In His ascension Christ was also made the High Priest in the heavens. Hebrews 4:14 says that we have a “great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.” The Lord came from God to us through incarnation, and then He went back from us to God through resurrection and ascension to be our High Priest to bear us in the presence of God and to care for all our needs (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15). Therefore, Hebrews 7:26 says, “For such a High Priest befits us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and become higher than the heavens.” In His ascension Christ passed through the heavens; now He is not only in heaven (Heb. 9:24), but is also higher than the heavens, far above all heavens (Eph. 4:10). In His ascension He was inaugurated into His priestly office. When He was on earth, He did not carry on His priestly ministry as He is now doing in the heavens.
It is significant that in the book of Revelation Christ is unveiled first not as the Administrator, but as the Priest. Revelation 1:13 says, “In the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet.” On the one hand, Christ is the High Priest interceding in the heavens for the churches (Heb. 7:25-26; Rom. 8:34); on the other hand, He is the High Priest moving in the churches to care for them. In Revelation 1:13 Christ is depicted as the High Priest, as shown by His garment, a garment reaching to the feet, that is, a priestly robe (Exo. 28:33-35).
The first vision of Christ in Revelation, recorded in chapter one, is that of the High Priest clothed with a priestly garment. As the High Priest, Christ is walking among the lampstands and taking care of them, especially of their shining by trimming the lamps. Then in chapter eight Christ is revealed as the Priest offering the incense at the golden altar: “And another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and much incense was given to Him that He should add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne” (v. 3). Therefore, in chapter one Christ is revealed as the Priest taking care of the lampstands, and in chapter eight He is unveiled as the Priest offering incense to God. Then, of course, in chapter five He is revealed as the Administrator over the whole universe. To the universe Christ is not the Priest; He is the Administrator. But to the church Christ is the High Priest. As the ascended One in the heavens, He is now living, working, and ministering as a Priest.
In the Old Testament the high priest typifies Christ as our High Priest. According to the book of Exodus, the high priest bore the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulders and on his heart: “And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth...and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial” (Exo. 28:9-10, 12). The names of the twelve tribes were also engraved on the twelve stones set in the breastplate of gold worn by the High Priest: “And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes....And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually” (Exo. 28:21, 29). The names engraved on the onyx stones and on the stones of the breastplate signify that the high priest always bore the names of God’s chosen people before God. Today Christ is our High Priest, and we are on His shoulders and on His breast. He is in the heavens as the High Priest bearing us and holding us.
As our High Priest, Christ is also taking care of us. He is a “merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God” (Heb. 2:17), a High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15).
Although Christ as the High Priest is taking care of us, we all have our own thought and feeling as to how He should care for us. For example, we all want to be healthy and have a long life. We may not even be satisfied if we lived to be a hundred years of age. If we reach the age of one hundred, we may desire to live to be one hundred and twenty. However, often the Lord’s way of caring for us is different from what we desire. Therefore, we may complain and say, “Lord, why do You not seem to care about my health? I’m sick, and I pray for healing. Lord, where is Your power? Where is Your healing? Lord, why don’t You hear me?” The Lord may not answer a prayer for healing. In His care for a certain one, He may allow that one to die of his illness. We do not know what is good for us, but the Lord knows. He knows what is needed for our life on earth.
We all have our preferences concerning our living. We may desire to be wealthy and have many material things. But the Lord may allow us to be poor and deprive us of many things. Likewise, we may desire to have children who love the Lord and serve Him. Those who have daughters may hope that they will marry the best brothers in the churches. However, the situation concerning our children may turn out to be much different from what we desire. If we ask the Lord about this, He may say, “You do not know what is best for you. I know that this is the way it should be.”
Perhaps you are thinking that matters such as these have nothing to do with the ascension of Christ. However, the ascension of Christ certainly is related to these things. The Lord’s ascension includes His priesthood. As the ascended One, He is the High Priest bearing us, holding us, and taking care of us. However, what is good for us is a matter not of our interpretation but of His. For example, you may buy a new car, hoping that it will last many years. But the Lord’s opinion of the matter is that your car should last a very short time. If you were to come to me and say, “I bought a new car, and after a few weeks it was wrecked. Why did this happen? Didn’t the Lord know that I would have an accident and that the car would be wrecked? Since He knew this, why did He allow me to buy it? Why didn’t He stop me?” I, of course, cannot explain why. Only the Lord knows the reason; He is the High Priest.
Usually when I receive letters from saints asking me about their situation, I set the letters aside. The reason I set such letters aside is that I am not the High Priest, and I do not know what is on His heart concerning the saints. I cannot say anything for Him about such matters. If I were to try to say something, I actually would not be helping the saints. Fifty-five years ago I had a great deal to say when I was asked such questions. I had much to say because I did not know anything, and therefore I spoke many things in a presumptuous way. But now, having more experience of the Lord and more knowledge of Him, I have very little, if anything, to say.
Nevertheless, I can say this: the Lord’s care for us is always positive. One day we shall see Him and worship Him. Some of us may say to Him, “Lord Jesus, forgive me for complaining to You about my situation. Now I know that God’s will for me is good.” Our High Priest is taking good care of us all.