Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Jesus was crucified for your sins and Jesus dwelt (tabernacled) among you on earth for thirty-three years. But these things are done and accomplished and are no longer what Jesus is doing. So what is He doing now? I raised Him from the dead as your great good Shepherd, Hebrews 13:20-21, and I anointed and appointed Him by oath as your great High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:20. And He lives forever making intercession for you and bringing you with Him into the very Holy of Holies, My throne of grace. Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 10:19-22. He is the High Priest of the New Covenant sealed in His blood. He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises than the old. Hebrews 8:6.
And as we continue our life lessons on the unfathomable riches of Christ, today we are looking at Jesus as your great High Priest. For I have sworn and will not repent, He is a Priest forever in the Order of Melchizedek. I have called Him and made Him your High Priest forever. Hebrews 5:1-10. For it was fitting for you to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests of the Old Covenant, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but by word of the oath, which came after the Law, I appointed My Son to that office, made perfect forever. He is able to save you to the uttermost forever.
Many think of Jesus as the crucified Savior who took all your sins from you and made you My righteousness in Him. Many are familiar with Him as the Good Shepherd who feeds you, heals you, cares for you, leads you, and guides you. Some see Him as the Risen Lord who is King of kings and Lord of lords, perfect in majesty and beauty. And He is all these things and more, but few think of Him as their great High Priest who ever lives to intercede for them at My right hand. And yet that is what He has been doing for over two thousand years now and will continue to do forever. He is a priest FOREVER according to the order of Melchizedek, which is Hebrew and means King of Righteousness. And if you are prepared to receive it, He was that even before the world began. No beginning, no end, a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. And Melchizedek, the priest of El Elyon (God Most High) and King of Peace (Shalom) appeared to Abram as such and brought him bread and wine and Abram gave Him the tithe, one tenth of all. Genesis 14:18-20. I taught Abraham the Gospel ahead of time in many ways. Galatians 3:8.
The great High Priest is a very important revelation to you in order that you may grow in your understanding of who Jesus is to you. My Spirit testifies to Jesus in all His fullness. For although He was My Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by Me as High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:8-10.
And concerning Jesus as High Priest I have much to say, but many have become dull of hearing. For though by this time all should know Me from the least to the greatest, in fact, you ought to be teachers, but instead most people, even believers, have need again for someone to teach them the elementary principles of My Word, needing milk and not solid food. Everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Hebrews 5:10-14.
So it is time for you to grow to know Jesus as your great High Priest. For He has loved you and released you from your sins by His blood and made you into a Kingdom of priests to be ministers of His manifold grace, offering spiritual sacrifice to Me in the edifice of the Spirit dwelling in you. He has made you a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a people set apart, whom I have called out of darkness into My own marvelous light. 1 Peter 2: 10.
To understand the High Priest, let us start back at the Tabernacle of Moses again where the beauty and dignity of the High Priest was first introduced, for there you will find the shadow of which Christ is the substance and fulfillment. For the plans I gave Moses on the mountain were modeled upon heavenly realities.
I began the plan with the heart of the Tabernacle where My presence would reside for consultation, intercession, and mediation. It was the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant with its mysterious design rested there behind a veil of intricate design and woven pattern. And it was there, from above the propitiatory (mercy seat) from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I would speak in commandment for the sons of Israel. Exodus 25:22. Only the High Priest was permitted to enter this inner sanctuary of My presence but he would enter as the representative of the people and the nation to make atonement for their sins by sprinkling the blood of lambs, goats, and bulls on the propitiatory (mercy seat) and offer prayers on their behalf, lighting the golden altar of incense to enter in a cloud of incense (a cloud of prayer, Revelation 8:3-4), and to get answers to decisions for the government of the people, particularly later, advice to the king, by a very special part of the vestments I had designed for the High Priest.
The High Priest represented the people before Me. If He was perfect than the people were perfect before Me. If he was accepted the people were also accepted in him. He atoned for the sins of the people. He bore their guilt and iniquities before Me and made atonement with the blood of the unblemished lamb and other clean animals that I gave instructions to Moses for the five sacrifices to atone for the people; that is, the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering (which included free will offerings such as the thanksgiving offering), the sin offering, and the guilt (shame) offering. He obtained pardon for the people and the nation for unintentional sins.
Even today your great High Priest is not at My side for Himself but for you. He protects you from the wrath and obtains favor for you. He makes you acceptable to Me. For when Christ appeared as the High Priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of lambs, goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to Me, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve Me, the living God, as My royal priesthood? Hebrews 9:11-14.
After giving Moses all the plans for the construction of the Tabernacle from the Holy of Holies to the inner court, with its golden altar of incense, its golden table for the bread of the presence, and its golden lampstand, I continued to the outer court, the laver, the bronze altar and the surrounding curtains and entrance. And then I was ready to introduce the garments and consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests, Aaron was the High Priest and his sons constituted the priests who would receive and examine the unblemished animals brought by the people and the offer them on the bronze altar and pour out their blood in atonement, they and the other Levites also received the tithes and other offerings of the people for the upkeep of My house and the instruction of the people, as well as the priestly cities of refuge in the promised land. The priests partook of the sacrifices as their food in a holy place. They were set aside, sanctified, consecrated, and were to be holy as I am holy. And now that holy priesthood is made up of all believers because of the work of Jesus as both the sacrificial offering and as your great High Priest. The firstborn of many brethren. He has made you a kingdom of priests unto Me and brought you right into the Holy of Holies with Him. And just as the priests ate the sacrifices of old, so now you eat the body and blood of Jesus in the Holy Communion that He commanded you to do in remembrance of Him, proclaiming His death each time you partake.
Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in My presence for you; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebrews 9:24-28.
And it may at first surprise you but I began the lessons to Moses on the priesthood with their garments. And that is where you begin your priesthood as well, for when you are baptized into Christ, you are clothed in Christ, the garments of Salvation and the robe of righteousness. You have washed your robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb and I have adorned you with His beauty and glory.
Yes, I told Moses to make holy garments for Aaron, his brother, for glory and for beauty. And the patterns I showed him for these wondrous garments he was to speak to all the persons whom I endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they were able to make Aaron’s garments in order to consecrate him to minister as priest to Me. The garments for Aaron were a breastpiece and an ephod, a robe and a tunic of varicolored work, a turban and a sash. They were also to make the tunics, turbans, and sashes for Aaron’s sons. These holy garments consecrated them to minister as priests to Me. Exodus 28:1-4. Without being clothed in these garments they could not enter the inner court and Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. Just as you cannot enter into the marriage feast of the Lamb if not properly dressed in Christ. Do you remember the parable My Son told of this? He compared the kingdom of heaven to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. Many of the invited guests refused to come and partake, though all was prepared for the feast, but finally of the ones who were gathered into the feast, when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he asked him, “Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?” And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:1-13.
And Moses was to bring Aaron and his sons with their sacrificial offering of a bull and a ram with unleavened bread to the doorway of the inner court and wash them with water and then put the holy garments upon them and anoint them with oil. Only then could they minister to Me as priests and enter into the tent of the meeting itself and not stay in the outer court as all did who were not priests. Exodus 29:1-9.
The persons I skilled to make the garments for the High Priest and his sons were to use the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and the fine white linen obtained from the Egyptians the night of the Passover that the people had now contributed for the construction and furnishing of My dwelling place at the invitation of Moses. Exodus 28: 5.
The ephod and the breastpiece were woven with gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman. These colors were the theme throughout the Tabernacle. Do you see why? Each metal and color has meaning in My Word, so look for that. Gold represents My righteousness, the very righteousness of God, which is pure righteousness with no taint of unrighteousness in it. And from the beginning I have called gold good. Genesis 2:12. And if you note, in the Holy of Holies all you saw was gold, everything of wood, which represents man (he is like a tree planted near running waters), was covered with pure gold. The only other metal in the Holy of Holies was in the silver pedestals upon which stood the gold covered boards that made the walls. Silver is the metal representing redemption, so you see the gold covered boards represented saved man standing upright before Me (My presence being represented by the Ark of the testimony (Covenant)) covered in My righteousness and blameless before Me as they stood on redemption ground.
The color blue represents Heaven, the celestial firmament, and was to remind the people to keep My Word given from Heaven in the blue tassels on the corners of their garments. Numbers 15:37-40. It also represents My Son coming from Heaven as Son of God.
Red is the color of man, the word “Adam” means a red blooded man for “dam” is the word for blood in Hebrew. And purple is the color of royalty. So when My Son brought the blue from Heaven as Son of God and mixed it with the red of man by becoming Son of Man with pure red blood, the mixture of red and blue makes purple, making Him the royal King of Righteousness and all of you who are in Christ a royal priesthood. And the white of the fine linen is the righteousness you obtain by washing your robes in the blood of the lamb. Revelation 7:14; Revelation 19:8, 14.
The ephod had two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, and where they met upon the shoulders I directed that two onyx stones engraved as a jeweler engraves a signet with the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to the order of their births be set in filigree settings of gold. These two stones were placed on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and the High Priest thus bore their names before Me on his two shoulders for a memorial. Exodus 28: 6-14. I tell you of Jesus that “on His shoulders the government rests.” Isaiah 9:6. Dominion authority, and all your names are included there as when you are in Christ, you too are descendants of Abraham. And do you remember where Jesus told you in the parable of the lost sheep what the shepherd did to save the sheep and bring it back to the flock? When he found it, he laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing and carried it home to celebrate. Luke 15:3-6. And you will remember the good Shepherd also carries the lambs in His bosom, and you will see that next in the breastpiece. Isaiah 40:11.
The breastpiece was made of the same material as the ephod, a span square folded, set in front with twelve precious jewels in four rows, engraved with the names of the twelve tribes. The four rows of stones; the first row was a row with a carnelian, a topaz and an emerald; and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they were set in gold filigree. Exodus 28:17-20. It was firmly fastened to the shoulders of the ephod by gold chains passing through gold rings, and to the lower part of the ephod just above the girdle by a blue ribbon passing through other gold rings. And it was worn over the High Priest’s heart. Thus the High Priest carried the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he entered the holy place, for a memorial before Me continually. Exodus 28:14-30.
Your names are written on My heart, your names are graven in My hands, and I so loved you I gave you My Son in whom dwells all the fullness of the divinity in bodily form to be your Great High Priest. One like you yet perfect too, truly God yet truly Man, stands at My right hand to ever live and intercede for you. He understands your weakness too, for He became small and weak like you, a tiny baby He was born and He lived a life very much as you, He knew the heartache and the pain, He knew rejection and He bore your shame, but Satan had no part in Him and He was spotless, perfect and without sin. And yet He took on all your sin and bore My judgment in your place. One with My Son you cannot die, for He went down to the dust of death for you but then I raised Him and you in Him.
Look again at the gemstones, they start with a carnelian and finish with a jasper. Now look in the book of Revelation at what I showed the apostle John, “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a carnelian in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Revelation 4:2-3. Jesus your Great High Priest, the One who overcame, and is seated with Me on My throne with all of you on His heart. Revelation 3:21. And the last shall be first. And I see the beginning from the end.
In the breastpiece of judgment, I told Moses to put the Urim and the Thummim, these were to be over Aaron’s heart when he went in before Me. Exodus 28:30. When there were questions that needed answering on what the armies or the nation should do in a situation of attack or emergency, the leader of the people came to the High Priest to have him put on the ephod with the breastplate of decision and consult Me to find out My direction by the Urim (Lights) and the Thummin (Perfections). Later you will see both Joshua and David doing this, as well as Ezra and Nehemiah. 1 Samuel 23:9; 1 Samuel 30:7; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65. The expression urim v’tummim actually refers not to the breastplate itself, but to My Name which was written on a piece of parchment and inserted into a flap of the ephod, the presence of My covenant Name facilitated the reception of Divine guidance through the shining of specific letters on the stones.
And Jesus is your Urim and Thummin (lights and perfections) and will always show you what to do when you consult your Great High Priest. Do you recall? John, the disciple who knew Jesus’ love for Him and called himself the “beloved disciple” (learn from that and do the same), was reclining on Jesus’ bosom at the Passover Supper the night before My Son died, and when Peter signaled to him to find out who would betray Jesus, John leaned back on My Son’s breast and asked who it was and My Son revealed to him that it was Judas. Do you see? The breastpiece wherein I spoke to My people by the High Priest. Jesus is in My Bosom, John 1:18, and you rest in His bosom, John 13:23, and there you can lean back on His love and ask him whatever it is you need to know to make decisions in your life. And He will light the way for you. My Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.
Next of the garments, I spoke of the robe under the ephod for the High Priest. It was all of blue. It was woven of one piece with no seams and had an opening at its top in the middle of it. Around its opening there was a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it would not be torn. Exodus 28:31-32.
When there was to be a change in the High Priest, the High Priest in office was stripped of his garments and the new High Priest was clothed in his garments. Do you remember My Son before the Sanhedrin the night before He laid down His life for you, the night He had given you His body and blood to eat, the New Covenant in His blood? After questioning Jesus, the high priest tore his robe and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy.” Matthew 26:24. And the High Priest was never to tear his robe for the robe was seamless and woven in one piece. Do you recall when the soldiers tossed for My Son’s robe? It was seamless signifying that He is the new High Priest of the New Covenant sealed in His Blood.
On the hem of the seamless blue robe of the ephod, I had the skilled workers make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, and place them all around the hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. It was to be on Aaron when he ministered; and its tinkling could be heard when he entered and left the Holy of Holies before Me, so that he would not die. Exodus 28:33-35. Make melody to Me in your heart, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and inspired songs so you may be filled with the Holy Spirit and be quickened with resurrection life.
And next the skilled workers were to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, “Holy to the LORD,” and the fasten it on a blue cord, and attach it at the front of the turban to be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron thus would take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it was to be always on his forehead, that they could be accepted before Me. Exodus 28:36-38. Satan had no part in Jesus. Jesus’ thoughts were exalted and holy, pure and righteous. His heart was filled with nothing but My Word for He is My Word. The golden plate signifies taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. His thoughts are above where He is seated at My right hand. But I have seated you who believe there with Him, so set your mind above where He is seated at My right hand. Only permit thoughts of Heaven, the pure gold of righteousness, to dwell in your mind. But if you should slip from weakness, Jesus, your great High Priest is taking away the iniquity of your thoughts and making you acceptable before Me. I have given you the mind of Christ and anointed you with the Holy Spirit. You can think My thoughts by the Spirit in you.
Next came the final under tunic of varied colors and fine linen, and a turban of fine linen, and a sash, the work of a weaver. Exodus 28:39. The priests were to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments; they were not to gird themselves with anything which made them sweat, as sweat was part of the curse. Ezekiel 44:18. Jesus appeared to John girded with a sash of gold and a pure linen tunic among the lampstands of gold. Your great High Priest who has made atonement for you, once for all. On the day of the atonement, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies with only the white tunic and a sash and with bare feet. And that is how John saw Jesus.
And My Son is the High Priest of your confession (holmologia in Greek, which means agreement, to say the same thing about something, a conclusion reached by a common confession). Hebrews 3:1 (“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”). I watch over My Word to perform it. So witness with My Word, that is, say the same thing about your health, healing, finances, strength, prosperity, and position with Me that I tell you in My Word. And what I tell you is all good about you and My promises are to prosper, bless, and heal you always. My Words are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. So be sure you are giving Him the fruit of your lips in agreement with My Word so that He can establish good things in your life. He witnesses with you before Me so you can come with confidence what to My throne of grace and receive mercy and grace just when you need them.
And as your High Priest, He gives you the communion meal of His own body and blood which is given for you. And then you give Him the tithe. Just as Abraham did Melchizedek. And then He can increase and bless your finances. The communion meal proclaims His death for you and the tithe proclaims that He lives for you. The High Priest receives your tithes and offerings to present them to Me.
And the High Priest instructs the faithful in My ways and shows them what is pleasing to Me. He instructs them in My Word. Jesus is your teacher and Jesus is My Word. No one can teach My Word better than He and the way this is done for you today since He is in Heaven, is by the Holy Spirit, who teaches you all things and reminds you of everything My Son said.
Under the Old Covenant, when a man killed another man but it was accidental manslaughter and not premeditated murder, I directed Moses and Joshua to establish cities of refuge that were cities of the Levites, where such a person could flee and be safe from the avenger of the blood of their relative whom he had accidentally killed. For the law was a life for a life. The catch was, however, that the guilty party could only stay there as long as the High Priest in office at the time he entered the city of refuge lived. Numbers 35:25, 28; Joshua 20:6. When the High Priest died, the manslayer had to return to his own town and take his chances with respect to the avenger of blood. But do you see? Your High Priest will never die, He lives forever making intercession for you! So you never have to leave your city of refuge again. Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord is saved.
Therefore, since you have a Great High Priest who has passed through the Heavens, Jesus, My Son, hold fast to your confession (homologia). For you do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with your weaknesses, but One who has been tested in all things yet remained without sin. Thus, you can draw NEAR to Me with confidence, right into the Holy of Holies to My throne of grace and receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16.
My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is superabundant. Those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Christ Jesus. Romans 5:17.
And remember that My Son, by His blood, has made all who believe in Him a royal priesthood—kings and priests—a holy nation, a people set apart as My own. You all have your names written on My heart. And you are the jewels that shine there on the breastpiece. You are each so precious to Me. And you are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to Me through Jesus, your High Priest. 1 Peter 2:5, 9.
I love you. And I have given you a Great High Priest who is a priest for you forever. Cast all your fears, cares, worries, anxieties into the nail pierced hands of your Great High Priest and let Him bear them before Me and in exchange give you His shalom peace, His wealth, His health, and His wisdom. For He died for you and now He lives for you. You should be making use of your Great High Priest. That pleases Him and Me
“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:14-18.