In looking at the matter of the need for the recovery of the universal priesthood of the believers we need to realize that Christ is the High Priest and He’s also the King: He’s the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek!
In Hebrews we see Christ as the High Priest bringing us into the Holy of Holies, that is, into fellowship with God, and in Matthew we see Christ as the King bringing the authority of God to man. At the same time, both Hebrews and Matthew speak of the church as the building of God, showing us that Christ as the Priest and as the King is for the building up of the church, God’s house.
As the Priest and King Christ is building up the real organic architectural building, the Body of Christ, for the corporate expression of God on the earth.
All believers in Christ are also kings and priests to God: He redeemed us to make us a kingdom, priests to our God and Father (Rev. 5:10). We are royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired for a possession that we may tell out the virtues of Him who has called us by His own glory and virtue (1 Pet. 2:9).
All the redeemed ones of God are royal – they have the position and authority of a king – and priests – they have the fellowship of life with Christ. We all need to live a royal priestly life in the church life today for the building up of the church, the Body of Christ.
If we put together these portions in the Hebrews, Matthew, 1 Peter, and Revelation, we will see that all believers in Christ are royal priests, and they should simply receive the flow of the divine life from the throne of God for them to have both the priesthood and the kingship.
We need to deal with anything that would interrupt the flow of life from the throne of God into us and from us to others. We need to come forward to the throne of grace to receive the flow of grace and mercy for timely help (Heb. 4:16), and we need to let this grace as many rivers flow out of our innermost being into others unto eternal life (John 7:37-38).
Christ is the Priest (Hebrews) and the King (Matthew) for God’s Building
The book of Hebrews speaks of Christ as the High Priest, the One who brings the believers into the Holy of Holies, that is, into fellowship with God (see Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 5:6; 7:1). Christ as the Priest enables us to enjoy God as our way, our reality, and our life, and He brings us into close fellowship with God.
Hebrews also speaks of the building of a city (see Heb. 11:9-10, 16; 12:22); this city has foundations, and its architect and builder is God. God designed the city of the New Jerusalem and He builds this city by building Himself into us as we enjoy Christ as our High Priest.
There are many exhibits nowadays of “organic architecture”, blending the building of a house into the nature and the environment, but God is the One who is working on the real organic architecture: He is building a flowing river-house, the New Jerusalem!
In Hebrews we see Christ as the Priest for God’s building, and this Priest is according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 6:20-7:1), that is, He is a King and a Priest to minister the life supply to God’s people for the building up of the church as the house of God.
In the Gospel of Matthew we see Christ as the King: He is Emmanuel, God with us, joining God with man and bringing the authority of God to man (Matt. 1:1, 23; 2:6). Christ as the King came to bring in the kingdom of God which is the church today; later in Matthew we see that Christ is building His church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Christ is the King of the kingdom of God for the building up of the church as the house of God.
In the gospel of Matthew we also see that Christ is a Priest in function: He came to shepherd the people of Israel, and He came to serve them (not to be served; see Matt. 2:6; 20:28). Christ is the King and the Priest for the building up of the church, the house of God.
In Christ is the fellowship of the priesthood and the authority of the kingship, both of which are for God’s building. On the one hand, Christ flows out the fellowship of life to us for God’s image, and on the other hand, He brings us under the authority of the throne of God for God’s dominion.
As the King and the Priest, Christ fulfills God’s original intention to bring us to have God’s image and dominion and to be built up as the church, the house of God.
Hallelujah for our Christ, the Priest and the King for God’s building! Lord, we praise You for being the Priest, the One who flows out the fellowship of life to bring God to us and us into God so that we may bear God’s image. We praise You as the King, the One who brings us under God’s authority so that we may exercise God’s dominion to defeat God’s enemy and bring in God’s kingdom. Lord Jesus, build Yourself into us by Your constant flow of life from the throne, and build us into You for the building up of the church, the house of God!
Every Believer is a Royal Priest having the Flow of Life from the Throne of God
According to the entire revelation in the Bible, not only Christ has the offices of the kingship and the priesthood but also His people, His redeemed ones, the believers in Christ. God’s intention in having the people of Israel was that they would be a kingdom of priests (Exo. 19:4, 6), but they failed God, so He turned to the Gentiles and calls out those who believe into Him to be a kingdom of priests.
Every believer is a royal priest, one who has the flow of life from the throne of God. In 1 Pet. 2:9 we see that as redeemed ones we are a royal priesthood; “royal” indicates that we have the position and authority of a king, and “priesthood” indicates that we have the fellowship of life.
We are chosen race (denoting our descent from God), a holy priesthood (indicating our service to God), a holy nation (we’re a community for God), and a people acquired for a possession (indicating our preciousness to God).
In Rev. 5:10 we also see that God has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father. In Rev. 22 we see that for eternity we will be priests and kings to God, those who are under God’s throne (as kings) receiving the river of water of life from the throne (as priest) to both rule over the nations (as kings) and express God to the entire universe (as priests).
Today in the church life, the kingdom of God in this age, we need to remain under God’s throne and drink the water of life flowing from the throne; then, we need to allow the water of life to flow out from us to others for them to be brought under God’s authority and supplied with life.
Many times, however, there are barriers and obstacles between us and God, and there’s no flow of life from the throne into us. Furthermore, even though we may receive and enjoy the flow of life from the throne, we may not allow this water of life to spring up and flow out to others.
We need to deal with all the barriers between us and God by confessing our sins, and we need to deal with our natural man and our self so that the living water may flow out. When we drink of the living water flowing from the throne of God, we are brought under God’s authority and we are transformed.
May we all be royal priests who have the flow of life from the throne of God and allow God to flow into us and out of us for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ! May we realize our position as priests and kings, and may there be a rich expression of the priesthood and the kingship in all the church meetings!
Lord Jesus, thank You for redeeming us to make us a kingdom, priest to our God and Father. Lord, praise You for making us a royal priesthood, a group of people who are both priests and kings to God. Keep us open to You to receive the flow of water of life from the throne of God, and keep us open to others to flow out the water of life for their supply and building up. Lord Jesus, gain a rich expression of both the priesthood and the kingship in all the local churches on earth today! Keep all the saints receiving the flow of life from the throne, and may there be a clear flowing out of this water to others!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, bro. Ed Marks’ sharing in the message for this week, and portions from, The Priesthood and God’s Building, chs. 1-2 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Recovery of the Priesthood or God’s Building, week 1 / msg 1, The Priesthood and the Kingship for God’s Building.
- All Bible verses are taken from, Holy Bible Recovery Version.
- Hymns on this topic to strengthen this burden:
# Praise the Lamb! Yes, Thou art worthy, / Who didst shed Thy blood / To redeem Thy saints, and make us / Kings and priests to God! (Hymns #185)
# Christ is my Prophet, Priest, and King; / My Prophet full of sight; / My Priest that stands ‘twixt me and God, / My King that rules with might. (Hymns #510)
# Blest constituents of Zion, / Washed in the Redeemer’s blood; / Jesus, whom their souls rely on, / Makes them kings and priests to God. / ’Tis His love His people raises / Over self to reign as kings: / And as priests, His worthy praises, / Each his thankful offering brings. (Hymns #977)
About aGodMan
In conclusion, let us look at the picture in Revelation 22. In the New Jerusalem there is a river of water of life flowing from the throne. The throne is a matter of authority, and the flowing water of life is a matter of fellowship. The flow of water signifies fellowship, and this flow is related to authority. This is the source of the building up of the New Jerusalem. In the church today the water of life from the throne should be flowing freely among us. Nevertheless, in our present condition it is not flowing freely. Although the water of life may flow to you, it is not easy for it to flow out of you to others. Thus, it ceases to flow. The water of life must flow into us and out of us. When the flow of life comes to us from the throne, it seems to run into barriers that prevent it from flowing out of us. In order for the church to be built up, we need to be transformed. However, this transformation can be produced only from the flowing of the water of life.
We earnestly hope that everyone among us would be a royal priest who has the flow of life from the throne. We hope that in every one of us there would be an expression of both the priesthood and the kingship. (The Priesthood and God’s Building, pp. 32-34, 23-25)