Priesthood of Believers

[Gail]

Do you believe that all believers of Christ belong to His priesthood?

What does that mean to you?

Do you gain when you share what each has learned in his/her own Bible study and experiences? (That is supposing and assuming that each is led and taught by the Holy Spirit)

[8thdaypriest]

From Mt Sinai, the LORD said to Israel "You will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exo. 19:5-6) Peter repeats this promise.

I Peter 2:5, 9, 10 [speaking to believers after the resurrection.] “. . . you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . . . you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation [israel], His own special people...”

Revelation again says,

Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Revelation 7:9, 13-14 The “great multitude” who “come out of great tribulation,” are “arrayed in white robes” [priestly garments] and “serve Him day and night in His temple.”

NOTE: ONLY PRIESTS could enter the Temple.

Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ‘To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.’”

NOTE: The twelve loaves of the shewbread were originally made from manna and were “hidden” from view, set on a golden table inside the first apartment of the Sanctuary tent. Only the priests ate of this bread (Lev. 24:9). The Tabernacle was a copy of “heaven itself” (Heb. 9:24), and Christ Himself is the “bread from heaven” (John 6:32-33). Only those who “overcome” will partake. Faithful believers will become priests, and will partake of this “hidden manna” as they fellowship with Christ in the “Father’s House.”

Revelation 1:6, Revelation 5:9-10 The twenty four elders [presently in heaven] proclaim that Christ “has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.”

You Jesus “were slain”. . . “and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Actually a better translation would be, "you have made us a kingdom of priests." Also the tense is aorist, meaning that it is a process which has begun and will end up being "a kingdom of priests." The are NOT priests YET.

AND they will reign on the earth.

1. We will be priests (Rev. 20:6, Rev. 1:6, Rev. 5:9-10).

2. We will reign/rule with Him - over the nations (Rev. 2:26).

3. Therefore we will reign with HIM - as “kings and priests” (Rev.1:6, 5:10, 3:21).

4. We will reign on the earth (Rev. 5:9-10).

Revelation 2:26 “And he who overcomes . . . to him I will give power over the nations – He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces.”

The people of God today ARE Israel. DNA no longer has anything to do with it. We are "grafted in." We have become part of the commonwealth of Israel. That's Ephesians 2.

MOST IMPORTANT: The consecration of the priesthood took 7 days. With the LORD a thousand years is as a day. Soooooo we will not be fully consecrated to SERVE as priests UNTIL the 8th Day - which would be the 8th millennium.

There is a study at my website: "A Kingdom of Priests." You might find it gives you a lot of information on this subject.

www.prophecyviewpoint.com

Blessings

[Gail]

So you understand that this is one of those things that the Bible talks of as reality but it's not quite fulfilled yet?

Is there any contemporary meaning to that in our lives today?

[joeb]

Do you believe that all believers of Christ belong to His priesthood?

What does that mean to you?

Do you gain when you share what each has learned in his/her own Bible study and experiences? (That is supposing and assuming that each is led and taught by the Holy Spirit)

I guess that depends on who/what you classify as a believer. Profession does not equal reality.

The kingdom of priests to me means that we are in the same relationship to God that the Hebrew priests were. We are here to teach the world about God. Who He is. What He stands for. What He's like. We are to intercede with God for others through prayer.

We cannot gain a further knowledge of God until we share what we already know. We must share or we become stagnant pools, and stagnant water stinks.

[8thdaypriest]

THE ROLE OF THE LEVITE PRIESTS:

Teach the Law, judge, settle disputes, administer justice and offer up “spiritual sacrifices” (Deut. 17:8-11, Deut. 21:5, Deut. 33:8, Ezra 8:7-8, Eze. 44:23-24).

They were the government and the teachers, as well as facilitating the animal sacrifices. The High Priest offered up the prayers - incense, in the Holy Place.

But we are NOT Levite priests. We will be Melchizedek priests - but not UNTIL "the 8th day."

The Levite priesthood was a detour - a plan B, so-to-speak, because all of Israel did not complete the requirements. They built and worshiped the "golden calf." So the LORD continued His plan using the only tribe that did not break covenant.

I Samuel 2:27-36 predicts the END of the Levirate priesthood. The LORD would raise up a "faithful priest" (Christ) and all of Aaron, Eli's house would bow down to HIM.

The priesthood has been "changed" which means the LAW has been changed. The Messianic Hebrew Roots teachers are saying that NOTHING has changed, and the Evangelicals are saying that EVERYTHING has been thrown out. Hebrews makes it clear that ONLY the priesthood has changed - which means that the system of animal sacrifices has been declared obsolete. On earth you could NOT sacrifice without a priest, at the Temple in Jerusalem. THAT is the ONLY thing that has changed!!

I LOVE the following text!!!

Isaiah 61:4-9 “And they shall rebuild the old ruins. They shall raise up the former desolations. And they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. Strangers [non-Israelites] shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner [non-Israelite] shall be your plowmen and your vine dressers. But you shall be named the Priests of the LORD. Men shall call you the Servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [the inheritance of the firstborn].” “Everlasting joy shall be theirs. For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, and will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.”

This was spoken to all Israel - not just to Levites.

This priesthood cannot be Levite - because they are given a double portion in the land. The Levites had NO PORTION in the land.

I think this is future - once we return to the earth from the Father's House. And you notice all the "gentiles" living around the Israelites. This tells me that the "second resurrection" may NOT be what we have always thought - just an annihilation.

There are two studies at www.prophecyviewpoint.com.

"A Kingdom of Priests"

"The 8th Day" - in three parts.

Shalom and Blessings

[8thdaypriest]

I believe that all of those who "are Christs" at the Second Coming WILL BE priests (Rev. 20:6. We are NOT YET priests.

I Peter 2:5, 9, 10 [speaking to believers after the resurrection.] “. . . you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . . . you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation [israel], His own special people...”

We are being built up to be.

We are NOT YET.

Peter believed Christ would return in his day. That is why he says "you are a chosen generation."

We cannot be priests until we complete the consecration.

Aaron and his sons were told to "remain at the door of the Tabernacle 7 days." On the 8th day, Moses told them to being their ministry as priests. (Lev. 8:33 and 9:1)

If this is the type - then we would become priests at the 8th day = the 8th millennium.

Most interesting that Nadab and Abihu offered "strange fire" and were consumed by the "fire of God" on the same 8th day, that they began to minister (Lev. 10:19).

Now - does all that mean that we cannot pray for one another - of course NOT!!! We are told to pray for each other.

www.prophecyviewpoint.com

Blessings

[Gibs]

The second resurrection is the resurrection of damnation.

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Re 20:6 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.

Pr 10:25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

Pr 10:30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1Jo 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

1Jo 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

[8thdaypriest]

Don't leave out verse 28.

John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

This agrees with Daniel 12:1-3, which has those raised to everlasting life, and those raised to everlasting condemnation raised at the SAME TIME.

In context (John 5:29) Jesus was talking to Jews.

EVERY Israelite will be raised at the same time. It will be Yom Kippur - the Day of Judgment for Israel and the mixed multitude. (The ignorant nations were not judged on Yom Kippur.) Those who have been faithful to covenant will not be cut off, but those who have forsaken covenant without repentance will be "cut off" from the people of God. To be "cut off" was to die.

Shalom