 days had passed did the great star appear"; that is, as the morning star. "They said that then Quetzalcoatl ascended the throne as God." (Aveni, Anthony, Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico) Knowing that the setting of Venus as an evening star represents death, allows one to fill in other heavenly symbolism. The rising of Venus as an evening star, for example, would represent birth, which is approriate since it rises somewhat dim, (newborn child). Venus then grows slowly to manhood and reaches it's brightest point, then plunges into the earth, symbolizing the Savior being killed in his prime. There is 40 days of darkness between the Conception period and the Quickening period, (when the spirit enters the body), as symbolized by the descent of Venus under the horizon before rising again at birth.
8 Sided Tower, (Resurrection), Ely Cathedral, England
Key Scripture Dates on Venus Holy Days: In addition, according to astronomer John Pratt, several key dates in the Savior's life all occured on Venus calendar 'holy' days. Notice the numbers as well. These include:
- The Savior's Birth: The Night Preceding Thursday, April 6, 1 BC, (Passover for that year), indicates a Venus calendar day beginning at midnight, when Venus can never be seen. This is the very beginning of the Venus cycle.
- The Savior's Baptism: Judean calendar Day of Atonement, Saturday October 6, 29 AD. This is last day of the Venus cycle before prime height of orbit. The day of which he began his 40 day fast coincides with day 1 Prime of the Venus calendar. (First and last days are considered holy days)
- Start of the Savior's Ministry: Saturday, April 6, 30AD. Venus is on the morning star side of it's orbit on this date.
- The Savior's Resurrection: Sunday, April 3, 33AD coincides with day 1 resurrection on Venus calendar.
LDS Church history has two dates which also occur precisely on the resurrection of the planet Venus or the day of the Savior's actual resurrection. These are:
- The return of the Prophet Elijah on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836 at the Kirtland Temple, (Prophecy by Malachi ).
- The coming forth of the Book of Mormon on Thursday, March 25, 1830, (New Year's day on the Hebrew calendar as well as day 1 of the Venus calendar.)
- It is interesting to note that the planet Mercury is also an evening and morning star and that it too was on the same day of it's cycle as on all 3 of these important dates. Thus Mercury serves as a second witness to these calendar dates and the motions of the heavens. It also has the same 8 holy days illustrated above during it's 116 day cycle.
Every 8 years Venus and the Moon realign. (rebirth, renewal, resurrection).
Every 40 years Venus aligns with Mercury. (5 8 year cycles = 40) Many Hebrew holy days coincide with Venus / Mercury alignments which occur at 40 day intervals.
Four references to 430 years are given in scripture which again represents a Venus realignment period when Hebrew holidays occur on the same day of the Venus cycle. These include:
- The Exodus occured 430 years to the very day from the beginning of the sojourn of Israel, (Exodus 12:40-41)
- It was 430 years from the birth of Peleg to the Death of his father Eber, (Gen. 11:17)
- The prophet Ezekiel was told by the Lord to lay on his side for 430 days, which represented 430 years, (Ezek. 4:5-6)
- Joseph Smith corrected the Genisis 5:23 verse on the life length of Enoch from 365 years to 430 years, (Moses 8:1) Enoch was born and translated on a Venus cycle.
Example Historic Usage of 8 or Octagons, Left to Right:
Left: 8 Sided Sermon Stand, Pisa Cathedral, Pisa, Italy, 1200 AD
Center: Octagon Shaped Dome & Byzantine Church, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, 547 AD
Right: Dome of 8 Outer Stars, Baths, The Al Hambra, (Islamic Mosque), Granada, Spain, 1390 AD
Secular Usage of the Number 8:
Buddhism makes use of an Eight fold path.
In Islamic architecture geometric symbolism is heavily used in place of figurative art which is forofferden.
The very common motif of the 8 pointed star in Islam is is made of two intersecting squares, which when seen in the common pattern of alternating positive and negative shapes or spaces, represents the expanding, (8 pointed star), and contracting, (x shape space in-between), rhythms of nature, (the Breath of the Compassionate-God).
1, 2, & 4 are three factors of 8, and serve to symbolize cycles, polarity, and form respectively.
Geographic directions are divided into 4 cardinal directions and then into 4 sub-divisions of them, (8 total), refering to all directions from center.
Mosaic of Abel & Melchizedek with 8 Pointed Star on Altar Front, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, 550 AD