PRIEST

WE'RE ABOUT TO ENTER A HARD-HITTING, SOBERING, MEDDLING PORTION OF EZRA AND REMEMBER AROUND THE SAME TIME AS EZRA AND NEHEMIAH, LIVED A PROPHET NAMED MALACHI. VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HIM, BUT HE HAD MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE BEHAVIOUR AT THE TEMPLE AND THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF THE PRIESTS, LEVITES, AND PEOPLE OF JUDAH :

MALACHI 2

1 YAHUAH says, “And now Priests, this command is for you. 2 If you don’t hear, and take this to heart, and give esteem to My Name, I’ll send a curse on you, and even curse your blessings (the good things you ask to happen). Indeed, I have cursed them, because you don’t take My Word to heart. 3 I will even rebuke and punish your children! Yes! You Priests offer sacrifices to Me, you take the dung and inside parts from the dead animals and throw them away. But I will smear that same dung on your faces, and you’ll be thrown away with it! 4 And you will learn and know why I’ve sent this command to you, as being My Covenant with Levi,” said YAHUAH of Hosts.

'MY COVENANT WITH LEVI ' JUST REFERS TO THE LEVITES BEING SEPARATED FROM ALL THE OTHER TRIBES IN THE WILDERNESS - A SPECIAL COVENANT TO SERVE AS PRIESTS - (LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD WAS A SHADOW OF YAHUSHA'S TRUE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD)

THE PRIESTS HELPED THE PEOPLE GET TO YAHUAH’S PORTAL OF PRESENCE AT THE TABERNACLE/TEMPLE THROUGH SACRIFICE AND PRAISE.

5 “My Covenant with Levi was life and peace, and I gave them to him, to fear. And he respected Me, and stood in awe of My Name. 6 The Word of Truth was in his mouth, and disobedience was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and honesty, and turned many away from error. 7 For the lips of a Priest should guard YAHUAH’S knowledge, for the people seek My Words from his mouth, for he is the Messenger of YAHUAH of Hosts. 8 But you ... you all stumble in My Words and Instructions and stopped following Me. You’ve corrupted the Covenant of Levi and haven’t behaved as I’ve commanded you,” says YAHUAH of Hosts. 9 “So likewise, I will also make you despised and low before all the people, because you’re not guarding My ways, and accepting them as truth.”

THE PRIESTHOOD WAS INDEED DESPISED NOW!

10 Have we not all one Father? Did not one Alahim create us? Why do we act treacherously against one another, to profane the Covenant of the fathers? 11 Judah has acted treacherously, and an abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has disobeyed what is set-apart to Yahuah – which He had loved – and has married the daughter of a foreign deity. 12 Let YAHUAH cut off from the tents of Jacob the man who does this – stirring up or answering, and bringing an offering to YAHUAH of Hosts!

`DAUGHTER OF A FOREIGN DEITY' MEANS THAT EVERY FOREIGN NATION HAD A CHIEF DEITY AND A BUNCH OF OTHER GODS & GODDESSES AS WELL. THE IDOL AND THE NATION WERE SEEN AS INSEPARABLE. SO THE ACCUSATION IS THAT YAHUAH’S SANCTUARY (THE TEMPLE) IS DEFILED AND UNCLEAN BECAUSE THE MALES OF JUDAH MARRIED FOREIGN WOMEN (WHO BY DEFINITION WORSHIPPED OTHER DEITIES) - WHICH WAS THE DOWNFALL OF SOLOMON ALSO - WE SAW HOW THAT WENT FOR ISRAEL !!

13 You can cry and cover the Altar of Yahuah with tears, and with weeping, because YAHUAH no longer regards your offering, nor receives it with pleasure from your hands, any of the things you sacrifice to Him. 14 And you say, “Why am I rejected? Why doesn’t YAHUAH accept me and bless me?” WHY? Because Yahuah has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, and seen how cruel you’ve treated her and behaved so treacherously, cheating on her (even with your eyes and feelings) even though she’s your companion and the woman of your Marriage Covenant.

IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE AND MARRIAGE -

'LOVE YOUR WIFE' !!! YAHUSHA SAID!

15 Did He not create a husband and wife to be one - In both body and spirit? Why? So that they will have set-apart children and protect that spiritual unity. So you will guard your spirit, and let none of you act treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “FOR I HATE DIVORCE,” says YAHUAH, Alahim of Israel, “and the one who behaves with cruelty,” said YAHUAH of Hosts. “So you will guard your spirit, and do not behave treacherously".

OUR FAMILY KNOWS FIRST HAND THE DEVASTATION & HEARTBREAK THAT DIVORCE BRINGS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED - SO IT'S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY YAHUSHA HATES IT SO MUCH - OF COURSE HE CAN HEAL EVERY WOUND - AND HE MAKES ALL THINGS GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM - BUT IT ALSO SHOWS WHAT ANGER AND HEARTBREAK HE WOULD HAVE FELT WHEN HE DIVORCED HIS OWN BRIDE ... ISRAEL !!

17 You have wearied and infuriated YAHUAH with your words, and you’ve even said, “In what way have we infuriated Him?” Because you say that everyone who does evil is actually good in the eyes of YAHUAH, and that He’s delighting in them, and you even teach that YAHUAH doesn't punish people for their evil behaviour!”

IF WE REPLACE THE OFFICE OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTS WITH ‘TEACHERS, PREACHERS, PASTORS & RABBIS’ IN MALACHI THEN THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR ... BUT THE REAL KEY IS TO REPLACE THE PRIESTS WITH OUR OWN NAME! NOTICE HOW YAHUAH, THROUGH MALACHI, ESSENTIALLY ACCUSES THE PRIESTS (THE LEADERS AND TEACHERS OF YAHUAH’S PEOPLE) FOR NOT HONOURING YAHUAH’S NAME. AND THE MAIN WAY THEY'RE NOT HONOURING HIS NAME IS NOT JUST USING HIS NAME IN SPEECH, BUT THAT THEY ARE NOT TEACHING THE PEOPLE OR THEIR FAMILIES THE TRUE COMMANDS AND INSTRUCTIONS (AN EXTENSION OF HIM AND HIS NAME). THE PRIESTS WERE ASSIGNED TO SAFEGUARD KNOWLEDGE (OF YAHUAH’S WORD) AND THE PEOPLE SHOULD SEEK TO HEAR THE WORD FROM PRIEST’S LIPS BECAUSE THE PRIESTS ARE MESSENGERS (SIMILAR TO PROPHETS) FROM YAHUAH.

THE POINT OF THE MESSAGE IN MALACHI IS THAT THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES ARE NOT LIVING UP TO A CONTRACT BETWEEN THEM AND YAHUAH MADE BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN MOSES WAS LEADING THEM THROUGH THE DESERT. AND SPECIFICALLY THEY ARE NOT TEACHING OR KEEPING, GUARDING, BEHAVING OR DELIVERING YAHUAH’S TRUE WORDS.

BUT WHAT COMES NEXT IS THAT YAHUAH SAYS AS A RESULT OF HIM NO LONGER ACCEPTING THEIR WORTHLESS SACRIFICES (OF ATONEMENT) THEN THE PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLES AND CONSEQUENCES AND THEY FALL ON HIS ALTAR AND WEEP BITTER TEARS. AND THEY LOOK HEAVENWARD AND ASK, “WHY??!! WHY ARE THESE BAD THINGS HAPPENING TO ME? I’M A GOOD PERSON. I COME TO THE SANCTUARY (THE TEMPLE, THE SYNAGOGUE, THE CHURCH, THE FELLOWSHIP) - I CONTRIBUTE! ... I SAY MY PRAYERS". THEY ARE OBLIVIOUS TO THEIR REBELLION AGAINST YAHUAH AND EVEN DENY IT WHEN THEY’RE TOLD. AND WHY ARE THEY OBLIVIOUS? BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW YAHUAH’S DIVINE WORDS. AND WHY DON’T THEY KNOW HIS WORD? BECAUSE THE PRIESTS (LEADERS) HAVE STOPPED TEACHING THEM THE TRUE WORD AND TEACH CUSTOMS AND CONVENIENT (EAR-TICKLING) TRADITIONS OF RELIGIOUS DOGMA INSTEAD.

AND THEN THE EXPLICIT ISSUE OF BREAKING COVENANT IN MARRIAGE IS ADDRESSED (THE ISSUE THAT EZRA DEALS WITH NEXT). AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS THAT MANY HEBREW MEN OF JUDAH (WHO ALREADY HAD HEBREW WIVES) DIVORCED THEIR WIVES IN ORDER TO MARRY THESE (EXOTIC) FOREIGN WOMEN. “I HATE DIVORCE”, SAYS YAHUAH. AND YAHUAH SAYS “ENOUGH OF YOUR LIP SERVICE! I’M TIRED OF HEARING YOUR NONSENSE AND YOUR INSINCERE PLEADINGS. AND WHAT IS IT THAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING AND PLEADING? THEY ARE SAYING THAT ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG IS ACTUALLY DOING GOOD IN YAHUAH’S EYES AND THAT YAHUAH IS DELIGHTED !!!

BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AS PRIESTS (AND WE KNOW WE ARE) … IT IS OUR JOB, OUR RESPONSIBILITY, TO TEACH PEOPLE YAHUSHA’S WORD - AND BE AN ACTIVE EXAMPLE OF HIS BEHAVIOUR - STARTING WITH OUR OWN FAMILIES !! ... AND HIS WORD BEGINS WITH, AND IS DEPENDENT UPON, HIS DIVINE LAWS AND INSTRUCTIONS (FIRSTLY GIVEN TO MOSES BUT RE-TAUGHT AND BEHAVED BY MESSIAH YAHUSHA IN A NEW AND LIVING WAY). IF WE AS LEADERS CLAIM THAT WE HAVE BEEN CALLED, OR ANOINTED, AND WE CHOOSE INSTEAD TO DISH OUT MAN-MADE DOCTRINES AND RELIGIOUS MIXTURES AND SHADOW-TEACHINGS AND WEAK-SAYINGS AND AMUSING SPEECHES ON SOCIAL ISSUES INSTEAD OF TEACHING YAHUSHA’S PEOPLE HIS WORD ....... WE HAVE BROKEN OUR COVENANT WITH HIM. IT IS AN AFFRONT TO YAHUSHA AND IT CAUSES GRAVE DAMAGE TO HIS PEOPLE AND THE FELLOWSHIP.

AND HERE IS WHAT THIS REFUSAL TO TEACH HIS WORD TRUTHFULLY AND ADAMANTLY EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN: IN MALACHI, YAHUAH SAYS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING WRONG INSIST THAT DESPITE WHAT YAHUAH’S WORD SAYS (A WORD THEY ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY AREN’T TAUGHT TRUTH), THE WRONG THEY ARE DOING IS ACTUALLY GOOD. AND MORE, THAT YAHUAH IS DELIGHTED WITH THEM FOR DOING IT! IN OTHER WORDS, YAHUAH’S LAWS HAVE BEEN TURNED ON ITS HEAD AND SIMPLY DON’T HAVE ANY TRUE MEANING - THEY CAN BE AVOIDED AND EVEN YAHUAH HIMSELF WILL APPROVE OF IT.

THIS HAS BEEN A FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINE OF BOTH INSTITUTIONAL JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS NOW AND TODAY WE ARE CLOSE TO ROCK BOTTOM. BOTH DENY HIS TRUE NAME AND HIS BLOOD-COVENANT AND THE VERY THINGS THAT YAHUSHA CALLS ABOMINATIONS ARE BEING CALLED GOOD AND A DELIGHT TO OUR CREATOR. EVERYTHING FROM FALSE EVANGELISING - PROSPERITY DOCTRINES - THE TONGUES LIE - TEACHING PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE OLD SHADOW TEACHINGS (NOW FULFILLED) - EVEN ATTEMPTING TO BUILD A NEW TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM ... TO COUPLES LIVING TOGETHER WITHOUT A MARRIAGE-COVENANT - TO LGBTQIA-BCDEFG BEING NOT ONLY NORMAL AND GOOD BUT LIFTED UP RIGHT IN YAHUSHA'S FACE AND CELEBRATED - TO GAY MARRIAGE, RACISM, SEXISM, VIOLENCE AND ABUSE APPARENTLY BEING LOVELY IN YAHUSHA’S EYES !!

UNDERSTAND NOW WHY ALL THE PLAGUES IN REVELATION ARE HERE ??

AS WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN EZRA (AND NOW MALACHI) EVERYTHING TAUGHT IN THE OLD-COVENANT TIMES IS A SHADOW-TEACHING FOR US HERE TODAY IN NEW BLOOD-COVENANT TIMES AND THAT INCLUDES YAHUSHA'S PEOPLE BEING FULL-BLOOD-WASHED AND ANOINTED PRIESTS AND SERVANTS OF HIS WORD ...

BUT WHAT IS A PRIEST? ... AND

ARE YOU REALLY ONE?

HEBREW UNDERSTANDING:

224 - Urim, the oracular brilliancy of the figures in the High-Priest's Breastplate.

8550 - Thummim, perfections, one of the objects in the High-Priest's Breastplate was an emblem of complete Truth.

646 - A girdle, the ephod or High-Priest's shoulder-piece.

3547 - To officiate as a Priest - to put on regalia (wear the clothing / armour).

3548 - One officiating, a Priest, chief ruler, prince, principal officer.

4397 - To despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically an Angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher) - ambassador, King.

4701 - A tiara, i.e. official turban (of a King or High Priest):--diadem, mitre.

4899 - Anointed, usually a consecrated person (as a King, Priest, or Disciple); specifically, the Messiah - the anointed one.

7218 - To shake; the head (as most easily shaken).

SCRIPTURE UNDERSTANDING:

1 PETER 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a Royal Priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light".

REVELATION 1:6 "Yahusha has made us Sovereigns and Priests to Yahuah His Father ... to Him be esteem and rule forever and ever".

1 TIMOTHY 2:5-7 "For there is one Mediator between Yahuah and man, the man Messiah Yahusha, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be witnessed in His own seasons".

NUMBERS 18:7 "Aaron, you and your sons may serve as Priests. You are the only ones who can go near the altar or behind the curtain into the Most Set-Apart Place. I am giving you a gift—your service as a Priest. Anyone else who tries to come too close must be killed".

1 PETER 2:5 "You also, as living stones, are being built up, a Spiritual-like house, a Set-Apart Priesthood to offer up spiritual-like offerings (behaviour), acceptable to Yahuah through Yahusha Messiah".

REVELATION 5:10 "And made us Kings and Priests to our Yahuah. And we will reign upon the earth".

MALACHI 2:7 "For the lips of a Priest should guard knowledge, and they seek the Word from his mouth, for He is the messenger of Yahusha of Hosts".

REVELATION 20:6 "Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the First Resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, that they will be Priests of Yahuah and of Messiah, and will reign with Him a thousand years".

ROMANS 12:1 "I call upon you, therefore brothers, through the compassion of Yahuah, to present your bodies a living sacrifice - set-apart, well pleasing to Yahusha - this is your reasonable worship".

HEBREWS 5:10 "Having been designated by Yahusha, a High-Priest, “according to the order of Melchizedek”.

HEBREWS 5:6 "He also says in another place, “You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek".

HEBREWS 8:3 "For every High-Priest is ordered to offer gifts and slaughters. So it was also necessary for this One (Yahusha) to have something to offer".

HEBREWS 6:20 "Where Yahusha has entered for a forerunner for us, having become High-Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek".

SUMMARY:

Reviewing the Hebrew understanding of the meaning of a Priest, and the behaviour/duties of the Aaronic Priesthood, we compare them through Scripture to Yahusha's Priestly order of Melchizedek. Understanding that Yahusha as High Priest of Heaven, FULFILLED EVERY PROCESS of the Levitical Aaronic Priesthood (duties and services through the shedding of His perfect, precious blood). Therefore, all power is given to Him on Heaven and earth, because He conquered death, (which is an abomination to Him .. ie ... the death of His creation).

The Aaronic Priesthood was chosen through family blood-ties. Yahusha's Priesthood is made up of sinners entering His New Covenant, by His blood-sacrifice. This is called the Melchizedek Priesthood. These sinners chosen by Yahusha must receive a personal calling by His voice. They REPENT, GET IMMERSED, receive His SPIRITUAL SEED, activated by feeding on the water of the Word, which grows them to perfection/maturity.

Yahusha said, "Your body is now the temple", therefore all the services in the Tabernacle and Temple have been TRANSPOSED INTO OUR BODILY TEMPLE into Covenant Behaviour. Every Scripture speaks of the behaviour of the Word, and every Priest must behave according to Scriptural instruction. If they don't, they are disqualified.

You cannot enter Yahusha's Melchizedek Priesthood unless called by Him and SUBMIT YOUR BODY to sacrifice the self and live only according to His instructions. Yahusha tests us on our commitment. These chosen are actually His Bride, and nothing to do with church, religion, god or jesus christ. 'The only Name given to men whereby they can be delivered from the power of sin and Satan is Yahusha Messiah'.

HE RAISES PEOPLE UP TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE UPON THEIR COMMITMENT AND STEADFASTNESS !!

We have to understand why Yahusha changed His Covenant and Temple-worship to bring all those sacrificial behaviours and priestly duties into a New Covenant where your body becomes the Temple. No one can start a church/assembly without the supernatural presence of Yahusha. Everything He does within His Bride is a SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE. As the Priest of old could only enter behind the veil once a year, we have access to enter His Throne Room at anytime because of the SUPERNATURAL RELATIONSHIP!

Therefore, no-one can enter the Bride and profess any sort of ministry unless they are CLEAN OF SIN, just as the Aaronic Priests had to be clean before going behind the veil, so must we before we approach His Throne, otherwise our behaviour and prayers will be UNACCEPTABLE. This is the experience that the church/assembly is missing ... i.e ... the Supernatural.

YAHUSHA TOOK UPON HIMSELF EVERY SIN IN THE WORLD, HE CONQUERED SATAN'S POWER, HE DELIVERS HIS CHOSEN AND GIVES THEM SUPERNATURAL POWER TO OVERCOME SATAN'S WORKS/ BEHAVIOURS IN OUR LIVES, THROUGH HIS WORD.

WHAT WE ARE SAYING .... is that when Yahusha was present on earth, through his BEHAVIOUR, He conquered Satan and death. ... He went into the Shamayim (Heaven), Satan and his demons were cast out into the earth and Yahusha cleansed all Shamayim with His blood, so that His true presence and radiant light could be known. Angels are constantly praising Him, giving Him esteem with what He achieved on earth. Yahusha said, "All power is given to Me in Heaven and on earth!" ... This statement declares who He really is: The King of all kings and ruler of all domains.

The Aaronic Priesthood in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, was brought to its highest place that any Kingdom ever reached on earth at that time. They had the presence of Yahuah, the wisest man on earth, Solomon and the wealth of all the nations. It was a glorious and magnificent thing to see and be there. Of course Israel failed and went into idolatry and lost everything, proving themselves to be adulterous. Everyone was scattered, so was the knowledge of the Blood-Covenant, taking Israel into captivity, and Yahuah divorced His Bride Israel.

When Yahusha was on earth, His BEHAVIOUR is the forerunner of His New Blood-Covenant and Priesthood. Yahusha fulfilled all prophesies and gave us the understanding ... everything to do with the Tabernacle is to do with Him!

AS HE IS GIVEN ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO SET-UP AND RE-ESTABLISH THE NEW PRIESTHOOD. IT IS CALLED THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD. HE HAS TRANSPOSED THE DUTIES AND BEHAVIOURS OF THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD, INTO A NEW TEMPLE WHICH IS CALLED OUR BODY. THROUGH HIS WORDS AND BEHAVIOUR, HE SHOWS US HOW THE NEW TEMPLE, OUR BODY, CAN HAVE HIS SUPERNATURAL GLORIOUS PRESENCE WITHIN US, AND BY FOLLOWING HIS WORDS AND BEHAVIOUR WE HAVE ACCESS AND POWER JUST AS HE DID.

So the Tabernacle and Temple teachings through the New Priesthood have been fulfilled in Yahusha and are still functioning through the New Blood-Covenant. It is vital that we understand this process.

YAHUSHA'S BRIDE ARE NOW THE TRUE SUPERNATURALLY ANOINTED PRIESTHOOD AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK (YAHUSHA HIMSELF) ..... SERVING AS BOTH PRIESTS AND THE TEMPLE THROUGH A NEW AND LIVING WAY: THEIR DAILY BEHAVIOUR!

ARE YOU BEHAVING LIKE A PRIEST, TEACHING YAHUSHA'S WORDS, GIVING OVER (SACRIFICING) YOUR BODIES DAILY (THE BULLS OF YOUR LIPS) CHECKING YOUR THOUGHTS - SEEKING TO HEAR YAHUSHA'S VOICE AND MOVE WITH HIS SUPERNATURAL PROCESSES THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY? CALLING OUT SIN WHERE NEEDED?

OR ARE YOU MERELY LIVING YOUR OWN FLESHLY EXISTENCE DAY AFTER DAY? REAPING CONSEQUENCES AND CURSES BY IGNORING YAHUSHA AND MAYBE EVEN CALLING WHAT HE SAYS IS EVIL ... GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE ...

ARE YOU A PRIEST OF YAHUSHA OR SATAN !!

ONLY YOUR BEHAVIOUR WILL TELL !!