2025-08-20 - Jesus Christ is the Promised Messiah Part V: God is the First and Last Priest

Prophecy is proclaiming God’s Word in a way that imparts grace.  Grace, which is God’s Divine power, is an ordering principle that operates on disordered earthly matter, with the goal of accomplishing sanctification or theosis (the end point in which we are like God).  Prophecy is a catalyst for sanctification, but a favorable outcome depends upon the disposition of our souls.  If we are inclined toward piety, prophecy will impart grace and sanctify us; theosis will be accomplished.  If we are inclined toward impiety, prophecy will condemn us, causing more disorder in our lives and leading to our damnation. 

God’s Kingdom is a bounded location (Tabernacle) wherein the inhabitants, culture, laws and nature express the mind and the heart of the King.  When the Kingdom is in perfect alignment with the mind and heart of the King, it is described as Good, and God “rests”.  God’s creation of Adam and his wife includes their free will to choose to love God in a sacrificial act by ignoring temptation.  This act of “loving the other” by ignoring temptation is modelled in their marriage vows.  Avoiding dysfunction in both of these relationships requires our acknowledgement that God’s will is logically prior to our own, and deserves our piety. 

Adam’s original sin disturbed the alignment between King and Kingdom, requiring the provision of a Messiah in the form of God incarnate, to realign the King and Kingdom (the covenant).  The realignment occurs as a mutual loving sacrifice of God the Messiah for his beloved believers, and His believers for Him in their self-denial of their tendency to sin.  The cost of atonement for our sins (at least those that are given over to God) was paid by Christ’s death on the cross, because the wages (or value) of sin is death.  Purging our sin by choosing to receive God’s grace and serve Him is the end result of theosis. 

God’s role as the “Alpha” (first) priest was played in Eden (the first Tabernacle), when He began the practice of animal sacrifice atonement by providing skins from sacrificed animals to protect Adam and his wife before they were banished from Eden.  God’s role as the “Omega” priest will continue to be played for each of us until the New Jerusalem descends.  To accomplish the perfect realignment of King and Kingdom, the exchange of death for sin must be “perfect”.  In other words, the priest performing the sacrifice must be perfect (God and His will) and the sacrificed Lamb must be perfect (Christ and His obedience).  Priestly perfection is required for effective advocacy on our behalf, so that we may walk with confidence towards God’s grace in the Tabernacle.  The victim’s perfection is required to effect a complete and eternal atonement for our sins that are given over to God, in order that His Kingdom come.