Kingdom - Priests
SYNOPSIS – Christians reign with Jesus and fulfill their royal role as “priests” who render service to God in His “Tabernacle” - Revelation 1:5-6.
The self-sacrificial death of Jesus is THE
foundation and source for the visions of the book of Revelation.
Moreover, his death means installation of overcoming believers to become “priests.”
He reigns already over the “kings of the earth” because of his death and
resurrection, and the outpouring of his lifeblood has consecrated us to be “priests”
to his God - [Calvary - Photo by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash]:
- (Revelation 1:5-6) – “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him who loves us and loosed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us a kingdom, priests unto his God and Father.”
In the Greek sentence, “kingdom” is in
apposition to “priests”; the latter term defines the former. That is,
this is a priestly kingdom; its members execute their
kingly duties AS “priests.” There is one group in view,
not two - “priests” - not “priests” and “kings.” Priestly service
to God IS what it means to reign with Christ. The verse echoes
the original call given to Israel when the nation stood before Mount Sinai:
- (Exodus 19:6) – “You will be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.”
In the opening vision, Jesus is the glorious “Son of Man,” an
image employing language from the book of Daniel. Not coincidentally, he
is portrayed as a priestly figure who is serving inside a sanctuary.
The first thing John saw was the “seven golden lampstands.”
The ancient Tabernacle featured a seven-branched lampstand, but now, Jesus walks
among seven separate “golden lampstands.” He was clothed with a full-length
linen robe held together by a “golden girdle,” the garments of the high
priest. The “Son of Man” was tending the “lampstands,” trimming
wicks and replenishing oil as needed. The “golden lampstands” represented
the seven churches of Asia set inside a sanctuary – (Revelation 1:12-20).
To the saint who “overcomes,” this same Jesus promised to “grant him to sit down with me in my throne, just as
I also overcame and sat down with my Father in his throne.” Note well! To rise to such a high
honor a believer must “overcome” in the same manner as Jesus did – The faithful
witness who loved us and “loosed us from our sins by his blood.” He is
our high priest who has appointed us to be his priests – (Revelation 3:21).
In the vision of the Throne, only the “slain
Lamb” was found worthy to open the sealed scroll. Jesus IS
the “lion of the tribe of Judah” but fulfills that role as the
sacrificial “Lamb.” This understanding is confirmed when a myriad of voices
breaks into praise:
- “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and purchased unto God with your blood men from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth…Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” – (Revelation 5:9-12).
Once again, the call of ancient
Israel is applied to those redeemed by the “Lamb.” They were constituted
a “kingdom and priests,” and therefore, “they reign on the earth.”
While some ancient Greek manuscripts use a future tense verb (“they will reign”),
the better manuscripts have a present tense verb – “they are reigning on the
earth.” As reigning priests, the redeemed bear testimony, and otherwise, mediate
the light of the “Lamb” on the earth.
In the vision of the “innumerable
multitude,” John saw men and women “clothed in white robes” coming out of the “Great Tribulation,” having washed their robes
and made them white “in the blood of the Lamb.” The image reflects the
garments worn by Aaron and his sons when they were installed to the priesthood –
(Leviticus 8:6-7, Revelation 7:9-17).
This priestly company stands before the Throne and the “Lamb”
where they “render divine service” in the “tabernacle.” “Render
divine service” represents the Greek verb latreuô, the
same verb applied to the service of the Levitical priests in the ancient Greek
version of the book of Leviticus, the Septuagint. In the Greek
clause, once more, present tense verbs are used – “They ARE SERVING
him day and night.” The future tense describes their eventual reward - (“He that sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. They will hunger no more…”).
The priestly image is clear
when John “measured” the “sanctuary,” the “altar,” and “those
rendering divine service” in it – (latreuô) – A group of priests
conducting their duties before the “altar.” After John “measured”
the “sanctuary,” the entire “holy city” was handed over to the nations
and “trampled underfoot forty-two months” – (Revelation 11:1-2).
The same reality is found in the vision of
the “beast ascending from the sea.” The “beast” was given a “mouth
speaking great things” with which it “slandered the tabernacle, those that dwell in the heaven.” In the Greek, there
is no conjunction between “tabernacle” and “they who tabernacle.”
The two terms are in apposition and the latter defines the former. This is
confirmed by the next verse, which interprets the image – “And it was given to it to make war with the saints, and to
overcome them.” The “beast” wages its war
against the priestly company that is “rendering divine service” (latreuô)
rather than “rendering homage” (proskeneô) to the “beast” –
(Revelation 13:4-6)
The “kingdom of priests” is presented
once more at the start of the “thousand years.” After Satan was bound in
the “Abyss,” judgment was given for the martyrs who had died for the “testimony of
Jesus and the word of God, and such as did not render homage to the beast.” They “lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” This is the “first resurrection.”
Then a voice declared – “Over these, the second death has no power; but they
will be priests of God and of Christ, and reign with him a thousand years” –
(Revelation 20:1-6).
In Revelation, Jesus is a
priestly and a sacrificial figure. His sacrifice redeemed men and women to God,
consequently, he now reigns as their high priest. In turn, his lifeblood poured
out on their behalf consecrated them as a company of priests that reigns with
him. They are summoned to “overcome” and reign in the same manner that
he did (and does). They “overcome” their enemies by the “blood of the
Lamb, the word of their testimony, and because they love not their life unto
death”; that is, through self-sacrificial service on behalf of their high
priest.
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