2025 January/February

Priests Must Develop Mercy and Love

January 1, 2025

Learn the Lesson Well “Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 21. Scriptures from updated NASB unless otherwise indicated.) — Tom Gilbert In his first letter to the church, “to God’s elect” (1 Peter 1:1 NIV), the Apostle Peter writes, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,” […]

The Priesthood to Bless the People

January 1, 2025

Do Good to be Blessed “The priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (Hebrews 7:12). Priests have two duties: first, to sacrifice; then to bless others. The future priesthood sacrifices itself now in this age. “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with be by sacrifice” (Psalm 50:5). When the people of the world are resurrected, they will well remember those who were faithful to Christ unto death. “Yes, of […]

A Great Multitude Also Serves

January 1, 2025

In the Temple and Before the Throne “A great multitude, which no man could number” (Revelation 7:9). — James Parkinson While the 144,000 of the Bride of Christ are mentioned first, there is also a Great Multitude, who also is to serve. The reader can find things written in common between the Levites in the Old Testament (and/or another spiritual group) and the Great Company/Multitude/Crowd in Revelation, as compared here: Old Testament to 1st Advent (RVIC) Revelation (RVIC) Only the tribe of […]

Melchizedek, Priest and King

January 1, 2025

An Early Priest Upon His Throne “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High” (Hebrews 7:1 ASV) About four millennia ago, it appears that the Sumerian king of the third dynasty of Ur, named Ur‑Nammu, sent some of his citizens, including Terah and family, to the western territory he (and his three allies) had just conquered. Whether as an occupation force or commercial post is not stated. The former is more likely, in that Abram later had 318 “trained men” (Genesis […]