Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Revelation 1:5-6.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Living eternal life is walking as My royal priesthood. This is the anointed life close to Me, busy about things holy, sacred, and sanctified. This should be the atmosphere you live in each day and night. A people set apart by the beauty of your lives. Sanctity in the ordinary. But when you sanctify the ordinary it becomes extraordinary.
My Son Jesus is your great High Priest. Unlike the High Priests of old who would die and have to be replaced, Jesus is your High Priest forever. And He has loved you as His own, released you from your sins by His blood, and He has made you to be a kingdom, priests unto Me, your God and Father. He has consecrated you and set you apart by His blood and His anointing.
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us 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, 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 the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. Hebrews 7:23-28.
And just as of old, I set apart and consecrated Aaron and his sons as priests so I have with Jesus and you. Jesus as High Priest and you as His priest sons forever.
“Behold, I and the children whom God has given 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. Hebrews 2:13-15.
Priests forever in the Order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek which means “King of Righteousness.” This is for those who have received the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness to reign in life with Christ Jesus. Romans 5:17.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9.
My dream from the start has been to dwell among you as your God and you as My people in mutual love, constant fellowship, and Kingdom partnership with all of you close to Me as My royal priests. And in the end, this is the way it will be.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. Revelation 21:3-7.
Priests. I was their portion, they were My chosen ones to draw close to Me, and to them I entrusted holy and consecrated things in My tabernacle and later in My temple. They could touch the holy and not incur sin in doing so for they were under the blood of the ordination ram and the daily offering of the unblemished lamb, unleavened bread, and a hin of wine they offered as a burnt offering, grain offering, and drink offering to take away sins every morning and every evening.
They were the ones that could partake of the sacrificial offerings as food for them, no one but the priests could eat the holy meals from the unblemished lambs and rams, the breast (wave offering) and thigh (heave offering), as well as the consecrated unleavened bread and the wine of the drink offering. These were sacred and holy and only My priests could partake.
I took care of their needs and gave them cities, pasture lands, farms, and homes set apart for them in each of the twelve tribes’ allotted inheritance.
I spoke to Moses in the wilderness when I had just redeemed My people out of the slavery before I gave him the plans for the Tabernacle and had not yet ordained a priesthood. I told him I was about to come down on Mt. Sinai and reveal Myself to My people and let them all experience My glory and hear My voice. And I began to tell him of the dream that was in My heart for My people.
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:4-6.
But the people did not want to hear My voice and came away from the mountain as I gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle to build an idol and worship before a golden calf made from the gold I gave them by showing them favor from the Egyptians when I redeemed them from slavery.
But one tribe was zealous to worship Me alone, and that was the tribe of Levi. Moses and Aaron belonged to the tribe of Levi. So I consecrated Aaron and his sons as priests and the other Levites as ministers of My holy things. I set them apart as holy and sanctified them for the work of the ministry, that is, being busy about My affairs and interceding, instructing, and leading the people in worship. But I had wanted all to be My priests and know Me from the least to the greatest.
Jesus came and now in My church My dream is fulfilled.
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10.
He purchased and consecrated you, set you apart as a kingdom and priests unto Me and you reign upon the earth and forever with Me in My Kingdom.
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:3-5.
Now I want to show you the careful plans I made for your royal priesthood and how I showed My people the good things to come in the Old Covenant in preparation for the New Covenant sealed in the blood of Jesus. I showed the plan and the type in the sacrifices and priesthood of Old. And I reveal it to you in the Tabernacle that I gave the plans for, based on heavenly realities, in the wilderness to Moses. And by My presence among them in the Holy of Holies in the innermost court of the Tabernacle, I led them through the wilderness to the abundant land I had promised them.
And in the wilderness as they traveled with Me, I gave them the treasure of My Word through Moses. And by keeping My Word they had My forgiveness and the shield of My good will.
After giving Moses the plans for the garments of majesty and beauty in which to clothe the High Priest and his sons, I very carefully set out the instructions of how to consecrate and set apart the priests for their high calling. Today every believer has a high calling in Christ for which you are consecrated and set apart.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14.
And so as the priesthood was initiated under Moses, the consecration begins at the door to the Tabernacle facing east at the bronze altar. First a sin offering was made with a young bull (calf) (like the offering when the prodigal son came home) and the blood poured out for them, Exodus 29:10-14, then two rams (sheep, like the ram caught by its horns that Abraham found in the thicket to sacrifice as the burnt offering instead of Isaac), one as a burnt offering, Exodus 29:15-18, and one as a peace offering, which was the ordination ram. Exodus 29:18-28.
Moses was to bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water at the bronze laver and then clothe them in the garments of majesty and beauty that I had designed and Moses had the skilled workers I sent make into a physical reality. Moses the took the anointing oil and pour it on Aaron’s head and anointed him. Then he would gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and bind the headgear on them, and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute. Exodus 29:1-9.
Jesus is your sacrifice and His blood has released you from your sins. And you see in the consecration of the priests it begins with the blood of the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. And Jesus redeemed you by His blood from your sins, which fulfills both the sin offering and the burnt offering which both dealt with sin, and He is your peace offering, for He is your peace and He reconciled you with Me, making peace by the blood of His Cross. And then, released from your sins by His blood and baptized into Christ and born again by My Word, you are washed in pure water and regenerated to a new creation in Christ, and you are clothed in Him to begin your royal priesthood.
Now I would like to focus on the ram of ordination, which is the one offered as a peace offering once all sin had been first taken care of by he sin offering and the burnt offering. So let us look at that to see how it pertains to your priesthood now.
“Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the rest of the blood around on the altar. Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons’ garments with him; so he and his garments shall be consecrated, as well as his sons and his sons’ garments with him. Exodus 29:19-21.
Here the blood of the ram is put on their ears, their hands and their feet to protect them in what they heard, did with their hands, and where they walked, the blood consecrated their lives and preserved them from evil in these areas as it does for you now. You overcome Satan with the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. And what is the testimony? The Holy Spirit testifies to you that your sins and offenses I remember no more.
And then the blood from the altar and the anointing oil, with which Aaron had first been anointed, Exodus 29:7, alone, I anointed Jesus and sent Him to bring you good news of the Kingdom, to heal the sick and broken hearted, and to go about doing good and healing all those oppressed of the devil. And just as Aaron’s sons shared in Aaron’s anointing as High Priest, so now you to share in the same anointing as Jesus. I have given you the mind of Christ. And I anointed Jesus with the oil of joy.
And the blood and the oil consecrated both Aaron’s and his sons’ garments. I have clothed you in Christ, that is, the garments of Salvation (Yeshuah) and the robe of righteousness.
will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10.
As Aaron was set apart and consecrated, so then his sons also were. Jesus consecrated Himself for you.
Consecrate (ἁγιάζω) (hagiazō: to separate, consecrate; cleanse, purify, sanctify; regard or reverence as holy) them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I consecrate Myself, that they themselves also may be consecrated in truth. John 17:17-18.
Then they were to take consecrate the breast of the ram of ordination as a wave offering and the thigh of the ram of ordination as a heave offering; and these were their portion. Exodus 29:26-28.
A wave offering and heave offering are just what they sound like, the priests waved the breast back and forth as they held it up to Me and the other priests took the thigh and heaved it up and down, thus forming the sign of the cross signifying, for these were sacrifices of the peace offering, that Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross.
Next they were to boil the meat of the ram of ordination and the unleavened bread placed in a basket and eat it at the doorway of the inner court of the tent of the meeting. Thus the priests were to eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration because they are holy. This is what I have done for you in the Holy Communion of My Son’s body and blood, you eat that which made atonement for you and healed you. And you are healed and washed clean every time you partake.
But the instructions for the consecration of Aaron and his sons did not stop there. I then gave them instructions for be a continual burnt offering throughout their generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before Me:
“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs each day, continuously. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.” Exodus 29:38-42.
And what would happen at this continual sacrifice of the unblemished lamb?
I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory. I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me. I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God. Exodus 29:43-46.
Eternal life is all about abiding with Me and Me with you, hearing My voice, and being consecrated unto Me and Me being consecrated unto you. Covenant. And I want you to live in the light where the blood of My Son continuously cleanses you for it is an eternal redemption. Rise in the morning partaking of My Son and all that He has for you and retire for the night covered by His blood and partaking of Him.
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
And what does a royal priesthood do?
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5.
You plead the Blood for yourself and others, making intercession for them, and you testify to Jesus. And like your great High Priest, with whom you share His anointing, you go about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. The priests brought the people to Me and they brought Me to the people. And they spent their time with Me in holiness, majesty, and beauty. And they also were judges and advisors in the law. And they raised their families, ran their farms, and were taught My songs and played trumpets before Me. Their cities were cities of refuge.
I love you. My invitation is still the same: Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:4-6. And in Jesus, I have qualified you and made you a kingdom, priests unto Me. You already have it. Those who honor Me, I honor. 1 Samuel 2:30. Never take so great an office lightly, it cost My Son every drop of His blood to obtain this for you. Selah.