Some believe we need to find God through our priest, pastor, or church. Perhaps it is even some kind of "works" program that enables us to feel we meet with God. But there really is only one priesthood of lasting value--the priesthood of Christ.
Israel was taught to go through a priesthood of redemption through animals, and through the ministry of priests. They were asked to do works of faith, and expect to have their sins covered by the blood of animals, if only for the blessings of this life.
But final redemption comes only through the priesthood of Christ, because only through him do we truly meet and remain with God. Only through him do our works find lasting value, because only in him are our old ways completely put to death, and only in him does our righteousness obtain a standard that reaches heaven and remains in heaven.
This priesthood is eternal life that resides within Christ himself. If we copy some aspects of this life, but do not receive the very life of Christ himself, we cannot have eternal life. Redemption and eternal life are only available to us when we choose his life in place of our own.
After reviewing the record of faithful men of the pre-Christian period from Abel onward, the apostle says none of these got “the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us, in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.” (
Heb 11:39, 40) The “us” here clearly refers to anointed Christians (
Heb 1:2; 2:1-4), “partakers of the heavenly calling” (
Heb 3:1) for whom Christ “inaugurated . . . a new and living way” into the holy place of God’s heavenly presence. (
Heb 10:19, 20) That heavenly calling includes service as heavenly priests of God and of Christ during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign. “Power of judging” is also granted them. (
Re 20:4-6) Logically, then, the heavenly life and privileges that the called ones receive is the “something better” that God foresaw for such anointed Christians. (
Heb 11:40) The revealing of them as they go into action from heaven with Christ to destroy the wicked system, however, is to open the way for bringing liberation from enslavement to corruption for those of creation reaching out for “the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (
Ro 8:19-22)
Hebrews 11:35 shows that faithful men of pre-Christian times maintained integrity under suffering “in order that they might attain a better resurrection,” evidently one better than that of the “dead” referred to at the start of the verse, persons who were resurrected only to die again. (Compare
1Ki 17:17-23; 2Ki 4:17-20, 32-37.) For these faithful men of pre-Christian times, therefore, their being “made perfect” must relate to their resurrection, or restoration to life, and thereafter their being “set free from enslavement to corruption” by the services of the priesthood of Christ Jesus and his underpriests during the Millennial Rule.
According to the prayer, “Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth,” this planet is due to experience the full force and effect of the execution of God’s purposes. (
Mt 6:10) The wicked system under the control of Satan will be destroyed. All faults and defects will be removed from survivors who continue obediently to demonstrate faith, so that what remains meets God’s standards of excellence, completeness, and soundness. That this will include perfection of earthly conditions and of human creatures is evident from
Revelation 5:9, 10. There it is stated that persons ‘bought for God’ (compare
Re 14:1, 3) become “a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” Under the Law covenant not only did the priests have the duty to represent persons before God in the offering of sacrifices but they also were charged with guarding the physical health of the nation, officiating in the cleansing of those who were defiled, and judging when healing had taken place in cases of leprosy. (
Le 13-15) More than this, the priesthood was responsible to aid in the mental and spiritual uplift and health of the people. (
De 17:8-13; Mal 2:7) Since the Law had “a shadow of the good things to come,” it is to be expected that the heavenly priesthood under Christ Jesus functioning during his Thousand Year Reign (
Re 20:4-6) will perform similar work.—
Heb 10:1.