#371 Kingdom: The Ever Present Priesthood
Heb 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.
For many years we have spoken about the Eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek and how different it is from the temporary priesthood after the order of Aaron. The priesthood of man cannot bring the church to perfection. The implication is that IF the church is ever going to come to maturity or perfection it can ONLY be out of a totally different order of priesthood. The human priesthood of man has totally failed to develop the church to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. However, the scripture is clear that we are still called to become a Kingdom of priests. Obviously, any new human priesthood of man will be no more successful today. For that reason God has introduced a completely new Priesthood after a different order.
Heb 7:11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?
Heb 7:23 And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
The normal definition of an earthly priest is one that stands before God in behalf of the people and one who stands before the people on behalf of God. The priest is an intermediary or one who stands between. The priest was the one who represented an absent God and spoke for Him. The modern earthly priest is the one who administrates over the church, in the place of God. It was common to say that the priest was God’s voice to the church.
At the time of the reformation in 1517 the protestant church separated from the church at Rome and established an organization to “protest” the total failure of that man-made system and the corruption in the Catholic church. However, “the system of church” stayed very much the same in the reformation church except instead of calling the leader of the church “priest” they began to call the leader “pastor.” Still, the “pastor” stood in the same place, before the people in behalf of God and before God in behalf of the people, the same as the priest did in the fallen system. In some denominations this “doctrine and position” is still maintained.
Both the “priest” AND the “pastor” assumed a position of standing between God and His people. We can identify one error that made this “doctrine” acceptable. When God is absent there must be an intermediary appointed to speak for Him. When God is absent, someone needs to speak to God for the people. This seems to be necessary. This was true in the Old Covenant but this is NOT true in the New Covenant.
When men stand before the people in behalf of an absent God, the whole system of a New Covenant church is immediately compromised and corrupted from fulfilling God’s purpose. This “system” takes the place of Christ IN HIS CHURCH or is called “antichrist.”
anti- >prefix 1 opposed to; against: (Example; anti-aircraft.) 2 preventing or in place of.
Antichrist: literally, “instead of Christ”; or an adversary of Christ, literally, “against Christ.” As John never uses pseudo-Christ, or “false Christ,” for Antichrist, it is plain he means an adversary of Christ, claiming for himself what belongs only to Christ, and wishing to substitute himself for Christ as the supreme object of worship. He denies the Son a voice by speaking for Him.
1Jo 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen;
IF Christ is absent from our midst, then antichrist can take His place and begin to act in place of Christ. For the “earthly, human priesthood of man” to succeed it is necessary for Christ to be absent from the church. The “God up there in heaven” doctrine has promoted this “antichrist” ministry that is now rampant in most all denominations.
But what has this to do with the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek? It is obvious that Melchizedek is the Holy Spirit who is very present and manifested Himself to Abraham when he returned from the slaughter of the earthly kings. Melchizedek didn’t reveal Himself until the “other kings” were slaughtered.
The doctrine of “first mention” points out that wherever something is mentioned the very first time we will find the basic revelation of that which is mentioned. Here, Melchizedek is the very first mention of a king / priest. It is the first mention of someone that has no beginning of days OR end of Life and He is the very first priest that is mentioned. In other words “the Spirit of God was Present” to minister to Abraham.
The absolute and abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit AND the Son, the living and the abiding Word of God, is the basis of the current priesthood of the King / Priest in our midst. The abiding Presence of God is the basis of the Gospel of the Kingdom and its effectiveness in our lives. The “absent God syndrome” must be shown to be a false doctrine of fallen man.
What is the difference between the human concept of a God that is far off someplace in heaven and the Living God that will dwell with us and in us forever? The difference is in how man responds to God and to His supreme Government! We can get away with about everything when man stands in the place of an absent God. The “man who stands in the place of God” knows our weaknesses and failures and creates excuses for our disobedience and unbelief. He assures us that God loves us just like we are. However, we can’t get away with anything with a present God who dwells in us and walks among us. He also knows our weaknesses and failures but His purpose is to change us from our miserable state into His glorious state.
John 17:20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. 22 "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.
John 14:18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:16 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.
The absolute reality of the Present and Abiding God, both In Us AND in our midst, is the primary revelation of the reality of His Government and His Kingdom that has come to dwell in us. “Thy Kingdom come” is the revelation of whose Kingdom it is and who the absolute King is! When ANY MAN tries to stand in God’s place in the church , he has become an abomination in the church. That man has assumed a position of antichrist or he has taken the place of Christ IN THE CHURCH. There are “many” of these antichrists that have gone out into the world to stand in the place of Christ today. Some, now, are ignorantly expecting the worship of the people because of their celebrity status and are demanding to be respected and exalted as the voice of God to His people. Example; “Do you believe that I am a prophet of God and have been sent here to speak for God?” The correct answer is “NO!”
That was the last dispensation called the Old Covenant. In the full provision of the New Covenant we won’t need any man to teach us the things of God because He will do that for Himself. In the full provision of the New Covenant we won’t need any man to speak for God or stand as intermediary in Christ’s place because He will speak for Himself and HIS sheep will be perfectly able to hear His voice and recognize it.
Then why do we call this “system of Church” that has evolved over the years “the fallen system?” Because it attempts to become god to the people who submit to its culture and traditions. Exactly the same thing happened in Israel when the religious leaders usurped God’s rightful place as the governmental head of Israel.
The question is this; Is there any possibility that God’s Kingdom can come to function as Lord in this fallen system where men rule? Can God’s Kingdom be established where there are 7 independent nations and 31 kings who rule? Not a chance! Why? God cannot and will not be the “32nd king or try to establish the 8th nation.” Then how did this ridiculous doctrine of man speaking for God come about? Who started this fallen system? Why did we need such an obtuse system? Israel insisted upon it and God granted it but it was a fallen system then and is a fallen system now.
Much about the temporary and earthly priesthood after the order of Aaron is revealed at Mt. Sinai BEFORE God appointed the priesthood and permitted man to speak for God. God’s purpose was for ALL His people to come up the mountain, hear His voice, keep His covenant and obey. This was inconvenient and terrifying for Israel so they insisted that Moses go up the mountain and hear from God and come and tell them what God said. They felt that if God spoke to them once more they would all die. However, 75 persons went up the mountain later and saw God’s feet and ate and drank in His Presence and didn’t die.
Exodus 24:9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.
This experience reveals God’s heart and the possibility of man surviving in God’s Presence. This fear of God in Israel, of His manifest Presence, was the reason for the appointment of an “intermediary to speak for God” and is the basis of the Old Covenant priesthood after the order of Aaron. Nevertheless, that “priesthood order” was brought to a close by God at Calvary and Pentecost. Still, natural man has revived what God has concluded and established this “fallen system” will never bring the church to perfection, fulfill the purpose of God or bring joy to God’s heart.
Deut 5:23 "And it came about, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 "And you said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. 25 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we shall die. 26 'For who is there of all flesh, who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? :27 'Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.'
Deut 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16 "This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, lest I die.'
Act 3:22 "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED in everything He says to you. 23 'And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'
Jesus Christ, then, is that last prophet that is authorized to speak FOR God and to stand between God and man.
Jer 7:22 "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.' 24 "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. 25 "Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. 26 "Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did evil more than their fathers.
The fact that most all of God’s people failed to go up the mountain and hear the voice of God, there was set in place a whole “system of Law” and sacrifices! Because they asked that God not speak directly to them again, God spoke to His people through prophets. Now, however, God speaks IN HIS SON. The ministry of the prophets has radically changed under the New Covenant BUT many pseudo-prophets are still trying to function according to the Old Covenant and assume a position between God and His people. Very few Christians today see what an abomination this really is and a rejection of God’s New Covenant.
In this ignorance, some of the “prophets” have assumed a position of the antichrist. Many of these “antichrists” have gone out into the world today and there are many Christians who have gone out after them. Why? Because these carnal Christians refuse to go up the mountain of God, hear His voice, keep His New Covenant and obey. Therefore, they appoint some person over them and attempt to hear God through them. This has proven to be a disaster for Israel! This “substitution of ministry for the Voice of God” results in still another rejection of The Very Present God today and another failure of His people for His plan today.
Jesus is saying “My sheep STILL hear My Voice.” “Other sheep have to hear words that are assumed to be My voice from those who assume they are prophets of the Old Covenant and still try to stand between God and His people.”
If we remain ignorant of the New Covenant and ignore or reject God’s total provision for man to lay aside everything of the old and everything that holds him in bondage, how can man function as the “new creation” in a completely “new system.” We quote scriptures like “old things have passed away” and all the time we hold to the old system that continues to function according to a past dispensation.
If the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek was another temporary priesthood that will soon pass away, it many not be so critical for us to participate in it as genuine New Testament priests. However, this “priesthood” is the “Eternal Priesthood” and the one that God has designed and established to fulfill His Eternal Purpose. For about 1700 years natural man has been busy establishing a counterfeit priesthood that has deceived the very elect, both in the Protestant Church and in the Catholic Church. If we can see what is happening in Islam and many other “religions”, the same pattern of a “priesthood after the order of men” is the preferred choice of the natural man. The “Christian Church” uses the same pattern of a natural priesthood but insists it is a much better system than other religions and one that God approves.
It is my opinion that there are severe consequences for those who ignore the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek and establish their own counterfeit priesthood. Since Jesus is the High Priest after this exclusive order, it is logical that ALL members of our High Priest’s body will be priests after that same order. Since this is THE ONLY Priesthood available to us, it is clear that the “Kingdom of Priests” will be after the same order.
To assume that God will accept self ordained priests of some fallen order into the Eternal Priesthood because of His Grace is just ignorant. This “fallen order of priests” is NOT exclusive to one denomination but is the common kind of “priest who stands between”, even if we call them “five fold ministries.” “The fallen priesthood” does not imply that these people are not redeemed and are still “fallen” but that the “system of a natural priesthood” is fallen.
Even John the Baptist, the last of the Old Covenant prophets, who is the “friend of the Bridegroom,” doesn’t stand between the “Bridegroom and His bride” but rejoices to see His day and immediately begins to decrease. The New Covenant “eunuch minister” will refuse “to stand between” the Bridegroom and His bride but will violently stand between the wolf and the bride. To assume that God is visiting some other planet and doesn’t see the difference between His Divine Order and man’s substitution is terrible ignorance in a day when the Seven Spirits of God are beginning a new illumination in the church.
The “priesthood” today is commissioned to stand before the Lord, minister to the Lord and burn Incense. AFTER THAT he may “minister TO the people.” However, let NO MINISTER try to stand between God and His people or between Christ and His bride. The time for this ignorance has come to a close and God’s people must communicate directly with God through Jesus Christ! The bride CAN and DOES HEAR Christ’s voice!