Believers of our present dispensation are Priests – every last one of us. We serve under Jesus who is our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17). We form a Royal Priesthood based on the fact that Jesus is both King and High Priest though at the present time he is occupied with his duties as High Priest. When the time is right, he will dethrone Satan in his glorious second coming as recorded in Revelation 19-20. At that time Christ will reign as King over the whole earth. For now, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, on his Father’s throne and serving as High Priest in the true tabernacle of God in heaven.
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The fact that we are part of the Priesthood of Christ means we are privileged to serve both God and man. Furthermore it means we have authority to pray, worship and sacrifice to God without the need of any human mediator. Because of our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, we have been set apart and made holy. On the basis of that holy standing, we are able to approach God with confidence under the authority of Christ our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) . We are divinely equipped to serve mankind as agents of God (1 Peter 4:10). We are the priesthood of the true and living God!
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10
Christ as High Priest made his first sacrifice by offering his own body as payment for the sin of the world. He willingly gave himself to die and later was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of the Father. He entered the true tabernacle of God and mediates there on behalf of those in the world. He works through his priesthood of believers who have been given spiritual gifts to aid in serving others. Some have been gifted to be apostles, prophets, pastors, elders, deacons and teachers. Others have been gifted with prayer, worship and caring for the needy. The list of gifts is infinite but they all fall under one common gift of Love. Love is the greatest gift of all and all the other gifts emanate from it. Just as Christ loved us so much that he gave his life for us, so also believer-priests offer their own selves to serve others because of love. As believer-priests we die to self and live for God. We use our time, talent and resources for the benefit of others. It begins with a decision to sacrifice our bodies just as Christ did with his.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Romans 12:1
[Jesus speaking] “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
John 12:24-26
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Hebrews 13:15-16
The Levitical Priesthood
The Old Testament featured a special class of Israelites that were to form the Priesthood. Levi was one of the sons of Jacob who became a tribal head. His descendants were known as Levites and Aaron and Moses were brothers from this line. Moses became the prophet and redeemer for Israel when they were enslaved in Egypt and he led them to the Promised Land. Along the way they stopped at Mount Sinai and received the 10 Commandments and the rest of the Law Code. Part of the Law Code dictated that his elder brother Aaron be appointed as High Priest. In time, the sons of Aaron took over the priestly duties. As the generations advanced, only descendants of Aaron were eligible to perform priestly duties. Other Levites who were not descendants of Aaron’s line were allowed to perform various duties related to maintaining the Tabernacle and Temple, but only descendants of Aaron’s line were to make animal sacrifices or enter the inner rooms of the Tabernacle / Temple.
When these male descendants of Aaron reached the age of 30 they voluntarily reported for duty. There were multiple qualifications for potential priests (Leviticus 21). Once it was determined that they met all the qualifications, there were a series of sacrifices made and the new priest was ceremonially bathed from head to toe (Exodus 29:4). They were given special garments to wear as they performed their priestly duties. After the initial bathing, they were only required to wash their hands and feet when they reported for duty. Once they were initially established as priests, they served in that capacity for the rest of their lives. This Levitical Priesthood was a type that was established in the Old Testament times and it anticipated the antitype which came to be in the New Testament times. Christ as High Priest and his Royal Priesthood of believers are the antitype. The Levitical Priesthood was merely part of the Law of Moses which served a purpose in its time but is now obsolete. The Law didn’t save anyone, it emphasized the sinfulness of man and showed that we needed a savior. Christ is the answer to the problem the Law exposed.
“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
“The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
“And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
‘You are a priest forever.’”
“Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
“Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”
Hebrews 7:11-28
God had intended that all Israel was to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6). However, because of their sinful rebellion related to the golden calf incident, the Levites became the one tribe who were to be set apart from all Israel to serve at the Tabernacle / Temple. Aaron was the oldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a family in the tribe of Levites (Exodus 6:20). Moses was a younger brother to Aaron. Moses was chosen to be the redeemer of Israel from Egypt and Aaron was selected to be High Priest. Only sons (descendants) of Aaron were qualified to serve as priests from then on throughout the dispensation of the Law of Moses.
The Levitical Priesthood was a pillar in the religion of Judaism. There are many interesting incidents which can be explored in researching the history of Israel’s priesthood. For the sake of brevity, I’ll list some with the references for review at another time. The massacre the Levites inflicted on 3,000 fellow Israelites following the golden calf incident (Exodus 32). Aaron’s sons who were killed for offering strange incense (Leviticus 10). Korah’s rebellion against the priesthood which resulted in another massacre (Numbers 16). The priests of Nob who were all beheaded on orders from King Saul (1 Samuel 22). The warning decreed to false priests (Malachi 2). The Levitical Priesthood indeed has a storied past. The Old Testament ends with words of hope and the anticipation of the coming of Elijah (Malachi 4). John the Baptist was the Elijah to come and he preached a baptism in preparation for Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Matthew 11:14). The Levitical Priesthood served its purpose under the Mosaic Covenant but Christ is the mediator of a better covenant and he has established a greater priesthood.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:14-16
The Melchizedekian Priesthood
Melchizedek was a King of Salem and Priest of the Most High God. His story is told in Genesis 14:18-20. He is again mentioned in Psalm 110. The writer of Hebrews draws upon these Old Testament references and compares the Priesthood of Christ to that of Melchizedek. The main points he makes are that Christ was not a descendant of Levi and wasn’t even qualified to be a Priest of the Levitical Order. And Christ will be an eternal priest as he has risen from the dead and ascended to the true tabernacle of God in heaven. Levitical Priests would begin their service at age 30 and remain in rotation with the other priests for the rest of their natural lives. But then they would die and new younger men would have to replace them. This cycle was repeated for many generations. Melchizedek was different. He predated Levi. In fact, no ancestry is recorded for Melchizedek. We don’t know who his parents were or where they came from. We don’t know how long he lived or when he died. Christ is similar to Melchizedek in that sense that he will never need to be replaced because of death. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes a very obscure point that because Abraham offered a tithe of the war booty to Melchizedek, that in a sense, Levi, who wasn’t born yet, tithed to Melchizedek through Abraham (Hebrews 7:9). This was meaningful because the Levitical Priests were the ones who received the tithe from the Israelites. The fact that Levi was said to pay the tithe through Abraham to Melchizedek established that Melchizedek was greater than Levi. Ultimately, both Psalm 2 and the writer of Hebrews confirm that Christ is a Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek! Christ was not connected with the Levitical Priesthood or the law at all. He was the only human being who ever kept the Law of Moses perfectly and ironically, he bore the curse of the law in his body, death – even death on a cross. But when he rose from the grave, everything changed. The usefulness of the law ended and was replaced with faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Christ became our true High Priest and entered the true tabernacle of God in heaven. Furthermore, he established a new priesthood which is of a completely different order from the Levitical Priesthood. Christ is a Priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Other Ancient Priests
The Bible speaks of Priests prior to and after Melchizedek. As early as the Garden of Eden, the Lord sacrificed an innocent animal for the sin of Adam and Eve. They wore the skin of the animal probably as a reminder of the innocent blood that was shed for their sin. Apparently Adam taught his sons the ritual of sacrifice. Cain attempted to offer the fruit of his labor instead of a blood sacrifice and suffered punishment because of that disobedience. Abel offered the best of his flock in full obedience of Adam’s instruction (Genesis 4). Further tradition is not recorded in Scripture until we hear of Job who offered sacrifices for the sins of his children. It is likely that the tradition was that the father of a clan served as a priest for his family (Job 1). The fact that they offered animal sacrifices may indicate that the precedent established in the Garden of Eden carried on through ancient times. Melchizedek was a priest and offered Abraham bread and wine as he returned from a victory in battle. There were Priests in Israel prior to the establishment of the Levitical Priesthood. In Exodus 19:22 (just prior to the giving of the 10 commandments) the Lord instructed Moses that even the priests should not approach the Lord on the mountain, only Aaron. Aaron was not anointed as priest until much later. Apparently the fathers who were serving as priests for their families gave up their priestly duties once Aaron and his sons took over as prescribed by the Lord (Exodus 28).
False religions had their priests as well. Joseph married the daughter of the pagan priest of On (Genesis 41:45). Moses’ father-in-law was a pagan priest of Midian (Exodus 3). In general, a priest is a representative of a deity. There are several mentions of priests of false deities. Even priests of the true and living God have a propensity to sin and need to be corrected (Malachi 2). Two sons of Aaron who were serving as priests disobeyed and were struck dead (Leviticus 10). All religions, true and false, take the office of the priesthood very seriously.
The Future Zadokian Priesthood
There will be a new and different priesthood during the Millennial Kingdom, the Zadokian Priesthood. Zadokites are descendants of Levi and of Aaron but the priests who serve in the Millennial Temple will be distinguished as Sons of Zadok. Zakok was a priest in the Old Testament times who was loyal to King David and also reigned as High Priest under King Solomon. His story can be pieced together from various Old Testament passages (2 Samuel 8:17; 15:24-36; 17:15, 1 Kings 1:8-45, 1 Chronicles 15:11-13). There are others mentioned by the same name, but Zadok the Priest is easily distinguished from the others.
Ezekiel was a prophet and a priest. He had a vision of the Millennial Temple and it is recorded in detail in the last nine chapters of his prophecy (Ezekiel 40-48). The Sons of Zadok will be established as the only ones who serve in this Millennial Temple. They will apparently offer animal sacrifices as memorials to the once-for-all sacrifice that Christ made on behalf of mankind. During the Old Testament times, Sons of Aaron offered animal sacrifices which anticipated the sacrifice of Christ. During the present dispensation of grace, believers observe the Lord’s Supper in which the elements are memorials to the life and death of Christ. His body is represented by the bread and his death is represented by the wine or grape juice. During Communion we remember the past sacrifice of Christ and anticipate his second coming to bring in Justice and Righteousness. In preparation for his Kingdom on Earth, the present priesthood of believers will be removed via the rapture and will not be present to minister any longer. Christ will return in his second coming and a new temple will be built in Jerusalem, a huge temple which far exceeds the dimensions of any previous temple. The Sons of Zadok will minister in that Temple during the 1000 years of the Millennial Kingdom. Apparently God will preserve and identify these Sons from the 12,000 from the tribe of Levi which is part of the greater company of 144.000 who were sealed and protected during the tribulation period (Revelation 7).
Ezekiel 40:44-46
[an excerpt of the description of the Temple] “Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south gate and facing north. He [the angelic being] said to me, ‘The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple, and the room facing north is for the priests who guard the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.’”
Summary on the Priesthood of Believers
All believers of the Gospel are believer-priests. We are chosen by God, redeemed, washed, sanctified and continue to confess our ongoing sins to remain holy and fit for service. We serve both God and man. We sacrifice our own bodies (Romans 12:1-2). We sacrifice worship and offer thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15). We offer intercessory prayers on behalf of others by the power and assistance of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). We make sacrifices of good works and willingly offer up our financial and tangible assets to aid in service to others (Hebrews 13:16). It is critical to our service as priests to remain holy.
“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'”
1 Peter 1:13-16
Beyond remaining holy, we have no other requirements. Because of our faith in Christ and our ongoing confession of sin, we are fully qualified to perform any and all priestly duties. No special training, seminary, clothing or credentials are necessary. A comprehensive understanding of the Scripture is not required. Merely faith in Christ and a willing heart is all that is needed to minister in the name of Jesus Christ, our merciful and faithful High Priest.
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
Titus 3:3-8
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2:13-14
“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
Revelation 1:4-6
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