“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen. 1:26-28). These verses clearly present two main things related to man: the image of God and the authority over the earth.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal (or kingly) priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
“And made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father...” (Rev. 1:6).
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection: over these the second death has no authority; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6).
First Corinthians 14:1 says, “Follow after love (lit.), and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” However, 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love (lit.) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” Prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, and knowledge shall vanish away, but what about the priesthood and the kingship? From the verses we have read in Revelation, we see that both of them will remain forever.
Then we must read Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10. “And have put on the new man, which according to God was created....And having put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him Who created him.”
Finally, let us read 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding and reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit (lit.).”
In this chapter we must continue to see the three main ministries in God’s economy—the priesthood, the kingship, and the prophethood. The priesthood and the kingship are the basic ministries, while the prophethood is subsidiary. The prophethood helps the priesthood and the kingship, but it is never helped by the priesthood and the kingship. This is because the prophethood is for the priesthood and kingship.
Man was created in God’s image and committed with God’s authority. God’s image and authority are the two main items in the creation of man. Which of the three main ministries is related to the image of God and which is related to the divine authority? I believe we all know that the priesthood is related to the image of God, and the kingship is clearly related to the authority of God.
Then what is the function of the prophethood? It functions only as a teacher or an instructor. If we do not know how to be a priest, we need a prophet to teach us. If we do not know how to be a proper king, we again need a prophet to instruct us. This is why David needed the help of Nathan.
We were born priests and kings because we have been born as sons of God. Have you ever realized that you are a priest and a king? We are priests and kings just by being born of God. But were we born prophets? Although we were born priests and kings, we were not born prophets. As children of God, our status by birth is that of priests and kings. But we must desire to be prophets (1 Cor. 14:1). By His redemption the Lord has made us both priests and kings. Therefore, all Christians are priests and kings, but not all are prophets.
The priesthood and the kingship are the two basic ministries, while the prophethood is only temporary. It is something in time and not in eternity. When we all are in the New Jerusalem, the priesthood and the kingship will still be there, but the prophethood will end, for its purpose is only temporary.