THE BIBLE
IN THE ENGLISH CORONATION CEREMONY
In England they call the coronation ceremony a Christian service. In
fact, it may be more of a Hebrew Old Testament service than a Christian one.
Many of the traditions, garments, hardware, and service can all be found in the
Old Testament.
Anointing of the King
In 1 Samuel 10.1 Samuel anoints Saul with oil to signify
that Saul is going to be King over Israel.
1 Samuel 10.24-25 - And Samuel said to all the
people, See ye him whom the Lord hath
chosen, that there is none like
him among all the people? And all the
people shouted, and said, God save the king.
Then Samuel told the people the
manner of the kingdom, and wrote it
in a book, and laid it up
before the Lord.
The oil is poured into the Coronation Spoon
and the monarch is anointed on the hands, breast, and head. This spoon dates
back to the 12th century. It was listed in an inventory at
Westminster Abby in 1359 as being” of ancient form.”
In the Old Testament the King is anointed
with oil.
Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be
king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of
the words of the Lord. 1 Samuel 15.1
Trumpets
Trumpets are traditional instruments for
fanfares and signals, punctuate the entire coronation service. In England the
trumpets used for coronations are called The State Trumpets. There are 11
silver trumpets used in the coronation ceremony. In the Bible the Israelites
were instructed to make silver trumpets to use in ceremony and to remind the
Lord when they were in trouble or need.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole
piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the
assembly, and for the journeying of the camp And when they
shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the
door of the tabernacle of the
congregation. Numbers 10.1-3
A fanfare played by the State Trumpets
herald key moments of the coronation ceremony just as the silver trumpets in
the Old Testament heralded announcements of important events in Biblical times.
Garments
In the Old Testament the priests wore linen undergarments as
a sign of holiness. The Coronation is considered a holy event as the monarch
swears to abide by and defend the Christain faith. White linen signifies holiness in the Bible and the righteousness of the
saints. Linen breeches were for modesty. Priests’ garments were for
glory and beauty. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron
your brother, for glory and for beauty. Exodus 28.2; Ex 28.40-42
White linen also
represents the righteousness of God’s people. And
to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:
for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Revelation 19.18
Music
The Coronation ceremony also has a tradition of music. The
music used in the service was written by George Fredrick Handel and has been
used in English coronations since 1727. Prior to that time other various types
of holy music were used.
Handel’s rousing anthem Zadok the Priest has been played at
every coronation service since 1727. The words are:
Zadok
the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet
anointed Solomon King.
And all the people
rejoiced, and said:
God save the King! Long live the King! (ref: 2 Samuel 16:16; Psalm 20.6-8)
May the King live
forever,
Amen, Alleluia.
Zadok the priest
was loyal to David throughout all his troubles and was anointed as High Priest
for his loyalty. We are to be loyal to the Lord as Zadok was to his king. These words are based on 1 Kings 1.38-40:
So Zadok the
priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the
Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's
mule and brought him to Gihon. There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and
anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long
live King Solomon!” And all the people
went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the
earth was split by their noise.
Music has always played an important part
in coronation ceremonies throughout history. In the time of the Israelite kings
it was the same. Notice how the English ceremony is based on the Old Testament.
This is why I would call it a Hebrew ceremony, rather than a Christian one.
In 1 Chronicles 25 David sets up the
musical order of the tabernacle. This was prior to King Solomon being anointed
king before David’s death. We can assume this was the music of the Temple until
its destruction in 586 BC.
The Canopy or Chuppah
A chuppah
or canopy is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their
wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, stretched or supported over
four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah
symbolizes the home that the couple will build together.
In the New
Testament the believer is considered “the Bride of Christ” and the canopy would
symbolize our marriage to God and our dwelling with him.
A canopy is used
in the Coronation Ceremony to cover the Sovereign when the Anglican Bishop
anoints the head, hands, and breast with oil.
The word British itself is rooted in the Hebrew language. Brit means
“Covenant” and Ish
means man in Hebrew. British, then, means “Covenant Man”.
One of the songs sung during many coronations is the Hymn
“Jerusalem’. This song describes the desire of the British people to make their
beautiful country like eternal Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Hymn
- And did those feet
in ancient time walk upon England's mountain green? And was the holy Lamb of
God on England's pleasant pastures seen? And did the countenance divine shine
forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem built here among those dark
satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold! Bring me my arrows of desire! Bring me my
spear! O clouds, unfold! Bring me my chariot of fire! I will not cease from
mental fight, Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
St.
Edwards Crown
In the Old Testament the High Priest wore a crown of gold:
He also placed the turban on his head, and
on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as
the Lord had commanded Moses. Leviticus 9.9
History tells us Israelite kings were
crowned with a band of gold.
St. Edward’s crown may bear witness to the Israelite’s
heritage of the British people and to the Davidic origin of our Royal House and
Throne. It is wholly Israelite, being a perfect symbol of the kingdom of God as
it was in Israel of old and as it will again be under the rule of our returning
Lord. This is to be seen, first of all, in the row of special jewels which
encircle its base. Twelve in number, they correspond exactly both in number and
name with those on the breastplate of Israel’s High Priest as recorded in
Exodus 28.
When a monarch presents Him or Herself before God in the
Coronation service, there to dedicate themselves and us to God’s service, they
wear a crown whose golden base is set with TWELVE jewels which are identical
with those which represented the twelve Israel tribes on the High Priest’s
breastplate.
This becomes doubly significant when we remember that the
Israel people are the physical foundation of the kingdom of God. As organized
in Israel of old, this kingdom consisted of the Twelve Tribes in four
divisions, encamped around the Tabernacle in and over which hovered the
Shekinah, a visible manifestation of God’s presence among, and his sovereignty
over, His people.
Of this kingdom, the Crown of St. Edward is a perfect
symbol. Just as the twelve tribes of Israel are the basis of the kingdom of
God, so the twelve jewels, emblematic of these twelve tribes, form the basis of
the Crown. Just as the twelve tribes around the Tabernacle were divided into
four groups, so the twelve jewels around the base of the crown are divided into
four groups by four golden bands extending upward from the base.
When Israel of old was encamped around the Tabernacle (Num.
2) each tribe encamped under its own banner or ensign. Then, ahead and above
these, were the flags or standards of the four divisions into which the twelve
tribes were divided. This too appears in the symbolism of the crown for around
it are four special jewels set above those encircling its base.
Finally, above the actual crown we see a golden ball or orb
surmounted by a cross, and from this cross two bands extend downward to
encircle the orb. This completes a perfect picture, for this cross, above and
encircling the globe, is the recognized emblem of Jesus, the Christ, in his
coming role as Ruler of the whole earth as “King of kings, and Lord of
lords.” (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
In this crown, therefore, we have a perfect symbol of the
Kingdom of God over which our returning Lord is to reign from the Throne of
David, and as such a symbol would be meaningless to anyone else, it follows
that our use of it clearly identifies us as the people of the kingdom.
The Throne and the
Stone of Destiny
Every
crowned soveriegn (King or Queen) since Henry IV has been crowed and anointed
in this chair except for Roman Catholic Queen Mary, who had a separate chair
made so she could avoid being crowned in the chair her Protestant half-brother
had used.
Beneath the throne is the “Stone of Destiny” which legend
states was brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah when he left Egypt with
the daughters of imprisoned King Zedekiah (2 Kings 25.7). There is even a movie
about the Stone of Destiny (same name) that documents the stealing of the stone
back in the 1990’s.
The legend also says this stone was the pillow under Jacob’s
head when he fell asleep and the angel of God told him his descendants would be
as numerous as the dust of the earth (Genesis 28.10-22). Whether or not this
legend is true it is interesting that there is a mound of earth known as the
tomb of Jeremiah in Ireland and the Stone of Destiny in Scotland.
Jeremiah’s Tomb in Ireland
Stone of Destiny in Scotland
Summary - We see
many Biblical traditions in the English Coronation Ceremony that are Hebraic in
nature and taken directly out of the Old Testament. I believe England is part
of the lost tribes of Israel as documented in the books of the kings in the
Bible when the King of Assyria relocated them and the people lost their
identity among the Gentiles (Hosea 1.10-11; 3.4-5; 7.8-9; 9.3-4).
In summary there are four parts to the enthronement of a
Biblical and English King:
1.
Giving of
the Decree – Psalm 2.6-7 Declaration, Genesis 49.10 Rod/Sceptre is given,
Hebrews 1.8
2.
Ceremony
of taking the throne – 2 Sam 5.3 Anointed, 1 Kings 1.39-46, Rev 4.1-4, 9-11
3.
The
Acclamation – 1 Kings 1.34 – God Save the King! 2 Kings 11.12
4.
Subjects
Pledge Allegiance - Ps 50.4-5 Subjects pledge allegiance, Ps 47 The
Coronation Psalm
When Yahweh restores the Kingdom Jew and Gentile will be
reunited as written in Ezekiel 37.15-28. Also review the blessings/prophecies
by Jacob to Joseph’s sons in Genesis 48.10-20. The United States and Britain
are represented by Manasseh and Ephraim. We see many amazing proofs in the
Coronation Ceremony! It will be interesting to see what happens at the next
Coronation ceremony. Will the current celebrity monarchs still recognize God in
the ceremony or change everything to be politically correct…we’ll soon know.
Finally here are some of the words to rule Britannia:
When Britain first, at
heaven's command,
Arose from out the azure main,
This was the charter, the charter of the land,
And Guardian Angels sang this strain:
Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.
(Chorus)
The nations not so blest as thee
Must, in their turn, to tyrants fall,
While thou shalt flourish great and free:
The dread and envy of them all.
Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.
The Christian
nations were established by God to preach the Gospel to the nations. Many
nations in the British Commonwealth have national anthems praising the
Sovereign God of the Universe. When Yeshua returns during the fall feasts He
will restore the Kingdom under God as it should be.
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