Do you know why Jesus came to this world 2000 years ago? If you say he came to save the world and deliver us from the bondage of death, you are right. That's exactly what he did. But why did he have to come twice? Why didn't he just fulfill what the Jews expected. They thought he was coming to make the nation of Israel into a nation of Kings and Priests so that they could reign over the nations with a rod of iron. If you don't know the answer to this you're not alone. Millions of Jews don't either and they never have. On top of this many Christians don't know why Jesus Christ has to come twice instead of just once in order to establish his kingdom. Most Jews don't believe that Jesus Christ is the messiah that they have been looking for. To find out why let's go to Isa. 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return. You see, God said their ears would be stopped and their eyes closed. Then Isaiah said, "How long Lord?" And he answered, "until the land lies in desolation". So according to this the nation of Israel will have their eyes opened after the abomination that makes desolate goes into perdition.
How do we know this prophecy is truth? Because only a very small remnant of the Jews have ever believed in Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. They had sacrificed the passover lamb for 1500 years and have never seen the "type and shadow" of their Messiah as the sacrificial Lamb of God. John The Baptist spoke of it once under the power of the Holy Ghost when he proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. Yet, when John was facing death in Herod's dungeon he sent to Jesus and asked "Are you the one that is to come or do we look for another?" Perhaps he was hoping that Jesus would establish his kingdom and deliver him from Herod. Please note that Jesus didn't come right out and say that he was the "Promised One". Instead, he answered John by quoting prophetic scripture, The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. He left it to John to believe or not to believe. He did not go against His Father's prophesy that was made in Isaiah 6:9. He told the Samaritan woman at the well who he was but she was a gentile. The only Jew that Jesus revealed himself to, was the man born blind from his birth. You can read this in the book of John chapter 9. After Jesus healed him, the people told the Pharisee's about it. They came to question him but they just couldn't believe he was actually blind from birth. Perhaps they thought Jesus was like some of our television preachers staging a fake healing. They then went to the blind man's parents to question them. His parents affirmed that he was indeed born blind. But, because of their fear of being cast out of the religious system and not being able to partake in the resurrection of the dead, they said, "we don't know how he was healed, go ask him". Many religious systems maintain their power over their people by the threat of "casting them out". No rabbi, pope, priest of preacher can cast you out. Only by your own disobedience will you loose your salvation. Finally the Pharisees went back to the blind man to question him further. He told them the same thing again but this time he asked them, "why are you so interested, do you want to be his disciple also?" This caused them to become so infuriated with him that they "cast him out". Then, Jesus looked for him and when he found him he asked, "Do you believe on the Son of God?" And the blind man answered," Who is he Lord that I might believe on him?" And Jesus answered him "YOU HAVE BOTH SEEN HIM AND IT IS HE THAT IS SPEAKING TO YOU" Then, the blind man worshipped him. Why did Jesus answer the blind man this way yet he answered John the Baptist indirectly? The reason is simple. The man had been cast out of their religious system. He was the same to them as a gentile. He did not have to go against his Father's word in Isaiah in Isiah 6:9.
So you see Jesus walked among them as one they did not know. Religious tradition had blinded their eyes. Instead of looking to the word to see what it said they looked to tradition and what men said. Therefore, they missed seeing who he was and also why he came. Even his apostles didn't know that he came to be a sacrifice for their sins. James and John asked to set on his right hand in his kingdom. They expected him to set the kingdom up right down to the end. Not until after the resurrection and the new covenant was in place did Jesus explain his reason for coming. Traditional teaching was the reason they never recognized him as their Messiah. God knew this and predicted it through Isaiah.6: 9,10.
Does the bible indicate to us any thing that would make us look for two visitations of God? Yes, it does. There are two SEED covenants found in the bible that indicate that God was going to establish an everlasting priesthood and an everlasting kingdom. The Priesthood covenant was established with a man named Phinehas. This man was a Levite, the grandson of Aaron. The account of this covenant is found in Numbers chapter 25. Please read this whole chapter for yourself so you can see why God made this covenant. (Numbers 25) vs :11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
The other covenant was for an EVERLASTING KINGDOM and it was established with David , a Jew, who was the king of Israel. This covenant is found in the book of 1st Chronicles, chapter 17. It says:11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. These two covenants indicated that there would be two reasons for his coming: one, to establish an everlasting priesthood two, to establish an everlasting kingdom.
You can also see by these words that these covenants were to be fulfilled by the seed of these two men. Jesus said there is neither male nor female in the spirit so these covenants were fulfilled by the SONS of David and the SEED of Aaron. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar who was the son of Aaron. God does not change his word---Jesus Christ the fulfillment of these covenants had to come through the flesh seed of these men otherwise he could not have been Word. Jesus himself didn't say I speak the truth. He went much farther than that, he said,"I am the truth". Indeed, he had to be the truth in order to be the Word made flesh. The Levite priesthood is a type and shadow of the everlasting Melchzedk Priesthood. David the king, a Jew, is a type and shadow of the everlasting Kingdom of God. Jesus' father Joseph was of the SONS of David because the covenant prophecy said he would be of David's sons. Mary his mother was of the daughters of Aaron. We know this because Elizabeth, who was of the daughters of Aaron, was her cousin. (Luke 1: 5 and 36) 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: There is also historical evidence that Mary's father was a Levite priest named Jochim.
At the time when Jesus came to Israel they were looking for a son of David to set up an everlasting kingdom. Instead of a king, they got the unblemished Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. The unblemished Lamb that was sacrificed at the passover to take away the sins of Israel came, suffered and died on calvary to establish an everlasting priesthood. As you know by now this was the PREDOMINANT reason for the first coming. God is a perfect God. Sin cannot exist in him. A man made like us in all things (Heb 1: 17) yet, without sin for 33 years while on this earth, sacrificed himself for all men. Now we have an open door, through him, to enter into God. What a miracle to live 33 years on this earth without sin!
Jesus Christ ascended to the Father. He became an everlasting Priest. The devil won this earth through Adam's sin. Jesus won it back because the devil killed him without a cause. Now the Holy Ghost can come to all men who believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost sent by Jesus is our everlasting Priest. Now through Jesus and only through him, we can know the Father. The Holy Ghost is our teacher, comforter, and all the other functions that a Priest has. Many people on this earth hear that Jesus is the only gate to the Father but they don't understand why. Without the ministry of the everlasting Priest, the Holy Ghost, no one knows the Father. This is why true Christians can never say "all religions are good because they are seeking for God". Perhaps Mohammedans, Buddhists, "new agers" and all the others are seeking for God in their "own" way. But their"own" way in not the way. Jesus Christ said, "I am the WAY", I AM the TRUTH, I AM the LIFE ! No one come to the Father but by me. Whether you believe it or not this is the truth.
What most Jews, gentiles and Christians don't know is that the first coming of Jesus Christ was for the purpose of establishing the everlasting Priesthood. But for what purpose? That God could have a family of Sons. These sons would all become Kings and Priests with Jesus the First Born as their blessed head. These overcomers enter the Kingdom through the cross just like their head. Many like James, Stephen, Peter, Paul and thousands of others have endured their crosses just like Jesus. They have given their lives for a testimony. Others have suffered and died daily by taking up their crosses that are applied to their lives by the Holy Ghost so that "self" will die and Jesus can be resurrected in them. This cross is called the sprinkling of the blood. In the old testament it was only the high priest who could enter into the holy of holies to sprinkle the blood on the sacrifice. Only Jesus, our high priest, knows where to sprinkle the blood in our lives to make us holy and pure. All those who enter into this body of living Sons of God must endure their crosses and have the blood applied in order that they might be raised into his life. Many Christians are being tortured and murdered in countries like communist China, and Moslem nations in Africa and Asia. Many are being harassed and impoverished by those who call themselves Christian. Many wear the cross around their necks but refuse to bear it on their backs. Christians in our own country are being fed milk and baby food. They reach out with a thimble between thumb and forefinger to receive their Sunday blessing while holding on to the world with all their might with the other hand. They fail to see the thousands who gave their lives for the freedom to worship, speak, write, and assemble. We see these freedoms slowly slipping away everyday. Soon these Christians will find that this diet of baby food will not sustain them when the powers of the anti-Christ come against them.
Yes; Jesus came to establish the Everlasting Melczedeck Priesthood. Our Holy Ghost Priest comes to the sons of the Living God who are willing to give up the world and enter into him even if it means giving their lives. Below are some scriptures in the old testament that speak of the covenant that God made with the Levites his priests.
(Psalm 106:29,30,31) Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
(Jeremiah 33:17 22) For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Mal (2: 5,6) 5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Jesus' mother Mary was a Levite. She was of the daughters of Aaron as was shown above: (Chapter 1 vs. 5 and 36) The Jews did not see this because the word of God in Isa 6:9,10 prophesied that they would not see, hear or believe on him that was to come, and they didn't. The instrument for this deception was traditional teaching that his coming was to establish a Kingdom. They believed the Jew would rule the world with him. However his Kingdom is to be a universal one with many people of different ethnic origins. Many people even now don't see that unless he established this priesthood by his sacrifice at calvary the Holy Ghost could not come to men. Without the revelations of the Holy Ghost to men who believe on Jesus there could be no kingdom of God. Not even his apostles knew that his reason for coming was to be a sacrificial Lamb. They were in great sorrow and thought that all was lost until after the resurrection from the dead. Then he appeared to the two men on their way to Emmaus and opened up their Eyes to the scripture concerning his suffering. Then came Pentecost and the Holy Ghost rained down on them. The first members of the Body of Christ came about. These and all the others who enter into this Son body will some day, perhaps soon, will be manifest as the Kingdom of God. Their head will then come again to establish his Everlasting Kingdom. Below is the 53rd chapter of Isaiah which describes his suffering and dieing many years before it came to pass. This is what the Jews failed to see because of traditional teaching.
(Isaiah Chapter 53) WHO hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors:
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