REVELATION

. Part 6 in the Series entitled “Three”

03/06/11

“The Majesty and Ministry of the Believer” – Part 2

Would you please stand with me for the reading of God’s sacred Word? Revelation 1:1-8…
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things
which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that
he saw.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things
which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which
is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the
prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him:
and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.”
The focus of the past three weeks has been answering the question, “What Has Jesus Done?”
Today we return to the third decree by the Apostle John, where he says that Christ has, “…
made us kings and priests unto God and his father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and
ever. Amen.’
What has Jesus done? He has made us Kings and Priests unto God and His Father! This
speaks of the tremendous majesty and the glorious ministry we share as disciples of Jesus
Christ!
Now, we need to remember that this phrase “Kings and Priests” actually appears twice in the
book of Revelation. First in Revelation 1:6 where we read that Christ “…hath made us kings
and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
and again in Revelation 5:10, where it says that Christ “…hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Understand that these two passages speak of our Majesty and Ministry in two different contexts.
Revelation 1:6 is set in the context of John’s greeting and introduction, and therefore, it carried
present-tense implications to his audience. He is saying to them, “We have been made kings
and priests (in a present sense).”

Revelation 5:9-10, however, is a futuristic scene that takes place in the throne room of Almighty
God, where the Lamb who is worthy breaks the seals on the ancient scroll, ushering in the end
of days. And when the Lamb breaks the seals, the entire throne-room congregation fall on their

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faces before the Lord and sing a song, declaring that God “hast made us unto our God kings
and priests: and we shall reign on the earth,”
The difference is clear. In chapter 1:6, John is referring to the present rule the royal priesthood
of the saints. This is a spiritual kingdom and priesthood.
But in chapter 5:10, the heavenly chorus sings of the kingdom and priesthood we shall share
with Christ in the future – on earth. This is a literal kingdom and priesthood.

Last week we began to explore the depths of these truths by looking at some of the present-time
implications of sharing in Christ’s majesty. What does it really mean to be “kings” or, literally
Christ’s “kingdom”? How should our lives reflect this truth?

If we are His Kingdom, we must conclude that He is the King and we are the subjects. As
subjects we are to be loyal. We are to make it our sacred duty to follow Him faithfully and to fully
submit our lives to Him. We are to let Him rule our hearts by letting His Word transform how we
think, talk, and behave, so that our lives will reflect His glory and grace and our character will
become godly and holy, and winsome.

This is what it means to be the present Kingdom of Christ. It is all about letting Christ rule in our
hearts. And if our hearts are ruled by Christ, what will our lives look like? Listen to the Apostle
Paul’s snapshot in Colossians 3:12-15?

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And
above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God
rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

This is what a heart ruled by Christ looks like! This is what it means to share in the present
Majesty of Christ.

Well, the next thing we need to concern ourselves with is our present ministry. You see, once
you get your heart right in line with the King, and become a part of the Kingdom, He gives you
the privilege of taking part in His ministry as well! (Isn’t God good?)

So, again, what our text say? Revelation 1:5-6… “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Not only do we share in Christ’s majesty but we also share in His ministry. We are called and
consecrated to be a kingdom of priests.

But what does that really mean?

Most of us, when we think of the priesthood, imagine a man in a black shirt with a white collar
carrying a rosary and a crucifix. We think of the high church of Rome, with it’s cathedrals, nuns,
priests, bishops, cardinals, and even the Pope himself. We imagine confessionals, mass in
Latin, and unusually somber and scary music. And if we’ve seen enough TV, we might even

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imagine those scenarios where impotent men of the cloth fight against the overwhelming power
of evil in some demon-possessed little girl.

But friends, those images are far, far from the picture the Bible paints when it uses the word,
“priest”. And if we’re going to understand our role as a “kingdom of priests” we need to
understand a bit more about the biblical role of the priest.

The Greek word translated “priest” in this text comes from a root word that literally means,
“sacred, or holy”. In the sense in which it applied to God’s chosen people, Israel, the word
described a man who was set aside by God to be an intercessor between God and men.

The priests’ primary function under the Old Testament Law was to minister the offerings and the
sacrifices for God, on behalf of the people. The priests in the Tabernacle, and later in the
Temple, ministered the things of God by:

• Offered up prayers for the people.

• Maintaining the holy lamp stand so that it never stopped burning.
• Keeping the showbread on the table of the Lord fresh.
• Killing and offering the burnt sacrifices daily
• And, ultimately, the High Priest (once per year) made atonement for the sins of the
people with the blood of the sacrifice in the Holiest inner sanctum of the Lord.

To understand the ministry of those priests better hear the words of Paul in Hebrews 5:1-3…
“For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God,
that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant,
and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by
reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.”

But, you might thing, “…that was all Old Testament, right?” And that was all done away with
when our perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ made the final sacrifice for sin – once for all. Right?
So we don’t need any priests today, right?

Wrong.

Now, before you cry “heresy”, you need to erase from your mind those inaccurate and unbiblical
images of the modern priesthood you’re familiar with and begin to frame a new image from the
Word of God, because you cannot escape the fact that God calls YOU and ME a kingdom of
priests!

And if we are indeed a kingdom of priests, we have to get a biblical, New Testament
understanding of the priesthood. To do that, we’ll need to examine a couple of crucial passages
in the New Testament, starting with 1Peter 2:1-10…

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil
speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

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To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and
precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect,
precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which
believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of
offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were
appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Now, that’s a mouthful, and we need to take some time to see all that Peter is saying, beginning
with verse 1, because he begins this chapter with the word, “Therefore”. Now, you do know that
the Bible wasn’t written with chapters and verses, right? Those were added later. So,
understand that chapter 2 begins with a continuation of thought from chapter 1.

So we need to go back and see a couple of important things in chapter 1. And let me suggest
that the groundwork for our priesthood is laid in chapter 1, verses 1-2, where Peter writes…
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
From the very beginning of the book and the first chapter, Peter alludes to our position as a
kingdom of priests. How? By using key words that were easy for the Jewish mind to
understand as they related to the priesthood.
For example, He calls these believers, “elect”. That literally means they are the “select” or
“chosen”. Do you remember when God established the priesthood? Way back in Exodus 27,
when Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the commandments of the Lord, God established the
priesthood by election.
Exodus 28:1; 40-43 – “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from
among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron,
Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets
shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy
brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them,
that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the
thighs they shall reach: And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in
unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the
holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his
seed after him.

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You see how Aaron’s family was selected by God to be the priests in Israel? This wasn’t subject
to a vote. It wasn’t a democratic, people’s choice. There was no popular election. There was
only the election of a sovereign God, who in His great grace, called this family to the ministry of
priesthood.
Now, after they were chosen, they had to go through a process of preparation for the ministry
before they could minister to God for the people.
That process is described in great detail in Exodus 29. I won’t take the time to read it, but let me
summarize what needed done.
1. Aaron and his sons came to the tabernacle with one young bull, two rams, and a basket
of unleavened bread tempered with oil and unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
2. Upon arrival at the tabernacle for the first time, they had to bathe, and change into the
special priestly garments prepared for them.
3. After dressing, Moses poured anointing oil on Aaron’s head.
4. Then, the bull was brought and Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head as the
animal was killed. The blood was then placed on each of the four corners of the altar, and
the animal was then burned as a sin offering.
5. After this, the first of the two rams was brought, and Aaron and his sons put their hands
on its head as it was killed. Then, its blood was sprinkled all around and on top of the
altar, after which the ram was offered as a burnt offering to the Lord.
6. Then, the second ram was brought. Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head and
the ram was killed and its blood was applied to the tip of the right ear, right thumb, and
right big toe of Aaron and his sons. The remaining blood was sprinkled all over and
around the altar.
7. Finally, Aaron and his sons were sprinkled with blood from off the altar and the anointing
oil.
When this was all done, Aaron and his sons were “hallowed”. They were ready to minister in the
priesthood.

I know it sounds strange, and gruesome, but this shocking, bloody ceremony was the means by
which God cleansed Aaron and his sons from their sins and made them fit to minister to Him in
the tabernacle.
And lest we make light of our own ministry, we ought to remember that the only reason we’re fit
to minister in the name of Christ is because we’ve been through a blood-washing ceremony too.
Remember what Peter said in 1Peter 1:1-2… “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the
strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

Like Aaron and his sons, we were also “elected” to this priesthood and we were sanctified by the
Holy Spirit and made fit for the ministry by the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” For as
Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit

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offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God?”
Understand, you didn’t get this ministry just because you chose it. You can’t just decide to join
this “kingdom of priests” as if it were some earthly occupation! There is only one way into this
kingdom and this ministry, and it is by the election of God, the sanctification of the Spirit, and the
washing of the blood of Jesus Christ!
And if you’ve been washed, you’re in! You are in the kingdom and you are a priest!
It’s that simple. It isn’t anything you’ve done. You didn’t merit it or earn it. You aren’t smart
enough, rich enough, or educated enough. The ministry of the priesthood is a something God
places you in when you come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ and you are ordained to it when
you are washed from your sins in His blood!
Now, that’s it. By grace through faith, Jesus Christ has brought you into the kingdom of God and
the ministry of priesthood.
So, does that mean we need to build an altar of stone and start sacrificing animals, like the
priests of old? No, because the old manner and methods of priesthood were done away with
and annulled in Christ. Listen to how Paul explains it in Hebrews chapter 10…
Hebrews 10:1-4- “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image
of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make
the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that
the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those
sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Hebrews 11-18 – “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”
The Old Testament priests served as mediators between God and men. Their hands were
perpetually stained with the blood of innocent beasts to make atonement for sin, and yet the
debt was never satisfied.
But Jesus, the perfect Son of God came and He shed His own blood, and it was sufficient! God
accepted His offering for the remission of sins – something those people in the Old Testament
never received under the former priesthood. Atonement, yes. Remission, no.
But Jesus blood went beyond atonement to remission, and where remission is, the sins are
gone, the debt is paid, and there is no more offering needed!
No more do we need the blood of bulls and goats. No more do we need a man to make sacrifice
for us. No more do we depend upon the prayers and offerings of the priests to find favor with
God. No more human intermediaries, for, as 1Timothy 2:5-6 says, “…there is one God, and

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one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all,
to be testified in due time.”
Jesus destroyed every barrier between God and us, and now everyone who comes to Him
through Jesus has full access to His grace, love, and mercy.
Man, with all of that going on, it kind of sounds like the priesthood’s been put out of business,
doesn’t it? I mean, if Jesus did everything the priests couldn’t do, and the work of reconciliation
with God is complete through Him, what further need is there for priests, and why does God say
that we are now His “kingdom of priests”?
The answer comes in understanding How Peter describes this New Covenant priesthood.
In chapter 2:5, he says that you are “…lively (or living) stones, (and you) are built up a spiritual
house (as in temple, and you are…) , an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
Now, don’t be confused by this imagery. Peter is using the analogy of the Old Covenant here.
In the old covenant, there was the temple made of stones where God dwelt. Not any more…
now we are the temple. We are “living stones” that make up His House, and He dwells within us
by his Spirit. In the old covenant there were priests making countless bloody sacrifices to atone
for sin.
Not anymore. Now, we are the priests and the sacrifices we offer are spiritual – which are the
only ones any longer acceptable to God because they are “by Jesus Christ”.
Then, down in verse 9-10, he says that we are a “...a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had
not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
I like how Peterson paraphrases it in The Message… “But you are the ones chosen by God,
chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do
his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—
from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
And now we’re on to something… Now we begin to see not only what we are as a “kingdom of
priests” but what we’re supposed to be doing in this holy occupation.
Our role as priests for God is to declare the “Night-and-day difference” He has made in us! To
tell others how Jesus Christ brought us from the bottom, taking us from being nothing, to be
something – from being rejected to being accepted.”
Isn’t that exactly what Jesus talked about when He said in Matthew 5:13-16, “Ye are the salt of
the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good
for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven.”

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As “priests” our job is to show forth the praises of the Lord so that others will see His glory,
grace, and love and, hopefully, receive Him as their Lord and Savior too.
Paul talked about this priestly ministry in 2Corinthians 5:18-20… “And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;

And what is our message? What is our ministry? To show people that, “…God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;

This is our ministry. He has committed to us, “the word of reconciliation.”

Now then we are ambassadors (representatives) for Christ, as though God did beseech you by
us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

We are called to the priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God. Our sacrifices involve
several things.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us we offer our bodies as a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.

Hebrews 13:15 tells us that we are to offer up the “sacrifice of praise” “the fruit of our lips” which
is “acceptable to God”.

And 1Peter 2 tells us that we are to offer up our testimony as a witness to others for all the
wonderful things Jesus Christ has done for us.

Listen, none of these things are impossible. With God all things are possible. You are called and
elected to this kingdom of priests, and your present ministry is inescapable. You are called to
sacrifice your life to God, your praise to God, and your testimony and witness to God.

What a privilege! Yes and what a responsibility! And one day we will have to give an account for
our priesthood. So start now. Begin to look at your life differently, Perhaps you’ve only ever
considered yourself “saved” and never really thought about what God wants you to do, or that
you were supposed to be doing any ministry.

You are. And you can, and we’ll help you.

CONCLUSION

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In fact, it is the Apostle Peter who calls us in 1Peter 2:9 calls us a “royal priesthood”.

The word, “royal” is the Greek word basileios, and it means kingly (in nature):--royal. Clearly
there is a great deal of majesty if we are a “kingly priesthood”!

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MINISTRY

William Burkitt’s Notes on the NT

Re 1:1. Kings, not in a temporal but a spiritual sense; they reign as kings over their unruly lusts
and corruptions, over Satan, over the world, over death the king of terrors; they begin their reign
upon earth, without which it were impossible to perfect and complete it in heaven.

2. Priests, consecrating themselves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, and
offering up, not expiatory, but gratulatory sacrifices unto him, namely, prayer and praise,
supplication and thanksgiving. Ye are an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1Pe 2:5

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

As kings, they overcome the world, mortify sin, govern their own spirits, conquer Satan, have
power and prevalence with God in prayer, and shall judge the world. He hath made them
priests, given them access to God, enabled them to enter into the holiest and to offer spiritual
and acceptable sacrifices, and has given them an unction suitable to this character; and for
these high honours and favours they are bound to ascribe to him dominion and glory for ever.

Matthew Poole's Commentary:

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 Ver. 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: kings, to rule over our
own appetite, and govern ourselves by the law of his word, to fight and conquer the world, the
flesh, and the devil. Kings in a spiritual sense, for our kingdom is like his from whom we derive
it, not of this world; therefore he adds, unto God, to the honour and glory of God, for his service,
who is the Father of Christ.

Priests, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through the Beloved, 1Pe 2:5; our
bodies as a living sacrifice, Ro 12:1; part of our estates, Php 4:18; the sacrifice of praise, the
fruit of our lips, Heb 13:15. So as all the privileges of the Jews, Ex 19:6, belong to us, and that in
a more eminent manner. Through Christ we also are a royal priesthood, a peculiar people.

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