Question Corner by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 9, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 23.

Question Corner.

By Editor

"If ye will inquire, inquire ye." "But avoid foolish questions."

[From time to time we will reply under this head, if deemed advisable, to such candid inquiries as may be sent us. Correspondents wishing a reply to their questions must give their full name and address, not for publication unless they wish, but as an evidence of good faith on their part, and to give us opportunity to reply by letter if deemed best. It is always well to inclose stamp. Let the questions be short and pointed, and such as may be answered in limited space. The questions will be numbered continuously.]

137. THE LEVITICAL AND MELCHISEDEC PRIESTHOOD.

WHAT was the real object of the Levitical priesthood? Why couldn't the Melchisedec priesthood continue? I find in "Bible Readings," page 176, we have the Melchisedec priesthood before and after the Levitical priesthood. Was it in order that the plan of salvation could be more fully made known, and that Christ was to come down to this earth and leave his priesthood in heaven? If there had not been a Levitical priesthood on this earth would it have been possible for Christ to come to this earth as he did? Where did the children of God in the Melchisedec priesthood have the law of God written—in their hearts, just the same as after Christ?

The object of the Levitical priesthood was to a great extent the same as that of all priesthoods. "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." Heb. 5:1, 2.

After man sinned, the righteous patriarch of the family combined in himself the offices of priest and king, and sometimes of prophet. Noah was the ruler and priest of his family. Abraham was of his, Jacob of his. Melchisedec's age entitled him to precedence over Abraham. When Israel died, whose sons were each to become the heads of tribes, these offices were divided. Judah became the ruler, Levi the priest. The priesthood, its ceremonies, its ritual, became more full, complete, and elaborate than the patriarchal priesthood. But, like the patriarchal priesthood, it was typical of the priesthood of Christ, and its sanctuary of the heavenly sanctuary. The sacrifices which they offered—the blood of bulls and goats—could not take away sins, could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience (Heb. 9:9; 10:4); for the priests were themselves doomed to death and liable to sin.

The Levitical priesthood was, however, but a partial type of Christ's priesthood. Christ was both king and priest, and no one succeeded him in his priesthood. But in the Levitical priesthood the priests were many, not being suffered to continue, by reason of death (Heb. 7:23), and the rulership at that time was in Judah. Therefore, while in making offerings for the people each high priest typified Christ, he was far from being a perfect type. Christ was not, therefore, a priest after the order of Aaron, or Levi. But in Melchisedec we have a perfect type of Christ. We have no account of his genealogy, his beginning of days or end of life. We know of no one who preceded him in his priesthood or succeeded him. He was king of peace, because he was king of righteousness. In all this he was a type of Christ, who is "our peace" (Eph. 2:14), "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer. 23:6), a priest-king upon his Father's throne (Zech. 6:12, 13; Rev. 3:21); and his priesthood does not pass to another (Heb. 7:24, margin).

It has been God's design, and that design has been carried out wherever there has been living faith, to write his law in the hearts of all in all dispensations. Because his law was on tables of stone during the Levitical dispensation, it does not argue that it was not in the hearts of his people. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart," says the Psalmist, "that I might not sin against thee."

Just what would have been, or what would not have been, if things had been thus or so, we do not know. All God's plans are the best and wisest for the time and place and circumstances. All the types of the past looked forward to the better time. Heb. 9:9, 10; 11:39, 40. We can afford to trust God, knowing that he always does the very best he can consistent with the free will of ignorant and perverse humanity.