Victory Life KY

Kings and Priests

Episode Summary

This phrase kings and priests in its simplest form is a reminder that God’s original design was and is for the church and business, education, and government to function as one.

Episode Notes

• Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV-  They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

• Isaiah 48:17,NKJV- Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.”

• This phrase kings and priests in its simplest form is a reminder that God’s original design was and is for the church and business, education, and government to function as one.

• According to Isaiah, God will lead us in success, but we’ve got to do it His way. The church inspiring businesses, and God using them to supply the church. Kings and priests, priests and kings.

• The Holy Spirit anointing men and women as kings in their field of business, education, and government.

• Some of the more modern translations of Revelation 5 call us “priest-kings” or a kingdom of priest. Ultimately, as with any subject pertaining to the Kingdom of God, our true source has been and always will be God’s word.

• Ultimately, everything about this talk is driven by and centered around  the Kingdom of God.

• So for true clarity on the revelation of Kings and Priests, our OT pictures of God’s original design is what we have to rely on for us to translate this truth into our culture today.

• And as we become successful in following the Lord, what He spoke through Isaiah starts coming to pass; Isaiah 11:9, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

• So as we unpack this, the first and consistent truth we see is that in every account that kings and priests worked together, they were a successful, blessed nation.

• OT Kings- ruled over God’s people, led them into battle. They were land and business owners. They oversaw all trade and commerce, and managed the nations economy. They were the government of the day.

• OT Priests-Levites, offered prayers, intercession and sacrifice for the people. Took care of all temple duties, all liturgical functions, widows and andorphans. They pronounced God’s blessing on the king and the people. Even for told God’s upcoming plans for the king.

• Amos 3:5,NKJV-"Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

• On every occasion, when kings knew their role of secular, civil, and governmental affairs, and they relied on the spiritual guidance of the priest, all they did was blessed.

• 2 Chronicles 15:1-4,NLKV-"Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 
• And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 
• For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 
• but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.”

• God’s plan is and always has been that all spiritual and civil structure of any society be led by Him, to function under His ordained positions of the king and the priest.

• Example: church and business, government, education, working hand in hand. Now when I use the term church, I’m in no way referring to any one denomination or organization, 

• I’m referring to the spiritual reality of the body of Christ in the earth functioning through those He has called. Priests and Kings working together.

• And moving into the NT, God ordains the apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor to bring forth revelation for His people.

• Acts 8:29-31,NKJV- Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.”

• One of our primary focuses today is to interpret this kings and priests revelation in light of Jesus’ New Covenant. His design has always been for the church to be at the center of all civil, social, and governmental affairs.

• And I realize that in light of the born again nature of every believer, revelation from the Holy Spirit does flow to anyone born again. But God implemented the Kings and Priests principle as a kingdom partnership, a covenant alignment for the advancement of His Kingdom. 

• And He highlights this truth for us in the book of Revelation, reminding us that His OT principle was never supposed to go anywhere.

• Example: If the majority of the kings (leaders, owners, teachers) time and energy go to their duties, God anoints priests to give the king inspired guidance. As a matter of fact, every OT Godly king relied on the anointed guidance of the the priest.

• “It’s not good that we should leave the word of God to go a serve the people.”
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• 2 Chronicles 20:14-17,NKJV-  Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 
• And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 
• Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 
• You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”

• Our OT is full of example of kings and priests working together for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. Unfortunately, there’s also many examples of those refusing to work together.

• Make no mistake, our enemy will be relentless at creating division, strife, jealousy, resentment... he knows a house divided will not stand.

• For example, our nation, a nation founded on Godly principles is no exception. God never intended for there to ever be any form of separation of church and state. (The king and the priest)

• As a matter of fact, the popular phrase “separation of church and state” is not in any of our government documents, specifically the constitution.

• President Harry Truman, “This great country of ours demonstrates the fundamental unity of Christianity and democracy.” 

• But because we have allowed division between the kings and priests, the enemy has gotten his foot in the door. And it’s time for that to change. The prophet Ezekiel actually says, “This land that has become  desolate (bleak, dismal, wild, and grim) is now like the garden of Eden.”

• Remember all of our biblical examples, every time God’s people returned to Him, God began to move. When kings knew their role of secular, civil, and governmental, and they relied on the spiritual guidance of the priest, all they did was blessed.

• My prayer is that all of us believe God for insight and revelation from this talk. For us to have a better understand of the divine partnership of kings and priests. This means we’ve got to have a better working knowledge of the Kingdom of God.

• Jesus never intended for the gospel of the kingdom to be limited to just missing hell and making heaven.

• One of the main reasons Jesus is called the last Adam is because He came to restore the first Adam’s dominion.

• Genesis 1:26,NKJV- Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

• And the closer we follow Jesus, it’s amazing how much He actually talks about the kingdom.

• The Kingdom of Heaven, God’s government is His ordained system, He’s expecting to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth. This is every born again believer.

• I truly believe the two most important decisions anyone can make in their life is first, giving their life to Jesus. And second, discovering why He called you.

• This is why Jesus makes radical statements like He did in Matthew 6:33,AMP- “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

• According to the apostle Paul, we literally are ambassadors for this kingdom we’ve been born into.

• Remember what God told Adam, “subdue the earth and have dominion over it.”

• But when the influence of God is removed form the social and civil functions of our culture, people are left to their own conclusions.

• Proverbs tells us, where there is no divine revelation from the Almighty, people make their own decisions.

• Proverbs 14:12,NKJV-  “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

• I honestly believe that this OT model of Kings and Priests is exactly the answer our world needs before Jesus comes back for His glorious bride. “Father your will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.”

• Isaiah 48:17,NKJV- Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.”

• Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV-  They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”