END OF TIME PROPHECIES 011

"And hath made us kings and priests unto God His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever Amen."   Revelation 1v6

We now explore the meaning of this phrase  "kings and priests unto God" and what it means for us today.   In Exodus 19v6 the Lord said to Moses  "Ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation."   The purpose of this was to teach the surrounding nations the truth of God.   This has now been applied to the people of God forming the church in a very wonderful way.   The apostle Peter presents this in his first epistle:

• A holy priesthood.    "Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."   1st Peter 2v5
• A royal priesthood.   "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a perculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."      1st Peter 2v9

This two-fold priestly service combines both our Godward spiritual exercises, with our manward spiritual ministry, as seen in the two words  "offer up" and "show forth."   As such, we have been made useful to God whereas before God could not use us because of our sins.   Due to the amazing redemptive work of Christ in 1st Peter chapter 1 , we are now able to serve God in a truly priestly way, and God can use us to influence others.   It is not commonly understood amongst believers, this role of priesthood that we have.   We can well understand the terms "sons" and "servants" but the business of being priests is not so well understood.   There are many aspects of this throughout the New Testament which would be indicated by the words "sacrifice" or "acceptable" and we will tabulate a few here for illustration:

• Romans 1v9     -     "For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son."   This is priestly work in preaching the gospel.
• Romans 12v1   -      "I beseech you that for brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."    This is our priestly work in the dedication of our bodies.
• Hebrews 13v15        "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name."   This is priestly service in the praise of God.
• Hebrews 13v16        "To do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."   This is priestly work in social fellowship.
• Philippians 4v18      "I am full having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God."   This is priestly service in the giving of material possessions.
• 1st Timothy 2v1-3      Prayers for all........"for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour."   This is priestly work in prayer.

Other aspects like paying back parents (1st Timothy 5v4) ; suffering patiently (1st Peter 5v20); showing patience with your brethren (Romans 14v18 ;and public worship (Romans 15v16).   All of these are examples of priestly service and the point of it all is not so much what we do, but to whom we are doing it.   If in all these different ministries, I do it as unto the Lord, it is true priestly service and will have God's approval.  

By Jesus Christ alone we have been fitted for priestly service.   The main requirement in this is that we keep ourselves clean, for we are serving a holy God.   A reading of Number chapter 8 will reveal that the Levites in the service of the tabernacle had to be cleansed and purified.   All of us therefore in whatever service we do for God must keep ourselves clean.    There is also a future glorious aspect for all of this, we are said to be kings and priests and that kingly aspect is largely future.   In this life we, as believers, are being trained to reign for God on the earth.   The well known phrase  "training for reigning" is indeed true.   This is repeated in Revelation 5v10; 20v6; 22v5.    Some details are also found in the early verse of 1st Corinthians 6 where it says  "know ye not that the saints shall judge the world?"   We are right now in preparation for reigning upon the earth as the true priests of the living God.   What a marvelous thing Jesus Christ has done for us all and we need to rise to it for it is glorious. All who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ are priests, male and female, young and old and we do well to keep before us the daily responsibility of this.