STUDY TIP FOR THIS PAGE: It will be very helpful for readers to read the following pages before reading this one:

• • • • • Sacrifices, Tithes and Offerings
        • Tithes
        • The Problem of Priests
        • THE RIGHTEOUS ALTERNATIVE TO COMMERCIAL RELIGION

The first thing that must be done to understand high priests is rid the mind of all images of high priests in fancy robes standing in front of gilded altars. Religious priests past and present wear fancy robes and make names for themselves through their clothing and their public religious behaviors, but these are not the kinds of high priests that God endorses. They are religious priests who are paid to follow religious traditions and religious laws in religious institutions. God’s high priests serve in the most holy place called the heart. They do not work for money in a religious building in front of a fancy altar.

STUDY TIP: See Tabernacles, Temples, Altars, High Places and Pilgrimages.

High priests in fancy clothing who display their religiosity in synagogues and churches obey religious rules and profit from commercial religion. They are modeled after priests in ancient Egypt and Babylon. God’s high priests are clothed in righteousness and salvation, and serve in temples not made with human hands. They speak God’s words out of their heart. They are also called true prophets, angels, messiahs, witnesses, and warriors. That is why all of these terms — including high priest — are used to describe Jesus.

The model of Old/First Covenant religious high priest is introduced and explained in the Exodus 28 and 29 where Aaron and his sons are fitted with priestly garments and consecrated for service in the tabernacle. Even though most Jews and Christians are quick to dismiss the detailed, literal terms of these scriptures as archaic and irrelevant to modern times, some still try to emulate the Biblical clothing with fancy religious clothing. And they try to emulate the consecration process through Bible schools, seminaries and religious rituals. While making sincere attempts to be Biblical, they dismiss the symbolic application of those scriptures. Here are a few spiritual truths that they fail to understand:

• • • • Aaron and his sons are not unique historical characters. They are types of high priests (e.g. pastors, priests, theologians, rabbis, prophets, evangelists, etc) with Old/First Covenant credentials. They are types of religious leaders in religious systems based on religious laws.
      • The clothing prescribed for Aaron and his sons should not be interpreted literally. In different ways, each article of physical clothing symbolically represents the characteristics of a clean, pure heart. Just like the prescriptions for the Old Covenant physical tabernacle symbolically represent the spiritual New Covenant tabernacle (i.e. the heart), the literal Old Covenant prescriptions for the clothing of the high priests represent the spiritual qualities the hearts of New Covenant disciples. It is the “first the natural and then the spiritual principle” in which the earthly pattern is presented in the literal words of the Bible and the heavenly pattern is revealed through God’s spoken voice.
      • The process for consecrating (i.e. making holy) Aaron and his sons should not be interpreted literally. Holiness is a spiritual condition that cannot be achieved through natural means. Washing with natural water and anointing with physical oil does not make anyone holy. These are only human rituals employed by religions according to religious laws to create an appearance of Godliness but there is no spiritual power in the rituals.
      • The Levitical priestly system has been replaced by the new order represented by Melchizedek, Jesus, and all other New Covenant disciples who are the types of high priests that symbolically represent all priests in a kingdom of priests that is also called a holy nation. These high priests are also called true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, and warriors. These high priests are qualified on the basis on the anointing they have received to speak for God. They are not qualified on the basis of human rituals which is the case of priests in the world of religion.

The differences between Levitical priests and high priests like Melchizedek and Jesus are stark and radical. They are as different as Pure Religion and Defiled Religion.

It is important for religious people who think of themselves as lay people — not as clergy — to pay attention to these differences. Even if they do not have the education or wear the clothing or identify themselves with priestly titles (e.g. pastor, prophet, pope, evangelist, etc.) they are priests in God’s eyes if they are New Covenant disciples. If they think that they are part of the kingdom of God, and if they think that they are members of God’s holy nation, they are priests in God’s eyes. If they say that they follow Jesus, they in effect say that they are high priests because Jesus was a high priest. These are reasons why they need to understand the differences between Melchizedek and priests of the Old Testament.

These differences are discussed in detail in the following scripture:

Hebrews 7: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything.

COMMENTARY: See this link and this link for discussion of the story of Abraham and Melchizedek. To say that Melchizedek was a priest of God is the same thing as saying he was a prophet who spoke for God. It is the same thing as saying that he was a shepherd of God’s flock. It is the same thing as saying that he was a warrior in God’s army.

The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

COMMENTARY: A son of God is created in God’s image.

4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!

COMMENTARY: See this link for understanding of plunder/spoils of war.

Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham.

COMMENTARY: Levites symbolize  the clergy of Old/First Covenant religions. They are able to preserve their positions in synagogues, churches and ministries because they convince the laity that God expects them to pay tithes to them and to give money to the church.

STUDY TIP: See Sacrifices, Tithes and Offerings and Tithes  for correct understanding of tithes.

5 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.

COMMENTARY: Melchizedek is not an Old/First Covenant priest who descended from the tribe of Levi.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of blessings.

8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

COMMENTARY: The contrast here between living and dead should not be interpreted in terms of physical life or death. Rather, it should be interpreted in terms of spiritual life and spiritual death.

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?

COMMENTARY  ON THE ORDERS OF AARON AND MELCHIZEDEK: This scripture says clearly that priests established under the order of Aaron have been replaced by priests established under the order of Melchizedek. The order of Aaron includes pastors, rabbis, priests, and all other Jewish and Christian religious leaders, past and present, who base their teachings on literal words of the Bible — not on the symbolic (i.e. spiritual) meanings of those words taught by God’s spoken voice.

The order of Aaron is the physical, visible, fleshly Old/First Covenant clergy system that is passing away as it is replaced by invisible, spiritual high priests established in the order of Melchizedek.

This says very clearly that religious laws and the priests (i.e. religious leaders) who preach and enforce those laws are unable to achieve perfection for religious people who follow the priests and obey the doctrines they teach.

The idea of clergy, and the doctrines, traditions and rituals they preach and administer, all have their roots in the literal words of the Bible. They are all doctrines taught by men and are not the same thing as God’s spiritual laws written on the hearts of men who hear his spoken voice. The heart is the place where we hear God’s spoken voice.

12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.