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Lord of Spirits: "Who's in Charge Here?"

https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits/whos_in_charge_here 

Priesthood

  • In order to have an ordination rite, you have to have a Priesthood
  • Without a Priesthood, there is no central sanctuary
  • We don't see the concept of Ordination Rites or a Sanctuary until the Levitical Priesthood
Pre-Levitical Priesthood
  • The role of the priest is to offer sacrifices
  • In the early days, priesthood was a ROLE played by the patriarch of the family
    • The family was not dad, mom and kids... it was tribes, clans, families. Abraham and Sarah and their future children, and Lot and his family, and their servants and their families, etc.
    • Abraham is the patriarch of that whole extended family and takes on the role of priest
  • We see that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Job all offered sacrifices
  • In the period of Egypt, we see eldership
    • The big extended family grows into tribes, clans, families... a nation. This evolves into eldership.
    • The person who has that patriarchal role in a given family is then part of a group of leaders within a clan and groups of leaders within a tribe - and those are the elders of the people
    • Until the time of the Golden Calf, those were the ones who were still offering sacrifices.
Levitical Priesthood
  • After the Golden Calf, the priesthood is taken from the elders and given to the Levites; the high priesthood is separated from the role of the Leader. So Moses continues to be the Leader, but Aaron assumes the High Priesthood. These two roles are re-united with the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • With Levites performing sacrifices for everyone, there becomes a need for a Sanctuary... a common altar. The Tabernacle
    • One High Priest + One Central Priesthood = One Altar

Ordination

Adam
  • Adam is the first model for priesthood
  • Adam is created from the ground and then placed in Eden. He is taken out of the world and placed in the Holy Place (Sanctuary; Paradise, where God dwells) to serve and tend to it.
  • His placing in the Garden is his ordination
Aaron
  • Aaron's ordination is his placing in the Tabernacle
  • The Tabernacle (and later the Temple) are covered in imagery of Paradise (i.e. the Garden of Eden)
    • Embroidered Cherubim
    • Cherubim on the Ark of Covenant
    • Pomegranates
    • Greenery and Foliage
    • Fruit Trees
  • The purpose of his consecration and the sacrifices he performs is to enable him to go inside (i.e. to re-enter Paradise)
  • The High Priest is set up as the new Adam who will enter the Holy of Holies... but only once a year, and with blood to purify, and with offerings for himself and the people
    • Once a year is very back and forth... go in and out and in and out... not permanent
    • c.f. Hebrews
  • The Budding of Aaron's Rod
    • Aaron is already the High Priest, and now there is a rebellion coming from Korah
      • Korah is kind of complaining between two things - we shouldn't have one "we are all priests" or why should Aaron be the priest?
    • God makes a public affirmation that He is the One who has given the priesthood to Aaron
      • God tells Moses to speak to the heads of the tribes and get their twelve rods. Write their name on the staff, line them all up in the tabernacle and I will cause one to sprout; this will prove that I have chosen this man as priest.
      • Aaron's Rod buds and sprouts and produces almonds!
      • That budded rod is placed in the sanctuary to be an ongoing testimony to the fact that Aaron and his line are chosen for the High Priesthood by God
        • 10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.”
    • Why this symbol?
      • The rod is the symbol of judgment (i.e. restoration of order).
        • The rod was used to send the plagues upon Egypt.
        • The rod was used to split the Red Sea.
        • The rod was used to bring water from the rock.
        • The rod was held up to defeat Amalek.
      • The rod is a dead piece of wood
      • This rod budding, combined with the restoration of order, is the Edenic Imagery.
      • "Fill the earth and subdue it" - Continue God's work of creation by filling the world with life, and by establishing order
      • The priest is the one through whom God is working, to continue His work of establishing order and bringing forth new life.
      • All of the other tribes still had their rods (i.e. their authority in terms of order and governance and rendering judgment; establishing justice in their tribes and claims). But their rods did not blossom. They did not have the priestly authority that Aaron had.
      • The Gospel of St John continuously refers to the Crucifixion as "When He is glorified" - "When He will be revealed." The dead wood of the Cross, which blossoms forth through Christ's Death and Resurrection with new life, is what marks Him out as the new High Priest; the new Adam. As the Rod of Aaron was kept as a testimony, the Cross is kept as the ongoing testimony of the identity of Jesus as the Messiah.
  • Priesthood as a Gift
    • "I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death." (Numbers 18:7)
    • It is not a reward for anything he has done, but is a gift
  • Vestments
    • The vestments for the High Priest are very similar to the vesting used for idols in pagan temples... this idea is inverted here because Aaron is not going to be sacrificed TO, but he will be performing the sacrifices. Aaron is going to serve as the image of God (in the same way that Adam did).
    • Ephod - Linen ephod made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread, with an onyx stone on each shoulder, engraved with the names of the sons of Israel.
      • The weight of the stones on his shoulder references the bearing of the iniquity of the Israelites (Numbers 18)
      • The high priest represents the people to God (as a mediator)
    • Breastplate - 
      • Urim and Thummim - we don't know how they worked, but some say it's like casting lots
    • Robe of the High Priest - Blue with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, with bells of gold all around the hem
      • "And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die." (Numbers 28:35)
      • The bells are on his garment to keep him attentive; to not zone out and lose focus lest he lose focus and die by holiness.
    • Diadem - Crown with plate of pure gold engraved with YHWH and placed on the turban
      • The high priest represents God to the people (as a mediator)
      • Christ is the express image of the Father to the world, being God; and perfectly represents humanity to God because He shared the image of our humanity.
      • The Bishop is the image of Christ, and vested in such a way as to serve as the image of Christ and representing Him to the people, while representing us to Christ.
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