Of What Priestly Order was Yahushua?

Of What Priestly Order was Yahushua?

By

Gary Primo

Feb. 22, 2014

Many that I have met seem to think that the Levitical Priesthood has existed up until this day and attempt to follow the rules laid out for that priesthood. However, the Book of Hebrews clearly reveals that the priestly order of Yahushua is fashioned after the original order of Melchizadek and that the Levitical Priesthood reverted back to the Order of Melchizadek following Yahushua’s sacrifice. That means that none of what constituted the Levitical Priesthood is relevant today.

Of course there was a reason why Yahuwah created the Levitical Priesthood in the first place. Yahuwah always has a reason for whatever He does. The Book of Hebrews examines that reason plus the need to revert back to the Order of Melchizadek in Yahushua. As we will see, the Levitical Priesthood was never intended to be permanent. It was only to exist until HaMashiyack returned and reestablished his eternal priesthood.

According to the rules of the Levitical Priesthood, Yahushua would have never qualified for a priest or rabbi, let alone High Priest. Yahushua was a Jew, not a Levite. Legally he had no right to the Levitical inheritance. Therefore, how can it be proclaimed in the Book of Hebrews that Yahushua is an eternal High Priest? Why do the New Testament writings indicate a change to the priesthood? When did this occur and how?

Well, that is what this study is about, so let’s find out.

In the Beginning

Let’s begin with the original priestly system. The priestly office is basically that of a mediator between the creation and the Creator. This office was originally equal to and synonymous with the office of king. Yahushua was the original High Priest. Yahushua was created to be King and High Priest of the entire universe.

However, certain contentions arose amongst the creation. The first was HaSatan. He fancied himself as more perfect than Yahushua. Therefore, he set out to usurp Yahushua’s throne, thinking that he was more deserving. In doing so he also challenged the wisdom and authority of Yahuwah. It was, after all, Yahuwah who appointed Yahushua to his position and His judgment is final. Who was HaSatan to question it?

The second contention, of course, was with Adam. He chose to believe HaSatan over Yahuwah. It was originally intended that there be two offices of High Priests – the earthly and the heavenly. Yahushua was the heavenly High Priest and Adam was to have been the earthly. However, he corrupted that office almost right from the beginning. Adam freely chose to believe HaSatan over Yahuwah.

Following Adam, some of those who did qualify and honour this office were Seth, Enoch and Noah. The office was normally held by the oldest living human, but in some cases where the eldest was not worthy of this distinction, he was passed over for the younger.

Following the flood, Noah would have been the eldest human being on the face of the earth. A funny thing happens in his recorded genealogy afterward. In Gen. 6:10, 7:13, 9:18 and 10:1 the birth orders of the three sons of Noah begin with Shem and end with Japheth. However, Gen. 10:2 – reverses that order and verse 21 openly declares that Japheth was indeed the elder brother. The reason for this reversal is never given. The significance is that Japheth somehow disqualified himself for this office and it was given instead to the youngest son, Shem.

Since Shem was alive and still in possession of this office when Abraham met up with Melchizadek, who is distinguished as “the priest of the Most High Elohim”, I believe that Shem and Melchizadek were one and the same human being and that the term “Melchizadek” was merely the designation of his office.

Gen. 14:18 - And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High Elohim.

19 - And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High Elohim, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 - And blessed be the Most High Elohim, which has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

N0 other man on the face of the earth at the time, but Shem, fulfilled the requirements for this office. No other man would have been called the priest of the Most High Elohim. Melchizadek (Shem) would have been the only priest of the Most High Elohim that Abraham would have recognized. The only other priests would have been of the priestly order set up by Nimrod, the adversary of Yahuwah. Abraham would have never recognized or honoured any of them as the priest of the Most High Elohim. He would have paid tithes to no other man.

Since there was no separation of church and state at the time, the leaders of all nations would have been regarded as kings and high priests and all tithes would have been paid to them by the general population. However, Abraham had no nation. His descendants were a nation unto themselves – a priestly nation recognizing only one higher authority, who was Yahuwah. What need did Abraham have of any human king or high priest, when his authority came directly from the Creator of all life? Yet, he did honour this one man.

Heb. 4:14 - Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Yahushua the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our profession.

15 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We have a High Priest to whom we have free and open access. We access him every time we close our eyes to pray or meditate on his word. We do not need to seek out the “right” religion, the “right” church, or the “right” leader. He has already been chosen for us. He is eternal. He is incorruptible. He has the power to grant life or death. He is absolutely perfect, leading in all righteousness. His judgments are sure and perfect. No human on the face of the earth compares to him.

Yahushua came to earth specifically so that he could demonstrate, by his own example, that the promises of Yahuwah are sure and that path to salvation was doable. He faced all the temptations that we face and more. We are without excuse. All we have to do is put all sin out of our lives and become incorruptible. A piece of cake – not!

Where Yahushua was filled with the set apart spirit of Yahuwah, we are filled with the human spirit of corruption. It takes years to learn all the truth and even longer to internalize it into our nature. But that is exactly what is expected of us.

Heb. 5:1 - For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to Elohim, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

2 - Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

3 - And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

4 - And no man takes this honour unto himself, but he that is called of Elohim, as was Aaron.

5 - So also HaMashiyack glorified not himself to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, You are my Son, today have I begotten thee.

6 - As he says also in another place, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizadek.

7 - Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

8 - Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 - And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

10 - Called of Elohim a high priest after the order of Melchizadek.

11 - Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

“Dull of hearing” is the key phrase here. We are all dull of hearing because we have been literally brainwashed from birth according to whatever religion we were brought up in. A lifetime of brainwashing cannot be easily undone. It takes time and the best attitude for us to have is that we will never possess all truth until we are born into the new creation. We should consider the search for truth (which has led us where we are today) a life time study with no end date in place.

Yahuwah created Yahushua for the express purpose of being the High Priest and King of the universe. Yahuwah is the only one who can take that away from him. HaSatan tried and he failed.

The angelic world is in need of a King and High Priest also; since they proved themselves corruptible when they rebelled.

NOTHING THAT IS CORRUPTIBLE WILL EVER ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!

That is the bottom line. Unless we are completely focused on becoming incorruptible, we are merely treading water and not going anywhere. If we wish to get our rear in gear and make some progress in our spiritual walk, we must focus on this all important element. As long as any though of sin remains, we are not fit for the Kingdom!

The proof that Yahushua was also in need of salvation is right here in black and white. He was not capable of “saving himself from death” and had to offer up tearful prayers and supplications to the One who was capable. He had to “learn obedience by the things which he suffered”. He had to be “made perfect”. Are these things we would expect to hear of one that the Christian world hails as an Elohim equal to and of the same person as the Father (the Trinity)?

Yet how long did it take us to clue in that this aspect of our brainwashing was nonsense? How long did it take us to learn the truth of the Sabbath, or the annual festivals, or the set apart names? Hopefully we are all in the process of un-brainwashing ourselves and coming to new truths on a daily basis. The best place to start, of course, is with Yahuwah’s written word; reading it with a mind cleared of all preconceived doctrines and teachings and a great deal of introspection.

Yahushua may not have qualified as a Levitical Priest under Mosaic Law, but he most certainly qualified under the Order of Melchizadek. He was the first being created. He is the oldest living creature in the universe. He is the only creature begotten directly by Yahuwah. He is the firstborn of all this creation and the next. He; therefore, is the only one of the creation qualified for the position of King and High Priest.

WE HAVE NO NEED OF ANOTHER!

Be dull of hearing no more. We are no longer under the Levitical Priesthood! We are under the Order of Melchizadek. Our only mandate is that we obey Yahuwah and make His nature our own. Everything else is just window dressing designed for a disobedient and sinful generation. We are not to be so. We buried that man of sin at baptism. We are now creatures of the light of Yahuwah’s truth, who confirmed at baptism, that we would henceforth follow the path of righteousness, against which there is no law.

Therefore, we have no need of the restrictive laws that pertained to the Levitical Priesthood. The purpose of that priesthood was to satisfy the vision that the people held for their priestly system – to be like all the others. We do not want to be like all the others. We want to be like Yahushua – eternal and incorruptible.

12 - For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of Elohim; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 - For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 - But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

I have seen this so much in my time within the Messianic movement; I don’t even know where to start. Our spiritual walk is to be one of growth, learning and character changing. It is all about becoming one with our creator. We cannot do that as long as we cling to our natural inclination to think that we are perfect just the way we are.

If we were perfect there would have been no need for a Saviour. Knowing what day is the real Sabbath does not guarantee one a place in the Kingdom. Neither does knowing the sacred names. If we are not growing beyond all of that, we are gaining nothing.

None of the silly rules and rituals are going to apply in the future. Those things are for the those who remain corruptible. The real adults, ones that have been in the faith for a long time, should be well beyond all of that by now – growing and changing in character and nature. Once an eternal, incorruptible being, all those things that we formally valued so highly are going to seem silly. Then we will have the “intent” of the law embedded into our nature and will no longer be capable of transgressing our nature.

It is time for almost all of us to be feasting on the meat and potatoes – one with the Father, one with the Son, and one with each other. Doctrines divide. They do not unify. We should have nothing set in stone because the nature of this spiritual walk demands that we be in a state of constant change.

The churches that I have been a part of, all have one common denominator – a pray and pay attitude. As long as we pay our tithes and pray for the ministry, we will all skateboard into the Kingdom. It is all a huge crock! As it says in the above verses, we ought to be teachers by now. Well, there are plenty claiming to be teachers out there – even soliciting for tithes to be paid to them. This is all the stuff that man-made churches are made of. They are not about helping anyone get into the Kingdom. They are about power and control – over your mind and your bank account.

What about Yahushua’s words that only One is worthy of being called “good” or “teacher”? Yahushua, of course was speaking of the Father. Yet, since he was the mirror image of the Father, he too qualified as a teacher – because every word that came out of his mouth were the words of the Father. When we reflect Yahushua and thereby also the Father, we too will be worthy of being called teachers. Until then we have more growing to do. Sadly, I have found very few in my travels, who claim to be teachers, who fit this profile.

Heb. 6:19 - Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil;

20 - Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Yahushua, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizadek.

Again, the order of Melchizadek simply refers to the oldest living being of the creation representing the rest of creation before Yahuwah. Yet, the order of Melchizadek was really fashioned after the heavenly priesthood, of which Yahushua has always been the High Priest – incorruptible, but not yet promoted to eternal life. Therefore, he was not yet the “eternal” High Priest. He had to prove his incorruptibility unto the pain and suffering of death before he was promoted the post he now holds. So, many of us might be called to prove our incorruptibility before all is said and done.

The hope that is the anchor of our soul is the hope of salvation. As each of the seven letters to the seven churches declare:

Rev. 2:7 - To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of Elohim.

We must overcome to eat of the tree of life. Until we eat of the Tree of Life, we are technically without the hope of salvation. We will never eat of the tree of life unless we overcome. What are we supposed to overcome? We are to overcome our human nature and take on the nature of Yahuwah.

Rev. 2:11 - He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.

The second death has no power over those who overcome. By the time the second death comes along, they will have already been granted eternal life.

Rev. 2:17 - To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.

The hidden manna is that which will be revealed to us when we graduate to the new creation. It is like going from high school to college. The bar will be raised and we will begin to learn things we never imagined before. We will see the Father. We will see the Son. They will no longer be a mystery to us; we will know everything there is to know about them. However, if we do not overcome, we will never witness this event or acquire the knowledge that comes post graduation.

We will all have new names when we graduate to the Kingdom. The Father and the Son will also have new names – ones which have been hidden since the dawn of time. Why? Perhaps so that these names could never be blasphemed! Those who do learn these new names will already be beyond blaspheme.

Rev. 2:26 - And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27 - And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

28 - And I will give him the morning star.

Overcoming also means: keeping the Father’s works unto the end. When one with the Father, there will be no question of keeping the Fathers works, for our works and the Father’s works will be one and the same through our shared nature.

The following is the general understanding concerning the Morning Star:

Jamieson Faucet and Brown

28. the morning star--that is, I will give unto him Myself, who am "the morning star" ( Revelation 22:16 ); so that reflecting My perfect brightness, he shall shine like Me, the morning star, and share My kingly glory (of which a star is the symbol, Numbers 21:17 , Matthew 2:2 ). Compare Revelation 2:17 , "I will give him . . . the hidden manna," that is, Myself, who am that manna ( John 6:31-33 ).

Again this is all about becoming one with the Father and Yahushua. When one, we will be the perfect reflection of both. We will look like the majestic being John saw, with a face shining like the sun in power and glory and a body that reflects perfect refinement. We will be the embodiment of someone who has defied the odds and become perfect, as the Father and Son are perfect. .

Rev. 3:5 - He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

White is the preferred colour a virgin bride wears on her wedding. We will be reborn without any memory of our past. It will be a new beginning. We will be as newborn babes, only full grown. We will be completely new creatures, just as Yahushua is.

Rev. 3:12 - Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my Elohim, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my Elohim, and the name of the city of my Elohim, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my Elohim: and I will write upon him my new name.

We will be full members of the house and family of Elohim. This is an eternal inheritance. It will never be removed from us, nor will we ever be removed from it. We will have already proven our incorruptibility. We will never again be capable of doing anything corruptible.

The degree of pride that Yahuwah will have in those who graduate into this new creation will be absolutely astounding. He will heap glory and honour upon us. He will fall upon us, hugging us and kissing our necks, as in welcoming us to our reward. He will be like any Father who once lost his entire family, only to have some return again. His joy will know no bounds.

Rev. 3:21 - To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

I am sure some of you were wondering what it was that Yahushua had to overcome. He had to overcome the same thing we do. We were given the power to freely chose our direction. With that power comes responsibility. We are responsible for making the “right” choices. We learn what the right choices are from the word of Yahuwah. We learn to distinguish between right and wrong choices. When we make right choices and witness the positive results, it makes us desire to make more right choices. Before you know it, all you know how to do is make right choices. That is when you are qualified (fit) to enter into the Kingdom.

Heb. 7:1 - For this Melchizadek, king of Salem, priest of the most high Elohim, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

There are only two beings who fit this description when Abraham met Melchizadek – Shem and Yahushua. Shem would have been the earthly high priest and Yahushua the heavenly High Priest. This is a position held by Yahushua since the rest of creation was created. It was held by Shem following the death of Noah. These passages seem to confuse the two offices, but with careful reading and prayer for understanding, they become quite clear.

Abraham already knew Melchizadek (Shem). He spent a lot of time, while on the run from Nimrod, at the home of Noah, which he shared with Shem (according to the Book of Jasher). He would have recognized and honoured Shem as the king and high priest over all the earth, while most of the rest of the world honoured Nimrod. Shem was a type of messiah and Nimrod was a type of Satan. Today the Roman Catholic Pope carries on in place of Nimrod, declaring himself to be “god on earth”. That was Nimrod’s claim as well.

Now; however, the office of Melchizadek has been removed from the earth altogether. It was always merely a type of the heavenly office. Now Yahushua holds that office exclusively. Why? He has already passed from mortal to immortal. He was made perfect by his sufferings. He proved that he was beyond corruption – incorruptible and eternal. No other earthly priesthood ever fit this bill. All were mortal and susceptible to corruption and death. Now Yahushua is the only King and High Priest we need. He cannot be corrupted and he cannot die.

2 - To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

3 - Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of Elohim; abides a priest continually.

Melchizadek (Shem) was the only true king and high priest that Abraham recognized and honoured. All the rest were manmade. Shem was the only one appointed by Yahuwah. In my former church, it was taught that the man who met Abraham was actually Yahushua. I don’t believe that teaching. I firmly believe it was Shem. Shem’s life did overlap Abraham’s by over 100 years. No other human being fit the bill.

There is no genealogy recorded for anyone named Melchizadek. That is because it is merely a title, not a proper name. It literally means king of righteousness/king of peace. The only genealogy mentioned for Yahushua was that he came from the Father and is the Father’s only begotten son. Yahuwah was both the mother and the father of Yahushua. Of course, Shem’s genealogy is listed. Only this Melchizadek has no genealogy recorded anywhere; and that is because it is a title, not a name.

Shem was a righteous servant. He studied and learned all the truth of Yahuwah at the feet of Noah, his human father. No one at the time was closer to Yahuwah than Noah. Both Noah and Shem would have been considered to be one with Yahuwah. Following in a very close 3^rd was Abraham. He also studied and learned the marvelous truths of Yahuwah at the feet of both Noah and Shem, while he was in hiding from Nimrod. Noah’s house was one that even Nimrod feared to attack.

The only king and high priest before Yahuwah that Abraham would have recognized and specifically honoured would have been Shem (following the death of Noah).

4 - Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

There have been precious few men throughout history that Yahuwah has honoured with His favour and reward. Shem was one of these great men. Many men have been lifted up by other men as “great”; but they pale in comparison to those Yahuwah has promoted.

5 - And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

6 - But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Jamieson Fausset & Brown

6. he whose descent is not counted from them--not from "the sons of Levi," as those "who receive the priesthood." This verse explains "without descent" (Greek, "genealogy" in both verses,Hebrews 7:3 ). He who needs not, as the Levitical priests, to be able to trace his genealogy back to Levi.

received--Greek, "hath received tithes."

blessed--Greek, "hath blessed." The perfect tense implies that the significance of the fact endures to the present time.

him that had--"the possessor of the promises," Abraham's peculiar distinction and designation. Paul exalts Abraham in order still more to exalt Melchisedec. When Christ is the subject, the singular "promise" is used. "The promises" in the plural, refer to God's promise of greatness to himself and his seed, and of the possession of Canaan, twice repeated before the blessing of Melchisedec. As the priests, though above the people ( Hebrews 7:7 ) whom it was their duty to "bless," were yet subordinate to Abraham; and as Abraham was subordinate to Melchisedec, who blessed him, Melchisedec must be much above the Levitical priests.

What made Melchizadek’s priesthood so much better than the Levitical, was that by becoming one with Yahuwah, he became righteous by nature. He was beyond corruption. Therefore, his was an incorruptible priesthood.

We know from the scriptures that the Levitical priesthood was anything but incorruptible. There was constant abuse of office, starting at Mt Sinai, when Aaron made the golden calf to appease the impatient Israelites. Noah, Shem and Abraham, all demonstrated their righteousness before Yahuwah. Theirs was in no way considered self-righteousness. They were, at the same time, the most humble of men.

7 - And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

8 - And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown

8. Second point of superiority: Melchisedec's is an enduring, the Levitical a transitory, priesthood. As the law was a parenthesis between Abraham's dispensation of promise of grace, and its enduring fulfillment at Christ's coming ( Romans 5:20 , Greek, "The law entered as something adscititious and by the way"): so the Levitical priesthood was parenthetical and temporary, between Melchisedec's typically enduring priesthood, and its antitypical realization in our ever continuing High Priest, Christ.

here--in the Levitical priesthood.

there--in the priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. In order to bring out the typical parallel more strongly, Paul substitutes, "He of whom it is witnessed that he liveth," for the more untypical, "He who is made like to Him that liveth." Melchisedec "liveth" merely in his official capacity, his priesthood being continued in Christ. Christ, on the other hand, is, in His own person, "ever living after the power of an endless life" ( Hebrews 7:16 Hebrews 7:25 ). Melchisedec's death not being recorded, is expressed by the positive term "liveth," for the sake of bringing into prominence the antitype, Christ, of whom alone it is strictly and perfectly true, "that He liveth."

Shem did eventually die at a ripe old age. There are different estimates of by how many years Shem’s life overlapped Abrahams. The lowest estimate, I believe) is 111 years. Abraham would have been Yahuwah’s choice to replace Shem, however, he was far from the eldest human on earth. That might have been the reason why Yahuwah chose to have another priestly line come from the loins of Abraham – as a reward for his righteousness. Likewise, the reward for our righteousness will be an eternal office of king and priest in the Kingdom.

9 - And as I may so say, Levi also, who receives tithes, paid tithes in Abraham.

10 - For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizadek met him.

11 - 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 Melchizadek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

12 - For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

The Levitical priesthood was anything but perfect. They measured their righteousness by the physical keeping of the law only; and even then messed it up. They totally missed the mark when it came to writing these laws on their hearts and minds and making it their very nature to obey. Only someone who has proven that they are totally righteous by nature can qualify for such an eternal office. Therefore the office of Melchizadek had to be suspended until the Messiah came; the personification of perfection.

13 - For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

14 - For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

15 - And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchizadek there arises another priest,

16 - Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

17 - For he testifies, You art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizadek.

Yahushua was born of the tribe of Judah. He had no physical claim to the earthly (Levitical) priesthood. Yet he was the only true King and High Priest before Yahuwah; and always has been. In coming to earth and being made over in the flesh (physical), Yahushua inherited the earthly office along with the already held heavenly office. We do not ever need another human priest over us. Or, at least, we should not need any other priest over us. However, we tend to repeat the mistakes of the ancient Israelites, in not writing the laws on our hearts, seeking the physical requirements of the law only and seeking after other men to lead us when we should, ourselves, be leaders and teachers. It is time for us to get off the milk on to the meat and potatoes.

18 - For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19 - For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto Elohim.

20 - And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

The “weakness and unprofitableness”, not on the part of the commandment, but on those to whom the commandment was given. They did not fulfill the hope that went with the commandment – that they would write the law on their hearts and minds so that they would obey by nature, and went whoring after other gods. In seeking other men to place between ourselves and Yahuwah, we too are seeking after other gods.

What we should be seeking is to perfect our nature by making it over into the exact likeness of the nature of Yahuwah. Instead of seeking perfection in others and judging one another on the least important matters of all, we need to seek perfection in our own nature. Don’t worry about the small splinter in someone else’s eye when you have a log in your own. If you are looking for the “perfect” human to lead you, you are pursuing a fruitless quest.

21 - (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, Yahuwah swore and will not repent, You art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizadek:)

22 - By so much was Yahushua made a surety of a better testament.

23 - And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

24 - But this man, because he continues ever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

25 - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Elohim by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

The offices of the earthly, Levitical priesthood were limited by death. They all died. Yahushua also died, but was resurrected back to life, the firstborn of the new creation; therefore, the eldest, and only one qualified as a true, eternal and righteous King and High Priest.

We are to be living today as if we were already reborn into that Kingdom, practicing all righteousness and earnestly striving to write the laws on our minds and in our hearts. Love is the all encompassing command. If we seek the love of Yahuwah first, all the rest will follow naturally. Every action we perform should demonstrate the love of Yahuwah. When we love like Yahuwah loves, we will never wrong any other member of the human family. We will love all equally.

There will never be a need to change the Priesthood of Yahushua. It is already perfect, eternal and incorruptible. We can have full faith that His priesthood will endure and never see corruption. No such priesthood or ministry exists on earth. We are to all be individually growing into the fullness of the glory of Yahushua, becoming one in mind and nature with the Father and exuding the love of Yahuwah that knows no bounds. We are to seek the example and leadership of Yahuwah only. If we place any man before Yahushua, we then seek that man’s glory, which falls far short of Yahushua’s.

26 - For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27 - Who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

28 - For the law makes men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, makes the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Yahushua is the only creature of the creation that can lay claim to such a boast. None of the rest of the spiritual creation ever discarded their estate to become wholly human and be tested unto blood. No other sacrifice can compare to Yahushua’s. He fully earned the right to inherit all that is the Father’s. The law is only for the unrighteous and corruptible. Those who take on the nature of Yahuwah have no need to be bound by any physical law. If righteous by nature, it will not even occur to such to disobey Yahuwah. It will be totally against their nature to disobey.

Hebrews 8:1 - Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

2 - A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which Yahuwah pitched, and not man.

3 - For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

4 - For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

5 - Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of Elohim when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, says he, that you make all things according to the pattern showed to you in the mount.

6 - But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Yahushua stands waiting in the new creation for the sons of men to be glorified with him. How many that will be is anyone’s guess. However, the one thing we can be sure of is that corruption cannot inherit incorruption. Therefore, we should be busy driving all corruption out of our nature - all thoughts and deeds.

The better covenant is that we have been saved from death by the sacrifice of our Messiah. Our slate has been wiped clean. We have a perfect score and need only to retain it by never sinning again. Sure Yahushua forgives us when we do accidently sin and repent, but he would rather we resist all sin.

The better promise, of course, is the hope of salvation; but even that has conditions. As stated in all of the seven letters to the seven churches, the all encompassing duty of all members is to “overcome” the world and our own carnal nature. We are not under the death sentence as long as we are striving with all earnestness to become one in nature and mind with the Creator.

7 - For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 - For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, says Yahuwah, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 - Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says Yahuwah.

10 - For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahuwah; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a Elohim, and they shall be to me a people:

11 - And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahuwah: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12 - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 - In that he says, A new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.

The problem was not with the covenant, it was with the people with whom the covenant was made. They looked only to the physical letter of the law, instead of looking past that to the spiritual intent. The spiritual intent was that they would internalize the law to the point that it became their nature to obey and they would become one with the Father.

The Old Covenant was like basic training. The New is like officer training. The old served its purpose at the time, but wasn’t intended to provide the level of training that the New provided.

31 - Not many people “got” that under the OT. They gauged their righteousness solely Behold, the days come, saith Yahuwah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 - Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith Yahuwah:

33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith Yahuwah, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. on their keeping of the physical requirements of the law.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

7. Same reasoning as in Hebrews 7:11 .

faultless--perfect in all its parts, so as not to be found fault with as wanting anything which ought to be there: answering all the purposes of a law. The law in its morality was blameless (Greek,"amomos"); but in saving us it was defective, and so not faultless (Greek, "amemptos").

should no place have been sought--as it has to be now; and as it is sought in the prophecy (Hebrews 8:8-11 ). The old covenant would have anticipated all man's wants, so as to give no occasion for seeking something more perfectly adequate. Compare on the phrase "place . . . sought," Hebrews 12:17 .

8. finding fault with them--the people of the old covenant, who were not made "faultless" by it (Hebrews 8:7 ); and whose disregard of God's covenant made Him to "regard them not" ( Hebrews 8:9 ). The law is not in itself blamed, but the people who had not observed it.

he saith--( Jeremiah 31:31-34 ; compare Ezekiel 11:19 , 36:25-27 ). At Rama, the headquarters of Nebuzar-adan, whither the captives of Jerusalem had been led, Jeremiah uttered this prophecy of Israel's restoration under another David, whereby Rachel, wailing for her lost children, shall be comforted; literally in part fulfilled at the restoration under Zerubbabel, and more fully to be hereafter at Israel's return to their own land; spiritually fulfilled in the Gospel covenant, whereby God forgives absolutely His people's sins, and writes His law by His Spirit on the hearts of believers, the true Israel. "This prophecy forms the third part of the third trilogy of the three great trilogies into which Jeremiah's prophecies may be divided: Jeremiah 21-25, against the shepherds of the people; Jeremiah 26-29, against the false prophets; Jeremiah 30 and 31, the book of restoration" [DELITZSCH in ALFORD].

Behold, the days come--the frequent formula introducing a Messianic prophecy.

make--Greek, "perfect"; "consummate." A suitable expression as to the new covenant, which perfected what the old could not (compare end of Hebrews 8:9 , with end of Hebrews 8:10 ).

Israel . . . Judah--Therefore, the ten tribes, as well as Judah, share in the new covenant. As both shared the exile, so both shall share the literal and spiritual restoration.

9. Not according to, &c.--very different from, and far superior to, the old covenant, which only "worked wrath" ( Romans 4:15 ) through man's "not regarding" it. The new covenant enables us to obey by the Spirit's inward impulse producing love because of the forgiveness of our sins.

made with--rather as Greek, "made to": the Israelites being only recipients, not coagents [ALFORD] with God.

I took them by the hand--as a father takes his child by the hand to support and guide his steps. "There are three periods: (1) that of the promise; (2) that of the pedagogical instruction; (3) that of fulfilment" [BENGEL]. The second, that of the pedagogical pupilage, began at the exodus from Egypt.

I regarded them not--English Version, Jeremiah 31:32 , translates, "Although I was an husband unto them." Paul's translation here is supported by the Septuagint, Syriac, and GESENIUS, and accords with the kindred Arabic. The Hebrews regarded not God, so God, in righteous retribution,regarded them not. On "continued not in my covenant," Schelling observes: The law was in fact the mere ideal of a religious constitution: in practice, the Jews were throughout, before the captivity, more or less polytheists, except in the time of David, and the first years of Solomon (the type of Messiah's reign). Even after the return from Babylon, idolatry was succeeded by what was not much better, formalism and hypocrisy ( Matthew 12:43 ). The law was (1) a typical picture, tracing out the features of the glorious Gospel to be revealed; (2) it had a delegated virtue from the Gospel, which ceased, therefore, when the Gospel came.

10. make with--Greek, "make unto."

Israel--comprising the before disunited ( Hebrews 8:8 ) ten tribes' kingdom, and that of Judah. They are united in the spiritual Israel, the elect Church, now: they shall be so in the literal restored kingdom of Israel to come.

I will put--literally, "(I) giving." This is the first of the "better promises" ( Hebrews 8:6 ).

mind--their intelligent faculty.

in, &c.--rather, "ON their hearts." Not on tables of stone as the law ( 2 Corinthians 3:3 ).

write--Greek, "inscribe."

and I will be to them a God, &c.--fulfilled first in the outward kingdom of God. Next, in the inward Gospel kingdom. Thirdly, in the kingdom at once outward and inward, the spiritual being manifested outwardly ( Revelation 21:3 ). Compare a similar progression as to the priesthood (1)Exodus 19:6 ; (2) 1 Peter 2:5 ; (3) Isaiah 61:6 , Revelation 1:6 . This progressive advance of the significance of the Old Testament institutions, &c., says THOLUCK, shows the transparency and prophetic character which runs throughout the whole.

11. Second of the "better promises" ( Hebrews 8:6 ).

they shall not--"they shall not have to teach" [ALFORD].

his neighbour--So Vulgate reads; but the oldest manuscripts have "his (fellow) citizen."

brother--a closer and more endearing relation than fellow citizen.

from the least to the greatest--Greek, "from the little one to the great one." Zechariah 12:8 , "He that is feeble among them shall be as David." Under the old covenant, the priest's lips were to keep knowledge, and at his mouth the people were to seek the law: under the new covenant, the Holy Spirit teaches every believer. Not that the mutual teaching of brethren is excluded while the covenant is being promulgated; but when once the Holy Spirit shall have fully taught all the remission of their sins and inward sanctification, then there shall be no further' need of man teaching his fellow man. Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:9 , 5:1 , an earnest of that perfect state to come. On the way to that perfect state every man should teach his neighbor. "The teaching is not hard and forced, because grace renders all teachable; for it is not the ministry of the letter, but of the spirit ( 2 Corinthians 3:6 ). The believer's firmness does not depend on the authority of human teachers. God Himself teaches" [BENGEL]. The New Testament is shorter than the Old Testament, because, instead of the details of an outward letter law, it gives the all-embracing principles of the spiritual law written on the conscience, leading one to spontaneous instinctive obedience in outward details. None save the Lord can teach effectually, "know the Lord."

12. For, &c.--the third of "the better promises" ( Hebrews 8:6 ). The forgiveness of sins is, and will be, the root of this new state of inward grace and knowledge of the Lord. Sin being abolished, sinners obtain grace.

I will be merciful--Greek, "propitious"; the Hebrew, "salach," is always used of God only in relation to men.

and their iniquities--not found in Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and one oldest Greek manuscript; but most oldest manuscripts have the words (compare Hebrews 10:17 ).

remember no more--Contrast the law, Hebrews 10:3 .

13. he--God.

made . . . old--"hath (at the time of speaking the prophecy) antiquated the first covenant." From the time of God's mention of a NEW covenant (since God's words are all realities) the first covenant might be regarded as ever dwindling away, until its complete abolition on the actual introduction of the Gospel. Both covenants cannot exist side by side. Mark how verbal inspiration is proved in Paul's argument turning wholly on the one word "NEW" (covenant), occurring but once in the Old Testament.

that which decayeth--Greek, "that which is being antiquated," namely, at the time when Jeremiah spake. For in Paul's time, according to his view, the new had absolutely set aside the old covenant. The Greek for (Kaine) New (Testament) implies that it is of a different kind andsupersedes the old: not merely recent (Greek, "nea"). Compare Hosea 3:4 Hosea 3:5 .

Jer.31:31- Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 - Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

There was always a plan for a new covenant. It was neither a backup plan nor a concession. It was the plan all along. Why? Because Yahuwah knows the end from the beginning, He knew that man would fail because man still held in his nature and thoughts that he was already god.

Via the new covenant it was hoped that we would finally learn to write Yahuwah’s laws on our hearts and minds and be made permanently incorruptible. Sadly that plan has failed in most cases.

Heb. 9:1 - Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

2 - For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary.

3 - And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

4 - Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

5 - And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

6 - Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of Elohim.

The first tabernacle was representative of the Old Testament. It served its purpose, but did not allow for free access to the holiest of holies. That is the door that Yahushua opened for us.

7 - But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

8 - The set-apart spirit this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

The tabernacle made without hands is the Kingdom of Heaven, into which Yahushua is the firstborn. Under the old covenant, there was no redemption for sin. Under the new, Yahushua was the Redeemer.

9 - Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

10 - Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

11 - But HaMashiyack being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Yahushua has no need of a building. The entire universe is His temple.

12 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13 - For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh:

14 - How much more shall the blood of HaMashiyack, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to Elohim, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?

When we realize the enormity of exactly what Yahushua did for us, our consciences are stricken and we feel guilty for making him have to go to such great lengths to save us. This is what usually causes us to repent and believe and turn to Yahushua. Now he stands as the “only” mediator between us and the Father. He is waiting eagerly for more people to come to him. Meanwhile, there is a force working on the earth right now to thwart Yahushua’s efforts and turn the world against all religions.

15 - And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

15. for this cause--Because of the all-cleansing power of His blood, this fits Him to be Mediator (Hebrews 8:6 , ensuring to both parties, God and us, the ratification) of the new covenant, which secures both forgiveness for the sins not covered by the former imperfect covenant or testament, and also an eternal inheritance to the called.

by means of death--rather, as Greek, "death having taken place." At the moment that His death took place, the necessary effect is, "the called receive the (fulfilment of the) promise" (so Luke 24:49 uses "promise"; Hebrews 6:15 , Acts 1:4 ); that moment divides the Old from the New Testament. The "called" are the elect "heirs," "partakers of the heavenly calling" ( Hebrews 3:1 ).

redemption of . . . transgressions . . . under . . . first testament--the transgressions of all men from Adam to Christ, first against the primitive revelation, then against the revelations to the patriarchs, then against the law given to Israel, the representative people of the world. The "first testament" thus includes the whole period from Adam to Christ, and not merely that of the covenant with Israel, which was a concentrated representation of the covenant made with (or the first testament given to) mankind by sacrifice, down from the fall to redemption. Before theinheritance by the New Testament (for here the idea of the "INHERITANCE," following as the result of Christ's "death," being introduced, requires the Greek to be translated "testament," as it was before covenant) could come in, there must be redemption of (that is, deliverance from the penalties incurred by) the transgressions committed under the first testament, for the propitiatory sacrifices under the first testament reached only as far as removing outward ceremonial defilement. But in order to obtain the inheritance which is a reality, there must be a real propitiation, since God could not enter into covenant relation with us so long as past sins were unexpiated; Romans 3:24 Romans 3:25 , "a propitiation . . . His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past."

might--Greek, "may receive," which previously they could not ( Hebrews 11:39 Hebrews 11:40 ).

the promise--to Abraham.

In other words, there was no redemption for the penalty of sin before HaMashiyack’s death and resurrection. Those who died prior to Yahushua would be forever dead if not for Yahushua. Yahushua is the Redeemer. He redeemed us from the penalty of eternal death and restored our relationship with Yahuwah. With his sacrifice he paid the penalty of sin for all of mankind who turn to him in belief. Even though we still die, we still have the hope of resurrection into the Kingdom and eternal life. That is the difference between the old and new testaments. Under the first, there was no reprieve. They were like prisoners on death row who had exhausted all appeals and had only their execution to look forward to. Because of our faith and belief, we have the resurrection from death to look forward to, and promotion to eternal life.

16 - For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

17 - For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.

18 - Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

This is like a wedding contract – “till death do you part”. Legally speaking, the only way of ending the marriage contract originally was through death or adultery. Likewise, the first covenant could not be annulled baring the death of one of the testators. In other words, either mankind had to die or Yahushua did.

The flood, likewise was a type of contract annulment. Basically, all of mankind died save for Noah and three of his sons. Therefore, the covenant Yahuwah made with Adam died with the rest of mankind. I know this is not recognized as a covenant, and I am using this example only for clarity. If you think about it, Yahuwah gave pretty much the same instructions to Adam as he gave to Abraham.

Covenant with Adam

Gen. 2:16 - And Yahuwah Elohim commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat:

17 - But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Covenant with Noah

19 - For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the bloodAnd I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

Gen. 9:9 - And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you (Noah), and with your seed after you;

10 - And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11 - And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth.

Covenant with Abraham

Gen.15:17 - And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 - In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 - The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

20 - And the Hittites, and Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

21 - And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

The Covenant with Moses

Ex. 19:3 - And Moses went up unto Elohim, and Yahuwah called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

4 - Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto

5 - Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

6 - And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Covenant with Believers

Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.

29 For the gifts and calling of Elohim are without repentance.

30 For as ye in times past have not believed Elohim, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32 For Elohim hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.myself.

As we can see, there have been numerous covenants made between the Creator and his creation. Yet, there are only two that we are concerned with – the old one made with Abraham that saved no one and the new, that saves everyone who believes that Yahushua is the son of the Almighty Creator and work tirelessly to make themselves incorruptible. The new one is obviously the better.

Heb. 9:20 - Saying, This is the blood of the testament which Elohim hath enjoined unto you.

21 - Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

22 - And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

By law (under the OT), blood is required for sin. Under the new, Yahushua has paid that penalty once, for all time. Animal sacrifices are no longer required. The blood of an animal can no longer atone for sin. The only blood acceptable is that of our Messiah.

23 - It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

The things of Yahuwah, here on earth, are patterned after the heavenly order. The high priest on Earth is a form of the heavenly High Priest, Yahushua. The temple was patterned after the heavenly throne. And so on, and so on. All is to prepare us and train us for our future in the new creation.

24 - For HaMashiyack is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of Elohim for us:

No human high priest can make this boast. All were prevented by death from achieving that state. Yahushua stands as the one and only High Priest, directly before the Father, incorruptible and eternal. No human high priest, pope, priest, ministers, evangelists, etc. come even close in comparison. So why do so many continue to seek out human leaders and ministers to guide them when they have the greatest of all at their immediate disposal?

25 - Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others;

26 - For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Where the human high priest had to appear once a year to offer sacrifices for themselves, Yahushua needed only to sacrifice himself once – something he had been waiting from the foundation of the earth to do. Yahushua was the first created. He was also the first to complete the plan of his Father. This moment was very important to him, as well as to mankind. Yahushua finally graduated and became a full eternal spirit being – the firstborn of the new creation.

27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

28 - So HaMashiyack was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

We all have to die once. It is the second death we are to concern ourselves with. The Judgment follows the resurrection. We will be judged before Yahuwah. Our fate will be decided at that moment – eternal life or eternal death.

Heb. 10:1 - For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

The Law was a shadow of good things to come – the internalization of the law until it became our very nature to obey. People are just not getting that. They feel that by obeying the letter of the law they have done all that is required of them. That is simply not so. That was the attitude of the ancient Israelites as well. We must “evolve” to the state where the thought to sin no longer exists in our minds and in our hearts. We must become pure vessels worthy of our calling.

Many think because they have joined the “right” church, or are following the “right” charismatic leader or keep the 7^th day Sabbath and annual set apart days or know and use the set apart names that they have a guaranteed ticket to the kingdom. They are quite content to let the minister do all the work while they rest on their backsides and carry on as before. It does not work that way. When standing in the judgment, the Father is going to ask YOU, “What did YOU do with your talent?”? What are you going to tell him – that you gave away your talent to someone else expecting them to invest it for you? Sorry! That won’t get you anything. This is something we ALL have to do as individuals. We must perfect our character by internalizing the laws of Yahuwah and becoming one with the Father and the son. If we do merely the least possible to gain salvation, we will only be granted the least position in the Kingdom (if any at all).

2 - For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 - But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

This is the way it is to be under the New Covenant. Once forgiven for our sins, we should have no more consciousness of sin. That is, it should never again enter our minds. That is what becoming one with the Father and His son means. We must become incorruptible, pure, and incapable of ever sinning again. That includes both thoughts and actions.

Under the OT and the law, they had to go back every year to sacrifice animals for sin – a continual reminder of their sin. Under the NT and Yahushua’s once for all time sacrifice, we are not to ever again remember our sins. We are to bury them with the old man and come out of the waters of baptism a totally new man completely devoted to becoming incorruptible.

4 - For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

5 - Wherefore when he comes into the world, he says, Sacrifice and offering you would not, but a body have you prepared me:

6 - In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you hast had no pleasure.

Even with the latitude of animal sacrifice, the people could not even do that right. They often left off the sacrifices to go whoring after other gods. They repeated the same mistakes over and over, thinking that all they had to do is was sacrifice a goat and everything would be alright. Nothing was ever internalized. They never achieved the state of incorruption (except for a select few). Just as in those days, many believers today are simply not getting it. As then, people today think that Yahuwah is going to continue indefinitely to forgive our sins; therefore, they continue to sin. That is not the way it works.

We know from reading the seven letters to the seven churches that we have one all-encompassing duty and that is to overcome sin and the world. Those who do not, or who are not actively trying overcome are under a threat of having their lamp removed from them.

If we are to become priests and kings (or to make it at all) in the Kingdom of Yahuwah, we must become, or be found seriously working on, overcoming sin and the world. Again, this is an individual thing and no one can work out our salvation for us. There is no such thing as the “right” church or the “right” leader. All are fallible! All are corruptible. We have only one who is not, and that is Yahushua. With a perfect example like Yahushua before us, what need do we have of another corruptible High Priest? We don’t! We need only to listen to and follow Yahushua. That is the door that he has opened and no man can shut. Only we can do that.

Personally, I see the problem as being that Yahushua does not satisfy all our senses (touch. smell, see, hear and taste). Humans have a problem understanding anything that does not satisfy all or a number of these senses. That is simply the way we are wired. Therefore, when people have a church and a minister, they have something that satisfies all of their senses. It more easily makes sense to them. That is why the Levitical priesthood incorporated “sense satisfying” aspects of other religions into their own. That is why they were corruptible. That is why the Levitical priesthood needed to be replaced with an incorruptible priesthood.

11 - And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12 - But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of Elohim;

13 - From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

14 - For by one offering he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Animal sacrifices never took away sin; they merely “covered” them. Yahushua’s, on the other hand, does completely and for all eternity remove the sin from us. From that point on we are to be seriously working on making ourselves over into incorruptible, Elohim-like individuals.

How are we to draw anyone to Yahuwah if we, ourselves, are not true reflections of whom and what Yahuwah is? How is anyone to take us seriously? I can guarantee you that if we were truly one with the Father and were doing all the mighty works that Yahushua and his disciples did, that people would begin to sit up and take notice.

This is what the difference is between the Levitical priesthood and the Priesthood of Yahushua (or the Order of Melchizadek). The Levitical was never perfect and was never intended to be. The entire creation has been awaiting the sacrifice of Yahushua since the dawn of time. It was the vital turning point for the entire creation, not just the human race. However, because so very, very many have not taken their calling seriously and so many deceivers have led so many astray, that the Way of Yahuwah has not taken root the way it was intended; and so many have not even heard the true gospel.

What happened to the days when thousands were converted in a single day? Where do we see this happening today? Nowhere! It is a sad situation indeed.

15 - Whereof the set-apart spirit also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 - This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says Yahuwah, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17 - And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

18 - Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Yahushua will remember our sins no more when there is no sin left to remember. That is; when we, ourselves, have put sin completely out of our minds and hearts and are incorruptible.

There is no more offering for sin. Yahushua’s was the one perfect sacrifice. If we return to a life of sin, we make Yahushua’s sacrifice of no consequence and crucify him (spiritually) anew.

How many of you have seen a movie where a mob or gangster type character goes to confession and confesses his sins to the priest and then goes right out and murders someone. That is what I am talking about here. Forgiveness of sins does not equate freedom to sin. How many think that this mobster or gangster has any chance of making it into the Kingdom of Heaven? I am assuming that no one raised their hand. The worst part is that the priest enables the criminal to carry on, thinking all is going to be forgiven in the end and he will take his “unrightful” place in the Kingdom. Nothing is further from the truth.

19 - Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Yahushua,

20 - By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21 - And having an high priest over the house of Elohim;

22 - Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

When we accept Yahushua and have our sins washed clean by his blood, we gain full access to the holiest of holies. This is the door that Yahushua opened for us. This is the door that so few open. Like the ancient Israelites of old, when standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai, most say:

Ex. 20:18 - And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

19 - And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die.

20 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for Elohim is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

21 - And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where Elohim was.

It is quite normal for people to fear standing before Elohim. Their sin is laid bare before Yahuwah. They feel uncomfortable. They feel ashamed. They feel awesome fear. However, once sin and the fear that goes with it are removed, we have full and open access to the Father and need not feel fearful or ashamed. We now have the very same access to the Father that Yahushua had and should not fear standing before Him. However, if we continue to sin, we will continue to fear standing before the Living Elohim.

23 - Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

26 - For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,

27 - But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

If we willfully sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there remains no further sacrifice for our sins. We are just as dead as the rest of Yahuwah’s adversaries. There will be no more opportunity for salvation.

38 - Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39 - But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Faith can be a very strong and powerful emotion. Not all have it. Think about the faith that Yahushua had. His faith was perfect. His faith never wavered. His faith never failed. He had absolutely no reservations about approaching his Father. Yahushua appeared before the Father fully confident and assured concerning the Father’s delight in him. That is the way each and every one of us should feel. Once our sins have been forgiven, He has forgotten them and so should we. That is what faith is about – that which does not satisfy our five physical senses but satisfies our spiritual senses. Yahuwah has no pleasure in any that draw back from him. Drawing back from Yahuwah leads only to perdition; for we will excuse away our sins and never repent of them. We are to have all faith in the Father as Yahushua did and mimic his example. We are to go before Yahuwah with all the confidence that Yahushua had. We are not only to follow Yahushua; we are to BE Yahushua.

Conclusion

Many Believers today have been caught up in the “Hebrew Roots” movement. While it is all well and good to discover and study our roots; going back to that place and repeating all their mistakes is not what we want to be doing. Some have even forsaken Yahushua and become fully Jewish. In rejecting Yahushua they have denied themselves any further sacrifice for sin. They are condemned and are merely awaiting eternal death.

Salvation is not about following silly rituals and traditions (most of which are manmade) or a barbaric sacrificial system. It is about becoming incorruptible so that the law never again applies to us. We are to be lawful by nature. We are to be filled with the love of Yahuwah upon which all the law is based. Anything we do in love is in accordance to the law. When we achieve that state we will no longer be able to sin. It will simply never occur to us, because everything that we think, say and do, will be done out of love – against which there is no law.

Those returning to the Jewish faith are also returning to the old covenant and sacrificing their promise of salvation for a system that titillates those physical five senses that are screaming for satisfaction. If you think that wearing a Yakama or a prayer shawl will get you any closer to Yahuwah, you are sadly mistaken. The purpose of animal sacrifices was to cover sin until the Messiah came to do away with sin through his perfect sacrifice. Rather than living in the old world, we are to be living as if we were already born again into the Kingdom as a new creation – newly born Elohim beings. We are to be living and practicing life as if we were already there.

The Priesthood of Yahushua is an exciting and wonderfully promising priesthood. We now have a High Priest whom we can trust without reservation. We can earn a spot right next to him as priests and kings by making ourselves over into his image. We have the opportunity to completely fulfill Yahuwah’s purpose for our existence. We have the opportunity not only to worship Elohim but to become Elohim. Yahushua proved that his Fathers plan is possible for us all. Why would anyone want to go back to the old system that promised none of this?

Yahuwah always had a bright and glorious future intended for us. We are the ones who threw that purpose back in his face. We are the ones who decided to follow our own course (really the satanic course) complete with the consequences for that action. Those consequences have caused us nothing but pain, misery and death. And yet, most of the world continues headlong down the path of destruction. In almost 6,000 years, the human race has learned virtually nothing that helps our spiritual condition.

The Order of Melchizadek was modeled after the heavenly priesthood. The oldest living person on the earth typically held this position. Yahushua was the first created and; therefore, was the eldest of all creation. It only stood to reason that he would be the King and High Priest before Yahuwah in heaven.

Following his human manifestation, death and resurrection, Yahushua was able to unite both priesthoods into one perfect one. Although the Book of Hebrews calls this the Order of Melchizadek, it was originally and again is the Order of Yahushua. The Levitical priesthood with all its customs and traditions is long dead. We have no need of a temple made with human hands. The whole universe is the temple of Yahuwah.

Hopefully this study has cleared up many misunderstandings. However, my hope is that it has stirred up the desire to study more into this topic and grow even closer to Elohim.

Yahuwah bless

G.P.