Chapter # 1 Paragraph # 2 Study # 6
June 4, 2023
Broadlands, Louisiana
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Thesis: We are "kingdom Priests".
Introduction: In our last study we looked into the issue of Christ's "love" for us and His "release" of us from our sins. We saw that there are three aspects of such "release": the absolute release from the legal retribution that our sins would bring upon us under "Law"; the relative release from the power of sins to disrupt our current lives by both the Law of the Harvest and the active discipline of the Father; and the release from the presence of "sins" in the future, everlasting state of creation.
This evening I want to consider the issue of being "made" both "kingdom" and "priests".
- I. Jesus Made Us "Kingdom".
- A. The "making".
- 1. epoiesen [Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular.].
- a. There are over 500 uses of this verb in the New Testament, 26 of which are in The Revelation.
- b. The basic meaning of the word seems to be "to expend energy to bring about a particular goal".
- 2. The concept of "making" them 'kingdom' is first declared in 1:6 which addresses an action of Jesus in respect to "us" (i.e., John and those associated with him). This concept is followed up in 5:10 where those "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" are "made" "Kingdom" and/even "priests" who shall reign upon the earth.
- 1) This is not "Israel".
- 2) This is immediately following the Lamb's (5:6) [also Lion's (5:5)] reception of the seven sealed book before the beginning of the events revealed as the seals are broken.
- 3) This is attended by the statement, "...they shall reign upon the earth...". In 20:4 there is a like phrase ("...they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years...") that is attributed to those who were put to death for refusal to worship the beast. And then there is a third promise in 20:6 that those who have a part in the first resurrection "will be priests...and will reign with Him for a thousand years". Thus, it appears that everyone "raised" (Israel, raptured Church, resurrected saints of the tribulation period) will also "reign". And, finally, 22:5 says of those dwelling in the New Jerusalem that "...they will reign forever and ever...": this is The Church.
- 4) In 21:24 there is the declaration that "the kings of the earth will bring their glory into" the New Jerusalem. These are distinct from those who "reign" from their habitations in the City. In the greatness of the "kingdom", "reigning" upon the earth for a thousand years is different from the "reigning" from the New Jerusalem after the establishment of the New Heavens and New Earth. Everyone "reigns", but the types of dominions differ.
- B. "Kingdom"; as above shown to be a vast concept.
- II. Jesus Made Us Priests.
- A. "Priests" are those who, fundamentally, according to Hebrews 8:4, those who "offer gifts" (to God).
- B. This "offering" of gifts is described in 1 Peter 2:5 as offering "spiritual sacrifices", and it is a function of The Church (Hebrews 13:15-16). There is, after the beginning of The Church, no separate priesthood; all are priests.
