It has been well said that a prophet goes to the people on behalf of God, but a priest goes to God on behalf of the people. The Jewish priests in the Old Testament had two main duties; blood sacrifices for the sins of the people and intercession on behalf of the people. It’s important to understand that the intercession of the priests was always directly connected to the blood sacrifices being made. For example, immediately following the sacrifices on the final day of Passover, the priests prayed to God on behalf of the people. “Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.” (II Chronicles 30:27)
When reading through texts like Leviticus chapters 4-9 it becomes clear that the priests of Israel were pretty much full time butchers. The inside of the temple must have looked and smelled worse than a meat packing house. The priest's clothes were no doubt soaked with the blood of animals. The smell of death would have been overwhelming. All of this was to serve as a stark reminder that the wages of sin is death, and that God is Holy and will not allow sin to go unpunished. The constant sacrifices were also a reminder of the constant sin of the people of Israel. The blood never stopped running from the floor of the temple. However, “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). This system screamed for something (and someone) better. As with the better covenant, the book of Hebrews goes into great detail about Christ being a better priest. There are four main ways in which Christ is a superior priest over the earthly Jewish priesthood (or any earthly priesthood for that matter); His sinlessness, His sacrifice, His Intercession and His access.
Our Sinless Priest
One of the main problems with earthly priests is that they are all sinners themselves. In fact, before the Jewish high priest could enter into the temple to offer a sacrifice, he had to make a sin offering for his own sins. If the high priest had entered into the Holy of Holies without making an offering for his sin, he would have been struck down by the holy presence of God. Hebrews 5:1-3 says, “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.” Because the priests were sinners they eventually died. Therefore their priesthood was not eternal.
Christ on the other hand is our sinless, ever living high priest. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 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. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” The sinlessness of Christ is what makes this next point possible.
Our Perfect Sacrifice
The Old Testament animal sacrifices could never take away sin. They were merely a picture or a shadow of the sacrifice that Christ would make on the cross. Hebrews 10:11-13 says, “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.” Notice the contrast here in their posture. The Jewish priests were constantly standing because their butchering work was never done. However, when Christ offered Himself as the perfect, sinless offering for sin, He sat down on the right hand of God. This is a position of power and rest. Christ came to this earth as the God-man, born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life, died a perfect death, rose as a perfect Savior, ascended to the Father and is reigning from on high! Christ is the perfect sacrifice for sin and there are no other sacrifices to be made.
Our Great Intercessor
Earlier we saw that the Old Testament sin offerings were directly connected with the intercessory prayers of the priests for the Lord to honor those sacrifices. It’s important to know that the intercession of Christ is also directly connected to His sacrificial death. Think about it like this. The death and resurrection of Christ is enough to save anyone who comes to Him in faith. So the finished work of Christ saves a person, and that perfect sacrifice along with the continual intercession of Christ is what keeps a person saved. No one that truly belongs to Christ can ever be lost. No wonder the writer of Hebrews was able to say, “And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:23-25).
If someone wants to make the argument that a person can lose their salvation, then they are going to have to answer the following questions. What does Christ accomplish as our great high priest? What does Christ accomplish as our intercessor? What did Christ accomplish as our Saviour through His death on the cross and His resurrection? What does Christ accomplish as our advocate? If Christ can lose one of His own then He is a failure. He is a savior who can’t save, a priest who can’t atone and an intercessor who can’t meditate. In this case, poor Jesus has to depend on us to make His work count. Of course the Bible doesn’t give any room at all to such notions of a weak and beggarly Christ.
We get a glimpse of Christ praying a high priestly prayer in the garden of Gethsemane just prior to His arrest. John 17:24 says, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Christ is praying that we be kept to the uttermost on His behalf. I think it’s safe to say that believers are safe in Christ.
Our Direct Access to God
There are examples in the Old Testament of people praying to God, as well as seeing answers to those prayers. However, because of the constant presence of sin there was always a question about whether or not they could draw near to God through prayer. This is not the case for a New Testament Christian under the New Covenant. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Notice the causative language here. Because of what Christ has done, and because of who He is, believers have an open invitation to approach the throne room of God on behalf of Christ.
In reference to His ascension, Christ said, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23). The Apostle Paul also chimed in on this priestly access to God through Christ when he said, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). It is for this reason that historical, biblical Christians believe and teach in the doctrine known as the priesthood of believers (I Pet. 2:5-9). Although the office of priest has been done away with, Christians are priests in the sense that we have direct access to God through Christ. We don’t need any earthly priest to mediate between us and God.
The LDS “Priesthood” The LDS church places such great emphasis on their earthly priesthood. The official church website states, “The word priesthood has two meanings. First, priesthood is the power and authority of God. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end. Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power, He exalts His obedient children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man.” Second, in mortality, priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children. The blessings of the priesthood are available to all who receive the gospel.” The two priesthoods of the LDS church are the Aaronic priesthood and the Melchizedek priesthood. We are writing this book with LDS readership and mind. So for the sake of brevity we are assuming a certain level of knowledge about the LDS beliefs on these issues and therefore won’t go into great detail about these offices. However, a few things need to be said. That Aaronic Priesthood After seeing all that Christ is and all that He does as the believer’s great high priest, we have to ask the question, what’s the point? What purpose does the Aaronic priesthood serve within the LDS church? Keep in mind that the actual priests of Aaron were the aforementioned temple butchers who made daily blood sacrifices on behalf of the people. Christ already made the ultimate sacrifice, and the Jewish temple was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago. So what’s the point? Especially considering that Aaronic priests of the LDS church never have to get their hands bloody. Would somebody please explain to me like I’m 5 years old, what’s the point of the Aaronic priesthood among Latter Day Saints? The book of Hebrews makes it clear that the Melchizdek priesthood replaced the Aaronic priesthood. “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:11). Something else to consider is that in Exodus 29, the LORD made it clear that the Jewish priests were only to be sons of Aaron within the tribe of Levi. So how does the LDS church justify calling priests that have no connection to the tribe of Levi or the line of Aaron? Would The Real Melchizedek Please Stand Up? Concerning the Melchizedek priesthood, the official church website states, “Through the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, Church leaders guide the Church and direct the preaching of the gospel throughout the world. In the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood, “the power of godliness is manifest.” This greater priesthood was given to Adam and has been on the earth whenever the Lord has revealed His gospel. It was taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy, but it was restored in 1829, when the Apostles Peter, James, and John conferred it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.” Let’s examine this claim for a moment. Melchizedek is a very vague character found in Genesis 14. Almost nothing is known about him. The Bible doesn't mention his origin or say anything about his parents or background. He simply appears to Abram as the “priest of the most high God.” (Gen. 14:18). The important thing that must be grasped is that Melchizedek is a type or shadow of the true high priest to come, Jesus Christ. He brought forth “bread and wine” (Gen. 14:18). This seems to be a picture of the body and blood of Christ, typified by Christ at the last supper. Melchizedek is also called the King of Salem (meaning “peace”). Most scholars agree that Salem is the same place that would later become Jerusalem. But perhaps, the greatest comparison is the fact that like Melchizedek, Christ is also a priest-king. Everything about Melchizedek points to Christ and Christ alone. The only other time that the name Melchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament is in Psalm 110. This entire Psalm is a prophecy about the greater David and the greater King who would come (Christ). Verse 1 says, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Someone once said that if God had a favorite Bible verse, this would be it. This verse is cited more in the New Testament than any other Old Testament verse. Notice that the first use of the word “LORD” is in all caps. Whenever we see this in our English translations it lets us know that it is a reference to the name of “Yahweh” (or Jehovah). The second use of the word Lord isn’t in all caps. That’s because in this case it comes from the Hebrew word “Adonai”, meaning master. The literal rendering of this verse would read, “The Yahweh said unto my Adonai, Sit thou at my right hand until I make, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” In other words, God the Father said to God the Son, sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool. This is why Christ quoted this verse to the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-46. The point that Christ was making is clear, why would David call his son “Lord”, unless his son was deity. It's’ just four verses later into this Psalm that we find a reference to Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Again we see Yahweh speaking to the one at His right hand (Christ), and promising Him that He would be a priest in the same model as Melchizedek. The entire seventh chapter of Hebrews is devoted to the idea that Christ is that Melchizedek priest. I encourage the reader to go back and read Hebrews 7. For brevity’s sake I will only mention verses 17-22, “For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” The author of Hebrews is referencing and elaborating on Psalm 110:4. There are a few things about this text that deserve attention. First, through the priesthood of Christ a better hope and a better testament (covenant) have been ushered in. Better than what? Better than the earthly Aaronic priesthood of the Old Testament that could never take away sin. The second thing that absolutely has to be grasped here is that Christ is the only priest after the order of Melchizedek. No one else could ever be worthy enough to meet the requirements necessary to ascend to Heaven and be seated in power at the right hand of God the Father. This is a scary proposition considering that the LDS church teaches their men that they must be “worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders in order to receive the temple endowment and be sealed to their families for eternity.” Only Christ is worthy enough to be a Melchizedek priest! It’s terrifying that the LDS church would take a title and an office that belongs to Christ alone and give them to sinful men. This text also states that Christ’s priesthood is an eternal priesthood. So how does this square with the LDS teaching that “It (the Melchizedek priesthood) was taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy, but it was restored in 1829, when the Apostles Peter, James, and John conferred it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.” Not only was this not Joseph Smith’s priesthood to receive, it wasn’t the Apostle’s priesthood to give. It makes me cringe when I hear LDS hymns like “Praise to the Man” in which Joseph Smith is spoken of in terms of endearment that only belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Great is his glory and endless his priesthood”, indeed. Closing Thoughts So what is a Latter Saint to do with this information? What should they do knowing that Christ is the only and eternal great high priest after the order of Melchizedek, that Christ put away the Aaronic priesthood, and that He is the only capable sacrifice, temple and mediator? Again, if Christ is all of these things, what’s the point of an earthly priesthood? Job security and control certainly come to mind. I would encourage Latter Day Saints to repent and run to the only priest that can save you. “And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:23-25
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