“He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.” (Heb. 10:9b, NLT)
In the first myth concerning the functioning of the church we clearly pointed out that the church building’s greatest negative attribute is that it creates the impression of a “sacred space”, and thus fosters the perception that worshiping God is an act far removed from everyday life. This becomes a false separation between what we consider as secular/worldly verses sacred/holy.
The second myth concerning the spiritual functioning in the church, and that further exaggerates this false dichotomy, thus pointing to the perversity of the contemporary church, is the following: The myth of the clergy as God’s special ambassadors.
The first myth we examined has made various contributions to the second myth. For instance: the way in which the seats or church benches are organised – in theatrical style, in rows one behind the other, so that everyone can see the pulpit. Often these seats or benches are nailed to the floor, preventing anyone from moving them. This arrangement renders ecclesia impossible, because you can only have fellowship with the back of someone’s head. On either side of the elevated pulpit we find the elders and deacons, separated from each other and from the rest of the congregation. The Roman basilica is still very much intact in our modern church building! Frank Viola & George Barna make it clear: “the architecture emphasizes fellowship between God and His people via the pastor. Yet despite these facts, we Christians still treat the building as if sacred.” (Pagan Christianity, p. 40).
Starting with the first record of the first smoke emanating from a sacrifice (Gen. 4:4) of the righteous Abel (Heb. 11:4), up until the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:10), the early history of Israel is inseparably linked to altars, priests and sacrifices. One could argue that from the earliest times every man was a priest, although that follows only by implication. Cain and Abel each brought “an offering” (Gen. 4:3) to God. As early as Gen. 7:1-3 God, in his negotiations with Noah, made a distinction between clean and unclean animals, which is a clear indication that in the case of sacrificial animals there existed particular guidelines from God. The first thing Noah did when he set foot on dry land was to erect an altar (Gen. 8:20), which granted him ‘priestly status’. As head of his household, he then also led his extended family in this offering. There are many other examples of offerings and subsequent priesthood in the lives of the first fathers: Abraham (Gen. 12:6-8; 13:1-3; 22:1-9), Isaac (Gen. 26:18,23-25) and Jacob (Gen. 46:1).
Please note – in the first recorded account of the forming years of Israel every person was his own priest. Ex. 19:6 was God’s explicit command: “’And 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.” Please realise that it is the entire people of God that here forms the priesthood!
Before the trek out of Egypt there was no established priesthood or order, and thus there was also no regulating authority in the case of offerings and sacrifices, although these were arguably a very important part of Yahweh’s commandment (Gen. 4:1-5; 22:1-9; 35:1-3; Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:4). The testimony of how the priesthood of God came into being is not explained many times, and if one looks at it from a typological perspective, one would understand exactly what the priesthood in the New Covenant entails, and why we completely miss the point when granting undue importance to reverends, pastors, spiritual leaders, etc.
During the last night the Israelites had been in Egypt, the Angel of the Lord moved through the country and killed all the firstborn children and animals in homes that did not have blood on their doorposts (Ex. 12:1-29). In remembrance of the wondrous act through which He [through a sacrificial lamb, which we know is, in typological terms, is Jesus, the Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)], saved the firstborn children and animals of Israel, Yahweh took them for Himself: “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine … that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. “ (Ex. 13:2 & 12).
And this is of utmost importance – after this had happened, God chose the entire tribe of Levi to REPLACE the firstborn of man and animal (that now rightfully belonged to him): “Then the Lord said to Moses: ‘Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.’ So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him … Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord.’” (Num. 3: 40-42, 44-45). Even the numbers of the first born and the numbers of the Levites had to correspond, calculated in various ways. This points to the very specific equivalent God wanted this priesthood to represent – it is not just some random number plucked from nowhere and connoting something vague.
Moses and Aaron thus appoints the Levites (Ex. 3:1-10; 4:14-16). These Levites show their priestly responsibility when Moses returns from the mountain, when the people had in the meantime started worshiping idols. The Levites, following the command of Moses, had to kill many of the perverted nation (Ex. 32:1-28).
In Isa. 61:6 and 66:20-21 a new order of the priesthood is prophesied: “But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God.
You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast … Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,’ says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,’ says the Lord.” 1 Pet. 2:5 then states: “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”. This letter Paul writes to “the elect”, “sanctified” by the Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2-3). Here we find very specific and precise regulations about who may function as priests – you need to be born again (which grants you access to the second dimension) in order to qualify. Please note – those who are merely saved, are not priests, but those who are born-again, qualify as a priest of our God, and NOTHING ELSE.
In the following teaching we will further discuss the myth of the clergy as the special ambassadors of God in more detail.
- Selah: Are you a priest of the New Covenant?
- Read: 6-9
- Memorise: 6:12
