The Jerusalem Council

[8thdaypriest]

On 11/29/2017 at 8:16 PM, Ron Amnsn said:

If the God were fickle, there would be nothing to prevent him from changing the priesthood back.  However, God is not fickle.  God keeps his word.  His promises and covenants are sure.

 

The sin of Israel - their worship of the golden calf idol - legally allowed the Lord to "change" the priesthood from the "firstborn" to the Levites who stood with Him.  When Jesus died, the sins of Israel were washed away (for all those who repented).  This is what "allows" the Lord to return the priesthood to the "firstborn".  Not some "fickleness"!

[8thdaypriest]

Exodus 40:15 "You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."

Numbers 25:13 [Phinehas]  "It shall be for him and for his descendants after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the Israelites."

"It" - is the "covenant of peace".   The "covenant of peace" includes "a perpetual priesthood".   The text does not say, an exclusive Aaronic priesthood.  It just says a priesthood.  The Lord will make a "covenant of peace" with Israel - all of Israel return to the land, not just with descendants of Levi/Aaron/Phinehas.  Every returning Israelite will become "priests of God and of Christ".  Returning Israel includes all of the Gentiles who have been "grafted in" through faith in Messiah. 

I'm not arguing against a priesthood.  I am arguing against an exclusive Levite/Aaronic DNA priesthood.  Just like I have argued against an exclusively Hebrew DNA Israel. 

 

Jeremiah 33:17 For this is what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices. '" 19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 "This is what the LORD says: 'If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant-- and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me-- can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.'"

First:   I believe the promise - "never lack a man to stand before me" to continually offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and to present sacrifices, WAS FULFILLED BY JESUS CHRIST - who now stands before God the Father, presenting His own blood, and His own righteousness as sacrifices.  

Second:  The promise of "a perpetual priesthood" and "an everlasting priesthood" will be fulfilled to righteous individual Levites, when they become "priests of God and of Christ", along with all of the redeemed from this 6000 years.    

Third:  The physical ceremonies of the ancient Tabernacle/priesthood were acted prophecy - which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  

Fourth:  The act of offering an animal sacrifice, is just no longer necessary for salvation.  Millions of believers have come to God through Christ - the one true offering for all time.  They have secured salvation without ever going up to a Temple on the Mount at Jerusalem, or presenting animal sacrifices.  

I know.  You keep on saying that the LAW cannot be changed.  But it has been changed.  Hebrews says so.  It has been changed where it concerns the priesthood, and thus the animal sacrifices.  Many, many people of Hebrew descent have accepted this - that the prophecy of the priesthood/sacrifices has been and is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.   Those who use the change of the priesthood, and therefore the Law concerning the priesthood/sacrifices to deny Christ, are simply looking for arguments against Him. 

Fifth:  The whole "change of location" argument, saying that Christ can only serve as a priest in the heavenly realm, just doesn't wash.  Melchizedek was a priest ON THE EARTH.  And Jesus will be High Priest of that same order, which means that Christ - "a priest forever" - will be a priest ON THE EARTH.   Jesus does return to the earth, along with all His saints who have become "priests of God and of Christ".   Those priests also, will minister ON THE EARTH.    

[8thdaypriest]

1 hour ago, Ron Amnsn said:

The book of Acts tells us that many of the priests believed in Jesus, so I don't think you can justly assume that all the descendants of Aaron are not followers of Messiah.

 

I was not talking about priests living at the time of Jesus.   I was talking about present day men who are identified as descendants of Aaron (if that is even possible), who are selected to serve as priests at a restored Temple in Jerusalem.  

You know as well as I do, that no man professing faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah, will ever be selected.   One cannot even become a citizen of the present nation of Israel without denying - in writing and verbally - Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah.  There is no way a follower of Jesus will be selected to be a priest at a restored Temple on the Mount.  

[Ron Amnsn]

6 hours ago, 8thdaypriest said:

I'm not arguing against a priesthood.  I am arguing against an exclusive Levite/Aaronic DNA priesthood.

It seems like this argument came up before, while Aaron was still alive.  Korah, Dathan, and Abiram thought the priesthood was not exclusive to Aaron's family.

[8thdaypriest]

19 hours ago, Ron Amnsn said:

It seems like this argument came up before, while Aaron was still alive.  Korah, Dathan, and Abiram thought the priesthood was not exclusive to Aaron's family.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were arguing BEFORE Christ died.   The priesthood had NOT YET been changed.   They were in rebellion against the LORD.

I am arguing AFTER Christ died, AFTER the "change" was reported in the Book of Hebrews, AFTER the death of God's Son allowed the LORD to legally change the priesthood back to "the firstborn" (His Son + those who are his), AFTER the sin of the golden calf worship was "washed away" by the blood of Jesus.