times--a number that we have already noticed earlier in this series--"Great Priest",

(megan), once (Heb. 10: 21); and "High Priest" seventeen times, and so interwoven with

the theme of Hebrews is this thought of "Priesthood" that the teaching of chapters 5:,

7:, 8:, 9: and 10: demand continual reference to "priests", while chapters 2:, 3:, 4:,

5:, 6:, 7:, 8:, 9: and 13: necessitate continual reference to the "High Priest".

Words are counters; they are index fingers; their inclusion or exclusion from any

reasonable piece of writing indicates its general trend. Any treatise, letter or book

dealing with such matters as War, Finance, Religion and Logic would of necessity

include certain specific terms and exclude others, and if the treatise, letter or book were

of the length of either Hebrews or Ephesians, the subject-matter of the title could be

deduced from a collation of the distinctive words employed. If the theme of Hebrews

necessitated the constant use of the words "Priest" and "High Priest", that fact would go a

long way to indicate the character of its teaching. If to this it be added that Ephesians

contains neither of these words, that additional fact would go a long way to indicate that

the essential theme of Ephesians differed from Hebrews. Further, if it be observed that in

the whole of Paul's writings (thirteen epistles) there is not one occurrence of the word

"Priest" or "High Priest", the evidence for the difference between his apostolic ministry

as covered by the thirteen epistles and this letter to the Hebrews is still further increased,

and when we remember that the same writer, Paul, is responsible for the use, or non use,

of these words, and that the use, or non use, is controlled not only by Paul's

reasonableness, and Paul's faithfulness, but by inspiration of God (II Tim. 3: 16;

II Pet. 3: 16), then the evidence for the difference in calling and sphere of Hebrews and

Ephesians becomes overwhelming.

Before we can appreciate the use or non use of the word "Priest" in these epistles, it

will be necessary to consider the testimony of Scripture concerning the office of the

Priest and its relation to Israel and the nations. The epistle to the Hebrews itself provides

evidence that, long before Israel's time, the idea of Priesthood was entertained by the

nations, for Melchisedec was a "King-Priest" at the time of Abraham (Gen. 14: 18-20).

There is much to be said concerning the Melchisedec priesthood (Heb. 5: 11), but the

present is not the time of it. There were priests in Egypt in the days of Joseph

(Gen. 46: 20) and in Midian in the days of Moses (Exod. 2: 16) yet, out of the 725

occurrences where the word kohen is translated "priest", at least 700 refer to the

priesthood of Israel. If under the law of Moses the offering of sacrifice, and the building

of an altar is the work of a priest, this was by no means the case before the introduction of

the "law of commandments and carnal ordinances" introduced after the breaking of the

stones of the covenant at Sinai.

Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice, yet he was no priest. Noah offered a burnt

offering upon an altar,  and distinguishes between clean and unclean animals

(Gen. 8: 20). Job, too, as the head of his family "sent and sanctified his children" and

"offered burnt offerings" on their behalf (Job 1: 5). Upon his entry into the land of

promise Abraham also "built an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord" (Gen. 12: 7,

8), and is seen arranging the sacrifices at the time of the great promise (Gen. 15: 9-21).

Isaac built an altar (Gen. 26: 25), and Jacob built an altar at Shalem (Gen. 33: 20),