Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
Rabbi Chaim Richman, the international director of the Temple Institute, announced earlier this year that the Temple Institute has initiated the second stage towards building the Temple in Jerusalem: compiling a list of Jewish priests who will be eligible to prepare the red heifer and serve in the Temple. According to Richman, the registry will include men who have a clear patriarchal heritage from the priestly class (descendants of Aaron), were born and raised in Israel, and have observed the laws of purity incumbent upon priests. When enough eligible candidates have been verified, the Temple Institute will begin training them in the preparation of the ashes of the red heifer. The training will occur at the Nezer Hakodesh, a school created several years ago to train priests in how to function in the temple service. Richman said, ‘This is a huge jump for the Temple Institute and a huge leap for the Jewish people. For the first time in 2,000 years, after miraculously returning to the Land of Israel, we are beginning the process of reinstating the Biblical purity of the Jewish priesthood.’ For Christians, this is also an exciting development, because it relates to the restoration of the temple worship that will occur not long after the rapture. Oh, how near that date must be! But our text describes a different priesthood, one that actually involves you and me, and that does not relate to the temple in Jerusalem.
The house of Aaron was the only house from which priests in the temple service could come. You and I would not qualify. But we do qualify for the holy priesthood referred to in our text, because we are included in the spiritual house that has temporarily replaced the Aaronic house in this day of grace. Just as a birth into the Aaronic family was required for the Old Testament priesthood, so a birth is required for you and me to be part of the holy priesthood of our dispensation. ‘Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever’ (1 Peter 1:23). The new birth that brought us salvation qualifies us for the holy priesthood that now serves and worships God.
The chief purpose of the priests being trained by the Temple Institute is to present acceptable offerings to God. It is the same with the holy priesthood in which you and I serve. Our sacrifices are spiritual, not the actual offering of animals on a physical altar. ‘By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name’ (Hebrews 13:15). And our sacrifices today are acceptable because of the acceptable One through whom we approach God, our Lord Jesus Christ. -Jim MacIntosh