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Show A GREAT PRIESTHOOD DIVINELY APPOINTED "Thou Art a Priest For the Age After the Order ot Melchisedec." God'a New-Ordor of Prloathood Each Member Called and Choson Tho Groat High Prioat Hia Sacrifice of Himself Tho Undor Prloatc of This Order Membership Limited In Num-bor Num-bor The Purposo For Which the Priesthood lo Ordainod of God. HfflSIKHj was Aaron." He-JHBSwSaStSl He-JHBSwSaStSl brews 0:4, tWMWyaBafJ The Epistle to (PASTOR. gP&ElUJ the Hebrews, tho Pastor pointed out, shows that God had ordained a higher priesthood than the Anronlc Order Or-der of the Mosaic arrangement; and that npon our Lord Jesus was conferred con-ferred the great honor of being tho Head of the Now Order, the Chnrch being under priests. While on earth Christ conld not be a priest; for Aa ron's family constituted, a Divlnoly ordained priesthood. In which none others oth-ers could presume to take part without God's Invitation. To this day the Jews respect tho Aaronlc priesthood; and Hlnce they cannot know who belongs to Aaron'B family, they have no priest and no such scrvlco as a priest could render. The thought of another priesthood astonished the Jews of St Paul's day. They could not understand bow any priesthood could be higher than the Aaronlc Order. Nevertheless, through the Prophet David, God had long before be-fore declared our Lord's Priesthood: "Thou art a priest forever after the Order of Melchlzedek." (Psalm 310-4.) Elsewhere we read that Melchisedec was "the priest of the Most High God" "a priest upon his throne." (Genesis 14:17-21; Hebrews 7:1-4.) God has conferred con-ferred a very great honor upon onr Lord, has appointed Him to be the world's Redeemer, High Priest and King, through whom will como all blessings designed for humanity. "Worthy to Looeo tho Soals." The speaker then demonstrated that before our Lord could be thus highly exalted, He must he thoroughly tested, and proved worthy to be the great Antitype An-titype of Melchisedec. Amongst other Scriptnres examined was our Lord's own statement, ns recorded in Revelation Revela-tion 5, where the Divine Plan for human hu-man deliverance from sin and death Is pictured. God is shown as seated upon His Throne, holding In His hand a Scroll, written within and without, and scaled with seven seals This represents repre-sents the Plan which God had purposed purpos-ed before tho foundation of the world, and which was known only to Himself. Throughout Heaven and earth tho proclamation was made. "Who is worthy wor-thy to Ioobo the seals and to look therein?" there-in?" Nobody camo forward. Finally an angel said to St John, "The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed." The Lion was the Strong One of Judah, of which tribe God had prophetically declared that Messiah should come of David's Uncage. The Strong One could do tho work; but all mankind were imperfect, incompetent Jesus was sent Into the world perfect-in perfect-in the Image of God. Heretofore no one had proved worthy; for the conditions condi-tions which God had attached were very stringent He was looking for One competent to be a Prlmo Minister, Minis-ter, as It were, to represent Him fully and to be associated with Him forever. For so high a position Ho had purposed purpos-ed that this One Bhould be made partaker par-taker of tho Divine nature-rlmmortall-ty. Our Lord must demonstrate His loyalty to the fullest degree before He could be counted worthy of this high exaltation. 1 Tim. 0:16; John G:2G, 27. According to the Law our Lord could do nothing In His Priestly Office until H was of age. When His thirtieth anniversary came, He presented Himself Him-self In consecration to tho Father. At Jordan He began to carry out the Divine Plan presented In the Scroll, and mentioned men-tioned by the Prophets of IsraeL There tho father opened the eyes of His understanding. un-derstanding. There He became the slain Lamb. For three and a half years God proved the One who was to become be-come the antltypical Melchisedec, the Priest upon His Throne, partaker of the Divine nature. Surely Ho was faithful even unto the death of tho Cross! Now He Is highly exalted, at the Father's right hand. Phil. 2:S-11. Furthor Contonts of tho Soroll, The Pastor showed that the Scroll also revealed that God had purposed calling out from the world a Church of under priests, to share In the sufferings suffer-ings of Christ and tho glory to follow. All tho work of the Gospel Age has been with a viow to perfecting this company, members of tho great anti-typical anti-typical Priest and King. Whoever consecrates himself to God, Is begotten of the Holy Spirit and walks faithfully tho narrow way of self-sacrlflco will become a Jolnt-helr with Christ, a fully accepted member of the great Melchisedec Mel-chisedec Order of Priesthood. As soon as the last members are completed, the I 14.1,000 will stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zlon, ready for tho Kingdom work. Revelation 34:1-5. II oo J |