According to the Letter to the Hebrews, every High Priest is called by God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins as in the case of Aaron and Christ. As for Christ, when he was perfected through suffering and became the source of eternal life for all those who obey him, God named him High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek ( Hebrews, 5:1-10). Our hope in the promise of God is able to enter through the veil where Jesus has entered. on our behalf as forerunner who became a High Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews, 6; 19-20). It is essential to understand this mysterious figure of Melchizedek confronting Abraham on his victorious return from defeating the kings who conquered all neighboring kingdoms (Genesis, 14: 18-20) in order to understand the priesthood of Christ. He was king of Salem and brought bread and wine, being priest of God Most High he blessed Abraham who gave him a tithe of all the booty. Although it was to Abraham the promise was made by God and the priesthood was conferred on Aaron from the tribe of Levi descending from Abraham, he was blessed by Melchizedek to whom Abraham gave tithe. The people chosen specially by God through Abraham were, so to say, overshadowed in importance by Melchizedek who was priest of God Most High (Hebrews, 7: 4-10). This is not the only example when the Lord chastens His people for the purpose of bringing them back to their original vocation as may be seen from the call of Cyrus , the king of Persia, and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, for reforming Israel (2 Chronicles,36: 1-21; Ezra, 1: 1-4). The meaning of Melchizedek is 'king of righteousness' and the king of Salem means 'king of peace' which are titles useful for understanding the historical figure who blessed Abraham as a prototype of the priest of God Most High. That a historical figure like Melchizedek was introduced as the priest of God Most High at the time of Abraham means two things. First, the chosen people were not to consider themselves as a privileged people with the exclusion of all others and second, the priest of God Most High could be none other than the Son of God Himself. The Son of God alone could be without father, mother, lineage, beginning and end and could remain a priest for all time (Hebrews, 7: 1-3) of whom Melchizedek was a mere prototype who could not be someone without father, mother, lineage, beginning and end.
What is specific to a priest according to the order of Melchizedek is that his priesthood is not owing to a system of earthbound rules but to a power of life that cannot be destroyed (Hebrews, 7: 15-17). The priesthood according to the order of Aaron as well as all other priesthood of religions could not be free from the earthbound rules since they could not be governed by an indestructible power of life. This power of life could emanate only from the Holy Spirit given out by God only after the glorification of Jesus Christ (John, 7:39). With the new kind of priesthood the order of salvation itself has taken a new turn in the sense that external observances were relegated to a marginal space, the mainstream being the internal conversion expressed in acts befitting a renewed self of a new man. This does not mean that all laws will be abolished but that they will be set in the hearts and written on the understanding of real people as against stones and tablets used earlier for writing (Hebrews, 10:15-18). The Holy Spirit had given testimony to this new Law through the prophet Jeremiah, 31: 33-34 meant for generations to come. The universal salviific Will of God is evident in the new kind of priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek that entails internal laws and internal conversion of individuals and groups of people. The fact that the priesthood of Melchizedek was brought into the picture when Abraham was the specially chosen one by God bears testimony to the nature and function of the chosen people and their priesthood in relation to the entire humanity. The nature and function of the chosen people, both Israel and the Church, may be seen in the role they are meant to play in preparing the whole of humanity for better things to come.Melchizedek is seen to have a superior role over Abraham and his descendants, which means that God intended to overrule the priesthood of the descendants of Abraham and of all other religions replacing them with the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. An example for the importance given to the tribe of Levi for Jewish priesthood may be seen from an instance narrated in the Book of Ezra, 2:59-63. People who returned from exile to Jerusalem and could not find their names in the genealogies wee considered as unclean and thus found unfit to become priests until a new priest arose in future who could consult with the Urim and Thummim. Jesus Christ, the priest according to the order of Melchizedek, did not descend from the tribe of Levi but of Judah thereby relegating the Jewish priesthood to the background and placing the kingship of the priest to the foreground. This kingship is spiritual in nature and has nothing to do with the kingship of this world.It is in consonance with the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek who was king both of righteousness and of peace,both qualities being integral to the renewal of man.
Entering the presence of God, qualified as the sanctuary or the Holy of Holies, was the greatest problem for mankind after the first parents were expelled from Paradise, that is, the presence of God. Man devised various means with or without revelation from God in trying to achieve it for which actually he had to be thoroughly prepared. One such instance of preparation is seen in the rituals and the system of the Old Testament with an order of priesthood and a Temple designed in accordance with the reality in heaven of which they could only be a shadow. According to this system, the sanctuary was divided into two parts; the Holy place and the Holy of Holies and in the latter only the High Priest could enter once in a year. However, with all the elaborate system of approaching God, they could not be internally renewed as the rituals were meant only for external purification (Hebrews, 10: 1-7). Without internal renewal meant for becoming a new creature no one could hope to enter the presence of God, which is the original Holy of Holies.
Jesus Christ enters the scene to correct this debility of man for ever by his self-sacrifice and glorification whereby his glorified body stands as the veil or curtain through which we may enter the Holy of Holies or the presence of God (Hebrews, 10: 19-20). The glorified body of Jesus functions as the veil or curtain not to hide God's presence but to reveal it, his body being thoroughly soaked in the Holy Spirit is transparent to all those who are called by God. It can, however, be opaque to those who are not internally transformed and are unable to enter the presence of God. The mystery of salvation wrought by Jesus Christ is evident here in the fact that it is not a denial of nature , but its sublimation and transformation. This also explains why there is still evil evil in the world even after the supreme sacrifice of Christ on the cross as human nature is not cancelled out by Christ's redemptive work. Anyone within the ambit of the Spirit of God will naturally be drawn into the sphere of the glorified body of Jesus thereby being transported to the August Presence of God. Thus Jesus Christ continues to be a priest for ever and along with him all those who are called to the presence of God will remain priests of God and of Christ (Revelations, 1:6; 20:6). We may wonder about the need of priests in heaven as all those who are in the presence of God do not seem to need mediation, sacrifice, victim-hood or prayer etc. That is the reason why we have considered union with God as the goal and purpose of priesthood our defining criterion for priesthood where all other elements are secondary. Besides, it fits the eternal nature of the priesthood of Christ who was already a priest before the beginning of the world and will be one for ever in eternity. Union with God is a never ending process for which the priesthood of Christ and of all those with him is functional forever in eternity. We shall further discuss about the nature of Jesus Christ both as Son of God and as Son of Man in the coming Posts.
What is specific to a priest according to the order of Melchizedek is that his priesthood is not owing to a system of earthbound rules but to a power of life that cannot be destroyed (Hebrews, 7: 15-17). The priesthood according to the order of Aaron as well as all other priesthood of religions could not be free from the earthbound rules since they could not be governed by an indestructible power of life. This power of life could emanate only from the Holy Spirit given out by God only after the glorification of Jesus Christ (John, 7:39). With the new kind of priesthood the order of salvation itself has taken a new turn in the sense that external observances were relegated to a marginal space, the mainstream being the internal conversion expressed in acts befitting a renewed self of a new man. This does not mean that all laws will be abolished but that they will be set in the hearts and written on the understanding of real people as against stones and tablets used earlier for writing (Hebrews, 10:15-18). The Holy Spirit had given testimony to this new Law through the prophet Jeremiah, 31: 33-34 meant for generations to come. The universal salviific Will of God is evident in the new kind of priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek that entails internal laws and internal conversion of individuals and groups of people. The fact that the priesthood of Melchizedek was brought into the picture when Abraham was the specially chosen one by God bears testimony to the nature and function of the chosen people and their priesthood in relation to the entire humanity. The nature and function of the chosen people, both Israel and the Church, may be seen in the role they are meant to play in preparing the whole of humanity for better things to come.Melchizedek is seen to have a superior role over Abraham and his descendants, which means that God intended to overrule the priesthood of the descendants of Abraham and of all other religions replacing them with the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. An example for the importance given to the tribe of Levi for Jewish priesthood may be seen from an instance narrated in the Book of Ezra, 2:59-63. People who returned from exile to Jerusalem and could not find their names in the genealogies wee considered as unclean and thus found unfit to become priests until a new priest arose in future who could consult with the Urim and Thummim. Jesus Christ, the priest according to the order of Melchizedek, did not descend from the tribe of Levi but of Judah thereby relegating the Jewish priesthood to the background and placing the kingship of the priest to the foreground. This kingship is spiritual in nature and has nothing to do with the kingship of this world.It is in consonance with the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek who was king both of righteousness and of peace,both qualities being integral to the renewal of man.
Entering the presence of God, qualified as the sanctuary or the Holy of Holies, was the greatest problem for mankind after the first parents were expelled from Paradise, that is, the presence of God. Man devised various means with or without revelation from God in trying to achieve it for which actually he had to be thoroughly prepared. One such instance of preparation is seen in the rituals and the system of the Old Testament with an order of priesthood and a Temple designed in accordance with the reality in heaven of which they could only be a shadow. According to this system, the sanctuary was divided into two parts; the Holy place and the Holy of Holies and in the latter only the High Priest could enter once in a year. However, with all the elaborate system of approaching God, they could not be internally renewed as the rituals were meant only for external purification (Hebrews, 10: 1-7). Without internal renewal meant for becoming a new creature no one could hope to enter the presence of God, which is the original Holy of Holies.
Jesus Christ enters the scene to correct this debility of man for ever by his self-sacrifice and glorification whereby his glorified body stands as the veil or curtain through which we may enter the Holy of Holies or the presence of God (Hebrews, 10: 19-20). The glorified body of Jesus functions as the veil or curtain not to hide God's presence but to reveal it, his body being thoroughly soaked in the Holy Spirit is transparent to all those who are called by God. It can, however, be opaque to those who are not internally transformed and are unable to enter the presence of God. The mystery of salvation wrought by Jesus Christ is evident here in the fact that it is not a denial of nature , but its sublimation and transformation. This also explains why there is still evil evil in the world even after the supreme sacrifice of Christ on the cross as human nature is not cancelled out by Christ's redemptive work. Anyone within the ambit of the Spirit of God will naturally be drawn into the sphere of the glorified body of Jesus thereby being transported to the August Presence of God. Thus Jesus Christ continues to be a priest for ever and along with him all those who are called to the presence of God will remain priests of God and of Christ (Revelations, 1:6; 20:6). We may wonder about the need of priests in heaven as all those who are in the presence of God do not seem to need mediation, sacrifice, victim-hood or prayer etc. That is the reason why we have considered union with God as the goal and purpose of priesthood our defining criterion for priesthood where all other elements are secondary. Besides, it fits the eternal nature of the priesthood of Christ who was already a priest before the beginning of the world and will be one for ever in eternity. Union with God is a never ending process for which the priesthood of Christ and of all those with him is functional forever in eternity. We shall further discuss about the nature of Jesus Christ both as Son of God and as Son of Man in the coming Posts.
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