and another at Bethel, by the command of God (Gen. 35: 1-7), and, last, but by no

means least, the great Sacrifice of the Passover was offered by the head of each family,

no priest being mentioned or necessary. In the Scriptures Priesthood is not introduced by

Divine command until the consecration of Aaron and his sons, recorded in Exod. 29:

Before that consecration, priests are mentioned in Exod. 19: 22 and 24, but these seem

to have occupied the same sort of position that was given to David's sons as recorded in

II Sam. 8: 18, where the words "chief rulers" is the Hebrew word kohen, or to Zabud in

I Kings 4: 5, where the words "principal officer" is the Hebrew word kohen. This

unusual use of the word kohen, ordinarily translated "priest", appears to hark back to the

primitive idea contained in the root meaning of the word, which signifies either "to

present oneself, or to present something or someone else" (J. M. A. in the Comp. Bib.

Dict.). It is a matter of scriptural testimony and not of inference or deduction, that only

priesthood recognized in Israel under the law of Moses was the Levitical priesthood, of

which the High Priest's office was given to the family of Aaron, and the Priesthood to the

tribe of Levi (Heb. 5: 4; 7: 5, 14).

When we turn to the epistle to the Ephesians, however, those belonging to the sphere

and calling there administered are seen to have been "redeemed" and to have been "made

nigh" by blood (Eph. 1: 7; 2: 13). They themselves constitute a "holy temple in the

Lord" and a "habitation of God in spirit" (Eph. 2: 21, 22). This company are "called

saints" (Eph. 1: 1), and find their inheritance "in the saints" and "of the saints" (Eph. 1: 18;

2: 19), yet without the intervention of a priest. This company has access, yea, boldness

of access, with confidence, but no priest is found necessary to open the way. In the

practical section, Christ is said to have "given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice

to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Eph. 5: 2), and in the same practical section He is

said to have sanctified and cleansed the church, and will present it unto Himself . . . . .

holy and without blemish (Eph. 5: 26, 27). Yet in chapter 1: Christ is set forth not as

"High Priest" but as "Head" and the church is set forth as His "body". This two-fold title

occurs again in chapter 5:, and the "one body" is prominent in chapter 2: The calling

of the church of the mystery is not typified in the types and shadows of the law. The

extraordinary insistence upon Priesthood found everywhere in the law of Moses finds its

echo in but one epistle of Paul, namely in the epistle to the Hebrews. The earlier

position, namely that of head of a family, set forth by Noah, Job, Abraham, Isaac and

Jacob before the law, is more in line with the relationship that Christ holds to the church

to-day. Instead of indicating an enrichment, the addition of the Levitical priesthood was

a sure indication of failure. No perfection was possible or intended under the Levitical

priesthood, which was made after the law of a carnal commandment (Heb. 7: 11, 16).

In the case of Israel, Christ, by being a priest after the order of Melchisedec, fulfils the

office foreshadowed with such frailty by Aaron's priesthood. No such order is needed by

the Gentiles who come under the dispensation of the mystery; they find all, and more

than Israel can find in the King-Priest, in their ascended Head.

As space is precious, we will leave recapitulation of the findings of the preceding

articles until we reach the closing articles of the series, but the reader who is in any doubt

is advised to re-read what has previously been advanced so that the cumulative force of

the comparisons made may be felt.