The “Priests!”
Where there is a Temple (particularly of this mammoth size) there surely must be a priesthood!
And this System is approved of God, obviously.
Priestly offerings and sacrifices!
Just like the Old Testament “sacrifices” LOOKED FORWARD to Jesus’ Death on the Cross … the Millennial “sacrifices” (“offerings”) will LOOK BACK on Jesus’ Death on the Cross. They will be “memorials” of that world-changing Epochal Event!
And the Lord is very precise about the conduct of those priests!
Even about their qualifications!
Hence, our discussion today from Ezekiel chapter 44 …
“But the priests the Levites, the sons of ZADOK, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD. They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.” Verses 15 and 16
Only the sons of Zadok (meaning “righteous”) will be able to serve directly before God, “come near” to God! This is because the other “lines” of the priesthood had become (due to one reason or another) unfaithful to God through the years. But the sons of Zadok had remained faithful, both to God and to His King, David. So … God apparently rewards them in the Millennium for their steadfastness and loyalty!
Watch this specificity continue now …
God tells these priest what to wear! “And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.” Verses 17-19, Wow!
How to groom themselves! “Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll (clip, trim) their heads.” Verse 20
What to drink! “Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.” Verse 21, and maybe a “flashback” to the Nadab and Abihu incident of Leviticus chapter 10.
Whom to marry, or not to marry! “Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.” Verse 22, interesting.
Their main job! “And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Verse 23, I love that word “teach!” (Ministering in the Word!)
Even rules concerning dead bodies! “And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. And after he (the priest) is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.” Verses 25-27
Serving as “judges” too, in matters of ritual purity! “And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.” Verse 24, living the standards they espouse!
And their “income?” The Lord is their pay! “And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I AM THEIR INHERITANCE: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I AM THEIR POSSESSION. They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be THEIRS. And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, SHALL BE THE PRIEST’S: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.” Verses 28-31, quite sufficient!
Get that last line. “That he (the priest) may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.”
No doubt this refers to the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:22-26 … “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying: Speak unto Aaron (no longer Aaron now, but Zadok) and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them: The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
Oh, the power God invested in these men!
Again, this is Millennial!
And these priests in no way diminish the High Priestly Honor rightfully due to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell