Andrew Murray – Masonic Charismatic Calvinist
Many people view Andrew Murray as a great preacher, a godly man, while others believe there is something not quite right about him. I have spent many a month investigating Freemasonry with regards to pastors in churches in South Africa. We know that John Calvin was a Freemason. We know that most if not all of the Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa were established by Freemasons who hid under the cover of Christianity.
Was Andrew Murray one of them? A Freemason who infiltrated the church to preach another gospel and another Jesus? Let us take a look.
Andrew Murray was the second child of Andrew Murray Sr. (1794–1866), a Dutch Reformed Church missionary sent from Scotland to South Africa. He was born in Graaff Reinet, South Africa. His mother, Maria Susanna Stegmann, was of French Huguenot and German Lutheran descent.[1]
The Obelisk
The obelisk is a ubiquitous gravestone shape found in American graveyards. … The obelisk is said to represent a single ray of sunlight, petrified from sunlight into stone. It was thought that the Egyptian sung god Ra lived within the obelisks. These towering monuments were often placed flanking the entrance to temples.”
https://gravelyspeaking.com/2012/09/10/the-obelisk/
The church, if established by a freemason would have the obelisk gravestone on the grounds to the ‘temple of Solomon’ aka church
A Church built on a Masonic Foundation
When the first pastor that opened the church dies and his gravestone or memorial like an obelisk is placed within the church grounds it means that the church was born into Freemasonry. It’s fundamental foundation is Freemasonry and everything that rests above that foundation is Freemasonry. That means that forever, that church will be contaminated by Freemasonry. And every preacher that comes thereafter (that is not genuinely saved) will either be a Freemason or be deceived by false teaching.
Andrew Murray and his Obelisk
My parents were fortunate enough to travel to Graaff Reinet many many years ago and happened to pass Andrew Murray’s church. They hopped out the car and my mother spotted an Obelisk in the church grounds. She took a picture through the fence. No where on the internet will you find a picture of this church showing Andrew Murray’s Obelisk.
It is said that once upon a time Andew Murray supposedly ‘once’ preached against Freemasonry. Freemasons are renowned liars, and will do and say anything to protect themselves from being caught out. If he was against Freemasonry, he would have renounced Freemasonry and had his name removed from the registry at the Masonic Lodge he belonged to.
Laying of Freemason cornerstone at ‘Nieuwe Kerk’ – Tafelberg Dutch Reformed Church in 1892.
“This imposing late Victorian church complex, which was designed by the architect G.A. Alexander and inaugurated on 27 January 1893, was donated by Susanna Maria Johanna Hertzog to the “Nieuwe Kerk” to be held in trust until the community in the area were self supporting. The laying of the cornerstone with the usual Freemasons reverence on 19 February 1892 by J.H. Hofmeyr, Grand Master of the Lodge De Goede Hoop not only complied with the only condition set by Miss Hertzog when making the donation, but makes this a unique occurrence as this must be the only Dutch Reformed Church were the cornerstone was laid by a member of the Freemasons.”
Inauguration performed in 1893 by Dr Andrew Murray and 2 others. [Emphasis added]
https://sahris.sahra.org.za/sites/920180102
Andrew Murry built this own Masonic church in Graaff Reinet (his home town)
The first recorded church was in Church Street. Building of a church started in 1792 but was destroyed by fire in 1799 before it could be completed. A second church was completed in September 1800 on the site of the present Dutch Reformed Church or Groot Kerk at the northern end of Church Street. With the arrival of the Rev Andrew Murray in 1822 building of a third church was started and the second church demolished. The third church with its thatched roof, gables, clock tower and encircling wall was completed in 1823 and served the community for 60 years. On the 12th April 1886 the foundation stone was laid for the fourth and existing church which is Gothic Revival and based on the lines of Salisbury Cathedral in England with the inaugural sermon delivered on the 11th September 1887. The stone for this church was obtained locally and the church which can seat 1,250 and has a steeple of 45, 72 metres boasts a chimney, an unusual feature for a church. [Emphasis added]
https://www.graaffreinet.co.za/listing/dutch_reformed_church_ng_graaff_reinet
The foundation stone, corner-stone or setting stone:
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or replica, set in a prominent location on the outside of a building, with an inscription on the stone indicating the construction dates of the building and the names of architect, builder, and other significant individuals. The rite of laying a cornerstone is an important cultural component of eastern architecture and metaphorically in sacred architecture generally.
Some cornerstones include time capsules from, or engravings commemorating, the time a particular building was built.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornerstone
And example of a Masonic ceremony to lay the foundation stone:
The Royal Arch Keystone
Andrew Murray added the Masonic stamp of approval on the door way. In reference to King Solomon temple:
An Arch, by design, reaches to the sky or upward the closest stone in an arch is the Keystone. This is meant to reflect that we should build our Arch toward God completing it with our Keystone that we have shaped. This further means, we should be using the knowledge of God and our Faith in Him we have attained to accomplish this task …to find our purpose in His Temple.
The Keystone: https://www.discerningtheworld.com/images/wpi/StTheKeystone.pdf
What does a Masonic Royal Arch Keystone look like?
Andrew Murray’s Royal Arch keystone imbedded into the church that he built:
The Masonic M hand sign:
Andrew Murray’s family
It is not so well known that when a Freemason has sons, when they are of the age to be accepted into Freemasonry, the father will expect his sons to join him in this occult secret society. If a son rejects the idea, he becomes an utter outcast within the family. The father will reject his son and offer him absolutely no help of any kind throughout his entire life – the son would have lost his father’s love. The other son or sons who are initiated will become the father’s favorite and be doted upon and receive every bit of help they can get throughout their entire life.
Was Andrew Murray’s brother a freemason?
I managed to find the obelisk of Andrew Murray’s brother John Murray. Does this mean Andrew Murray’s father was a Freemason? You can bet your bottom dollar that we was and it was he that introduced his sons to Freemasonry.
Andrew Murray’s unbilical beliefs:
Through his writings, South-African reformed pastor Andrew Murray was also a key “Inner Life” or “Higher Life” or Keswick leader, and his theology of faith healing and belief in the continuation of the apostolic gifts made him a significant forerunner of the Pentecostal movement. [2] [Emphasis added]
Ross, Thomas D. (2014), “Andrew Murray, Keswick / Higher Life Leader: a Biographical Sketch”
The Keswick Convention began in 1875 as a focal point for the Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom. It was founded by an Anglican, Canon T. D. Harford-Battersby, and a Quaker, Robert Wilson. [Emphasis added]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keswick_Convention
Keswickian theology or Higher Life Movement
The main idea in the Keswickian theology of the Higher Life movement is that the Christian should move on from his initial conversion experience to also experience a second work of God in his life. This work of God is called “entire sanctification,” “the second blessing,” “the second touch,” “being filled with the Holy Spirit,” and various other terms. Higher Life teachers promote the idea that Christians who receive this blessing from God can live a more holy, that is less sinful or even a sinless, life. [Emphasis added]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Life_movement
Second Blessing?
“Pentecostalism was born out of the Holiness movement.[3] William J. Seymour and Charles Fox Parham were both Holiness ministers and were seen by their followers as being used by God to restore Pentecost to the Church. Pentecostalism teaches that the believer could, in addition to becoming sanctified, receive power from God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ” [4] [Emphasis added]
So being born again is not enough according to Keswickian / Quakerism / Pentecostalism, and having the Holy Spirit come to abide in you at the moment of becoming a new creature in Jesus Christ is not enough. You need a second blessing by the Holy Spirit or you need to be “filled with the Holy Spirit“ that will give you power, like speaking in tongues and/or other apostolic gifts.
Dear friends, upon being born again, justification is God’s righteous act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin, from an unbeliever when they are saved – the curse is removed. God declares the ungodly to be righteous, through faith alone in Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
- Romans 3:25-26 “25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
We are also immediately sanctified (set apart, made holy, a new creature, a child of God) when we are born again.
- Hebrews 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
- Psalms 4:3 “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.”
However sanctification continues after we are saved. There is a progressive work of God that takes place as a believer grows to be more like Jesus Christ (not to become Christ (or god) as the church now-a-days teaches).
For instance, the Apostle Paul writes, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
Christians are to grow in holiness, “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (Romans 6:19).
By reason of Christ’s victory over sin and of His indwelling Spirit, all of the saved may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin by obedience to “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:11). Because believers have been set free from their slavery to sin, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22).
As saints and members of the true Church we are to maintain a Christ-honoring testimony, separate from all forms of worldliness and apostasy, and to demonstrate obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and love to all men.
A believer does not need this so called second blessing from the Holy Spirit to live a righteous life, because when born again the believer already has the Holy Spirit who has come to abide in them. This ‘second blessing’ is not the Holy Spirit but another filthy spirit.
It is interesting to note that Billy Graham followed the Keswick movement as well:
It was Stephen Olford who introduced Billy Graham to the Keswick message at a Keswick Convention in 1946. Graham wrote in his autobiography, Just As I Am, that this teaching came to him as a second blessing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keswick_Convention
Conclusion
As can be clearly seen Andrew Murray was a false teacher, who took upon the teachings of the Quakers with their Kundalini quaking and shaking. He too was a Calvinist who believed in the doctrine of Election. I have mentioned before that the doctrine of Election (Predestination – that God elects some before the foundation of the world to be saved and the rest He dooms to hell for the fun of it) forms the very basis of every conceivable religion in the world – from Islam to Pentecostalism (Word of Faith, Apostolic and Prophetic etc.)
Andrew Murray was a Freemason, and a Charismatic Calvinist.
Notes:
[1] “Murray, Andrew”. Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa. 7. Nasou Limited. 1971. p. 653.
[2] Ross, Thomas D. (2014), “Andrew Murray, Keswick / Higher Life Leader: a Biographical Sketch”, The Doctrine of Sanctification: An Exegetical Examination, with Application, in Historic Baptist Perspective, to which is Appended a Historical, Exegetical, and Elenctic Evaluation of Influential Errors, Particularly the Keswick Theology, Great Plains Baptist Divinity School
[3] Archer, Kenneth J. (2004-12-30). A Pentecostal hermeneutic for the twenty-first century: spirit, scripture and community. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 15.
[4] The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers – Issue 56. West Tennessee Historical Society. 2002. p. 41 “Seymour’s holiness background suggests that Pentecostalism had roots in the holiness movement of the late nineteenth century. The holiness movement embraced the Wesleyan doctrine of “sanctification” or the second work of grace, subsequent to conversion. Pentecostalism added a third work of grace, called the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is often accompanied by glossolalia.”
Dear Elizabeth Jordaan
I think you need to read the 10 articles written by Tom Lessing on Andrew Murray in the below link – they are extremely enlightening.
Andrew Murray the Mystic
You said “The Orthodox section of the Dutch Reformed Church had never condoned Freemasonry”
It’s interesting because John Calvin was a Jesuit Freemason who brought Calvinism to South Africa through the Huguenots. The reformation/Calvinism was born out of Freemasonry. John Calvin received his doctrine from St. Augustine’s writings (who is hailed ad the father of the Roman Catholic Church) who too was a Jesuit Freemason.