Category: Newsletter

Introduction

This edition of our Newsletter discusses the Priesthood of Christ Jesus as prophesied by the Old Testament Prophets. The teaching of His Holy Apostles on this subject would also be discussed.

The Old Priestly Covenant

The work of God in the sanctuary was committed to the tribe of Levi. Any other tribe in Israel was considered a stranger as far as the ministration of holy things in the sanctuary was concerned. The Lord God said to Aaron that the priestly assignments in the sanctuary pertain to him and his Children. Aaron´s brethren who belonged to the tribe of Levi was also mandated to serve as the priest of God in the Temple. Those unqualified to serve as the priests under this old covenant did so at their own Peril (Num 18:1-6).

It was further emphasized that Aaron and his children shall keep the priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the veil, and he shall serve.  God gave the priest’s office unto Aaron as a service of gift, and the stranger that was to come nigh was to be put to death (Num 18:7). This Levitical priesthood was intended to be an everlasting one for Aaron and his descendants (Num 25:12-13). God said His covenant was with Levi and that was a covenant of life and of peace (Mal 2:4). However, Jeremiah prophesied that this covenant would change as detailed below.

The New Priestly Covenant

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer 31:31-33).

Jeremiah foresaw God´s choice of Judah over Levi in establishing a perfect priesthood in Christ Jesus. In explaining the above scripture, Paul writes that perfection did not come by Levitical priesthood under which the Law was given and received, so God promised another priesthood after the order of Melchisedec, but not that of Aaron. For the change in priesthood necessitated a change also in the Law. The Law could not regard any person from the tribe of Judah as a priest. But it is evident that it is from this tribe that Christ Jesus came. Again, it is yet far more evident that after the order of Melchisedec there arises another priest who is not made after the carnal law, but after the power of an endless life. God testifies that Christ is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec  (Heb 7: 11-15).

It should convincingly be said that today, the priesthood is for Christ Jesus, the King, and His Descendants. Peter, therefore, writes that all those who are in Christ are His royal priesthood (1Pt 2:9).

Conclusion

Prophet Jeremiah prophesied and testified of the shift in priesthood from the tribe of Levi to that of Judah, and that is seen realized in Christ Jesus, the perfect High Priest, and His children.

Prayer: Dear Lord God, we pray for your wisdom and knowledge with understanding as we study your word, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN.

Introduction

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luk 24:44).

This edition of our Newsletter seeks to present some prophecies about the life of Christ Jesus that were told by the Old Testament Prophets, and how they have been fulfilled.

The Virgin Birth of Christ

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa 7:14). This scripture speaks of the birth of Jesus as cited in the book of Matthew where the meaning of the name ´Emmanuel´ is explained as “God with us” (Mat 1:23).

It is read that an Angel appeared to a virgin by named Mary in Nazareth. The Angel informed her that she shall conceive and bear a son and call his name Jesus. It was again declared by the Angel that ” He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luk 1:26-33).

The promise was to a virgin, but according to Webster, being a virgin does not necessarily mean a woman who has had no carnal knowledge of a man, but it could also imply a young woman of marriageable age. This makes it difficult for unbelievers to accept that Mary was a virgin. Some people believe that Mary was a rape victim, but the story of the birth of Jesus was cooked up only to cover up her shame. Isaiah would ask “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? (Isa 53:1).

The virgin birth of Christ is not doubtful. Because, when Mary was told of God´s plan for her,  she wanted to know how it was going to happen since she had not slept with any man (Luk 1:34). She did not tell a lie because the Angel already knew of her virginity. To work against all odds and Natural Science, the Angel told her, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luk 1:35).

The truth is that denial of the virgin birth of Christ, is a complete rejection of the Divinity of Christ, a foundation that holds the Christian faith in place. Those who deny the virgin birth of Christ are apostates. It is evident, “By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the antichrist you heard is coming, and even now is already in the world” (1Joh 4:2-3).

Emmanuel: God with us

As indicated above, the name of the Son of God was to be ´Emmanuel´ (Isa 7:14) which means “God with us” (Mat 1:23). This makes some people ask that “If the Bible is consistent, why one says Emmanuel and another says, Jesus”? It should be known to all, that, the Holy Bible does not contradict itself. `Emmanuel´ simply means God has come down to us in a fleshly form. That is, in the person of Christ Jesus, to live with us. It is read that:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Joh 1:1) “And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth” (Joh 1:14).

God came down and tabernacled or dwelled among us, thus fulfilling the meaning of Emmanuel.

Conclusion

The Books of the Prophets explicitly testify and reveal the entire life of Christ to humanity before His incarnation. One clear example is His virgin birth. The Bible is clear on what it teaches, but humans have forced it to support their own preconceived or misconceived ideas and beliefs, even where it does not actually mean what they think.

Prayer: Dear Lord God, may your Holy Spirit guide and help us to understand and accept your word as you would want us to comprehend it. In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. AMEN!