Meet the only Priest you’ll ever need, Messiah Yeshua!

Meet the only Priest you’ll ever need, Messiah Yeshua!

“He (Jesus Christ) holds His priesthood permanently because He continues forever.” (Hebrews 7:24)

During the period of the Tabernacle (tent of meeting) in the wilderness and the First Temple in Jerusalem, high priests were anointed with oil and had a similar status among the people as the anointed king.

Both were set apart to do the work of the Lord (YHVH).
Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled both of these roles, not only as our King of Kings but also as our High Priest forever, which has been foreshadowed in Scripture since the days of Abraham.
So, what does it mean that Yeshua is both our King and High Priest?

King and Priest Rolled into One

In the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) the king and high priest each had their own genealogy: kings descended from the tribe of Judah and the High Priests descended from the tribe of Levi, specifically from Aaron, the first High Priest.
The Jewish People were expecting that one day a Messiah would come as king and be a descendant of King David, who was from the tribe of Judah.
But they never thought king Messiah would also be a priest — that is, until God told the Prophet Zechariah to put a crown on the High Priest Joshua:
“Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the High Priest. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, a man whose name is (The) Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.
Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” (Zechariah 6:11–13)
This passage is a vivid picture of Joshua as a symbol of things to come. We know this because God said so very clearly:
"Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.” (Zechariah 3:8)
The High Priest Joshua would be a symbol of the Branch, who would be a Righteous King, and the Messiah.
In fact, the ancient translation of Zechariah into Aramaic that was read to the Jews in the synagogues (known as a Targum), declares who this Branch is:
"Behold the man Messiah is his name.” (Zechariah 6:12, Targum Jonathan)
He who will... Not only will He build the temple of the Lord at His second coming, but Christ will also bear the glory, and rule upon His eternal throne as a King-Priest. This will be the throne of David and the kingdom will be that of David restored to eternal glory and power (Isa. 9:6-7; Hos. 3:4-5; Amos. 9:11-15; Luke 1:32-33; Act. 15:13-18).
priest on... This confirms the priesthood of Christ, as well as His kingship. He will be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psm. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 5:10; 6:20; 7:1-21). Thus the threefold office of Christ is Prophet (Deut. 18:15-18), Priest (Psm. 110:4), and King (Psm. 2:6; Isa. 9:6-7; Mic. 5:2; Mat. 2:2; 21:5; 25:31, 25:34, 25:40; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-10).
them both... This refers to both offices being combined in one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, with neither being exalted higher than the other. The kingship and priesthood of Israel will be combined in Christ, and there will be no enmity between the two offices as when two men filled them.
Let’s look at each piece of this portrait to see how Joshua symbolizes the Messiah.

Joshua→ Yeshua

In Hebrew, Joshua’s name is Yehoshua. The short form of this name is Yeshua. Both Yehoshua and Yeshua mean “The LORD saves.”

Joshua → The Branch → Righteous King → Messiah

Joshua is symbolic of a Righteous Branch, which the Prophet Jeremiah explained would be a king:
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 23:5)
It is widely understood, even to this day in Judaism, that this righteous Branch, who is a descendant of King David, refers to the Messiah.
As the Jewish People were about to leave Israel for exile in Babylon, however, the prophet Ezekiel told the people that their Davidic dynasty would be suspended until someone comes who is worthy to receive the crown of a king and the garments of a priest:
And thou, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end, thus says the Lord GOD, Remove the turban (diadem) and take off the crown; this will no longer be the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high.
A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it [the throne of David]. This also will be no more until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him. (Ezekiel 21:25–27 / verses 30–32 in Hebrew Bibles)
This prophecy reveals that the kingship of Israel will be suspended until God brings forth someone who will be both king and priest (the crown represents the king, the turban represents a ceremonial garment of the High Priest).

And thou... Zedekiah was here personally addressed by the prophet and judgment was pronounced upon him and his kingdom (Eze. 21:24-27).

Remove the... This was the mitre of the high priest, and the crown here refers to the headpiece of the king. Both the high priest and the king were to be removed and judged by Nebuchadnezzar; this was literally fulfilled (2Ki. 25:5-7, 25:18-21).

Exalt that... Debase Zedekiah and the high priest and exalt Gedaliah over Judah (2Ki. 25:7, 25:18-24).

A ruin... The kingdom of Judah was to be overthrown and exist no more until the Messiah would come whose right it is; and it would be given to Him (Gen. 49:10; Isa. 9:6-7; 42:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:17; Hos.3:4-6; Zec. 6:12-13; 14:9; Luke 1:32-33; Act. 14:13-18; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-10).

The Branch / Messiah will build the Temple of the Lord

The High Priest Joshua and King Zerubbabel were given authority to rebuild the physical Temple after returning from exile in Babylon (Ezra 5:2).
However, the Branch (Messiah) would rebuild another Temple not made by hands. Yeshua explained this to the Pharisees when He said:
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up… He was speaking of the temple of His body. (John 2:19–22)
The same Glory of the Lord that once filled the Temple building filled the physical body of Yeshua. It is the same Glory that He revealed to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration.

The High Priest Has Legal Right to Approach God

It would seem that Yeshua (being the Messiah) already had the legal right to enter God’s Glory.

That is true in the heavenly realm, but in His human body Yeshua needed the legal right here on earth to stand in the Presence of God and make atonement for us with His human blood.
He, therefore, needed to be our High Priest, as the writer of the Book of Hebrews explains:
“When Messiah appeared as a High Priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11–12)

The High Priest Would Sit on a Throne and Become King

As noted above, by placing a crown on the High Priest Joshua, he represented the Branch (Messiah) to come who would not only be a king from the line of David but also a High Priest.
“It is he [the Branch] who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.” (Zechariah 6:13)
The Psalmist acknowledged that the Messiah would be Lord, King, and Priest forever:
“The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies … the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” (Psalm 110:1–4)
This passage is important because God often confirms His plans more than one way; here, He confirms that Messiah would be both a priest and a king similar to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20).
Melchizedek's name means King of Righteousness, which itself foreshadows Messiah. As Jeremiah said:
“In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness [Adonai Tzidkeinu– יְהוָ֥ה צִדְקֵּ].’” (Jeremiah 23:6)
Melchizedek was also the king of Salem (which later became Jerusalem) and priest to El Elyon (the Most High God) in the days of Abraham.
This foreshadows Yeshua, who is the King of Israel, King of the Jews, and King of all kings even now as He sits on his throne in the heavenlies.
In the future, after He comes back riding on the clouds (Daniel 7:13), He will reign from Jerusalem in the earthly Messianic Kingdom.

In His days... God promised to raise up to David another King who would be a righteous Branch, that is, another member of the Davidic line. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this prediction. As King, He will reign wisely and will do what is just and right (in contrast with God’s condemnation of Jehoiachin, Jer. 22:25). Though Christ offered Himself as Israel’s Messiah at His First Advent (visitation), the final fulfillment of this prophecy awaits His Second Advent (coming) immediately before His millennial reign. At that time the Southern Kingdom (Judah) and the Northern Kingdom (Israel) will again be delivered (cf. Rom. 11:26) from oppression and reunited as a single nation and will live in safety (cf. Eze. 37:15-28).

The name of this coming King will be the Lord Our Righteousness (Yahweh ṣidqēnû). Unlike Zedekiah (ṣiḏqı̂yāhû, “my righteousness is Yahweh”), this coming King will live up to His name as Israel’s righteous God.

The High Priest Is Our Mediator and Intercessor

One of the most significant roles of every priest was that of intercessor.
As the writer of Hebrews wrote: “Because Yeshua lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24–25)
Yeshua, who had no sin, was the most holy of all priests. He sacrificed His own unblemished self to pay the wages of our sin, which is death (Isaiah 53).
Yeshua did all of this as the High Priest of a New Covenant in which He would forgive the iniquities of the people and “remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).
“Such a High Priest truly meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other High Priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.” (Hebrews 7:26–27; also Hebrews 8:6–13)
What this means is very exciting for us — Yeshua, right now, is our Great High Priest (Kohen HaGadol), who has made the final sacrifice for our sins. He sits in the Presence of God, continuously hearing our prayers, making intercession for His brothers and sisters before the Father.
He is our only Mediator. There is no one else qualified to be our High Priest in this regard, with His new covenant.
Better than any prayer partner, He knows your needs perfectly, and is praying for you! So, it is in the name of Yeshua (Jesus) that we pray and give God all the praise.

God’s New Covenant will involve an internalization of His Law. He will put His Law in their minds and on their hearts, not just on stones (Exo. 34:1). There will be no need to exhort people to know the Lord because they will already all know God (cf. Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14). God’s New Covenant will give Israel the inner ability to obey His righteous standards and thus to enjoy His blessings. Ezekiel indicated that this change will result from God’s bestowal of the Holy Spirit on these believers (cf. Eze. 36:24-32). In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit did not universally indwell all believers. Thus one different aspect of the New Covenant is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers (cf. Joel.2:28-32).

A second aspect of the New Covenant will be God’s provision for sin. The sins of the people resulted in the curses of the Old Covenant. However, as part of the New Covenant God will forgive Israel’s wickedness and remember their sins no more. But how could a holy God overlook sin? The answer is that God did not “overlook” sin — its penalty was paid for by a Substitute (cf. Isa. 53:4-6). In the Upper Room Christ announced that the New Covenant was to be inaugurated through the shedding of His blood (cf. Mat. 26:27-28; Luke 22:20). Forgiveness of sin would be part of the New Covenant only because God provided a Substitute (Jesus Christ) His only Son to pay the penalty required of man.