7-28-27               Royal Priesthood - Holy of Holies                        

This is actually being published on Sunday, the 28^th of July.  Events set me a day behind and Father said to wait until the 28^th to release it.  “7” is ‘resurrection’ or Spiritual’ completeness and ‘28’ is ‘eternal life’.  (got the mental juices flowing yet?)

Peter reminds us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Okay, so what does all this have to do with the Holy of Holies?  Read on!

1 Peter 2:9-12 KJV

⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;

(we are a unique people for the Lord for He has chosen us to be His banner carrier for salvation.)

¹⁰ Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

(though we are in the world, by God’s grace, we are no longer of the world {John 17:15})

¹¹ Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

(we don’t fight against flesh and blood but against the powers of evil {Eph. 6:11-12})

¹² Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

(we don’t do and say things to please man but to please God and the world doesn’t understand it)

Exod. 28:1-43 (not going into depth here but summarizing these passages so you might get a reasonable understanding of the sanctification of the priesthood)

This passage talks about the clothes which Aaron (the high priest) and his sons would wear in serving God.

Aaron and his sons were appointed to the priesthood by God to serve Him and be the go-between between our Lord and man.  Father prescribed clothes that they should wear and procedures they must follow when they approach God in the Holy of Holies.  Let’s get an understanding:

Chapter 28

God appoints Aaron and his sons to the priesthood and sets forth the clothing they should wear serving in the priest’s office.  God has given certain of the Israelites the ability to make a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a coat which is weaved into squares, a mitre (hat) and a girdle.  These garments should be made with colors of gold, blue, purple and scarlet and made of fine linen and be expertly crafted.

The ephod was to be carefully woven of gold, blue, purple and scarlet.  It shall have two shoulder pieces (onyx stones) one each for the right and left shoulders.  Each stone shall have six names the tribes of Israel, artfully etched into them in order of their birth.  Each name shall be set in a setting made of gold so that Aaron should, as a memorial, always bear the names of the children of Israel before the Lord as he serves in the priest’s office. 

The ‘curious’ girdle shall also be made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet and be attached to the ephod.

Golden chains shall connect the ephod with the breastplate of judgement and the breastplate shall be made a perfect square and shall have twelve stones mounted in settings upon it.  The stones are sardius, topaz, carbuncle in the 1^st row, an emerald, sapphire and diamond are in the 2^nd row, ligure agate and amethyst in the 3^rd row and beryl onyx and jasper in the 4^thSo Aaron carries the burden of the people upon his shoulders and close to his heart.

The Urim (bring light) and the Thummim (emblem of complete truth) are also placed on the breastplate (so he priest might judge the people rightly).

Are we getting the picture here?  The burden of Israel on his shoulders and close to his heart!

So we see that the curious girdle, the ephod and the breastplate are all connected.

The robe shall be expertly woven of blue material with a hole in the center (up and down side to side) and stitched so the garment does not tear.  The bottom of the garment shall have golden bells alternating between woven pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet thus Aaron would beard entering and leaving the Holy of Holies and not die.

The mitre (or hat), again embroidered of fine linen and attached to its forehead shall be a plate of gold with ‘Holiness to the Lord’ etched into it.  This is so that all things offered by Aaron unto the Lord would be accepted by the Lord.

And beneath all this Aaron shall wear breeches (shorts) underneath from his waist to the thighs, to cover his nakedness.  Aaron’s sons also shall wear the robe and breaches so that none die.  And for Israel this is a continuing statute. (they do it forever) 

Now remember that the Egyptians gave the Israelites gold, silver, gems and clothing, etc. (Exod. 12:35-36).

Exod. 29:1-46 

Again, here I paraphrase how the priesthood how must be sanctified to serve before the Lord.

They should take a young bull and two rams (without blemish), and out of wheat flour make unleavened bread cakes and cakes tempered with oil and wafers anointed with oil.  These shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle in a basket. 

Aaron and his sons will come before the door of the tabernacle and wash with water.  Then they will take the clothing which was made for them – the coat, the ephod, the curious girdle of the ephod and the holy miter.  The anointing oil shall be poured over Aaron’s head.  Then Aaron’s will be brought forth and put on his garments.  This is something Aaron and his sons will do to sanctify themselves before the Lord.

Sacrifices were also in order for preparation.  Aaron and his sons would lay hands on bullock then slay it at the door of the tabernacle.  They would put the blood of the bullock on the four horns of the altar with their finger then pour the rest beside the bottom of the altar.  Most of the inward parts would be burnt upon the altar but its flesh, skin and dung shall be burned outside the camp as a sin offering.

Aaron and his sons should lay their hands on the head of one of the rams and slay it and sprinkle the blood around the altar.  They should cut the ram into pieces. They shall wash the inner parts of the ram, cut it into pieces then put the whole ram on the altar and burn it with fire.  It is a sweet smelling savor made by fire unto the Lord.  (our sacrifices are sweet smelling to the Lord – even though we are not physically slain and burnt on the altar)

They shall lay their hands upon the second ram and kill it.  Then the blood should be put on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and his sons, the thumb of their right hands and the big toe on the right foot.  Then they should sprinkle the blood on the altar and all around it.  Then the blood (which is upon the altar) with anointing oil shall be sprinkled upon Aaron and his sons to hallow (purify) them.

The rump of the ram along with the kidneys, the fat and the right shoulder as a consecration (dedication) to the Lord.  Then, a loaf of bread, oiled cake and a wafer shall be given to Aaron and his sons as a wave offering (lifted up and moved back and forth) before the Lord, they shall put it upon the altar as a burnt offering, a sweet smelling savor before the Lord.  An offering unto the Lord made by fire.

The breast and shoulder of the ram are dedicated to Aaron and as a wave offering it shall be sanctified unto the Lorda nd the shoulder is a heave offering (lifted up) before the Lord and these shall be for Aaron and his son’s.

And this is the consecration of the garments.

The priest shall wear them for seven days when he comes into the tabernacle to minister in the Holy Place.  The ram of consecration shall be for Aaron and his sons to eat and he bread in the basket.  They shall eat the things used for atonement to sanctify themselves.  These are holy and are for only Aaron and his sons.  If anything which they have remains in the morning, it shall be burned with fire.  They shall do this each day of that week.  Whatever touches the altar shall be holy. 

I’m not citing the quantities for the following passage (read the passage in the bible.

That week, a lamb shall be offered, one in the morning and one in the evening.  With one lamb have flour mingled with beaten oil and wine (for a drink offering).  Do the same for the second lamb in the evening.  This is an offering with a sweet savor made with fire unto the Lord.  Israel is commanded to do these things throughout their generations at the door of the tabernacle and so it shall be sanctified by My glory (says the Lord). 

Father lays out a guideline implying the attitude with which we should approach Him as a royal priesthood.  We don’t have to go through all the physical sacrifices of Israel, but these procedures were established to purify the priests before they entered into the presence of the Lord.

Note that Father makes things acceptable through fire.  John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize us with fire – to burn off all the unwanted garbage in our lives (Matt. 3:11-12).  Paul tells the Corinthians to lay our foundation in Jesus and like the refining of gold (with fire), our bad works will burn off but the vessel (us) will be refined.  We are the temple of God and the Holy Ghost lives within us (1 Corinth. 3:11-16)!

Matthew 27:45-54 KJV 

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?  That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? ⁴⁷ Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias (Elijah). ⁴⁸ And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. ⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; ⁵² And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, ⁵³ And came out of the graves after his (Jesus’) resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. ⁵⁴ Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Heb. 9:16-28

¹⁶ For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

¹⁷ For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.

¹⁸ Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

²⁰ Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

²¹ Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

²² And almost all things are ,by the law, purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

²³ It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (our heart)

²⁴ For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

²⁵ Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with blood for others (lambs and bulls);

²⁶ For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

²⁷ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

²⁸ So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

So, just what does “being a royal priesthood mean to us?

Father desires us to be cleansed so that we may be acceptable before Him.  When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the temple, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies, the veil that separated God from Israel, was torn in two, thus giving us direct access to Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord (Mark 15:34-38).

God knows our heart (1 Sam. 16:7, Luke 16:15) so we don’t have to physically do all that Israel did.  Yet we do have to let God’s love abide in our hearts.  In so doing we will find ourselves living in the purity and holiness God intends.  Hopefully, this helps us to understand that our heart must be cleansed before the Lord.  We don’ just talk the talk, but we walk the walk as we live in Father’s love allowing the Holy Ghost full freedom to direct us in God’s will.   Then, just as David, we confess our sins to Father as soon as we realize what we’ve done (2 Sam. 12:1-24).  AND we have the Holy Ghost to help us.

Once again, Father desires us to come before Him with a clean heart, as we abide in His love.  If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).  My commandments are to love – God, then our fellow man (Mark 12:30-31).  As we believe in Jesus, His love is in us and we will be able to do the same works He has done – and greater (John 14:12)!  We have the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-4).  After all, Jesus commanded us to receive the Holt Ghost (John 20:22, Acts 1:8) and that enables us to forgive those who have come against us (Luke 17:3-4, Eph. 4:32).  Father loves us through Jesus.  Shouldn’t we show that love (which is in us) to those around us?

Father told Israel to give everything willingly (Exod. 35:22 – voluntarily, spontaneous).  Shouldn’t we do the same from our heart (2 Corinth. 9:7-8)?

Peter declared us a royal priesthood, that is being able to access Father through Jesus because of the torn veil.  We are a royal priesthood.  Do we live like it?

Amen