The priesthood in reality needs God’s image, which requires transformation. We are all priests and kings in position, but we fall short of God’s image in reality. We have not been transformed. Even in the Old Testament dispensation Moses was a priest, not only by birth, but also in reality, because he was in the image of the Lord. Second Corinthians 3 also makes reference to Moses. He was open to the Lord and remained in His presence for forty days without a single veil or covering. He was so permeated and saturated with the Lord that the shekinah glory of the image of God was on his face. Only a priest could have such an image, because only a priest can enter into the Holy of Holies and stay in the shekinah glory of God. We must be transformed by being in God’s presence until we have the glory of God as our image.
We need to read 2 Corinthians 3 again and again. We must take away all the coverings and hindrances in order to behold the Lord with an open face. According to the King James Version, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “Beholding as in a glass...,” but the word “in” is not in the Greek. It should read, “Beholding as a glass....” We are the glass or mirror to behold the Lord. When we behold Him again and again, His image will be impressed upon us. This means that we are transformed into His image. So we must open ourselves to the Lord all the time.
The problem with today’s Christians is that they have the knowledge of religion with its forms and teachings and spend much time in studying the Bible. However, not many will spend time to open themselves to the Lord and remain in the shekinah glory of God as a real priest. Therefore, there are different opinions, different concepts, different teachings and ideas, all of which only create divisions. Our opinions create divisions, and divisions only create confusion. This is the real situation of Christianity today.
The recovery of the Lord is to deliver us out of opinions, concepts, methods, and words into the priestly experience of being transformed into the image of God. We do not need to emphasize the teachings or methods. We only need one thing—to be in the presence of the Lord until we are transformed into His image.
If we all would focus upon this, we would be one in the priesthood. We are not one in the teachings, doctrines, or opinions. If we return to our opinions and concepts, we might be divided into many divisions! But once we enter into the priesthood and are brought into the shekinah glory of the Holy of Holies, all of our concepts will be swept away. Prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away, but the priesthood will remain forever!
The most important matter is the priesthood. How much have you been saturated by the Lord? This is most important. Before we can be the real priests, the Lord must deliver us from the outward things and bring us into reality. There are too many opinions and too many concepts in today’s Christianity. But praise the Lord that He has opened our eyes to see the basic, primary need of the priesthood.
We must be transformed into the image of God. This is why we must put on the new man, forgetting about ourselves, the old nature, and the old man. As long as we are living, walking, and serving according to the new man, we are in the image of God and in the reality of the priesthood.
The kingship follows the priesthood. When we have the priesthood with the divine image, we will also have the divine authority. Consider the Apostles. On one hand, they were the real priests; on the other hand, they were kings. After the day of Pentecost, Peter and the others were in the presence of the Lord and were even filled with the shekinah glory of the Lord. They were really in the priesthood and they also had the divine authority. The high officials of both the Jews and the Romans could not deal with them. These poor fishermen were kings over all. All of the Apostles were in the priesthood; therefore, they were the kings.
Likewise, Moses, who was a priest, was committed with such authority. Because he was in the reality of the priesthood, he had the kingship.
Today in the church, the authority of the eldership must come out of the priesthood. Then the eldership is the kingship. To be an elder, one must be in the presence of the Lord as a priest and be saturated and permeated by the Lord. Then the kingship will follow. Do not think that you must exercise your authority as an elder. This never works! The real eldership can only come from the priesthood. When we are really in the presence of the Lord, others will recognize the divine authority within. The authority in the church follows the image. When we have the image of the Lord in the priesthood, we will then have the authority of the kingship.