The New Covenant Priesthood

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years Rev 20:6.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, AN HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet 2:5.

But ye are a CHOSEN GENERATION, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation 1 Pet 2:9.

Jesus Christ qualified to replace the Levitical Priesthood and to become our High Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec Heb 7.

The Levitical Priesthood was the priesthood of the Mosaic Covenant (see the COVENANTS and the SEAT OF MOSES pages). That covenant was a marriage covenant. When one of the parties to the marriage died (Jesus Christ, the God of the Mosaic Covenant), that covenant ENDED. The Levitical Priesthood, as a part of the Mosaic Covenant also ENDED.

This opened the way for a NEW PRIESTHOOD, an EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD, the PRIESTHOOD OF MELCHISEDEC. This is a BETTER PRIESTHOOD with a better sacrifice. The Levitical sacrifices could NOT atone for sin, for the blood of Rams and Goats and Bullocks can NOT atone for a Man, for these creatures are worth less than one man. Jesus Christ as the creator of man was worth more than all men. His perfect sinless life qualified Him to die for mankind, there was no need that He die for His own sin, since He had no sin.

Jesus Christ enters into the presence of the Father to offer a sacrifice for men, even as the Levitical High Priest offered sacrifices for the people. The Levitical High Priest offered the blood of Rams, Goats and Bullocks, which cannot atone for sin, They can only remind us of the need for a better sacrifice. Christ offers the perfect and complete sacrifice, which can and does atone for the repented sins of all men, for He offers Himself for His creation. By accepting His offering, the Father has accepted Him as our High Priest, for by making and bringing His sacrifice, He has performed the function of High Priest.

Jesus Christ has become a High Priest FOREVER after the order of Melchisedec. As He is our High Priest and we are to become like Him, we are also to become priests like Him. We are called to become priests after the order of Melchisedec, even as He has become the High Priest of that order.

WE ARE ALL TO BECOME PRIESTS OF GOD AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC! Everyone who has committed themselves to this way, everyone who has been espoused to Jesus Christ, has the potential to become a Priest of God and if he overcomes, will serve in that capacity in the Kingdom of God!

What is a priest anyway? What are we trying to become and how do we prepare ourselves? A priest serves God and serves man in the things of God Heb 8:3-4. We prepare by following the example of and keeping the commandments of God and Jesus Christ. We prepare by overcoming our own sinful nature and becoming more and more like God, through the power of His Spirit. More than anything, a priest is a TEACHER of the things of God! The most powerful tool a priest has is his example. You may say ten million words, but people will always look at your example. Therefore you must, walk the walk, you must be doing what you say, you must be living in the same manner that you are teaching others to live. To do anything else is to be a hypocrite.

To become a priest of Jesus Christ and God after the order of Melchisedec, you must learn to LIVE like them, to ACT like them, to BE like them. How did Christ live? He kept the Father's commandments! He showed mercy. He healed. He taught. He loved God and man. He did not exalt Himself. He did not bully. He condemned sin, but He came to save sinners. He forgave sin. We must all learn to be like that.

How do we learn these things? By diligently seeking understanding from the Father with all our hearts through prayer. By reading the scriptures often. By thinking and talking about the things of God always. Mal 3:16-18, 1 Thess 5:17. By being a doer of righteousness Jas 4:17. By keeping all the commandments of God. By repenting and changing when we discover a fault. It is principally by these things that we learn Godliness.