YAHWEH, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, IS WITH US!
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins ...
(Isaiah 58:1)
Part1 ... File 5 of 8
A Voice In The Wilderness
Animal Sacrific Index
Melchisedec, the King of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God met
Abraham on the latter's return after his victory against King Cheddorlaomer
(Gen.14:18).
- "Melchisedec, as described in Hebrews 5:10, 6:20, ch 7 was without
father, without mother - without genealogy. He is further described as
having neither beginning of days nor end of life. He suddenly emerges from
the unknown and as suddenly disappears: it is not known whence he came or
whither he went; neither birth nor death is assigned to him: he is a type
of undying Priesthood ...
"The author of the Epistle of the Hebrews shows how great a personage
Melchisedec was, to whom even Abraham and through him virtually Levi, paid
tithes, thus admitting their inferiority. When thus our Lord was made a
High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, he held a higher office than
the Aaronic Priesthood." (Westminster Dictionary page 388)
The Bible clearly teaches that Christ is the High Priest in the Melchisedec
Priesthood. Though some day there will be other priests in this order,
there can only be one High Priest.
| Hebrews 7:17
| "For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.."
|
| verse 26
| "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27:
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice,
first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he
did once, when he offered up himself."
|
Priests in the Melchisedec order will be appointed by Yahweh Himself. A man is
no more able to appoint himself or another to the Melchisedec Priesthood than
he is able to choose his own father or mother. Unlike their Aaronic
counterparts, priests in the Melchisedec order are not dependent on an
ancestral link to Aaron the Levite. Instead, like Melchisedec, they too are
without genealogy. In other words their priesthood is by Yahweh's
choice - not by natural descent. Melchisedec priests will be ordained as
priests in Yahweh's own time - at some future date. Then in front of
the redeemed host they will be invested with power and authority just as
Aaron's sons were publicly ordained before the assembled hosts of Israel.
(Leviticus chapters 8, Numbers chapters 8 and 18). Appointments to the
Melchisedec Priesthood will be for eternity. In the Melchisedec Priesthood
the blood of bulls, lambs, goats and pigeons is not used. This fact will be
further explained later.
Yahweh's method of teaching Truth (a method used by most colleges and schools
today) is to use practical illustrations, visual aids, miniature models and
living object lessons of the future spiritual realities He has in mind.
Thus in the Old Testament we find scores of these practical illustrations:
all of which
point to great spiritual realities Yahweh wants us to understand. The Aaronic
Priesthood of the first covenant was one of these models. It was the
blueprint of the Melchisedec Priesthood. In other words, the Aaronic
Priesthood was simply an educational feature pointing to the new
covenant reality of the Melchisedec Priesthood. The Melchisedec
Priesthood will continue for all time in the new universe that Yahweh has
planned. It is, however, true to say that many Aaronic Priests (i.e.
Zadok) who faithfully carried out their duties in
ancient times, will themselves be appointed to the Melchisedec Priesthood; not
by virtue of their physical link with Aaron, but in their own right as faithful
and obedient believers in the Most High.
According to Scripture Gentile converts are grafted into the Olive of
Israel
(Romans 11:13-24). This means that we are grafted into one of the twelve
tribes: and many will obviously be grafted into the tribe of Levi. We may,
therefore, conclude that many faithful, Gentile believers will one day take up
their eternal duties in the Melchisedec Priesthood as members of the tribe of
Levi. In this sense the Levitical Priesthood is also eternal; just as the
nation of Israel and its Davidic King are endless. Jeremiah 33:17-22 points out
this fact. But, and here is an important point, though the Aaronic
Priesthood is in this sense on-going, animal sacrifices will no longer be
offered by the blood-born sons of Aaron. Why? Because the reality to
which the first covenant animal sacrifices pointed has already occurred on
Calvary.
In ancient times animal sacrifices were made on altars of earth, stone or
metal. The altars of sacrifice made for the Tabernacle and
Solomon's Temple were made to exact measurements. Failure to keep to
the divine specifications was a serious sin. Again I quote from the
Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, article Altar, page 22.
- "The fundamental law of the Hebrew altar, which was embodied in the
theocratic covenant and was given at Sinai before the Tabernacle was built,
enjoined the erection of an altar of earth or stone wherever
Jehovah would manifest Himself. This law was the primary warrant for the
altars at the Tabernacle and the Temple, where Jehovah's presence
continually was, and for the transient altars and sacrifices on occasions
of theophanies.
(Jud.2:5,etc)"
Yahweh strictly commanded His people not to erect sacrificial altars
in any and every place they chose. Instead He ordered them to destroy the
altars of the heathen who engaged in animal sacrifices involving illegal,
Satanic rituals.
| Deuteronomy 12:
| 2: Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations
which ye shall possess served their Gods, upon the high mountains, and
upon the hills and under every green tree.
3: Ye shall overthrow their
altars, break their pillars and burn their groves with fire and ye
shall hew down the graven images of their Gods and destroy the names
of them out of that place.
|
| 13:
| "Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in
every place that thou seest."
|
A Voice In The Wilderness
Animal Sacrific Index
Author: Elder: David B. Loughran - Stewarton Bible School - Stewarton Scotland
Elders: Max W. Mader & Chris A. Yenni
A Voice In The Wilderness - Toronto Canada - USA
Web-Site - www.avoiceinthewilderness.org
First published 1979 / Placed on the Internet 1996 / Updated: 1998 / Updated: 2003