——
as the priest-king (he was rom the priestly tribe o Levi and was called a king in Deut. 33:4-5) as the humanhead o state. David Stern in his
Jewish New Testament Commentary
(page 10) describes the role o the biblicalpriest to be like that o a prophet and to serve as spokesman and mediator between YHVH and man. Te prophetspeaks to man on behal o YHVH, the priest to YHVH on behal o man. In terms o practical job-descriptiontheir primary duty was to oer sacricial animals on the altar.O those who will be the priests to reign with Messiah during the Millennium, Christian commentatorMatthew Henry says in his commentary on Revelation 1:5-6 that Messiah has made Believers kings and priests to YHVH and his Father. As such they overcome the world, mortiy sin, govern their own spirits, resist Satan, prevail with YHVH in prayer, and shall judge the world.” Tis is an apt description o those who will qualiy to become priests in YHVH's kingdom, but let's denesome words Henry uses in his descriptions. How does Scripture dene
sin
? Sin in its simplest denition is thetransgression o YHVH's orah-law (1John 3:4). Henry says that the Saints as priests will “judge the world.” What does this mean? Do you know o any secular judge who makes judgments without ollowing some legalcode upon which civil law is based? O course not. What legal code is Scripture based upon? Te orah-law YHVH gave to the Children o Israel through Moses. In numerous places YHVH instructed the priests and kingso that time to rule and judge on the basis o his orah-law. When they ailed to do so YHVH sent prophet aterprophet to warn them to turn rom their wicked ways and return to ollowing YHVH's laws. What standard o righteousness do you think YHVH's kings and priests will rule and judge rom during theMillennium? Tere is only one standard o truth outlined in Scripture: that is the orah (Ps. 119:142, 151), whichis YHVH's orah, which by strict etymological and scriptural denition simply means YHVH's
instructions
,
teach-ings
and
precepts
in righteousness. Since YHVH's standards o righteousness do not change, or his character andnature do not change (Mal. 3:6) despite what religious men may say or do, it stands to reason that YHVH's kingsand priests will be orah-obedient Set-apart ones (Saints). In act, this is how the Book o Revelation denesthe Saints: they keep the orah-commandments o YHVH and have aith in Yeshua the Messiah (Rev. 12:17;14:12). Yeshua goes on to say in Matthew 5:19 that those who keep his orah-law will be called the greatest in hiskingdom (i.e., they will be kings and priests) while those who do not keep his orah-law will be called the leastin his kingdom. In other words, the higher the level o obedience to orah the higher will be one's rewards andresponsibilities in YHVH's kingdom. Yeshua told his disciples that i they loved him they would keep his (orah)commandments (John 14:15).
Te Saints Are Called to Be a Set-apart (
Kadosh
) Nation
I you have repented o your sins, been washed in the blood o the Lamb and been born o the Set-apart Spirit(
Ruach haKodesh
) you are part o a set-apart priesthood. Tis is your identity according to Scripture. Get this into your spirit and
every day
live out the reality o it!!:1 Peter 2:5, 9-10,“You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a set-apart priest-hood, to oer up spiritual sacrices, acceptable to YHVH by Yeshua the Messiah...But youare a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a peculiar [purchased, ac-quired, i.e., YHVH's purchased possession (purchased/ransomed by the blood o his Son)]people; that you should show orth the praises o him who has called you out o darknessinto his marvelous light.” Te concept o a set-apart nation o priests was YHVH's ultimate desire and destiny or his people. For what pur-pose? o bring glory to YHVH who has called his people out o spiritual darkness and sin (orah-law violation)into the glorious light o his truth (obedience to YHVH's orah-instructions), to
show YHVH to the world
! Weare called to
show orth the praises o YHVH
or, in other words, to be
YHVH-praisers
which is exactly what the word
Jew
or
Judah
means in Hebrew:
YHVH praisers
or
givers o praise and thanksgiving.
We are called to ollow in thesteps o Yeshua the Jew by living a set-apart lie that shines as a light in the midsts o a dark, crooked and perverse world. Te idea o a set-apart nation o kings and priest is rooted rmly in orah:Exodus 19:5-6, “Now thereore, i you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, or all the earth is mine and you shall be unto me a kingdom o priests, and a set-apart nation.”
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