[mfblume]

The Book of Hebrews is the source for all information about this issue. The third verse in the entire book lays it out clearly.

Heb 1: (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

His work of purging our sins is clearly involving His High Priestly duties. But it is easy to miss the fact that the second portion of the issue is not recognized as High Priestly duties as well.

...sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high

All of this can only be understood in light of the truth regarding His priesthood after the order of Melchisedek.

Melchisedek was a perfect type of Jesus' present ministry as High Priest, whereas Aaron's Priesthood simply fell short. Aaron only particpated in purging of sins, albeit only for a year, in atonement. But Aaron died, and Aaron's priesthood ended. However, Christ is foreshadowed more perfectly by Melchisedek.

Melchisedek was both king and priest at the same time. Zechariah foretold Christ's ministry as Priest WHILE SITTING ON THE THRONE. This shows there is a priesthood that occurs even now since Christ is still King on His throne. And it shows the priesthood after the orde rof Melchisedek DID NOT OCCUR WITH CHRIST until He sat down on the throne.

Now, opponents of this thought propose that Christ was acting as priest before He ever sat down on the throne. They point to the death and resurrection. That is not the case. HE WAS SACRIFICE THEN. NOT PRIEST.

Zec 6:13 KJVR Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Hebrews said that Christ purged our sins and sat down on the throne of majesty on high. This is referring to His Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedek. There is no record of Melchisedek's death, nor genealogy, when genealogy was EVERYTHING in Aaron's Levitical priesthood. This starts to point us in the right direction as to the nature of the priesthood.

Heb 7:1-3 KJVR For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; (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 God; abideth a priest continually.

Since Christ continues past His death on into His priesthood, Aaron's priesthood fails to typify Him. Aaron's priesthood could only bring redemption and continue until Aaron's death, but Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us!

Heb 7:25 KJVR Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Melchisedek's lack of record of death is a type of Christ's never ending priesthood. Christ EVER LIVETH IN ORDER TO MAKE INTERCESSION. His intercession was not solely through his death! It CONTINUES ON today! But it is not for redemption, since that is already our's. He intercedes now, and is High Priest on the throne NOW, for victory in day to day living AFTER we are saved.

People WHO COME TO HIM NOW are able to be saved to the uttermost BECAUSE HE LIVES NOW AS INTERCESSOR for them. If He was only intercessor for them at his death, we would not read of Him EVER living to make intercession, and we would not read that this is the reason people who COME TO HIM NOW can be saved to the uttermost!

Bro Alicea,

Ths next verse speaks of the same thing that saving to the uttermost speaks about.

Heb 6:18-20 KJV That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (20) Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Entrance into the most holy place is entering practical victory in our lives. We all are more than conquerors just because we're in Christ. But not very many enjoy that practically. Entrance into the most holy place is a picture of entering this actual victory in our daily living.

Hebrews 8 also mentions this practical victory status. It speaks about Christ's priesthood in the better covenant in contrast to Aaron's. Aaron's priesthood only got people so far and it was due to the law associated with that priesthood. Every where we look in Hebrews, we see the transcendency of grace and our covenant. But people miss the aspect of full and practical victory in our daily living.

Heb 8: (6) But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (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 saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, 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, saith the Lord. (10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

The failure of LAW was that it did not empower the people TO CONTINUE. They failed. They could not live up to law. That is what it means when we read "they continued not in my covenant".

And since that was the problem with Law, and that was its FAULT, when we read that God would INSTEAD write His law into our hearts, we must realize that writing it into our hearts is the REMEDY for the failure.

That is what "saving to the uttermost" means as well, Dan.

One thing all are also missing, is that Aaron could not DWELL in the holiest as Priest. Christ does DWELL there as PRIEST. People are dropping off the aspect of His priesthood when they regard Christ as dwelling in glory now. They just view Him as God in that. But the context teaches that HE IS STLL PRIEST in the holiest and DWELLS THERE. I would say this is pointing to Him being Priest while on the throne. He SITS ON THE THRONE THAT IS REPRESENTED BY THE ARK'S MERCYSEAT.

Hebrews 10 mentions the fact that Christ's single offering has perfected forever those who are sanctified. We are complete in Him. But this needs to come out into our behaviour. And that cannot happen unless we GET this truth in our hearts and realize the impact it is saying. Here is where our CONSCIENCES require purging.

His blood paid for it all, but people who struggle and are self-defeating do not have their consciences purged. Their unnecessary guilt causes them to not even considering living up to what I am proposing we can live up to, as one of many examples. Hebrews 10 is repeating the emphasis of the fullness of Christ's work in order to encourage our faith and get us out of this self-defeating mode caused by lack of understanding. SO THAT OUR CONSCIENCES CAN BE PURGED.

Once we get the confidence that these truths about His single offeirng for sin are trying to give to us, we will ENTER THE HOLIEST WITH BOLDNESS. Now, this refers to more than our standing with Christ.

Is everyone entering the throneroom with boldness? NO! Why? Their consciences are still EVIL. Hebrews calls a conscience that destroys the victory in people's hearts, by making them think such things as "I am no good," an "evil conscience. It contradicts the truths of who we are since our salvation. So it is evil. It needs to be purged by TRUTH.

Heb 10:1-2 KJV 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. (2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

Heb 10:18-23 KJV Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (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 God; (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. (23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised

Brother, people WAVER today. They lack full assurance. Their hearts are not sprinkled from an evil consience. Their evil consciences taint and mar their hearts and rob them of faith and confidence that they can live powerfully right now.

His priestly intercession revolves around THESE NEEDS.