2. Not believing that Jesus Christ is the Eternal High Priest of God
The second huge mistake that is plaguing the Christian community and causing divisions in the body of Christ is the lack of awe, respect, reverence and adoration of Jesus Christ as the Eternal High Priest The irony of truth is, the offering of gifts and sacrifices for sins are an integral part and parcel of the worship services which are being conducted in the heavenly tabernacle, because when Moses was about to construct the earthly tabernacle, he was divinely instructed saying; "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." And concerning the sacrifices that were offered, it is stated that; “... it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (Hebrews 8:5; 9:23).
It is stated clearly that Jesus Christ, “called
by God as High Priest "according
to the order of Melchizedek," whom we are told is the, “ king of Salem, priest of the Most High
God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part
of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also
king of Salem, meaning "king of peace, without father, without mother,
without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made
like the Son of God, remains a priest continually” (Hebrews 5:10; 7:1-3).
There is only one begotten Son of God, who is
Jesus Christ, and inasmuch as He was
not made priest without an oath (for they (the Levites) have become
priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ' You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek' "),
by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:21-22).
Therefore, Jesus Christ as every high priest is appointed to
offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, when He came into the world, He
said: "Sacrifice and offering You did
not desire, but a body You
have prepared for Me. In
burnt offerings and sacrifices for
sin You had no pleasure.
Then I said, 'Behold, I have come ---
In the volume of the book it is written of Me --- To do Your
will, O God.' "
Previously
saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt
offerings, and offerings for
sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the
law), then He said, "Behold,
I have come to do Your will, O
God." He takes away the first that He may establish the
second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews
10: 5-10).
Jesus Christ did not destroy the law or the prophets;
instead He fulfilled them by taking away the first, which was a substitute, a
copy and shadow of the reality, and replaced it with the second which is the reality.
For as it is written; “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices,
which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers,
once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in
those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is
not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4).
You see, the objective of the substitute which was to take
away sins, and present the worshiper perfect and blameless before God was not
taken away, it was the application of the substitute that was unprofitable,
because, the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All
was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It
was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are
offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to
the conscience --- concerned only with foods and drinks, various
washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:8-10).
The scripture further states; “But Christ came as High
Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the
blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy
Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
For
if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the
unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God?
And
for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for
the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who
are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:11-15).
Because of this unbelief, or ignorance of Jesus Christ being
the High Priest of God, people do not pay regards to the command which says;
“Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My
offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to
Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).
What the substitute could not attained, has now been
attained by the reality, without making null and void the objective and the
appointed time to offer the Lord the food for His offerings is still in effect,
and this I find is a huge stumbling block among the majority of those who
profess to be believers in Jesus Christ who is the Eternal High Priest, when it
is clearly stated that. “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts
and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One (Jesus Christ) also
have something to offer” (Hebrews 8:3)
We should also bear in mind the fact that, the main reason
for having a holy convocation is to offer to the Lord the food for His
offerings.
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To be continued, stay tuned
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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