OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST

 

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST

“…Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Heb. 6:20

It is regrettable that many churches and preachers have virtually put aside the Old Testament. In doing so they have cut themselves off from revelation that is needed if the Church is to fulfil its mission in the Earth. Jesus said “You search the scriptures for in them you think you will find eternal life, and these are they which speak of Me.”  (John 5:37)  The scriptures He was talking about were the Old Testament scriptures as obviously the New Testament hadn’t been written then.  The Old Testament Scriptures were all about Jesus and we will not come into the depths of the Cross without studying them. They were a platform set up to enact the Redemption of Man and on centre stage was Jesus, Son of God. It stands to reason then, that we need to study them closely in order to grasp fully, what the Cross accomplished.

The text from Hebrews says that Jesus is our Great High Priest. How can we know what that means for us unless we study the High Priestly ministry in the Old Testament and how it applies to Jesus? The Tabernacle of Moses where the Priests ministered is a Type of Christ, “the Word made flesh who dwelt  [literally ‘tabernacled’] among us.”(John1:14) The Amplified Bible renders it ‘fixed His tent of flesh among us.” God told Moses to build a Tabernacle ‘That I may dwell among them.’  Jesus came that God may live among us – He is Emmanuel, God with us. The tabernacle and everything about it spoke of Christ. Volumes could be written about it; but for now we are just going to look at one aspect – the garments of the High Priest. God told Moses that these garments were for ‘beauty and for glory.’

Jesus Himself didn’t wear the literal garments of a High Priest, but those garments were symbolic of Jesus’ ministry. They are given so we can understand the priestly work of our Saviour. Every detail is important. The breast plate bore 12 stones, one for each tribe and on each shoulder there was an onyx stone bearing the name of 6 of the tribes. 12 is the number of completeness. Thus he represented all Israel. When he appeared before the Lord he WAS Israel.

Even so, Jesus as our Great High Priest represents all Mankind.  When He was ‘about 30 years old” Jesus began His ministry; 30 being the age when priests entered the ministry. After a sacrifice was made for him, the candidate for the priesthood was washed at the Laver by other priests, after which he was clothed with the white priestly robes.When Jesus presented Himself to John the Baptist of the priestly line, at the River Jordan to be baptised, He was fulfilling this requirement. The candidate was then clothed with the white priestly garment. When Jesus rose from the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a dove. This is the priestly garment. Before His ascension into Heaven, Jesus told His disciples to ‘Tarry till ye be endued [clothed] with power from on high.” The Holy Spirit is our priestly garment without which we cannot enter the Holy Place in the Temple.  Being baptised with the Holy Spirit takes us into a new dimension in Christ, the Holy Place.

At the River Jordan, as He was immersed in the waters, Jesus was immersing Himself into all Mankind. As we identify with Him in Baptism, so He identified with us.

 God deals with all Mankind according to two men – Adam the 1^st Man and Jesus the 2^nd Man and the Last Adam. Sometimes people refer to Him as the 2^nd Adam but the Bible does not call Him that, it calls Jesus ‘the Last Adam’. There is a significant difference. In the last Adam, God wrapped it all up.

When Jesus stood before those who judged Him, He represented all mankind. In Him we were judged crucified and buried. For six hours one Friday in Jerusalem, the last Adam hung on a Cross bearing the shame of the sin of all Mankind, till at last He cried, “It is finished,” and gave up His spirit. Christ’s body bearing our sin was buried. No more Adam!

What does that mean for us? All the sins we have committed, all the imperfections in our lives that we have, all of the 'dumb' things we do, is already judged and buried. When the accuser tries to keep us down by constantly reminding us of our failures, we can silence him. Adam is finished! We are a new creation in Christ and His Spirit is in us.

When Adam sinned we all fell with him; and the life giving Spirit of God departed. All who are born of Adam bear his image and share his fate; even so all those who by faith in Christ are born again, bear His image and share His destiny.

“The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As  the image of the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust, and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly and as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” 1 Corinthians 15: 47-49

Having dealt with sin and buried the 1^st Man, Jesus rose as the 2^nd Man and thus began the New Creation. The Old Creation began with the creation of the heavens and the Earth and ended with the creation of Man; the New Creation began with the New Man and ends with the new heavens and new Earth.  All who put their trust in Jesus share in His new life. God again breaths into us the Holy Spirit – the breath of life, and we are one with Him forever. Who He is, we are.

“Love has been perfected in us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. “ 1 John 4:17

THROUGH THE VEIL

 A MEDITATION from “THE MELCHIZEDEK MINISTRY” by Val Pym

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree...” 1Peter 2:24

“Therefore brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh....”

Hebrews 10:19,20

[Beginning from the view of the priest ministering at the Golden Altar of Incense before the Veil in the Temple at the time of the Crucifixion.]

You are standing in the Holy Place in your white priestly robe. It is the ninth hour, the time of the evening sacrifice, and you are preparing to burn incense at the Golden Altar. It has been a strange day and darkness has brooded over the city for almost three hours.

The soft golden gleam from the Lampstand lights up the Holy Place and the Table of Showbread of the Presence reminds you of the Presence within the Veil – a Presence which filters through into the Holy Place and draws you to worship. On the Golden Altar you place the incense with coals from the fire from the Altar where burns the evening sacrifice.  The incense rises before the Veil and its fragrance fills the air.

Your eyes are fixed on the Veil which shuts you out of the Holy of Holies where you long, and yet dread to go. To enter in there means death. The Veil is embroidered with Cherubim and you remember that Cherubim and a flaming sword guard the way to the Tree of Life and all that Man lost through the foolishness of pride. You think of yourself and the sins that drove you to the Altar of Sacrifice seeking forgiveness and you wonder “Are they really gone?”

As you gaze there suddenly appears on the Veil in stark ugly black, woven in and our among the Cherubim, every sin, every act or even thought of rebellion – nothing is left out, everything is revealed –all the secret hidden things, and more than that, the suggestion of every evil known to man which may yet lie in the future – every horrible thing. The Cherubim now seem to be wielding fiery swords and their eyes flame with holy indignation at your presumption. The Veil which looked so beautiful has become a thing of terror – a monstrosity hanging in this Holy Place.

[Spend some time on this. Also see on the Veil the things that others have done which have hurt or offended you]

A voice behind you whispers – a voice you have heard many times before, insinuating, accusing.-“Did you really think it could be any different? You and I know what you’re really like. Look at yourself.” You look down and see that the robe you thought was so clean is hanging in filthy tatters. You cringe and weep with shame and wish that the lamp would go out and the darkness swallow you up. The hideous taunting whisper goes on and on confirming what you already know – you sin has made an impenetrable barrier between you and God – a barrier you are helpless to remove.

Suddenly you hear from outside somewhere, a loud cry – a cry born in agony yet ringing in triumph “IT IS FINISHED!”

Then unseen hands take hold of the Veil, tear it from top to bottom and push it aside and the Shekinah floods out. It is a living pulsating light – almost tangible, and everything else recedes from view. You look down at your robe; it is glistening white and seems to be woven with the same glory that has enveloped the Holy Place and the Life and the Light of the Shekinah fill your whole being. You look up and see the unveiled Glory of God and know that, even as you behold it, you are reflecting like a mirror, that same Glory. The Cherubim no longer wield fiery swords but gaze with wondering eyes at the blood on the Mercy Seat.

 A welcoming voice says “COME,” and you walk over blood sprinkled ground into the arms of the Father. He speaks your name and says “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you. You are mine and I am yours for eternity. All that I have is yours and NOTHING will ever separate you from My love. What I have opened no one can shut.” You begin to understand the height and depth and length and breadth of His incredible love. It washes you through and through and every wound is healed. You know that you will never be the same, because your eyes have beheld the Living God and no one can see God and live. That old wilful Self is gone forever and your life is now immersed in His.

Jesus is standing there at the right hand of the Father.  There are deep wounds in His hands and feet, but His face is radiant. He has endured the Cross, despising the shame for the joy of seeing you come to this place. He says, “You are My Beloved, flesh of My flesh and bone of My bones and I have longed for this. You share a timeless moment of utter bliss.

He continues, “There are others I long to bring here. Will you go for me? Will you take the glory of this place out into the darkness and bring My love into the midst of the pain and turmoil of the world? Will you be a servant to all and wash the feet of the weary? It is not an easy path I am asking you to walk, but you will share my joy even as you share My suffering and you’ll never be alone. The way of the Cross is the way of Redemption for the World.”

He has been holding over His arm the High Priestly garments and He now places over your white garment, the blue robe with its fruit and tinkling bells. He asks “Will you share My gospel and minister the gifts I give you in love?” He puts on the Ephod with the Breastplate of glittering gems and the gleaming onyx at the shoulders and says “Will you carry My people in your heart, bear them up and join Me in My intercessions for them? They are my precious gems.” He places the Urim and Thummim in the pocket of the breastplate and says, “You will never lack guidance, You have only to ask and I will share the secrets of My heart.” He places the diadem of gold on your head with its inscription and says “You are now ‘Holiness unto the Lord,’ as the Father has sent Me, so send I you.” You turn to, reluctantly yet with purpose, knowing that this place is always open to you. 

He calls after you, “And child, don’t tell anyone who you are – just live it!”

 

Philippians 2:5-8  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Philippians 3:8 “.....I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord....that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Colossians 3:3,4 “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

1 John 4:17 “Love has been perfected among us in this; that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”