Jesus Becomes High Priest
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Leviticus, Daniel, and Christ's establishment as high priest

    We can see the steps in the inauguration of Christ in Leviticus 8 and 9. We will compare what we find with Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks which, I feel, is generally misunderstood.
    Aaron represents Christ as high priest. Before he began his ministry, he was initiated. God wanted to make it clear that being set apart for holy office was not a casual matter. The individual needed to be made ready. This is the next event after setting up the tabernacle in Exodus 40. Various offerings are described in six intervening chapters. This special preparation shown in symbols needs further study. The construction bar image below is a reminder.
   Christ was anointed with the glory of God seven times during His ministry on earth re0509b. The two are apparently parallel and are displayed below in the first and third columns. Daniel 9 is a different approach to some of the same truths touching only at certain points. In the middle of the table are gaps that need to be studied. If you get some ideas, I'd be happy to know. Send e-mail.

The Inauguration and Ministry of Christ
Texts from Leviticus representing key events in the preparation of Christ as judge, and His ministry
Supporting texts from Daniel 9
Corresponding events in the experience of Christ
8:4, 6  And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. . . . And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. 24  "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, . . . and to anoint the most Holy" – the sanctuary in heaven because the Hebrew gender indicates a place, not a person. The baptism of Jesus, Matt. 3:13-15.  "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. . . ."
8:11, 12  And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. . . .And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. 24  "Seventy weeks are determined [cut off] . . . to seal up the vision and prophecy [s.b. "prophet"], and to anoint the most Holy." Christ was the prophet Moses predicted de1815. Baptism was only a step in His anointing. Anointed by the Holy Spirit. Matt. 3:16-18.  "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove. . . ."
8:14-23  And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head. . . . And he brought the ram for the burnt offering. . . . And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration. . . . and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb . . . and upon the great toe. . . . 26  "And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. . . ." The sacrificial death of Christ. Aaron is to represent the Lord whose blood was shed.
   Commitment of Christ in giving His life ascended as fragrance of smoke of the sin offering (Ex. 29:18; cf. Phil 4:18) to anoint the sanctuary in heaven. In response here, Aaron receives the blood of consecration. (cf. Ex. 12:22).
   This smoke becomes the incense for our prayers. (Rev. 8:3, 4)
8:29  "And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part. . . ."  - Resurrection and ascension  A sheaf (bunch of stalks with grain) was to be waved (presented to the Lord) before the harvest was gathered. (Lev. 23:9-14). This represented the risen Christ presenting Himself to the Father as the first human to be harvested from the earth.
8:30  "And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him. . . ."  - Inauguration in heaven  Rev. 5:8, 9  "And when he [the Lamb] had taken the book, . . . the living ones and the elders fell down before the Lamb, having . . . odours, which are the prayers of saints. And [sang] Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."
8:31, 32  And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations. . . . And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire."  - Preparation for the Holy Spirit  Ex. 12:8, 10  And they shall eat the flesh [of the lamb] in that night [before leaving Egypt], roast with fire, and unleavened bread. . . . and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire." The Lamb of heaven was ready to minister. By receiving Him into their spiritual bodies, His followers were ready to be His agents through the Holy Spirit.
8:33  "And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you." 27  "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. . . ."
   During this final "week" of the 70 allotted to the Jews, many would confirm their faithfulness to Jesus as the one to whom their whole system of worship pointed. Some of these would acknowledge Him before His death (when sacrifices pointing to that time ended) and some after. Pentecost initiated the latter part of the "week." (A week, in Daniel's prophecies symbolized 7 years.)
Pentecost – Consecration for a mission  Acts 1:8, 9  "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and [later] unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things . . . he was taken up. . . ."
   Christ, through the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), began the work of the second half of the final call to the Jews as a people. He had ministered on earth for 3½  years (to AD 31). Another 3½ would take us to the stoning of Stephen.
9:5, 7  The 8th day: "And . . . all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. . . . And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded."
   9:22  "And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings."
 - Preparation for wider witness
During the early time of the church in Jerusalem, God showed them that the gospel was for more than the Jews. See Philip's experience (Acts 8) and Peter's (Acts 10). God allowed persecution to help draw them into unity, then to scatter with the gospel.
   Matt. 28:19, 20. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them. . . . Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
9:23, 24  And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
   We may take the term, "all the people," to include the non- Israelites. (Ex. 12:38).
 - When Spirit-led ministry began on earth, Christ's ministry for us began in heaven. Ministry of Christ in the holy place / Gospel to the world
The daily ministry in the sanctuary began. It is described in much of the book of Leviticus. (Heb. 7:25; 8:1, 2.)  Isa. 66:19  "And I will set a sign among them [who purify themselves], and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations . . . that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles."  Acts 28:28  Paul speaking to Jews in Rome: "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." (cf. Acts 8:4) 
- -  More steps are seen in Leviticus and may be added to this chart
And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. . . . And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. . . . And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD." (Lev. 16:2, 16, 29, 30) Described in Dan. 8:14 as the cleansing or restoration of the sanctuary. It happens during the extension. The day-of-atonement ministry in the most holy place
This special rest day, which came on one day near the end of the yearly sanctuary calendar, thus represents the work of cleansing and judgment of God's people just before human probation closes and He comes in glory to receive them to Himself. (Matt. 22:11; John 14:1-3)
- - More steps are seen in Leviticus and may be added to this chart
 At the end of the day-of-atonement ministry or judgment, some are found worthy and some are not.
   Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. . . . For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people" (Lev. 23:27-30).
27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week . . . and for the overspreading of abominations [extension beyond the destruction of Jerusalem] he shall make . . . desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [or 'desolator']."  Isa. 14:12-20  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [now "Satan"], son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations [or 'Gentiles']! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. . . . I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [the grave], to the sides of the pit. . . . thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people:" The priest's ministry ends  Matt. 24:14  "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
   Rev. 21:22-24  "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. . . . and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. . . ."

   Christ's ministry for us ends when the last sinner, in the final crisis, has made his firm decision for or against Christ. The judgment ends and Christ comes in glory.

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