When we think of priests in the bible we think of the levitical priesthood God instituted in Israel as part of the old covenant. That priesthood has been replaced by the priesthood of the resurrected Jesus Christ in the order of Melkizadek.
Hebrews 6:20 Jesus has become a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. The scripture also says that He is our forerunner. Meaning He goes first implying we are to follow Him. We too are to become priests of the order of Mechizadek.
SPS: You are training now to act as a king and priest alongside Christ when He establishes the rule of God on earth at the time of His return.
What Do We Know About The Order of Melkizadek?
Hebrews 7:1-3 the order of Melkizadek:
- Combines the office of King and Priest in a single entity. Everyone who is a priest after this order is also a king [the office of king implies judgment and leadership in non-religious areas]
- Such priest kings posses character that is righteous and peaceful
- Such priest kings possesses eternal life
- Hebrews 7:15-17 the priest of this new order is appointed as such because He is a Son of God (see also Hebrews 5:5-10)
- Hebrews 8:1 such a priest sits down at the right hand of the throne
When you are resurrected you too will have these attributes of priest after the order of Melchizedek. A spirit born child of God, with eternal life, a mind of Godly character both righteous and peaceful.
Revelation 3:21 Just as Christ has taken his seat beside the throne of God, you will sit down at the right hand of Christ on His throne [as priests/kings reigning together with Christ our rank will be subordinate to Christ].
What do we know about the activities of a priest?
- Priests manage the offering of gifts & sacrifice
- Priests maintain personal holiness and cleanness
- Priests protect and maintain the household of God
- Priests make judgments on religious matters... clean vs. unclean, acceptable vs, unacceptable,
- Priests proclaim the sacred assemblies [plan of God]
- Priests teach, interpreting God’s expressed will & word
Teaching
In Israel the priest taught the people from God’s word, ensuring people knew what was required of them… what it means... how to apply it Deuteronomy 33:8-11, Malachi 2:7.
Christ, our high priest, acted as a teacher during His days in the flesh and continues His priestly function as our teacher: through the ongoing work of the Church [of which He is head], and through the power of the Holy Spirit... His very living presence in you.
Future priest/kings will also teach people the ways of God during the 1,000 year rule of Christ…. that’s what priests do!
Question: if you were going to teach a class in pottery design or auto-mechanics, what do you need to do first? Answer: to be an effective teacher you have to learn the material first yourself.
Future Priest Kings are training today. Training their mind with the knowledge of God and His ways. through study… but especially through application. Head knowledge about pottery or auto-mechanics doesn’t lead to effectively teaching. You have to throw clay on a wheel or pop open the hood of a vehicle!
Knowing and DOING what God’s word says is training for your future role as king and priest after the order of Melkizadek.
Judgments on Religious Matters
Levitical priests applied judgment on the clean vs. unclean, the acceptable vs. unacceptable regarding food, sex, methods of worship to name a few. Some things are acceptable to God... some things are not.
In this Church age, the resurrected Christ, our high priest, helps us distinguish what is clean and acceptable and what is not. We have a written record of His teachings but also His convicting presence within us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
He taught that the actual eating of something unclean was not what truly defiled a person. If something unclean goes in your mouth, it’ll come out the other end and into the toilet. What really defiles a person is unclean deeds, talk and attitudes of the heart. Yes, we continue to make distinction between clean and unclean food but we do it as a physical discipline that points us to the spiritual goal which is to clean up our words and attitudes. If we were as scrupulous on matters of mind, heart, and speech as we are on avoiding unclean meat like pork then we’d have really accomplished something.
The priest/kings assisting Christ will teach these same spiritual lessons and move people from the obvious physical observances to the spiritual realities they point towards. You are learning the subject material now… so you can better teach others then.
The Priests of old were charged with the proclamation [and enforcement] of what constituted acceptable worship practice. That covers a lot!. Let’s consider the Sabbath and Holy Days as a prime example.
Leviticus 23:2. These are physical observances that point us toward and keep us focused on high level spiritual realities.
Weekly Sabbath - points folks to the spiritual rest God promises, and acknowledging God as creator. Annual Sabbaths or holy days - outline God’s plan to move finite, physical, created beings through a process of salvation, sanctification, and resurrection to a fully formed eternal spiritual creation.
Flesh and blood people of the 1,000 year rule will need instruction about God’s purpose and plan for them. The priesthood in the age to come will proclaim and enforce these days so people don’t get off track and wander off according to their own imaginations Zechariah 14:16-19.
The removal of Satan from the scene does not end all resistance, questioning, or doubt. Think of your own children… compliance and going through the motions doesn’t mean they buy in to, or understand, the spiritual reality behind the observance. People will need to be persuaded. Forcing someone to obey is not the same as winning their heart.
Who better to win their heart than someone who has walked the walk, talked the talk, and buys in with their whole heart. Your personal conviction regarding the Sabbath, the holy days, God’s plan for salvation will be very important in your future role as priest and king.
Managing Offerings & Sacrifices
Leviticus 1:2-9 Under the old covenant a person needed to sacrifice the life of an animal to atone for sin, also to have fellowship with God, and to cover offenses committed in ignorance. The average man would bring his sacrifice to the entrance of the tent, confess his sins over it, kill it, gut it, skin it, etc but he did not take it into the tabernacle. At that point the priest took over, brought the animal flesh into the tabernacle compound, burned it on the altar, dealt with the ashes or cooked meat depending on what sort of offering it was. The worshipper did not go in there.
The priest is an intermediary, a go-between ensuring the worshipper did not bring any uncleanness into the area of the tabernacle… God’s abode. Priests had to maintain a high level of personal holiness and cleanness so that they could safely draw close to the presence of God.
In the new covenant there is no sacrifice of animals. However, even in the present age of the new covenant sacrifice still remains 1 Peter 2:4-9.
In the present age, once you have laid claim to the power of Christ’s blood to atone and to cleanse you… it is possible for you to come personally before the throne of God… and when you do, you bring spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God.
Hebrews 9:14 → Hebrews 10:14-25
Romans 12:1-2 you offer yourself...
- in acts of service according to the gifts God has given you within the body
- which create in you, and demonstrate, the creation of a new way of thinking
Paul goes on to discuss these acts of service and the mind your spiritual sacrifice causes to develop… that's what verses 2-21 are about. We’ll come back to that in a few minutes.
Sacrifice in the Age to Come
Prophetic scripture indicates some form of sacrifice during Christ’s future earthly reign. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah all mention it.
The age to come will be filled with the knowledge of God, with ready access to the Spirit of God. But that does not mean there will be no transgression, no rebellion, no doubt. You will likely serve as priest to a mixed group of people with varying degrees of spiritual development and at different stages on the path of salvation. People will still have free will and at any given point some will have accepted Christ as their savior… and some will have not decided.
Sin that does not come under the blood of Christ will have to be addressed somehow.
Could the age to come have sacrifice along the lines of Leviticus to address the sins of those not yet in Christ? Or are we simply addressing spiritual sacrifice along the lines of 2 Peter 2 or Romans 12… the spiritual sacrifices of those who have come under the blood of Christ? We don’t know with certainty.
Either way sacrifice remains as a means of maintaining a right relationship with God. You as a priest serving with Christ will help Him on behalf of the people bringing sacrifice before God that is acceptable. That’s what priests do.
Characteristics & Qualities That Will Make You More Effective
Hebrews 5:1-3 in Israel the priest served as a representative of the people in matters pertaining to God, offering gifts and sacrifices for sin, ideally he was to be able to deal gently with who didn’t know any better or are going astray because he too was fallible and mortal.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus is an eternal being but its able to empathize because He has experienced life in the flesh… although without fault or sin.
This same principle applies to the priests of the age to come. You will be better able to help people struggling with various problems… you will be able to empathize because you have gone through the same experiences.
I put it to you that more than empathy is needed! You will also need other aspects of the mind of God encourage them and lead them to the higher ground.
Let’s go back to Romans 12 now...
Following Paul’s exhortation that we make spiritual sacrifices and submit to the process of transforming our mind… he talks about some of the qualities of that renewed mind Romans 12:9-21 .
These are qualities of mind and character that will make you a more effective priest. Let me put them in my own words:
Joyful – empathy gets your foot in the door but the goal is to move to that higher ground. You will need to stay focused on the positive outcome laying in store for who ever you are working with… energetic and diligent… showing them the goal is worth making the extra effort.
Humility – even in a millennial setting the people you are trying to help will respond better if you are not exalting yourself… having respect for them as thinking creative minds with amazing potential will go a long way… your personal submission to the authority of Christ… even thought you too are in a glorified state and have indestructible life will help show them the goodness of God’s way of peace.
Affection – you will be a more effective priest if you are easy to get along with… if people see you have a genuine affection and concern for them as individuals… that you want to share this life with them. The family of God is not cold and emotionless… rather it is filled with love and generosity toward one another. As a priest, intercessor, teacher you will guide them in that direction.
Obedient – know the law, do the law, be the law. Godly living and true worship will have to be maintained and enforced. You will have to be firm and committed fulfilling the commandments in love… to act justly and fairly towards all.
Mercy – people in the millennial setting will stumble they will need to be set back on their feet. You must no be vengeful or rash… you must be patient yet firm… with all the power and glory Christ entrusts you with you must be forgiving and gentle.
This is the mind a priest/king needs to be an effective helpmate to Christ… in the time of His earthly rule as king of kings and the high priest of the universe. You are training now to act as a king and priest alongside Christ… your trials, your suffering, your overcoming, your works of service according to God’s gifts have a great purpose.
To the one who is faithful in these few small things God will grant authority over many things … come share in our lord and master’s happiness!
