Jonathan Edwards
SECTION 2
True Christians – A Royal Priesthood
The two offices of king and priest were esteemed very highly by both the Jews and the heathens. They were unknown offices under the law of Moses. Moses himself is said to have been king in Jeshurun. His brother Aaron was the high priest. Those who were kings by divine appointment in Israel were of a tribe different from the priesthood, viz. the tribe of Judah. Before the giving of the law we have an instance of one who was both king and priests, viz. Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18, “And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God.”
In some of the prophecies of Christ, it is said that He should be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Psalms 110:4, “The LORD hath sworn and will not repent; thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.” He is also prophesied to be a priest in Zechariah 6:13, “Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
In this respect the era of gospel differs from the era of the law, in that it reveals the compatibility of the two offices. One person, Jesus Christ, is a type of both kings and priests under the law.
It is the will of Christ that His disciples should in many ways become like Him. In the same way Christ is the Son of God, so those that are Christ’s are the children of God. In the same way Christ is the heir of God, so as Christ lives, it is His will that His people are His heirs. Just as Christ rose from the dead, so it is the will of Christ that His saints will rise also. As Christ is now in heaven in glory, so it is the will of Christ that His people will be with Him where He is. Just as Christ is both King and Priest, so shall believers be made kings and priests. The text can be interpreted to mean what is in place now, or what will be in place later. Peter says, “ye are a royal priesthood.” That is, you have those honors. Christians are king here and heirs to the throne. The crown is yours; you are in line for it. You have just not been crowned yet.
Christians truly are in an exalted state here, but not like they will be hereafter. Christians are also priests here, but not like they will be. Christians are called kings and priests here, in this world, Revelations 1:6, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.” But in Revelation 5 the saints in heaven speak openly of their ultimate glory and exaltation, Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; that we should reign on the earth.”
First, Christians are kings.
When Christians are called kings in the Scriptures, the designation includes both what they actually have now and what they will have in the future. The reward which our Lord Jesus promised His disciples was a “kingdom.” Luke 22:29, “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.” Christians have the same promise. James 2:5, “Hearken, my beloved brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him.”
The reward of the saints is a kingdom. The possession of a kingdom is the highest achievement of humanity. Those who are “kings” with “kingdoms” are said to have the most happiness possible. The happiness of this much admitted, royal state consists of these three things:
- The honor of a kingdom
- The possessions of kings
- The government or authority of kings
If you think about it, the happiness of believers is far greater than that of the most powerful and popular kings in the world.
A. True Christians will eventually have higher honors than earthly kings. They will have a more envied place than any earthly prince. The earthly prince has a noble lineage to be sure, but not so great as being a son or daughter of God almighty. They may be nobly educated, and have their minds groomed for ruling. They may have impressive credentials, but they pale compared to the credentials that God bestows on His saints. He fills their minds with divine knowledge and wisdom, and gives them perfect holiness. How are these credentials?
Earthly princes are envied for their outward enjoyment of honor and dignity. They have royal robes, stately palaces, and every convenience money can buy. Yet they, in all their earthly glory, are nothing compared to the white robes and inherent ornaments with which the saints will appear in heaven. They “shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
How can a king’s palace compare to the mansions that Christ is preparing in heaven for His saints? The real honor of the creature consists in his likeness and nearness to the Creator in heaven. The saints shall be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is. They will be near Him, and will have intimate fellowship with Christ.
B. The saints will have greater and more extensive possessions than any earthly king. One reason men admire kings is for their wealth. They have the most precious and valuable treasures in the world, Ecclesiastes 2:8, “I gathered also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got for myself men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.” As an example, David conquered and subued many kings, and acquired all of their earthly treasures. Solomon inherited all of it!
But how can the precious treasures of earthly kings compare to the precious things that Christ will give His saints in the world to come? The saints will inherit the gold tried in the fire that Christ has purchased with His own blood, precious jewels, graces and joys of His Spirit, and the wonders of a perfect mind. Earthly kings have impressive possessions, but these fall short of the extensive possessions of the saints, who possess “all” things. They are the heirs of God, and all that is God’s is theirs for their eternal happiness, Revelation 21:7, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-22, “Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours.”
C. The saints will also have more authority than earthly kings. First, true Christians are royalty. Christ will give to them a kingdom, and they will “reign” in that kingdom. Revelation 5:10, “And hath made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 22:5, “And there shall be no night there: and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
They will rule this kingdom and exercise its government. Revelation 2:26-27, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over all nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
Let us look at this to really understand it. They will not be appointed by God as sovereigns of the world, being without any superior Being to direct them. Neither will they be representatives like King Agrippa and some other kings: merely representatives of the Roman emperors. Christians will reign in fellowship with Christ as joint heirs. They will reign in the same kingdom with Him. They will have the happinness of having things done exactly as they wish because their wills be the will of Christ. All things will be done in the best way that leads to their happiness. Revelation 3:21-22, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
The reigning of the saints will also include judging. The saints will judge the world, angels and men with Christ, Matthew 19:28, “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?”
Oh, how men lust after earthly kingdoms? What effort, what dangers, what bloodshed will they endure to rule! When you seek Christ in conversion, you seek a kingdom. You who are poor and you who are children have opportunity to obtain a kingdom. You will advance to a state and obtain a throne more glorious than any on earth.
You will obtain greater treasures, wear finer robes, obtain greater honors, have more valuable and abundant possessions, and sit on a more glorious thone than any earthly monarch ever has. The crown that you will wear will be an incorruptible one given to you by the great King of heaven. Your throne will last as long as His does.
Rejoice! What an encouragement is here for saints under affliction and persecution. When you obtain your crown of glory, are seated on Christ’s throne, and shine as the light, you will never suffer again! All of your troubles, all of the reproach and pain you feel will be taken away. The anger and malice of men and devils can never reach you, and your sorrows will melt away.
Second, true Christians are the priests of God. The priesthood under the law was a very honorable and sacred office, Hebrews 5:4, “And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” It was because of his honor that proud men like Korah and his company envied Aaron. God vindicated and validated Aaron’s right to the priesthood by causing his rod to bud.
The priesthood was an honored position. Before the law was given and each family member was able to offer sacrifices, the firstborn child was honored. The birthright was highly valued and highly esteemed. This is why Jacob had such a desire to have the birthright of his brother Esau. When Esau “despised” his birthright, the Bible speaks of it as an example of his “profaneness.” A priest is now said to be the chief man among his people, Leviticus 21:4, “But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.”
Because the office of the priesthood was so honorable, it was wicked to hold contempt for the office. This is seen in several wicked kings, who held contempt for God’s priests. The office of priest was so honorable that a king, Uzziah, coveted the honor of it, and it is mentioned as an example of his pride, 2 Chronicles 26:16, “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the only proper Priests that can offer sacrifices and make atonment for sin. He was the Priest of whom all the priests of old were types. Yet all believers are now to be conformed to Christ, and the priesthood is no longer confined to one family (Aaron and his sons), but extended to all of true Israel. Every true Christian has a work and office that are as sacred as those of the priests under the law. Everyone is advanced to a like honor, and indeed too a greater. But how every true Christian is a priest of God will appear in the following things.
- Every true Christian is allowed access to God. Believers have access to God like the priests of old. Under the law, God dwelt in the tabernacle and temple. Holy places, these were symbols of His presence. Aaron and his descendents could go into the holy place to minister before the Lord, but if any other came nigh, he was put to death. Numbers 3:10, “And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priests’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh, shall be put to death.”
But now all are allowed to come. We are all allowed free access to God, and we should come with boldness and confidence. God’s people are no longer distant as they were under the law. The Church was in its infancy then. God was feared and dreaded in the dispensation of the law. They did not have the special offers of and displays of grace and love that are evident now. Today, these invite access rather than forbid it.
When God appeared to the children of Israel, it was more with terror and manifestations of His majesty and awe than the displays of grace that we see now. When God appeared on Mount Sinai, it was with flaming fire, thunder, lightning, and earthquakes. How different was His appearance in the person of Christ with mildness, gentleness, and love!
There is little difference between us and them when it comes to free access to God. We have the same access that the children of Israel had at Mount Sinai, and Christ’s disciples had when He was on earth. At Mount Sinai, only Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu were allowed to come up into the mount. Only Moses had close contact. Exodus 24:1, “And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of he elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.” If any other presumed to touch the mount, God would destroy him. Yet Christ’s disciples talked with Him daily as intimate friends. Hebrews 12:18, “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest.”
We are now allowed the same access to God. God’s dwelling place then was the temple — specifically the holy of holies and the mercy-seat between the cherubim. There was a veil that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple. No one could ever go beyond the veil. The single exception was the high priest; and even he was allowed to approach only once a year. All others who dared approach would be killed. Leviticus 16:2, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place, within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark, that he died not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.” Now the way into the holy of holies is available to us. Hebrews 9:7-8, “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as yet the first tabernacle was standing.”
We are now allowed access to God just as the high priest was, but we have more freedom. The priest could approach only once a year, but Christians may approach boldly at all times through the blood of Christ, without any danger of dying. Hebrews 4:16, “Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” The throne of grace and the mercy-seat are the same thing. “Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Access into the holiest of holies is allowed to all under the gospel at any time. This was signified by the tearing of the veil at the death of Christ. It was His own shed blood that makes this possible. Matthew 27:50-51: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”
The access of the saints the world to come will be much closer and more intimate than that of the high priest. We will not only enter into the holy of holies, but will dwell with God in it. Heaven itself is the holiest of all. We will dwell in God’s presence; we will see His face, which no man can see now and live.
Even through men today have greater freedo of access than those in the Old Testament, we still remain, for the most part, more distant from God than we will be in heaven. We will be admitted with higher access than even Moses had on the mount when he asked God to show him His glory. We will see Him face to face.
2. Christians are a priesthood with respect to our offerings to God. The largest responsibilities of the priests of old were to offer sacrifice and burn incense. Just as they offered sacrifice, so the work of believers today is to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, 1 Peter 2:5, “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.”
A. The sacrifice of a yielded heart. Notice here that Christians offer up their own hearts to God in sacrifice, and dedicate themselves to Him. Romans 6:13, “Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” The Christian gives himself to God freely and heartily. He desires to be God’s, and to belong to no other. He gives all faculties of his soul to God. He gives God his heart, and offers it as a sacrifice in two ways.
First, when the heart is broken for sin..
Before a sacrifice is offered, it must be slashed and killed. The heart of the true Christian is first wounded and slashed by a sense of sin. The danger and wickedness of sin need to be seen for the evil and danger that they are, and then killed with godly sorrow and true repentance. When the heart truly repents, it dies unto sin.
Repentance is compared to a death in the Word of God. Romans 6:6-8, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destryed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And, Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
When Christ was offered as a sacrifice, He was broken on the cross. Likewise we are broken. When a soul is converted, the heart is offered to God slain and broken. Psalms 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
(To be continued …)
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