Jesus, our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek,
is able to save to the uttermost
those who draw near to God through Him
because He always lives to make intercession for them
Mormonism wants to resurrect a priesthood abolished by Christ
The Mormons (Latter-day Saints), known throughout Utah as the True Church, confers upon its “worthy” men, aged twelve years or more, the solemn priesthood of the ancient Aaronic order. Upon receiving diploma, their duties include deacon, teacher, priest, and bishop. We are comforted being assured the boys must advance to a ripe old age of fourteen before teaching others. Perhaps this explains the steady stream of childish theology flowing forth from Salt Lake City the past 180 years.
Take notice of the next Mormon missionary that comes your way. The schoolboy is apparently qualified, having progressed beyond puberty and entrusted to peddle his bicycle beyond earshot of mother’s call – he is now known as “elder” in his ward. Having exhibited the theological prowess of giants such as the Reverend Al Sharpton, who, incidentally, was ordained at the tender age of nine (albeit a Pentecostal sectarian), the Mormon “elder” is certified by his bishop and must go out to fulfill his priestly duty to preach on essential matters such as eternal destiny and complex religious doctrines. Elder Stripling might find courage answering almost any question you might have insofar you present one scripted from his Student Study Guide.
Does it matter that these boys of Aaron are not of Levi descent? A pedigree is explicitly stated in Scripture: “… bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me–Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.” They are sons of Aaron nonetheless, whispers Salt Lake, even if there is not Cohen among them.
"Elders" ordained to teach theology
According to the biblical account, the male descendants of Aaron, who was the great-grandson of Levi, were endowed with the hereditary functions, responsibilities, and privileges of priestly office. The priests were not allowed to possess any land, but were consecrated unto God: “…Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel … Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations…” (Numbers 18:20-21, 23). Landownership is a prized possession among Salt Lake Aaronites; the biblical requirement was apparently abrogated by the Profit(eer) Joe Smith.
"Elders" graduate from missionary school
Today, Mormons believe that they themselves are the “sons of Levi,” those who faithfully receive the priesthood. New revelation came just in time: Mormon scriptures, such as Doctrines and Covenants, were hastily written to surmount any technicalities found in the Bible.
The Mormon corruption of the Levitical priesthood does not take into account that the entire Aaronic system was fulfilled by Christ Himself. The Book of Hebrews tells us that there is no longer need for Temples built with human hands or any priests of the Mormon kind. We have in Jesus, the perfect High Priest- One not like the Aaronic priests who died and are sinners themselves, for Christ posesses an indestructible life and He is without sin. Mormonism has attempted to reintroduce a priestly class of sinners, when the sinless Christ is the only Priest we need.
Once boys, now they are priests
The Levitical priesthood lasted as long as the Temple did; it came to an end, as Jesus Christ predicted, when it was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The rabbinical laws have vanished, and along with them the ministering priest. Their direct male descendants down to the end of time are impure and corrupted — their pedigree stained and polluted. Furthermore, the Temple and its priests were replaced with Jesus, the fulfillment of all these things. Now only Jesus, our perfect High Priest, remains forever. From the Temple destruction onward there have been no priests and no Temple. And why would we need these things if Christ is alive in us and faithfully mediates at the right hand of the Father in heaven?
Restoring the Aaronic priesthood that Jesus came to replace is an insult to the Lord’s ministry, an offense of the worse kind.
***
Counterfeit temples and false priests
Next we will see that the Mormon idea of the higher Melchizedek Priesthood is exceedingly flawed, more so than their corruption of Aaron’s priesthood -if such gross error was even conceivable. In their view, the Melchizedek Priesthood was absent (the “keys” existed, but not the office) for nearly all of Christian history, having been restored by Joseph Smith sometime in 1830. On the 9 June 1830, a conference was held whereas Smith (along with his aide Oliver Cowdery) ejected Jesus as the unique High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek and replaced the Lord with themselves. In reality, they made themselves antichrists.
To say that the priesthood was absent until Smith arrived to restore it is to state Christ was not the unique High Priest according to the Melchizedek, and He was therefore without a Church for nearly two thousand years.
According to the Bible, Melchizedek was a king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6–11; 6:20–7:28).
Melchizedek’s appearance and disappearance in the Book of Genesis is a complete mystery. Melchizedek and Abraham first met after Abraham’s defeat of Chedorlaomer and his allies. Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abraham and his weary men, demonstrating friendship and religious kinship. He bestowed a blessing on Abraham in the name of El Elyon (“God Most High”), and praised God for giving Abraham a victory in battle (Genesis 14:18–20). Abraham presented Melchizedek with a tithe (a tenth) of all the booty he had gathered. By this act Abraham recognized Melchizedek as a fellow-worshiper of the one true God as well as a priest who ranked higher spiritually than himself. Melchizedek’s existence shows that there were people other than Abraham and his family who served the true God.
In Psalm 110, a messianic psalm written by David, Melchizedek is seen as a type of Christ. This theme is repeated in the Book of Hebrews, where both Melchizedek and Christ are considered kings of righteousness and peace. By citing Melchizedek and his unique priesthood as a type, the writer shows that Christ’s new priesthood is superior to the old Levitical order and the priesthood of Aaron (Hebrew 7:1–10). Therefore the Aaronic priesthood has been made obsolete. Mark that.
We have Jesus. Why would we need Aaronic Priests?
Attempts have been made to identify Melchizedek as an imaginary character named Shem, an angel, the Holy Spirit, Christ, and others. All are products of speculation, not historical fact; and it is impossible to reconcile them with the theological argument of Hebrews. Melchizedek was a real, historical king-priest who served as a type for the greater King-Priest who was to come, Jesus Christ.
Lastly, there exists a priesthood of all Christians. All those who are “in Christ,” that is to say those who are renewed (born-again) by the Spirit of God are a priestly kingdom: “… He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever” and “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Christians are not consecrated as priests by Salt Lake ordinances and class hierarchy, but by virtue of a special union and affiliation with the Lord Jesus Christ. The priestly class wall was torn down by Jesus, for all Christians are now gathered from every nation and the Lord bestows these titles on all who He makes His people. Christ has made His people the Temple, not made with human hands but put together by the power of God. Jesus is the chief cornerstone of this holy temple. All those who are in Christ are a chosen generation; they all make one family of ministers to God. All true servants of Christ are a royal priesthood.
Jesus is the High Priest, not from Aaron, but likened to Melchizedek – a priest who came out of nowhere and existed before there were any Levitical priests. Jesus is a PERFECT AND PERMANENT priest who lives without end, interceding for His people always without fail. He is the only mediator we need. All other priests are failures and unnecessary, and these sinful priests do not have any power to forgive their own sins … much less your sins.
Consequently, the only Priest that can redeem your soul is the sinless, immortal Lord Jesus Christ.
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You will discover hundreds of millions who think the Messiah has come. If he did, then it is sad to say the case that his heroic sacrifice and death have had no impact whatsoever on the incredibly concern his coming may perhaps have been expected to address, for history demonstrates, beyond question, that we Christians have already been just as hazardous, singly and en masse, as non-Christians.
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