The following we present in reply to a comment made by our friend Barney Bright (a Jehovah’s Witness) who like most Witnesses believe that there is no future hope for natural Israel and that as such all the promises made to that people have been forfeited. Chief among these promises was that if they obey and keep God’s covenant with them they would made a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod 19:5, 6) a blessed nation which would be used in the blessings of all the other nations.
Since they felled to retain this promise the question was asked:
“What of Gods special property to have a kingdom of priests and a Holy Nation?
The Apostle Peter who was a fleshly Jew answers that question when God used him to write to Christian's who were Gentile and Jewish at 1 Pet 2:7-10. In part it states, you are a chosen race, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people for special possession. Seems to me that nation over in the middle East who were Jews, as a nation were rejected and the nation accepted by God as being a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation and a special possession is a nation without geographic borders made up of Gentile and Jewish people.”
With this we are in agreement, the Royal Priesthood or Holy Nation to which the Apostle spoke is in reference to the Church (comprise of many people taken from every nation), the ones for whom he addressed in his letter, the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 1:2)
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 2:5)
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Pet 2:9)
“…To Him who loves us (the Church, “His servants”) and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us (the Church) to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:5, 6)
“You have made them (those whom you have redeemed by your blood) to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Rev 5:10)
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they (the over-comers of the Gospel age, the Church) will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Rev 20:6)
Although there’s nothing wrong with the statement found in Rev 5:10 which states, “…and they will reign upon the earth” as it carries the same thought nevertheless “on the earth” would better be translated “over the earth”, since the church will be in the heavens reigning over the earth, and not literally on the earth reigning. Even in the sense of the New Jerusalem coming down to the earth, this in symbol simply means that they will have placed their governmental power or control over the earth, and it will not be a physical presence which the human eye can see.
The church will be priests with Christ in the next age, and their task will be to reform the world from sin, and to restore them back to what Adam had lost in the garden. Contrary to what the professing church believes, this reign is not to begin until the time of the millennial kingdom (See Rev 20:4, 6).”
“As the work of a priest is one of intercession and of instruction in righteousness, the scriptures above clearly prove that the glorious work of evangelization will go on, not only after the first resurrection has taken place, but even all through the "age of the ages." The fact that these offices of "king" and "priest" will exist, logically implies that there will be subjects to rule and learners to teach; otherwise the names would be meaningless and the titles an empty sound.
It is held by some (although erroneously), that the reign of the saints will consist of a very brief "reign of terror," during which --with Christ at their head--they will trample their enemies into the dust and utterly destroy them. We thank our dear Lord for a better hope. Their work will not be one of destruction, but of salvation. They shall rule as kings, even with a rod of iron; but the grand object will be to humble the nations, and so fit them for the reception of truth. "For, when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." Isa. 26:9. What a blessed prospect! What a glorious calling! A royal priesthood! (R12)
The difficulty I believe is that many believers don’t properly understand the Two Phases of the Kingdom, (the Heavenly and the Earthly), and who specifically will constitute the administrating or governing bodies of each. We will attempt to elaborate in our next post.
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Since they felled to retain this promise the question was asked:
“What of Gods special property to have a kingdom of priests and a Holy Nation?
The Apostle Peter who was a fleshly Jew answers that question when God used him to write to Christian's who were Gentile and Jewish at 1 Pet 2:7-10. In part it states, you are a chosen race, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people for special possession. Seems to me that nation over in the middle East who were Jews, as a nation were rejected and the nation accepted by God as being a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation and a special possession is a nation without geographic borders made up of Gentile and Jewish people.”
With this we are in agreement, the Royal Priesthood or Holy Nation to which the Apostle spoke is in reference to the Church (comprise of many people taken from every nation), the ones for whom he addressed in his letter, the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 1:2)
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 2:5)
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Pet 2:9)
“…To Him who loves us (the Church, “His servants”) and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us (the Church) to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:5, 6)
“You have made them (those whom you have redeemed by your blood) to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Rev 5:10)
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they (the over-comers of the Gospel age, the Church) will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Rev 20:6)
Although there’s nothing wrong with the statement found in Rev 5:10 which states, “…and they will reign upon the earth” as it carries the same thought nevertheless “on the earth” would better be translated “over the earth”, since the church will be in the heavens reigning over the earth, and not literally on the earth reigning. Even in the sense of the New Jerusalem coming down to the earth, this in symbol simply means that they will have placed their governmental power or control over the earth, and it will not be a physical presence which the human eye can see.
The church will be priests with Christ in the next age, and their task will be to reform the world from sin, and to restore them back to what Adam had lost in the garden. Contrary to what the professing church believes, this reign is not to begin until the time of the millennial kingdom (See Rev 20:4, 6).”
“As the work of a priest is one of intercession and of instruction in righteousness, the scriptures above clearly prove that the glorious work of evangelization will go on, not only after the first resurrection has taken place, but even all through the "age of the ages." The fact that these offices of "king" and "priest" will exist, logically implies that there will be subjects to rule and learners to teach; otherwise the names would be meaningless and the titles an empty sound.
It is held by some (although erroneously), that the reign of the saints will consist of a very brief "reign of terror," during which --with Christ at their head--they will trample their enemies into the dust and utterly destroy them. We thank our dear Lord for a better hope. Their work will not be one of destruction, but of salvation. They shall rule as kings, even with a rod of iron; but the grand object will be to humble the nations, and so fit them for the reception of truth. "For, when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." Isa. 26:9. What a blessed prospect! What a glorious calling! A royal priesthood! (R12)
The difficulty I believe is that many believers don’t properly understand the Two Phases of the Kingdom, (the Heavenly and the Earthly), and who specifically will constitute the administrating or governing bodies of each. We will attempt to elaborate in our next post.
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