The word “priesthood” has to do with “holy”: – “Made holy”, consecrated to God.
– The Hebrew word is more like “seer” of divine affairs.
– It is always a “minister”, in any religion, pagan: (Gen 41:45, Acts 14:13), or biblical: (1Pe 2:5, 1Pe 2:9, Mat 8:3).
– The essence of every priest, in all religions, pagan or Christian, is a person before an altar who offers sacrifices to God for men, he is a “mediator” between God and men. and he is the essential of any religion! “an altar, a priest and a victim”: (Acts 14:13, Ex.25-40, Lev.l-7). It is the opposite of being a “prophet”, who communicates what is of God to men; the priest speaks to God of men. to be a good prophet, one must be a good priest, because before speaking to men about God, one must speak to God about men.
In the Old Testament: – Individuals were priests, Gen 4:3-4: (Abel and Cain the first priests described in the Bible).
– Later they were the heads of families, Gen 12:7, Gen 13:18.
– At Sinai, God appointed Aaron and his descendants, through Moses, Exo 28:1.
– King David divided the children into 24 families, because they had multiplied a lot; and each family attended the temple for a week, and offered the sacrifices, 1Ch 24:1-18, Luke 1:5-9. The priesthood in the OT is so important that only the first 5 books: (the Torah) dedicate 26 entire chapters! to how the priest should dress, fix the altar and prepare the victims: (Ex.25-40, Lev.l-6, 23-25, Num.28-29). aside from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob always making “altars” and offering sacrifices, and apart from God’s provisions to Moses at Sinai, and the activities of Aaron and Levites in the priesthood. Because the “Levites” served as assistants to the Aaronic priests: (Num.3).
His “mission” was specifically to offer sacrifices to God on the altar, to adore him, praise him, thank him, ask for forgiveness for the people, and ask for graces and benefits for the people. See other functions below.
They did not work at anything else, nor did they have possessions. they lived on the “tithes” that the other 11 Jewish tribes gave them: (Lev.l, Num.ly 18, Deu 18:3-4, Jos.3,4: (see “Tithes and First Fruits”).
The Melchizedek or Melchizedek Priesthood is named only 2 times: (Gen 14:18 and Ps 110:4), but it is very important, because Christ and the Christians will be priests according to the “order of Melchizedek”, since the Aaronic priesthood will be abolished when the Messiah comes, as several prophets had predicted: (Ma12Cr 1:10; Isa 1:11, Hose 3:4, Dan 8:11, Dan 9:27).
– His consecration, Ex.29, Lev.8.
– Rents, Num.18, Deu 18:3.
– Residence, Num 35:1-8, 1Ch 6:57-60.
– Punishment of those who pretended to be priests, Num 16:1-35, 2Ch 26:16-21.
– Bad priests, Ma1.2-3, Jer 1:18, Jer 5:31, Hos.S-6, Mic 3:11, Sof 3:4.
Functions: In addition to offering sacrifices, indicated above, they had the duty to take care of the Ark, the Temple, to preach, to be oracles of God: (prophets), to bless births, anoint kings, attend funerals: ( Lev.l, Num.3, Deu 31:9, Jos.3-4, 1Ki 8:3, Ezra 2:63, Neh 7:65, Isa 61:6).
High Priest: He had a special garment and anointing: (Ex.28, 39, Lev.B).
– He supervised the rest of the priests, and presented offerings for sins: (Lev.4, 16, Ex.28, 39).
– Only the High Priest could manipulate the Urim and Thummim, to consult the will of God: (Deu 33:8, 1Sa 26:6, Exo 28:30, Neh 7:65).
In the New Testament: Jesus is the High Priest, according to the “order of Melquesidec”: (Heb 5:10, Heb 6:20Heb 7:17, Ge,Heb 14:18, Sal 110:4).
– The Aaronic sacrifice was abolished: (Jua 14:6, 1Ti 2:5-6, Heb 5:7-10), just as they had prophesied Ma12Cr 1:10, Is. l:ll, 0s.3:4, Dan 8:11, Dan 9:27. thus the “synagogues”, without intending it, are now fulfilling those prophecies: In them there is no sacrifice, no altar, no priest, only teachers: (rabbis)!, and the “sacrifice” has been replaced by the “prayer” .
– The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross was total and complete; he paid at once for the sins of all men and women of all time. Now, the only thing we have to do is “appropriate” that ransom, change the blank check that Jesus signed on Calvary with his Blood, and we have to “change” it in his only Bank, in his only Church, for the Baptism and Confession, appropriating in the Mass all the merits and benefits of the sacrifice of the Cross: (Heb 7:27, Heb 9:26, Heb 10:10, Heb 10:14, Ro.6, Jua 6:49- 58, Joh 20:23). See “Mass”, Eucharist”, “Repentance”.
The Ministerial Priesthood: In the Church there are ordained priests, with the order of Christ himself!, to celebrate and revive the same Sacrifice of the Cross on the altar, offering the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Mass; if the Body is separated from the Blood, it is because there is a “sacrifice” there, and only a priest can offer a sacrifice!: – It was instituted by Christ, Luk 21:19, 1Co 11:24-25 : (twice ).
– It is the “our daily bread” of Mat 6:11. he participates “every day” in this sacrifice, the center of Christianity, to have abundant life: (Jua 6: 48-58, I Cor.11: 29-30). See “Mass”, “Eucharist”.
– They are also “commanded” to forgive sins, from Joh 20:23. and to dispense the other Sacraments, as well as the mandate to “preach”, guide, baptize, attend the temple, help and comfort at the hour of death. and, finally, to be ministers and shepherds of the flock of Christ. See “Ministers”.
– His “priesthood” is a participation in that of Christ, of the “order of Melchizedek”, unique, not hereditary, and forever, eternal! The perfect priesthood of Christ is the foundation and reason for the dignity of the human priesthood, Heb 5:1-10, Heb 5:7 and 8.
Priesthood of the Laity: Every Christian is a “priest”: (1Pe 2:5, 1Pe 2:9, Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10, Rev 20:6).
– In the Catholic Church, following these teachings of the Bible, each Christian, when baptized, is officially ordained by the Church to be a “priest”, and is confirmed as a priest, officially by the Bishop, in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
– Our mission as “priests” is multiple.
1- Offer our bodies as a living host, holy, pleasing to God, Rom 12:1.
2- Participate actively in the Sacrifice of the Mass, joining the Ordained Priest, and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. and we must do this “every day”: (Mat 6:11), because if we do not do it, we will not have life in ourselves, and if we do it we will have eternal life: (Jua 6:5354, 1Co 11:29-30) .
3- Share the priestly activity of Christ leading men to Christ, with the Word of God, and, above all, with our lives, offering our crosses for the salvation of relatives, neighbors, Africans.
(Col 1:24, Mark 16:17-18).
Continuation of the mission of Christ: The priesthood of the Church is the continuation of the mission of Christ, of his redeeming sacrifice, of his teachings and life: (Luke 22:19, Mat 28:19-20, Jua 10:11- 15, Joh 10:17, Joh 10:20-21, Joh 20:23, Lk.10.
16-17, John 15:5-6).
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
A. Name kohen (ºheKo, 3548), “priest”. This word is found some 741 times in the Old Testament. More than a third of the mentions of “priest” are found in the Pentateuch. Leviticus, which contains some 185 citations, has been called the “priesthood manual.” In addition to the Hebrew priesthood, the term kohen was also used in relation to the Egyptian “priests” and “priesthood” (Gen 41:50; 46.20; 47.26), the Philistine “priests” (1Sa 6:2), and those of Dagon (1Sa 5:5), the “priests” of Baal (2Ki 10:19), Chemosh (Jer 48:7), as well as the “priests” of Baal and Asherah (2Ch 34:5). Joseph married the daughter of the “priest” of On (Gen 41:45), who bore him two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen 46:20). Joseph did not buy the land from the Egyptian “priests” because they received their daily sustenance from Pharaoh (Gen 47:22). A “priest” is a recognized minister of a divinity who officiates at an altar and in other cultic rites. A “priest” performs sacrifices, rites and mediation tasks; he represents the people before God and his people, unlike a prophet who is an intermediary between God and the people. God established the Jewish priestly office in the time of Moses. But before the institution of the high priest and the priestly office, we find the Melchizedek priesthood (Gen 14:18) and Midianite “priests” (Exo 2:16; 3.1; 18.11). In Exo 19:24, other “priests” are spoken of, who may have been Midianite “priests” and “priestesses” in Israel before the Levitical priesthood was officially established. There is no doubt that priestly functions were performed in pre-Mosaic times by the head of the family, such as Noah, Abraham, and Job. For example, after the flood, Noah built an altar to God (Gen 8:20-21). At Bethel, Mamre and Moriah Abraham built altars. In Gen 22:12-13, we read that the patriarch was willing to offer his son as a sacrifice. Job offered sacrifices for the sins of his children. The priesthood was one of the fundamental institutions of Old Testament religion. In Num 16: 5-7 he explains the importance of the priesthood: “And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, The Lord will make known tomorrow morning those who are his. Whoever is holy he will draw near to him, and whoever he chooses he will draw near to him. Do this, Korah and all your company: take censers. Tomorrow put fire on them, and put incense on them before the Lord. The man whom the Lord chooses, he shall be holy” (rva). God established Moses, Aaron, and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar as “priests” in Israel (Exo 28: 1, 41; 29.9, 29–30). When Nadab and Abihu were struck down because they “offered strange fire to Jehovah,” the priesthood was limited to the descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar (Lev 10:1-2; Num 3:4; 1Ch 24:2). However, not everyone born into Aaron’s family was able to exercise the “priesthood.” Certain physical deformities excluded some people from that perfection of holiness that a “priest” should manifest in the presence of the Lord (Lev 21:17-23). A ritually impure priest was not allowed to fulfill his priestly functions. In Lev 21: 1-15 there is a list of cultic prohibitions that prevented a “priest” from fulfilling his functions. In Exo 29: 1-37 and Lev_8 the seven days of the consecration ceremony of Aaron and his sons are described. The high priest (kohen haggadol) and his children were washed with water (Exo 29: 4). Then Aaron, the high priest, put on his sacred garments, with a pectoral over his heart and on his head a holy crown was placed: miter or turban (Exo 29: 5-6). Aaron was then anointed with oil on his head (Exo 29:7; cf. Psa 133:2). Finally, the blood of…