GOD ALMIGHTY who knows the end from the beginning has never failed to make good His promises or establish the truth of His word in His dealings with men. This He also confirmed by instituting the typical PRIESTHOOD through Moses during the historic 40-year journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land. It served as a representative example of the ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, the anti-typical, which in future would lead mankind to eternal salvation.
Three months after their departure from Egypt they found themselves in the wilderness of Sinai. There and then God through Moses made a I covenant with them that they would be His own provided they were obedient to Him. Said He: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation…” -Exo. 19:5,6.
Though some of the Israelites proved unfaithful God fulfilled His promise in the covenant. He instituted the priesthood of Aaron and his sons, under whom the Levites, his brothers, were brought to serve in the sanctuary. Only the priests, Aaron the high priest and his sons, were anointed with the holy oil, the oil of anointing. (Exod. 28:1,41; 30:30) In process of time God caused kings to be anointed with the holy oil (1 Sam. 15:1; 16:3,12,13; 1 Kings 1:34, etc.) Both the priests and the kings who were consecrated by the anointing of the holy oil fulfilled various functions.
God gave an indication later that there would be a change of the priesthood and an enactment of a new covenant as well. With reference to the Messiah, King David under inspiration, said: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Ps. 110:4) That this prophetic statement pointed to the priesthood of Jesus Christ was made plain by Christ himself and amplified by St. Paul. Matt. 22:41-45; Heb. 5:5,6.
With regard to the New Dispensation, God said: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:… I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts…” (Jer. 31:31-34) Thus the first covenant that brought about the setting up of the Aaronic priesthood foreshadowed the second one under the priesthood of Jesus Christ that is of far better benefits to mankind.
St. Paul expatiated on the priesthood of Christ whom he described as having “obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises”. He then explained, “For if the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second, for finding fault with them, he saith. Behold the days come, saith the Lord. when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…” – Heb. 8:6-11.
The priesthood of Aaron was hereditary, and it foreshadowed the priesthood of Jesus Christ which is by election and after the order of Melchizedek. And the superiority of that of Christ to the one of Aaron, which brought about a change of the law. was well explained by St. Paul. Said he: “If therefore perfection were by the levetical priesthood. (for under it the people received the law.) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron. For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” – Heb. 7:11.12
Jesus Christ, during his first advent acknowledged the Aaronic priesthood as still being in force. That was why when he healed a leper he directed him to the priest and to make offering as required by the law. (Matt. 8:4: Mark 1:44) The new covenant or testament did not come into effect until after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ though he had earlier chosen the twelve apostles as the foundation members of those who constitute the anti-typical Sons of Aaron, he being the anti-typical High Priest. As Jesus Christ was anointed not with holy oil but of the Holy Spirit, so are all of the class of the apostles anointed with the Holy Spirit in the new dispensation like as it occurred on the day of Pentecost (Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2:1-4; 2 Cor. 1 21,22) The anointing of the Holy Spirit is a major factor that distinguishes those of the apostles class from other Christians who are of the class of the “other sheep”. – Luke 12:32: John 10:16.
Certainly, the apostles were a class by themselves, the little flock”, as contra – distinguished from other disciples, the “other sheep”. Not every believer is an apostle. It was only the apostles who received the anointing of the Holy Spirit which St. Paul described as “the first fruits of the Spirit”. (Rom. 8:23) Through the anointing they were taught by God as regards Hi ways in truth that they did not need to be taught by man, (John 14-26; 1 John 2:27) That was why the people were astonished at the wisdom of Peter and John whom they regarded as “unlearned and ignorant men,” but it occurred to them that they had been with Jesus Christ. – Acts 4:13.
So it was with all others who, apart from the twelve, were later chosen to be apostles till these Hast days. St. Paul testified to his own experience of the anointing thus: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of than neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 1:11,12) The anointed Christians are the first class or “first fruits” among believers. That was why James the apostle being one of them stated: “Of His own will begot He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. – Jas. 1:18
It is only the anointed Christians God in the new dispensation has made to be priests and kings, the anti-typical sons of Aaron after the order of Melchisedek. Concerning them St. Peter wrote: “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 2:5) Furthermore, he stated: “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 marvellous light.” – Verse 9.
John being one of the apostles stated: “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Rev. 1:6) And in chapter 5. verse 10, he added: “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on (that is, over) the earth.” The anointed Christians who constitute the “Royal Priesthood, and who as kings will be with Jesus Christ, the king of kings. are numbered 144,000. They will be in Mount Zion, the capital of Christ’s kingdom in heaven. They only have part in the first resurrection, and they will reign with Christ in the millennium – Rev. 14:1-5; 20.6.
To generalise the priesthood making people believe that every believer man, woman or child is a priest and a king, is a mischievous error in Christendom. Finis Jennings Dake, in his Annotated Reference Bible (King James Version), The Nelson Study Bible (New King James Version), and Harper Study Bible (RSV), stated in their comments on 1 Peter 2:5,9, that all disciples or believers, both laity and clergy, are priests.
No kingdom or empire or government has ever existed where every one is a king or a priest. It is unthinkable to imagine that such will be the case as regards God’s Kingdom. It was the apostles, not every believer, Jesus Christ gave the promise: “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me: that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”-Luke 22:28-30.
We can learn from the typical example of the nation of Israel. Although God promised that they would be unto Him “a kingdom of priests,” He did not make every Israelite or Jew a priest. (Exod. 19:5,6) It was only Aaron and his sons He consecrated to be priests. Similarly, 1 Peter 2:5,9, does not connote that every Christian is a priest or a king, Bible scholars were not anointed of the holy spirit nor had seen the visions of God but had, by dint of hard work and research made their own comments, which, in many cases, have been found to be inconsistent with the revealed truth of Christ, and misleading
The priesthood of Jesus Christ, which is after the order of Melchisedek, belongs to him and his closest associates the Anointed Christians chosen by God to teach and lead mankind to eternal salvation.
With regard to his commission and or duties as the High Priest in the new dispensation. Jesus read from the book of Isaiah (Isa. 61:1.2) and said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18,19) In all these those of the “Royal Priesthood” are partakers and they are embodied in the sacrifice of praise they are enjoined to offer. – 1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 13:15 The salvation of everyone depends on one’s belief in or obedience to the gospel of the kingdom now being preached at this end time