The Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ

A Living Legacy of Sacred Exploration

Introduction

The Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ—commonly known as the Order of Christ—is a Portuguese honorific order whose origins trace back to the spiritual embers of the Knights Templar. Officially established in 1319, the Order served as a reconstitution of the Templar tradition in Portugal, preserving its sacred vows, its mission of guardianship, and its evolving service to discovery, knowledge, and the Christian mystery.

A Legacy Reforged

When the Knights Templar were disbanded across Europe under charges both political and theological, Portugal—led by King Denis—took a different path. Rather than dissolve their noble purpose, he reformed them into the Ordem Militar de Cristo, recognizing their loyalty, wisdom, and essential role in securing and expanding Christendom.

What emerged was not merely a military order, but a spiritual intelligence network—a knightly class that blended monastic ritual, maritime innovation, and divine service. These men became guardians of knowledge, protectors of the realm, and patrons of what would become the Age of Discovery.

Symbolism and Insignia

At the heart of the Order is its emblem—a radiant starburst surrounding the sacred Cross of Christ, often crowned with a flaming Sacred Heart, representing divine mission, valor, and holy endurance. Every element carries layered meaning:

  • The Red Cross: A continuation of the Templar seal, now consecrated by the Portuguese Crown and the Vatican.
  • The Sacred Heart: Symbol of unwavering devotion to the mission of Christ on Earth.
  • The Radiant Star: Light carried into darkness, representing the Order’s navigational and spiritual guidance across unknown realms.

The Age of Discovery and the Explorer Class

The Order of Christ played a foundational role in seeding the Explorer Class—those who went not only to map coastlines but to bring order, record data, and establish continuity. Under the Order’s banner sailed some of the most iconic figures in history:

  • Prince Henry the Navigator – appointed governor of the Order in 1420, launching a worldwide cartographic revolution.
  • Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral, and others—men guided by sacred geometry, planetary observation, and covenantal vows.

Their voyages were not merely conquests—they were cartographic liturgies, each map a prayer, each compass an oath.

Restoring Time

In modern interpretations, the Order of Christ is recognized not only for its historical role, but for its enduring metaphysical presence. To speak of the Order today is to speak of those who are still:

  • Restoring time,
  • Remembering hidden origins, and
  • Holding the axis of spiritual continuity between past, present, and the galactic unknown.

Those who wear its cross today do so not as warriors of empire, but as guardians of the blueprint—the explorers of peace, memory, and sacred timing.

CARD

Featuring: (more...)

Jane Lead: Exclusive Concepts

Listen to the NotebookLM podcast discussing this article

Here are up to 25 concepts that appear to be unique to Jane Lead’s writings, or at least are used in a distinctive way that sets her apart from other writers of her time:

  • The Virgin Church: This is not merely a church of virgins, but a spiritual community characterized by purity, inner connection with the divine, and direct transformative encounter with the Holy Spirit. It is distinct from established religious institutions.
  • The Fixed Body: A state of spiritual refinement achieved through intense purification, almost like a blacksmith forging a new creation. It involves a process of being “mouldered and crumbled into pieces” to be reborn in the resurrection state.
  • Living Stones: Individuals who have gone through a fiery baptism and embody divine authority, playing a key role in the coming spiritual era.
  • The Tabernacle of Wisdom: A spiritual entity, not yet visible, that will emerge from the wilderness and encompass the firstborn or 144,000. This is a place where wisdom dwells.
  • Fiery Baptism: A process of inner purification and transformation, not a literal event but a symbolic one. It involves intense spiritual experiences and a willingness to confront one’s shadows.
  • The Glassy Globe: A state of being clear and translucent, a vessel for divine light. It represents a purified state and the ability to perceive the divine more clearly.
  • The Golden Oil: A symbol of divine wisdom, often depicted as a path.
  • The Seven Spirits of God: Represent the fullness of God’s spirit, including wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, the fear of the Lord, and the spirit of the Lord.
  • The Firstborn/Firstfruits (144,000): A select group of spiritual pioneers who embody divine qualities and act as principal agents for God. They are the first to achieve a new spiritual state.
  • The Holy Priesthood from Abraham’s Line (according to the Spirit): A spiritual lineage not based on bloodlines, but on a spiritual genealogy. It emphasizes a transformed consciousness.
  • The Divine Ark: The Testimony/Covenant; Christ. Its presence is essential to the life of the Virgin Church.
  • The Unsealed Testimony: The living testimony of Christ which is contained in the Ark and is to be unsealed.
  • The New Jerusalem State: A state of spiritual perfection and transformation brought to earth through the Virgin Church and is not just a place but a condition of being.
  • Fixed Oracles: Individuals who have become so purified that they act as conduits for divine wisdom and guidance.
  • The Mystical Death and Annihilation: A process of transformation and purification involving the “Seven Seals,” that is completed with the seventh seal. It requires a surrender of the self and the annihilation of the old nature.
  • The Seven Thunders: A powerful manifestation of spiritual awakening, following the purification process.
  • The Ladder of Mystical Ascension: The path to divine magic, set forth according to the gates of the New Jerusalem, representing a progressive spiritual journey.
  • The Third Temple: A metaphorical representation of a new way of connecting with the divine, not a physical building, but a shift in how we perceive and experience the sacred.
  • The Spirit of Burning: An intense force that purges impurities and reveals the true nature of the heart.
  • The Seven Candlesticks: These are connected to the seven churches of Revelation and represent different aspects of the church.
  • The Mystical and Magical Sense: Jane Lead posits that there is a mystical and magical interpretation of the book of Revelations, beyond the literal one.
  • The Divine Salt: The hidden light principle within all people that has lost its savour. This contains all principles because humans are an epitome of all the worlds.
  • The Philosophers Tree: A tree sprung that will produce ripe golden fruit in the form of the virtues, which will enable the multiplication of the spirit, soul, and body.
  • The Magical Power of the Word: Jane Lead describes a power where the speaking of a word can bring about transformation, like changing barren ground into a fruitful Lebanon.
  • The Oily Pool: A symbolic representation of a divine substance that bathes and drenches the purified one, so that they are seen as fair to the glorified eye.

These concepts, often expressed through vivid imagery and symbolism, reveal Jane Lead’s unique approach to spiritual understanding and her vision of a transformed humanity. They emphasize the importance of personal experience, inner transformation, and direct connection with the divine, all within the context of her prophetic vision of a new spiritual era.