THE OFFICE OF PRIEST
Today, Jesus no longer functions in the office of Prophet. Today, He is functioning in His second office, the office of Priest. Whereas a prophet speaks from God to man, a priest speaks for man to God.
A. Description of the Office
The office of a priest is the office of a mediator. In the Old Testament, the mediator was required do two things. Just as a prophet’s office had two facets, foretelling and forth telling, so also the priest’s office had two facets: to sacrifice and to intercede.
A priest was someone who was duly qualified to minister in sacred things as spelled out in Hebrews 5:1. This ministry involved two things: first, he was to offer a sacrifice at the Altar; and secondly, to act as a mediator between God and man. Just as the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be a Prophet, it also predicted that the Messiah would be a Priest (Palsms. 110:4; Zech. 6:13).
The fact that Jesus fulfilled the priestly office is taught throughout the Book of Hebrews. In fact, the only book in the New Testament that actually calls Yeshua a Priest is the Book of Hebrews, and it does so twelve times. According to Hebrews 3:1, Yeshua fulfilled the office of Priest.
The Book of Hebrews teaches eleven things about the Priesthood of Jesus.
First, it was a Melchizedekian Priesthood, which meant that Yeshua could be both Priest and King (5:6; 6:19-20; 7:1-28).
Secondly, the Priesthood of Jesus was sinless which was not true of the Levitical Priesthood (4:15).
Thirdly, the Priesthood of Yeshua is eternal (7:25).
Fourthly, the Priesthood of Jesus began at the cross (9:14; 12:24).
Fifth, His Priesthood is not transitory (7:11-14), but immutable (7:20-22).
Sixth, it is not temporary, but uninterrupted (7:23-25); He is going to hold it forever (7:15-19).
Seventh, Yeshua clearly qualified for this office (1:3).
Eighth, He was divinely appointed by God to this office (5:5-10).
Ninth, His Priesthood is efficacious in that it will accomplish what it sets out to do, and that is to remove sin (10:4).
Tenth, it will continue after the Ascension, and so continues to this day (4:14; 6:20; 8:1).
And eleventh, it is an exalted Priesthood (9:14).
B. Present Fulfilment of the Office Today
Yeshua is fulfilling the function of Priest. Yeshua fulfilled both functions of the priesthood. First, in the area of sacrifice, He is both the sacrifice and the sacrificer (Hebrews. 9:11-15, 24-28; 10:12-14; I Cor. 5:7). The sacrifice of the Messiah accomplished three things: redemption (Rom. 3:24-25); propitiation (I Jn. 2:2); and reconciliation (Rom. 5:10; II Cor. 5:18-21).
When Jesus fulfilled the first function of a priest, it was with a once and for all sacrifice, and He is no longer offering sacrifices. The second function of a priest was to intercede. That is what Yeshua is doing to the present day; He is interceding for us (Rom. 8:34; Hebrews. 7:25).
Because Yeshua did a once for all sacrifice, He is not sacrificing anymore, however, He is still interceding. He is no longer a sacrificing Priest, but an interceding Priest. He intercedes for believers and will continue to intercede until the Second Coming.
Source: Come and See series The Offices of the Messiah Pages 4-5. By Arnold Fruchtenbaum