Royal Priesthood: Now, New Jerusalem

Revelation 22:3 ends “His slaves will serve Him.” The Greek word translated serve means to serve as priests. Him is the Lamb God on the throne. Verse 22:5, speaking of these slave-priests in New Jerusalem, ends “they will reign forever and ever.”

In the New Jerusalem as the holy city, all the redeemed and perfected saints will be the kings and priests….The New Jerusalem will actually be a body of kings and priests. All the redeemed and perfected saints from both the Old Testament and the New Testament will be a royal and priestly body ruling over the nations as kings and serving God and Christ as priests.*

Being kings and priests is not something which will suddenly happen in New Jerusalem. Peter, writing to all the Christians, declares in 1 Peter 2:9 “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood.” Today we serve God as priests, praising Him and ministering the Christ in us to others. This will continue into New Jerusalem.

Today we are also kings. We are not such to reign over others in this age but to learn to reign over our fallen nature. Romans 5:17 says that “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Let us receive the abundance and learn now to prepare for the kingly priesthood in New Jerusalem.

* Life-Study of the New Testament, Conclusion Messages: The Church, the Kingdom, and the New Jerusalem, message 263, p. 2743, small>by Witness Lee. Published 1998 and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California.

Posted by Don on March 31, 2025

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