Priests?

The word priest in the Old Testament occurs in 404 verses. In Hebrew the word is kohen in all the verses except two, Ezekiel 44:13 were it's speaking of the priests office, and Hosea 4:6. The most frequent use is found in the book of Leviticus. The plural for priest meaning more than one and speaks of the priests' office. There is also a word connected with priest which is priesthood it occurs in nine verses in the Old Testament which is khunnah meaning priesthood or priest's office.

The New Testament word priest appears in seventy-four verses. In the Greek it uses two variations of the same word. 1. hiereus, one who offers sacrifice and has the charge of things pertaining thereto. 2. archiereius, the high priests of the Levitical order. Frequently called "chief priests" Arch meaning high.

The word priesthood in the New Testament appears in only seven verses. In Greek it's in three forms: 1. hierateia, a priesthood, denotes the priest's office found in Hebrews 7:5. The plural is found in the New Testament eighty-three times. 2. hierosune, a priesthood, signifies the office, quality, rank and ministry of a priest found in Hebrews 7:11,12,14,24. 3. hierateuma, priesthood, a body of priests (or group) found in 1 Peter 2:5,9.

What is the definition of a priest? Webster's Dictionary says, "one authorized or ordained to perform sacerdotal [things relating to the priestly office] functions." There are two kinds of priests. One, the Holy servant of God Almighty called to minister faithfully to Him. The other is that pagan priest given over to ministering for satan. The very first time we come upon the word is in Genesis 14:18.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God.

Within this passage we see it is a Priest of who? The Most High God. He (the priest) is bringing the equivalent of the table of the Lord to Abraham. In Genesis 41:45,50; 46:20 we see the priest of satan "…Potipherah priest of On." Potipherah means "he whom the Ra gave." Ra was the Egyptian pagan so-called god of the Sun.

In Exodus 2:16; 3:1;18:1 we read of the "priest of median" this is Moses’ father in law. His name is "Jethro or Reuel." Jethro means "his abundance." Reuel or Raguel means "friend of God." This man was from Median, he was an Arab, he believed in the true and living God of heaven and earth. He has this testimony.

"And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, [and] all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and [how] the LORD delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, Blessed [be] the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them. And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God." (Exodus 18:8-12).

As we see with Melchizedek and Jethro they were priests of God before the establishing of the Priesthood in Exodus 28:1. In that we have for us the priesthood being instituted and the first priest of God for the Old Testament dispensation. Aaron and his sons were the first chosen. In the ordination of them we read.

"And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty." (Exodus 28:2)

This was done so that the Priests may be covered in Holiness to minister in that office as the servants of God. They were consecrated and acceptable to God in this manner. There are many denominations in our day that still use, and raise in high regard, the idea of holy garments. This is not something the true Believer would even consider as holy or place the one wearing it so! The believer of Jesus Christ should reject this idea of "holy garments" why?

"Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness." ( 2 Chronicles 6:41)

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (Revelation 3:5)

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)

In the New Testament Jesus says many, as today, put on the garments or robes to be seen and have praise of men.

"But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments." (Matthew 23:5)

In truth, all of our efforts should be directed to be clothed in His righteousness and wrapped in His robe of grace! We are presented with the various duties of the Old Testament priest from Exodus 28:3 to Joshua 22:32. I want to look at a doctrine that is purported that we must confess to a priest for ours sins to be "absolved." Understand there is nowhere in all of Scripture which says we must confess to a man on earth who is acting as a priest. This is pure fantasy and has no Biblical authority, and is a wicked tradition of satan concocted to keep men from the kingdom of God. However, we do see something in the Old Testament of a Priest ministering for sins.

"And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it [is] a sin offering for the congregation." (Leviticus 4:20,21)

What we see here is the sacrifice for sins committed by the people. As a priest before God--at this time Christ had not yet come to take care of that problem once and for all--God used someone to minister for Him for the people’s sins. Wonderfully; however, we know Christ has come to take care of the sin issue forever we read.

"Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." (Hebrews 7:27)

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:12-14)

"For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:26-28)

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." (Hebrews 10:10-12)

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18)

Case closed on that. Continuing to accept or participate in this evil system is a lack of spiritual maturity on an individuals part. I must also point out to you that Old Testament priests were able to marry. The modern day falsehood of a priest being not married is foreign to the Scriptural priesthood. (Exodus 18:1; Leviticus7:34,35; 22:12,13) Please notice the severe punishment of God against disobedient priests (Numbers 26:61; Leviticus 10:1,2) how much more so today? Notice, the holiness that God asks of His priests in the Old Testament.

"Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations" (Leviticus 10:9)

In the statement "the tabernacle of the congregation" what is this? Does it not mean in the Church! Yet some today make a shame of their so-called priesthood by drinking, and not without to the intoxicating, of the table of the Lord. Isaiah is very observant of the sacerdotal corruption of his time he says.

"But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble [in] judgment." (Isaiah 28:7)

So does Ezekiel.

"Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court." (Ezekiel 44:21)

In the book Judges we find the beginning of the decline of the pure priesthood line, and the total disregard for God’s priests.

"And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest." (Judges 17:5)

Micah [not the prophet] was not a Levite to have ordained his son a priest.

"And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name [was] Micah." (Judges 17:1)

The decline of the priesthood continues to the point that unbelievers were in the priesthood sadly as it is today with nonbelievers attempting to minister to God's people. We read in 1 Samuel 2:12.

"Now the sons of Eli [were] sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD."

What does "belial" mean? Wicked, ungodly, or evil. Notice, …they knew not the Lord. The pilfering of the people by these wicked men is illustrated in 1 Samuel 2:13-15,28. Judgment comes upon them in chapter 12 verse 34. After seeing the wickedness, and the decline of the priesthood, God gives the beautiful prophecy of the fulfillment of the Divine priest Jesus Christ.

"And I will raise me up a faithful priest, [that] shall do according to [that] which [is] in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever." (1 Samuel 12:35)

And also in Zechariah 6:12,13.

"And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Saul, in his madness shows a total decline and respect for God, and His priests.

"And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword." (1 Samuel 22:18,19)

As a backslidden nation Israel allowed pagan priests to operate in temples to satan (2 Kings 11:18). Corrupt Priests were bought off by wicked kings of that day as well (2 Kings 16:10,11). In our day hundreds of ministers and priests will do and say anything for a dollar! The true work and station of a "priest" is to minister to God, and teach the people about God. Nehemiah shows us this.

"And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law." (Nehemiah 8:2,3)

There was a time when satan tried to halt this.

"Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." (2 Chronicles 15:3)

But when a true priest did stand against rebellious people the results were sometime tragic.

"And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest , which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD." (2 Chronicles 24:20,21)

Speaking a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ. David says, He will be a priest forever.

"The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4)

Look at the decay of the sanctity of the priesthood.

"For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one [is] given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely." (Jeremiah 6:13)

"Therefore will I give their wives unto others, [and] their fields to them that shall inherit [them]: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely." (Jeremiah 8:10)

"For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:11)

"Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest , and counsel from the ancients" (Ezekiel 7:26)

"Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy [place]: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed." (Ezekiel 44:12,13)

God rejected people from becoming priests to Him because they rejected Him!

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (Hosea 4:6)

"They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings." (Hosea 4:8,9)

satan will try to resist those Godly men.

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him." (Zechariah 3:1)

Leaving the Old Testament, God reminds us of what a Godly priest should do.

"For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger of the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 2:7)

As we enter the New Testament we notice that the high priests were not humble, but exalting themselves in luxury, and eager to shed innocent blood.

"But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end." (Matthew 26:58)

"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death." (Matthew 26:59)

Jesus follows the law in respecting the priest, and does so with the benefit of others in mind.

"And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them." (Mark 1:44)

Jesus says to the man that was healed to go and offer that "which Moses commanded…." Why? "For a testimony unto them." This was so that those priests might believe on Jesus. Do you remember what He said in John 5:36; 10:25, 38? "… works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me."

In Luke 1:56 Zacharias shows us God will have His Godly men.

"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."

Notice, it says that "…a certain priest named Zacharias." Elisabeth is a daughter of Aaron, but she is not spoken of as being a priestess. In other words no women were Priests. However, sadly today many do not heed the commands of God and so-call ordain women to become priests. What a shame and mockery of the authority of God! Jesus, while explaining love for others, gives an illustration on how some of the priests have become very cold and uncaring.

"And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side." (Luke 10:31)

The priests had anger and hatred of the true work of God done through the apostles hands. This was an early Church glimpse of the Romnish church to come.

"Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid [them] on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude [out] of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison." (Acts 5:15-18)

Many things have been done to a good many true followers of our Lord Jesus at the hands of evil priests in the name of the Lord. Again we see a hatred against the Lord’s people as Saul, before his conversion, makes a request to who? A high priest to kill Christians!

"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." (Acts 9:1,2)

* The New Testament makes it very clear that we, those born again and truly saved, have only one High Priest we should look to Jesus Christ!

"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." (Hebrews 2:17-3:1)

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest , that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest ; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 5:5,6)

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 5:8-10)

"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 6:20)

"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?" (Hebrews 7:11)

"And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 7:15-17)

"And inasmuch as not without an oath [he was made priest ]: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)" (Hebrews 7:20,21)

And Hebrews 7:26; 8:6; 9:11-15; 9:25,26; 10:11-14; 10:21,22; 13:11-13.

Peter says we, if we have been truly saved, have a priesthood to God.

"If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:3-5)

"But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

We are now all priests, in the symbolical sense, in ministering to Him.

"And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5,6)

"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:10)

"Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6)

We have come to the conclusion, and that from scripture, that there is no more a need for a visible Old Testament functioning priesthood or priests. Jesus is the only rightful High Priest, and we are priests in a sense, to minister to Him faithfully. As priests in our Church, work, and home we must be faithful to God who called us. We must be holy and without spot.

Amen?

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