Melchizedek Priesthood Prepares Way for New Covenant -

MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD PREPARES WAY. We have seen in the previous article that the Holy Spirit precedes Christ in the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is the eternal priest of God Most High, and the king of righteousness and peace.

The “kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).”

This kingdom does not consist of “eating and drinking.” But the priesthood does. As “priest of God Most High”, Melchizedek “brought out bread and wine” to succor Abraham and his exhausted troops after their victory over four kings (Gen. 14:18).

Note that He—the Holy Spirit as Melchizedek in temporary earthly form—did not bring animal sacrifices. Melchizedek “brought out bread and wine.” But not just for nourishment. He did so also to give Abraham—our father in the faith (Rom. 4:12,16)—a foretaste of the new covenant. The bread would stand for Jesus’ sacrificed body. And the wine would stand for “the new covenant in My blood” (Lk. 22:20).

After Jesus’ sacrifice, once for all, believing Jews no longer needed to bring sacrifices to the Jerusalem temple to cover their sins. They no longer needed the Levitical priesthood of the old covenant.

God had planned the new covenant from the beginning. The old covenant simply prepared the way for the new, by making us conscious of sin that the new covenant would take away (Rom. 3:20).

Jesus as priest

“Day after day every [Levitical] priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God… because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:

‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,’ says the Lord.

‘I will put My laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.’

Then He adds:

‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’

And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (Heb. 10:11-18).

Jesus’ new covenant Melchizedek priesthood began when He took away our sins on the cross. Does that mean that the Holy Spirit’s priesthood ended?

The Holy Spirit as priest

Let us see what the Holy Spirit’s priesthood consisted of. He filled Bezalel with wisdom to construct the tabernacle and all the articles in it (Ex. 31:3). Later He came in glory upon the tabernacle itself (Ex. 40:34-35).

But He did so only after Moses fulfilled these requirements:

Anointing the tabernacle and all the articles in it
Anointing and sprinkling blood on the bronze altar and the priests
Having the priests offer four kinds of sacrifices

(See Lev. 8:10-12,22-24,30; 9:1-24).

Observe how the anointing came first to consecrate the priests and tabernacle items for service. Then the blood came second to atone for sins. Anointing signified the Holy Spirit. Then the blood signified Christ. Christ came second in the order of Melchizedek to enact a new covenant in His blood.

The Holy Spirit anointing came first to consecrate the tabernacle. He was the ultimate “high priest” of God Most High (Heb. 5:10; 6:20). The Levitical priesthood showed that it depended on Him by anointing everything in the tabernacle, including the priests themselves.

But until Jesus’ sacrifice, the Holy Spirit could only come on people, or dwell with people. He could not dwell in them. Accordingly, Jesus told His disciples after serving them the bread and wine, that “He abides with you and will be in you” (Jn. 14:17).

The old covenant sacrifices covered sin and allowed the Spirit to come on people. Jesus’ sacrifice took away sin and allowed the Spirit to dwell in people. Now our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…?” (1 Cor. 6:19).

Priestly intercession brings His kingdom to earth

The Holy Spirit’s priesthood did not end with the beginning of Jesus’ new covenant priesthood. Rather, the two serve together in the priestly ministry of intercession.

Jesus “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” (Heb. 7:24-25). The Holy Spirit “intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:27). With these two in agreement in prayer as we pray, nothing is impossible!

The Father promises to answer such prayers by pouring out the Holy Spirit in power. At Pentecost, Peter said, “having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:33). What He poured forth, and continues to pour forth in answer to prayer, is power to bring His kingdom to earth as it is in heaven.

When the disciples asked when His kingdom would come, Jesus answered that it would come through them. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8, NIV).

Jesus also said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mt. 24:12). When the end comes, by the Holy Spirit’s power, we will reign with Christ as priests in His kingdom of righteousness and peace. And “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Rev. 20:6; Isa. 9:6).

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During the end times, the fullness of the Gentiles will have to come in before Israel will be saved. At that time the temple will be standing (Rev. 11:1-2). Will the Levitical priesthood revive at that time?