In order to see what the function of the divine life is, we have to see more concerning the priesthood. The priesthood is a very important matter in the Scriptures. We must consider what a priest is, what the life of a priest is, and what the function of a priest is. Moreover, we may ask who were the first priests in the Bible, who are the last priests, and what is the difference between a priest, a king, and a prophet. Last, we must ask what the relationship is between the priesthood and the image and authority of God. If we can find out these seven matters, we will be deeply impressed with the priesthood. This has very much to do with our function as Christians. Many Christians today do not function properly mostly due to their lack in apprehending these seven points.
It is not sufficient to say that a priest is simply a person who serves God. Rather, we must say that a priest is a person who serves God through Christ as the reality of the offerings (Lev. 1—7). A Gentile priest is one who serves God without Christ, but a genuine priest of God is one who serves God with Christ, through Christ, and by Christ.
Moreover, a priest is a person who enjoys Christ. The priests eat what they offer as the sacrifices. The serving ones serve God with Christ and through Christ, and they enjoy Christ. The offerings in Leviticus are for the enjoyment both of God and of the offering priest. The burnt offering was wholly burnt unto God; nothing was left as a share for the priest (Lev. 1:3, 9). However, the greater part of the meal offering was for the enjoyment of the priest (2:1-3; 6:16-18). Of the peace offering, the greater parts, the breast and the right thigh, were to be eaten by the priests (7:34). The right thigh signifies strength, and the breast signifies love. Both of these parts as a heave offering and wave offering were for the enjoyment of the priest. Likewise, part of the sin offering and trespass offering were for God, but much of them was to be eaten by the offering priest (6:25-26; 7:1, 6).
A priest is also a person who lives by Christ. His eating is Christ, his clothing is Christ, and his dwelling is Christ. People today always speak of eating, clothing, and housing. A priest, however, eats the offerings, that is, Christ. In addition, every item of the priests clothing signifies Christ. They truly put on Christ as their clothing. Their dwelling place is the tabernacle, which also signifies Christ. Therefore, their eating, clothing, housing, and their everything is Christ.
A priest is a person who contacts God in the mingling with God. The priest’s passing through the Holy Place and into the Holy of Holies is his contact with God, and this contact is not in himself but in a mingling with God. A priest’s contact with God is in God. That is, as he contacts God, he is mingled with God, not objectively but subjectively. This is very deep. Today as the priests, when we go to contact God, we contact Him not merely objectively but also subjectively. We do not contact God apart from God; we contact God in God, that is, in the mingling with God. The whole atmosphere within the tabernacle is God. Therefore, when the priest goes into the tabernacle, he is in God to contact God, and God is also in Him. We may compare this to contacting air. We do not contact air as we would a book. Instead, we contact the air by being in the air. Moreover, the air is also in us, so we are mingled with the air. Likewise, if we jump into a stream and take it in, we are covered by the water, and we are also filled with the water. Similarly, we contact God in the mingling with God.
A priest is one who is absolutely and thoroughly mingled with God. Everything in the atmosphere of the tabernacle, including the smoke, flavor, and substance of the offerings, signifies an aspect of God. For the priest to come into the tabernacle signifies a person coming into God. Once the priest is in the tabernacle, the atmosphere, the flavor, and even the shekinah glory gets into him, producing a mingling of the priest with God. When Moses stayed in such a condition with God for forty days and forty nights, he was shining (Exo. 34:28-30). God shined out through him because he was mingled with God.