The highest title ascribed to Christ in any dispensation other than that of the Mystery

is that of "A Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec". This Priesthood is superior

to that of Aaron. It functions at the right hand of God, its sphere is the true Tabernacle

which God pitched and not man, namely "heaven itself", and it combines the two offices

of King and Priest. Just as water cannot rise above its own level, so no calling can rise

above that set by Christ, and thus the calling that recognizes Him as King-Priest is itself

`a kingdom of Priests', "A holy nation and a royal priesthood". It is significant that

throughout the Prison Epistles Christ is never called either `King' or "Priest', even as it is

equally true that the church of that calling is never called a kingdom although not outside

the Kingdom of God or a priesthood, but is called the Body of Christ. Argument from

the absence of terms, like arguing from a negative is in most cases suspect, but in this

particular it cannot be said that a `kingdom' is never mentioned in the Prison Epistles.

We read in Eph. 5: 5 of "The kingdom of Christ and of God", in Col. 1: 13 and 4: 11

of "The kingdom of His dear Son" and of "The kingdom of God", and in II Tim. 4: 1

and 18, "His appearing and His kingdom", and "His heavenly kingdom".

In the epistles of Paul other than the four great prison epistles, a "kingdom" is

mentioned nine times, but the only passage where Christ can be said to have the title

King is I Tim. 6: 15, where however the exhibition of the title is spoken of as a future

event "Which in His times He shall show, Who is that blessed and only potentate, the

King of kings, and Lord of lords", yet even this passage can only be spoken of as of

Christ by inference. The epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians contain passages

that seem to demand the work of a Priest, such as `acceptance', `access', `made nigh',

`offer', yet there is not a single reference outside of Hebrews to Christ as a Priest. In

epistles before and after Acts 28:, Christ is represented as `seated at the right hand of

God', yet never, outside of Hebrews is the office of priest mentioned. If a `dominion'

and a `coronation' are indications of the presence of a king, then Adam was a king. The

`dominion' given to him is the translation of the Hebrew radah, a word translated

elsewhere `reign' and `rule' and used of Christ "the King's Son" in Psa. 72: 8. The

word translated `crowned' in Psa. 8: 5 is the Hebrew atar, which is the verb form of

atarah "the king's crown" (II Sam. 12: 30). Adam, however, is never once spoken of as

a king. He was a figure of Him that was to come, and can be spoken of with propriety as

HEAD of the human race, and as such he embraced all that kingship can mean, but much

more. Noah not only had dominion in his degree (Gen. 9: 2) but he offered sacrifices

with acceptance (Gen. 8: 20, 21). The word `sweet' which is used of the savour of the

sacrifice offered is employed throughout the O.T. to indicate the `savour' or `odour' of

sacrifice. We should therefore not be surprised to find that Noah was called a priest. Yet

he is never so called. He can be, however, designated as Adam was before him, head of

the race of which those delivered from the flood were the progenitors. Abraham was the

father of `kings' (Gen. 17: 6) and even of THE KING, the Lord Himself, Who was,