LEVITES, PRIESTS AND KINGS 2
(week 19/12)
OLUBI JOHNSON
In our last article, we saw that God wants us to grow spiritually from just being ‘ordinary Levites’ to becoming ‘Priests’ and ‘Kings’. This week, we will see how to do this in more detail.
It is instructive to note that potentially and legally (based on what the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus made available to us), we are all Priests and Kings in Christ. However, we will not experience these potential and legal realities unless we grow up spiritually to make the transition from just being ‘ordinary Levites’ to becoming ‘Priests’ and ‘Kings’.
Furthermore, in the Old Testament it was only David, being prefigured by Melchisedec and prefiguring the Lord Jesus that combined the anointings of the Priest and the King.
Hebrews 7:1-2 KJV: For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; (2) To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
Hebrews 7:14-17 KJV: For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. (15) And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, (16) Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. (17) For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
David was allowed by God to wear a linen ephod (which only Priests wore in the Old Testament (Ex.28:4-6)) and put the ark of God in a tent without the covering of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. He was allowed to make physical and spiritual sacrifices in the presence of the Ark, like we do now in the New Testament.
2Samuel 6:14 KJV: And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
2Samuel 6:17 KJV: And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
This was because God was going to raise up a new spiritual dynasty of Priests and Kings through David and his son: the Lord Jesus.
2Samuel 7:12-13 KJV: And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. (13) He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
Amos 9:11-12 AMP: In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David, the fallen hut or booth, and close up its breaches; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old, (12) That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the nations that are called by My name, says the Lord Who does this. [Acts 15:15-17.]
It is the Lord Jesus and we New Testament Christians that now fulfill the purpose of God in combining the Priestly and Kingly ministries as shown in
Zechariah 6:12-13 AMP: And say to him, Thus says the Lord of hosts: [You, Joshua] behold (look at, keep in sight, watch) the Man [the Messiah] whose name is the Branch, for He shall grow up in His place and He shall build the [true] temple of the Lord. [Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8.] (13) Yes, [you are building a temple of the Lord, but] it is He Who shall build the [true] temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the honor and glory [as of the only begotten of the Father] 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 the two [offices–Priest and King]. [John 1:14; 17:5; Heb. 2:9.]
As can be seen above there needs to be a harmony between the two offices of Priests and Kings.
In the New Testament we accomplish this by wise spiritual time-management: so we will be effective in our Priestly ministry of prayer and intercession by habitual daily prayer in the third and fourth watch and then stay in fellowship with God throughout the day by praying every six hours, at every opportunity and in every temptation; and in our Kingly ministry of exercising divine dominion in all we do to show forth spiritual excellence like Daniel did.
Daniel 6:1-4 KJV: It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; (2) And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. (3) Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. (4) Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Daniel 6:10 AMP: Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. [Ps. 5:7.]
So this is how to operate as a Priest and King in Christ Jesus.
