AM I A PRIEST?
Truth is progressive and as I grow in the word of YAHUAH, more surprising truths are revealed as time goes by.
One of these surprises is the notion of Gentiles/strangers being priests. Therefore, it begs the question: who will be priests in the kingdom?
Now the reason this question becomes important is that you find people from all different nations claiming to be priests of the Most High.
I don’t claim to be a priest, as I do not know if the Most High will choose me to be a priest. That is another reason we cannot claim to be priests, as only some people will be chosen by the Most High to be priests. We shall see scripture that proves this soon, but everything has to be be done in order, so as to bring perfect clarity.
By the way, this post is heavily related to our previous post entitled Israel Mine Elect: Children of Israel, Gentiles and the Kingdom of the Messiah. There are a whole lot of truths there that are hidden from those in Churchianity (church-like assemblies such as Christian, sacred name and Messianic).
ROYAL PRIESTHOOD: NO MORE STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS
Indeed it would seem as if strangers can be priests. We have the famous 1 Peter 2:9 (You are a royal priesthood). Then we have Ephesians 2:11-22.
Eph 2:19 — Eph 2:20
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of YAHUAH; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahusha HaMashiach himself being the chief corner stone;
Now the strangers become fellow citizens in the commonwealth of Israel, or the Israel of YAHUAH (Gal 6:15-16).
CITIZENS OF A NATION HAVE DIFFERENT ROLES
But being a citizen of a nation, does not mean all do the same things. People in a nation have different roles and undertake different tasks. There are leaders as well as those who are led.
That is the case in the kingdom of YAHUAH. There will be greatest in the kingdom and least in the kingdom (Mat 5:19).
CAN A STRANGER/GENTILE BECOME AN ISRAELITE?
Also, let us just destroy the notion that one can become an Israelite. This is one of the reasons Gentiles assume they can be priests of the Most High.
What does scripture say? Remember, we have to speak according to the law and the prophets. Otherwise we are in darkness:
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
So first, one can join themselves to Israel (Isa 56:6-8), but will remain strangers who cleave to Israel (Isaiah 14:1-2). They will be taken in the end time to be servants of the Israelites:
Isa 14:1 — Isa 14:2
For YAHUAH will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them (strangers who join themselves/cleave to Israel) in the land of YAHUAH for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
Aha! You might say, that is only for the unrighteous. The righteous will not be servants/slaves.
Now apart from the fact that he told us that this is purposed on the whole earth and upon all nations, Isaiah 14:26-26, we have this very telling verse in Amos 9:
Amo 9:11 — Amo 9:12
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith YAHUAH that doeth this.
“All the heathen, which are called by my name,” there refers to the non-Israelites grafted in the commonwealth of Israel through Messiah (Eph 2:11-22). Prophecy says they will be servants, not priests. So being fellowcitizens in the kingdom does not mean we will be on par with the children of Israel!
Related: And the Stranger Shall Be Joined With Them: What Does This Mean?
THOU MAYEST NOT SET A STRANGER OVER THEE WHICH IS NOT THY BROTHER
What rules do we think will regulate the kingdom? None other than the instructions of Torah (the law).
Now what does the law tell us? Without a doubt, the Israelites will be greatest in the kingdom, and no stranger will be set over them. This is what the precept below tells us. Remember precept must be upon precept (Isaiah 28:9-11):
Deu 17:15
Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom YAHUAH thy Elohiym shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Now the opposite of that is in the curses. When we are cursed, strangers will be set over us.
Deu 28:43
The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
So in the kingdom when Israelites are no longer under a curse, delivered from all curses, a stranger will not be set over the children of Israel.
DIFFERENT ROLES IN THE KINGDOM
So let us see plainly, side by side, the different roles in the kingdom.
First the roles for strangers, then we will see the roles for Israelites.
Now don’t get it twisted, even though Sha’ul said ye are no more strangers and foreigners, the prophecies still differentiate between strangers/Gentiles and Israelites. Why? One CANNOT BECOME AN ISRAELITE. One can only join themselves to Israel and sojourn among Israel.
GENTILES/STRANGERS/FOREIGNERS IN THE KINGDOM
Isaiah 61:5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Clearly there we see that non-Israelites shall be servants. But what about Israelites?
ISRAELITES IN THE KINGDOM
Isaiah 61:6
But ye shall be named the Priests of YAHUAH: men shall call you the Ministers of our Elohiym: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
The Israelite shall be priests, while the Gentiles will serve them.
NO LINEAGE, NO PRIESTHOOD
The Bible clearly shows what we are saying here today in 2 verses in the book of Nehemiah. The record of the lineage of a man called Barzillai could not be found. Let’s see what happened:
Neh 7:63-64 Also, of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).
These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
He could not be found in the record of the genealogy of the sons of Levi, so he was excluded from the priesthood. Not only was he excluded from the priesthood, but excluded as unclean.
There is nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1:9). Only the children of Israel can be priests!
NOT ALL ISRAELITES WILL BE PRIESTS
So there is no space there for strangers to be priests. To make it worse of these strangers, all Israelites will not be priests either! Only some will be selected by the Most High to be priests. Remember, in any kingdom or nation, there are many different roles to be filled:
Isaiah 66:20-23
And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto YAHUAH out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith YAHUAH, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of YAHUAH.21 And I will also take of them (Israelites) for priests and for Levites, saith YAHUAH.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith YAHUAH, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith YAHUAH.
So all flesh will come and worship before him, but led by his selected priests, who are Israelites.
RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT
Now one may say, this cannot be right. Indeed, the next verse tells us why this is righteous judgment:
Isaiah 61:7
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
The children of Israel in the end time would have gone through terrible suffering over hundreds of years. When he takes them out of captivity, he promised to repay them double (righteous judgment). He went on to say:
Isa 61:8 — Isa 61:9
For I YAHUAH love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they (Israelites) are the seed which YAHUAH hath blessed.
Israel is his chosen seed that he has chosen to bless above all others. No other seed will be equal to his chosen people. That is why his chosen people have suffered so terribly over the last hundreds of years.
Why? When he rewards them, it will be righteous judgment. It cannot be seen as favoritism, because the other nations have been blessed while his people were suffering.
That is why those who have oppressed the children of Israel throughout, are the rulers of this earth and now have the riches of this earth. They are blessed while the children of Israel are under curses.
I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I WILL HAVE MERCY
Rom 9:14 — Rom 9:16
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with Elohiym? YAH forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of YAHUAH that sheweth mercy.
YAHUAH has chosen a people for himself. Who are we to question his decision?
AM I A PRIEST? GENTILES/STRANGERS GRAFTED-IN CANNOT BE ISRAELITES
The Most High made a promise to 3 people (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that is fulfilled through their seed. Israelites are a nation, a bloodline. Strangers can join themselves to them but cannot become Israelites. As prophecies show, there will always be a distinction between the stranger and the children of Israel.
STRANGERS WILL BE SERVANTS IN THE KINGDOM
Strangers who join themselves to Israel will remain slaves (Amos 9:11-12) for the thousand-year reign of the Messiah. After the 1000 year reign, Satan will be released and will entice them once again to follow him (Rev 20:7-8).
THEY WILL NOT BE SERVANTS FOREVER
Some will follow Satan and be destroyed (Rev 20:9), then the white throne judgment (Rev 20:11-12). Then the sinners will be cast in the lake of fire (Rev 20:14). Then they will no longer be slaves, as the Most high will no longer only be the Elohiym of Israel, but the Elohiym of all men (Rev 21:3). That is when he renews the earth and makes all things new (Rev 21:5). That is when they have paid back their dues and now enjoy the presence of the Most High and of his son.
THAT MELCHEZIDEK PRIESTHOOD MENTIONED IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS?
The book of Hebrews quoted from this prophecy in Psalms 110:
Psa 110:4 YAHUAH hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
This was a prophecy of the Messiah Yahusha. It was the prophecy of a priest who is not of the Levitical priesthood.
Heb 7:11-14 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
For it is evident that our Master sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
So that is the point. The master sprang from Judah and not Levi. The book of Hebrews is not saying the way is now open for all to be priests. It is speaking of the Messiah, a man chosen (by the Father) from another tribe to be his priest.
Note I said chosen from another tribe. A non-Israelite does not qualify to be chosen! Israel is his chosen. See: Israel Mine Elect: Children of Israel, Gentiles and the Kingdom of Messiah.
The significance, therefore, of the order of Melchisedec is that in the kingdom, the Most High will choose other Israelites (Isa 66:21) who are not Levites to be priests in the kingdom! Gentiles/strangers cannot be priests in the kingdom.
AM I A PRIEST?
In the meantime? If you are not an Israelite, a descendant of Jacob, stop calling yourselves priests. You are not and will not be. Only the children of Israel can be priests, and even then, only YAHUAH knows whom he will select as priests.
He made it clear from day one when he made this promise directed only to the children of Israel. This was the promise to which Peter was referring in 1 Peter 2:9.
The thing to note was that Peter was speaking to Israelites when he referred to Exo 19:5-6. He was not speaking to the whole world as proven by the source statement below from the book of Exodus. My comments are emboldened in brackets for clarity:
Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye (children of Israel) will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure (special or unique jewel) unto me above all people (this promise is for Israel only and excludes all other people upon the face of the earth): for all the earth is mine (he elects Israel and decides who he selects among his creation):
Exo 19:6 And ye (children of Israel) shall be unto me a kingdom of priests (only Israelites will be priests in the kingdom), and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel (these words are directed to the children of Israel only and to none other people upon the face of the earth).
Gentiles cannot be priests of YAHUAH. Indeed, he has not shown his word to any other nation:
Psa 147:19-20
He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye YAHUAH.
