The Priesthood of All Believers
Ancient Israel was a kingdom of priests to God.
Ex 19:5-6 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.
When we come to faith and get baptised, we too are consecrated as priests unto God.
Rev 1:5-6 And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Once we’re consecrated we can start functioning in our priestly duties as per the pattern of the Tabernacle.
Note: Our priesthood, like that of the nation of Israel, is different to the priesthood of Aaron and his sons the Cohens (priests). Only they are permitted to function as priests in the physical tabernacle and temple. We are to use the principles of the tabernacle to approach God but we’re not permitted to administer sacrifices in a physical temple.
Our priesthood relates to Ourselves and our Gatherings
1Cor 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (set apart), which temple you are.
1Cor 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Eph 2:19-22 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in יהוה, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The Lampstand
Another important distinction to understand is that the lampstand and the lamps are separate. They are different things. One is a container for the other.
Ex 25:31-32 “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.”
Ex 25:37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.
The Lampstand in the tabernacle represents the assembly, the people of God
John’s revelation explains the lampstand…
Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven assemblies.
Each believer is a branch of the lampstand and the Holy Spirit is the lamps on the lampstand…
The Lamps are the Holy Spirit – the seven Spirits of God
Again, John’s revelation explains the lamps…
Rev 4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Isa 11:2 The (1) Spirit of יהוה shall rest upon Him (Messiah), The Spirit of (2) wisdom and (3) understanding, The Spirit of (4) counsel and (5) might, The Spirit of (6) knowledge and of (7) the fear of יהוה.
The seven Spirits of God are the Holy Spirit and His various manifestations.
2 Cor 4:6-7 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
The body of Christ is the lampstand (earthen vessels), God the Holy Spirit is the lamps that shine in our hearts, giving us knowledge of Yeshua the showbread through His Torah.
We see this beautifully demonstrated at Pentecost:
Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house (the Temple) where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The believers were assembled in the Temple for the Day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit came, filled the Temple and lit His lamps on each of them – the perfect pattern of the heavenly Tabernacle! Even the language “sat” gives the picture of lamps sitting on the branches of the lampstand. The Holy Spirit’s lamps came onto the entire assembly, every branch was lit up, not just one person at the front.
Individually we’re priests unto God, corporately we’re a lampstand, each one of us being a branch of the lampstand, a vessel containing the light giving Holy Spirit (the lamps).
Nicolaitanism
One of the great challenges with the church system is that it is hierarchical – a system Christ has forbidden and which in fact He hates – Nicolaitanism.
Rev 2:6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:15-16 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
So one assembly wasn’t Nicolaitan and yet another was. What is a Nicolaitan assembly?
Greek: ‘Nico’ means conqueror and ‘laitos’ means people. Nicolaitanism is the systematic subjugation of the people under a hierarchical authoritarian religious system.
John gives us an example of an assembly suffering under a Nicolaitan
3 John 1:9-10 I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the assembly.
Matt 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-43 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.”
Luke 22:25-26 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.”
Matt 23:8-11 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’ (my master); for One is your Master, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father (Pope / Father / Reverend / Bishop / Pastor / Apostle / Prophet / Evangelist / Teacher / Elder etc); for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called Masters; for One is your Master, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Christ is to have the Preeminence in all things, He is our Master
Col 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
It doesn’t matter whether your church is run by elders, a pastor, a reverend, a bishop or a pope, they are all structures with hierarchy, authority and control mechanisms – exercising authority. They all exhibit the same characteristics as Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence.
Any hierarchical system is Nicolaitan because it exercises authority over people. Christ forbids any form of hierarchy in His body. He alone is the Head of His body, He alone has the preeminence, He alone has the authority, we are all brethren (equals) who must obey the Head and no one else.
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
We are in the kingdom of God, we are consecrated kings and priests (Rev 1:6). The only king a king bows to is the King of kings. We are only to obey our King, we are not to set up kings to rule over us.
1 Sam 8:19-20 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge (exercise authority) us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
1 Sam 8:7 And יהוה said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”
Hos 8:4 They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold they made idols for themselves — that they might be cut off.
The very notion of being a “leader” in a gathering is unbiblical
Matt 23:8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
For great insights into the Nicolaitan free practices of the New Testament assembly read:
Reimagining Church by Frank Viola
So what does Nicolaitanism have to do with the tabernacle?
A lot!
As the assembly we are the seven branched lampstand in the tabernacle. If one person is in control of the assembly or is running a service, we have at best only one branch with one lamp burning on the lampstand. That’s not a lot of light (if any!). The biblical model has all branches burning their lamps brightly under the control of the Holy Spirit.
In fact in the parable of the foolish virgins, those who didn’t have oil in their lamps didn’t make it to the marriage supper of the Lamb and the Bridegroom said “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matt 25:1-13)
1 Cor 12:7-11 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
It’s clear the Holy Spirit distributes Himself amongst the members of the assembly according to His will and not man’s. If your assembly is not operating according to the above pattern, it is unbiblical.
To gain the full benefit and power of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings, we need to ensure every member’s lamp is burning. To the extent that even one person is not participating or is not free to participate in our services, we are limiting the work and light of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings. This helps explain why we don’t have the presence and power in our churches that we see in the New Testament assemblies.
1 Cor 14:26-31 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
It’s clear scripture intends all branches on the lampstand to burn their lamps brightly and actively participate in all services (whenever you come together). We all get to judge what we hear because there is safety in a multitude of counselors.
Prov 11:14 Where there is no counsel (Holy Spirit), the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors (the Spirit of God acting through the entire body) there is safety.
That way our lampstand will shine brightly, with all seven Spirits of God (the Holy Spirit) fully free to function among us, and we will see the showbread (Yeshua the Torah) with greater clarity.
Is this how your gatherings function?
How many branches at your lampstand are permitted to burn their lamp?
Does Yeshua have the preeminence?
Does your branch have any oil in it?
Will the Bridegroom recognize you?