The Transfer of the Levitical Priesthood of Aaron to the Priesthood of Melchizedek
(and other Mysteries of the Priesthood, the Blood of Jesus Christ, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ)
1. Introduction | 2. Previews of the Atonement | 3. Limiting Lucifer | 4. Redemption Plan Begins | 5. The Royal Blood Line | 6. Transfer of the Priesthood | 7. The Caiaphas Factor | 8. The Passover Lamb | 9. Mystery of the Graveclothes | 10. Purifying Heaven, Defeating Hell
The Caiaphas Factor
Why is all of this important? Because if we go into the New Testament, to the time when Jesus was on trial at the end of his ministry for calling himself King of the Jews and blaspheming, we find something VERY interesting. Caiaphas was THE high priest, appointed by Rome, in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was brought before him, and we read the following in John chapter 18:
Mat 26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him,
Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.Mat 26:65
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.Up until his answer above, Jesus had not opened his mouth in answer. But when Caiaphas told Jesus to give an answer "by the living God", he was invoking a law in Leviticus which states that if a man knows the truth, and is asked to tell it but keeps silence, he is guilty of what he is being accused of:
Lev 5:1 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
This is called the oath of swearing. When Jesus is confronted with this, he knows he must answer, because not to do so would be a sin. He gives quite an answer, because it CAUSES THE HIGH PRIEST TO TEAR HIS ROBE!!! As we read above, this was a VERY serious event: the tearing of the high priest's robe. Jesus answer to Caiaphas, the high priest of Jerusalem, so angered or infuriated, or maybe CONVICTED, Caiaphas that he tore his priestly garment. The question Caiaphas asked was interesting to, because he was asking him directly if he was the prophesied Messiah, the Christ, and the Son of God. Now the answer Jesus gave we must explore, because it is earthshattering in its importance:
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him,
Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.This isn't just an answer off the top of Jesus' head, but it was an Old Testament prophecy from the book of Psalms! The high priest demanded an answer as to whether he was the Christ, and Jesus was quoting from the following prophecy of David in the Psalms:
Psa 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.When Caiaphas heard that answer, he knew that Jesus was quoting a Messianic prophecy. As the high priest, he KNEW the book of Psalms. But he had to also know that in that same Psalm is another verse of the utmost importance:
Psa 110:4
The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.There it is
! There is no doubt that when Caiaphas, the high priest, heard Jesus answer, went in his mind to the Psalm Jesus quoted and realized it was a Messianic prophecy, that he also understood that this man standing in front of him was that person that would take over the priesthood. This man, Jesus of Nazareth, was the man who was going to fulfill that ultra-mysterious prophecy of Psalm 110:4 - the priest forever after the order of Melchizedek!Again, Caiaphas reaction to this was that he tore his robe, something that the high priest was NEVER TO DO. Something so serious that the robe was crafted such that it would be extremely difficult to tear. Yet Caiaphas did it.
You may be thinking: but how do we know Caiaphas was thinking of Psalm 110:4, and that is why he tore his priestly robe? How do we know Caiaphas knew that Jesus was the one that would take over the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek? Friends, we find an INCREDIBLE passage earlier in John's gospel, straight from the mouth of this same Caiaphas:
Joh 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Joh 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Joh 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
Joh 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Joh 11:53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
Yes, Caiaphas knew MUCH MORE than what you may think if you were asking that question. Caiaphas "prophesied that Jesus should die", and he understood that one man was going to die for the sins of the people! Did he understand that Jesus was the one? Did he understand that this mysterious, tall, sun-tanned Nazarene that was standing before him going to take over the priesthood? According to this passage, YES! Look again at the question he asked him at the trial:
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
He was asking him whether he was the Messiah, whether he was the one that they were waiting for. We he heard Jesus' answer from the Messianic prophecy in the Psalms, and knew that passage also said that the Lord said he was also a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, Caiaphas knew this was the man. He immediately TORE HIS PRIESTLY GARMENT. He knew the charade at the corrupt Jerusalem temple was over! He knew he was being replaced, and Jesus Christ was going to be the new high priest after he offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the nations on the cross:
Joh 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Again, Caiaphas' reaction to Jesus answer was:
Mat 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
As the high priest, he had to be dressed in his priestly garment! He didn't just pull something out of the closet and wear it that day. He was wearing the robe that was not to be torn, and based on the scriptures from Leviticus and Numbers shown earlier, this meant the priesthood was taken from him, AND judgment and wrath will be coming on the people. Symbolically, by reaching up and tearing his priestly garment, Caiaphas was saying that the priesthood had been taken from him, and he knew that Jesus was going to die for the people as shown in John chapter 11. He knew this was the man that was going to be the Messiah, the priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Since Jesus trial and crucifixion were at the feast of Passover, Caiaphas, as high priest, was supposed to be inspecting the lambs that were to be killed at Passover. But he just tore his priestly garment, signaling that he knew the priesthood had been taken from him. The types and shadows in the Old Testament, and Jesus' fulfillment of them, prove that Jesus was the final sacrificial lamb that needed to be offered. That is what is to be next explored.