What a grand privilege to be included in God’s kingdom and to serve Jesus as a priest. A priest stands between God and humanity and forms a bridge so God can get to humanity and humanity can get to God. Jesus calls us to be bridges between heaven and earth. [1]
God made the promise of priesthood to Israel in Exodus 19:6, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” But He did not mean priests in the sense of taking over the physical work inside the tabernacle.
In 2 Chronicles 26:16-19, King Uzziah attempted to unlawfully combine the two offices of king and priest apart from God’s authorization to do so. Eighty priests withstood him, saying, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests… who are consecrated... Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed!” The Lord struck Uzziah with leprosy.
In the New Testament, Jesus became our High Priest. He succeeded where the previous Aaronic priesthood failed, namely, He never sinned. Also, Jesus lives forever, whereas Old Testament high priests had only temporary lives on this earth. Jesus replaced animal sacrifices which had to be offered again and again, with one perfect sacrifice, namely Himself, so that whosoever believes in Him is saved to the uttermost. [2]
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. “ Then, in Acts 2:4, the Holy Spirit baptized them. The Holy Spirit authorized and empowered them to be priests unto God, and to reign on the earth.
In 1 Peter 2:5, Peter wrote, “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.” And in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Christ making us kings and priests unto God is a stated fact in Revelation 5:10: “You have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.”
In what sense of the word, do New Testament “kings and priests” reign on the earth? We reign in a spiritual sense because God is with us and we are with Him.
In Luke 9:1, Jesus “called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.” In Luke 10:17, the disciples joyfully reported to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”
While serving proclaiming the Gospel in China and in Hong Kong, we too saw people delivered from demons in the Name of Jesus. We too fed hungry souls the Word of God. God did His kingly and priestly work through us.
In the Book of Acts, the Lord servants rebuked demons out of people and healed sickness. They fed people the Word of God.
“To Him [Christ] be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
Just as Jesus ascended into the clouds after His appearance to His disciples, He will return to earth with the clouds. This time every eye will see Him.
Just as Jesus ascended into the clouds after His appearance to His disciples, He will return to earth with the clouds. This time every eye will see Him.
Revelation 1:7 is the first prophecy in Revelation that is yet to be fulfilled. It says, “Every eye will see Him.” When Jesus returns, He will come in clouds of glory.
Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Colossian 1:17 says, “He [Jesus] is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.”
Jesus is not just a good man, a prophet or miracle worker. In Revelation 1:8, He reveals Himself as the Almighty who started and ends all things. He exists in the past, present, and future.
Therefore, anyone who tries to deny or remove any part of the glory and divine authority belonging to Christ dishonors Him greatly. Those who despise Him will be brought low, but those who honor Christ will be honored by Him.
[1] Enduring Word Commentary
[2] Hebrews 7:11, 17, 24-27; 8:13
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