YAHWEH, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, IS WITH US!

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins ...
(Isaiah 58:1)

Animal Sacrifices
Animal Sacrifices

Part1 ... File 5 of 8

A Voice In The Wilderness   Animal Sacrific Index  

4. The Melchisedec Priesthood

Melchisedec, the King of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God met Abraham on the latter's return after his victory against King Cheddorlaomer (Genesis 14:18).
"Melchisedec, as described in Hebrews 5:10, 6:20, chapter 7 was without father, without mother - without genealogy. He is further described as having neither beginning of days nor end of life. He suddenly emerges from the unknown and as suddenly disappears: it is not known whence he came or whither he went; neither birth nor death is assigned to him: he is a type of undying Priesthood...

The author of the Epistle of the Hebrews shows how great a personage Melchisedec was, to whom even Abraham and through him virtually Levi, paid tithes, thus admitting their inferiority. When thus our Lord was made a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, he held a higher office than the Aaronic Priesthood." (Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, page 388)

Christ our High Priest

The Bible clearly teaches Christ is the High Priest in the Melchisedec Priesthood. Though some day there will be other priests in this order, there can only be one High Priest.

Hebrews 7: 17: For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
26: For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27: Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Priests in the Melchisedec order will be appointed by Yahweh Himself. A man is no more able to appoint himself or another to the Melchisedec Priesthood than he is able to choose his own father or mother. Unlike their Aaronic counterparts, priests in the Melchisedec order are not dependent on an ancestral link to Aaron the Levite. Instead, like Melchisedec, they too are without genealogy. In other words, their priesthood is by Yahweh's choice - not by natural descent. Melchisedec priests will be ordained as priests in Yahweh's own time - at some future date. Then in front of the redeemed host, they will be invested with power and authority just as Aaron's sons were publicly ordained before the assembled hosts of Israel (Leviticus chapter 8, Numbers chapters 8 & 18). Appointments to the Melchisedec Priesthood will be for eternity. In the Melchisedec Priesthood, the blood of bulls, lambs, goats and pigeons is not used. This fact will be further explained later.

Practical Illustrations

Yahweh's method of teaching Truth (a method used by most colleges and schools today) is to use practical illustrations, visual aids, miniature models and living object lessons of the future spiritual realities He has in mind. Thus, in the Old Testament, we find scores of these practical illustrations: all of which point to great spiritual realities Yahweh wants us to understand. The Aaronic Priesthood of the first covenant was one of these models. It was the blueprint of the Melchisedec Priesthood. In other words, the Aaronic Priesthood was simply an educational feature pointing to the new covenant reality of the Melchisedec Priesthood. The Melchisedec Priesthood will continue for all time in the new universe Yahweh has planned. It is, however, true to say, many Aaronic Priests (i.e. Zadok) who faithfully carried out their duties in ancient times, will themselves be appointed to the Melchisedec Priesthood; not by virtue of their physical link with Aaron, but in their own right as faithful and obedient believers in the Most High.

According to Scripture, Gentile converts are grafted into the Olive of Israel (Romans 11:13-24). This means, we are grafted into one of the twelve tribes: and many will obviously be grafted into the tribe of Levi. We may, therefore conclude, many faithful, Gentile believers will one day take up their eternal duties in the Melchisedec Priesthood as members of the tribe of Levi. In this sense, the Levitical Priesthood is also eternal; just as the nation of Israel and its Davidic King are endless. Jeremiah 33:17-22 points out this fact. Here is an important point. Though the Aaronic Priesthood is in this sense on-going, animal sacrifices will no longer be offered by the blood-born sons of Aaron. Why? Because, the reality to which the first covenant animal sacrifices pointed has already occurred on Calvary.

The Altar of Sacrifice

In ancient times, animal sacrifices were made on altars of earth, stone or metal. The altars of sacrifice made for the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple were made to exact measurements. Failure to keep to the divine specifications was a serious sin. Again, we quote from the Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, article Altar, page 22.
"The fundamental law of the Hebrew altar, which was embodied in the theocratic covenant and was given at Sinai before the Tabernacle was built, enjoined the erection of an altar of earth or stone wherever Jehovah would manifest Himself. This law was the primary warrant for the altars at the Tabernacle and the Temple, where Jehovah's presence continually was, and for the transient altars and sacrifices on occasions of theophanies. (Judges 2:5 etc.)."
Yahweh strictly commanded His people not to erect sacrificial altars in any and every place they chose. Instead, He ordered them to destroy the altars of the heathen who engaged in animal sacrifices involving illegal, Satanic rituals.

Deuteronomy 12: 2: Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
3: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
13: Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

     


A Voice In The Wilderness   Animal Sacrific Index  

Author: Elder: David B. Loughran - Stewarton Bible School - Stewarton Scotland
A Voice In The Wilderness - USA
www.avitw-usa.org
First published 1979 / Placed on the Internet 1996 / Updated: 2009