The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God: A Review

Schrock, David S. The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God. Short Studies in Biblical Theology 13. Wheaton: Crossway, 2022. 176pp excluding end matter.

Summary and Critique

In his book, Royal Priesthood, David Schrock argues that humanity was created to be royal priests (priest-kings) who serve in the presence of God, reflecting God’s glory and glorifying God. Due to the fall, however, humanity needed priestly intervention, culminating in Jesus, the royal priest, who makes those who are united to him through faith royal priests: “Jesus is a royal priest, and the rest of the New Testament identifies the church as his family of royal priests” (175).

This is a wonderfully refreshing book in its content. Having three theological degrees in both Old and New Testament, I can honestly say I have never studied the priesthood or read anything substantial on it prior to Royal Priesthood. Because of my ignorance, this book was full of insights, chiefly explaining the identity and function of Levitical priests, Levites, and royal priests. Priesthood is a significant theme that unites the entire Bible together, and I am ashamed that I never knew the significance of it.

One thing Schrock does well throughout Royal Priesthood is explain the reason for the information given. For example, “in seeing how the priests deviate from God’s design, we will see why the Levitical priesthood will fail and why a new priesthood will be needed” (78). Another example is “by looking at this history, we are better equipped to understand what kind of priesthood Jesus will bring” (100).

Schrock is tempered in his analysis, frequently admitting that the text is not explicit (such as in Jesus’ priesthood in the Gospels), but that when one engages with biblical theology, the evidence is hard to ignore (see page 133 for an example). For Schrock, understanding the function of priests helps one identify priests and those acting like priests.

Overall, this is a phenomenal book on a neglected topic. It should spark a genuine interest in the priesthood throughout the Bible and is a book I thoroughly recommend.

Summary of Each Chapter

Introduction

The big picture: “[F]allen humanity requires priestly intervention to restore the glory we were made to receive and reflect” (16). “[T]o be made in God’s image and created for God’s glory means Christ’s disciples are called to be a family of royal priests—sons and daughters who serve in the presence of the Lord by means of the finished work of Christ, our great high priest” (17).

Definitions:

Priest: “Priests are consecrated mediators between God and his covenant people, who stand to serve at God’s altar (1) sanctifying God’s Holy Place, (2) sacrificing God’s offerings, and (3) speaking God’s covenant” (21, italics original).
Levitical Priesthood: The term “Levitical priesthood” refers only to the sons of Aaron and the entire priestly system, which is centred on Aaron and his offspring (22). The Levites were given to Aaron and his sons to assist them at God’s house (22).
Royal Priesthood: Royal priesthood is the priesthood coupled with kingship (22–23). Melchizedek is the key figure here. Priesthood combined with kingship is the goal (23).

Chapter 1: In the Beginning—The Royal Priesthood Patterned

This chapter seeks to show that the pattern of royal priesthood is found in Adam and his descendants.

The garden of Eden is presented as a sanctuary and Adam is presented as a royal priest in four ways:

Adam is placed in a garden sanctuary (28–29).
Adam mediates the relationship between God and his children (29). As head of his family, he is to lead his family “to worship and serve their creator” (29).
Adam is given a priestly commission to work/serve and keep/guard the sanctuary garden (30).
The rest of the Bible presents Adam as a priest (30–31).

The Patriarchs Abel, Seth, Noah, and Abraham are all presented as priests in three ways (34–42):

They each serve at and/or sanctify a holy place.
They each bring a sacrifice to an altar.
They each speak to God for people (prayer) or speak to others from God (blessing).

Finally, Genesis introduces Melchizedek, a royal priest (42–44). “Melchizedek provides a glimpse of what Adam might have been, what Israel was meant to be(come), and what Jesus Christ would ultimately be—a glorious royal priest” (43).

Chapter 2: The Law—The Levitical Priesthood Legislated

“The Levitical priesthood helps us better understand what it means to be priests in God’s kingdom” (48).

The following series of events is how the Levitical priesthood formed:

Israel is identified as a kingdom of priests in Exodus 19:5–6 (50–51).
Israel’s firstborn sons serve as priestly assistants (Exod 13:2–13; 51–52): “just as Israel (as God’s firstborn) becomes a kingdom of priests when God enters into covenant at Sinai, so God intends for Israel’s firstborn sons to have priestly responsibilities within the people he is bringing into the land” (51).
Aaron and his sons are chosen as priests (52–53).
Moses serves as a priest (53–54).
The firstborn sons of Israel are replaced with the Levites (54–55).
The priests are given instructions for the house of God (55–57).
The Levites are given to the priests (57–59). The Levites are to assist the priests and guard them. They are not priests themselves, but assistants to the priests. The non-priest Levites do not bring sacrifices to the altar.
The Levites are denied access to the altar (59–60).
God makes a covenant with the priests and the Levites (60–61).
The high priest is established in Israel (61–62).
The priests and Levites are given cities in the land (62).
The Levitical priesthood is established (62–63). The term Levitical priesthood refers to the system of priests and Levites working together to serve the Lord, while maintaining the distinction between priests and Levites (63).

The following five points, explain what the priests and Levites do in and around God’s tabernacle; it is their ‘job description.’ The following five points is the basic standard by which all the priests in Israel can be evaluated. “[B]y discerning the shape of the priesthood legislated in the Pentateuch, we will be equipped to understand how priests succeed or fail in the rest of the Bible” (65).

Priests stand to serve in God’s presence (65–66). “The Levitical priesthood is consecrated to focus singularly on serving the Lord at his house” (66). The following four actions (guarding, sacrificing, teaching, and interceding) “are services the Levitical priesthood will render in that sacred place, mediating the relationship between God and his covenant people” (66).
Priests guard God’s house (66–67). “The priests are called to make sure that nothing unclean approaches the Lord and his holiness” (66). “With the Levites, the priests stand between the people and God. They protect the people from God’s anger toward their sin, and they protect God’s house from the uncleanness of the people” (67).
Priests offer sacrifices on the altar (67–68). “This is the role uniquely assigned to Aaron and his sons” (67). “Every form of worship in the Old Testament centers on the priests and their sacrificial duties” (68).
Priests teach the covenant to God’s people (68–69). The priests share this role of teaching with the Levites. The priests are also called to speak God’s blessing upon the people of Israel (68; Num 6:24–26).
Priests intercede for the people (69–70).

The priesthood as described above “is a shadow that will find its true substance in the great priesthood of Jesus Christ” (70).

Chapter 3: The Prophets—The Priesthood Promised, Compromised, and Promised Again

Schrock offers a good summary of the Levitical system: “Standing before Yahweh, the sons of Aaron lived to sanctify God’s house and God’s people. Assisted by a family system of priests and Levites, the high priest brought Israel before the Lord by offering incense on the golden altar. In the other direction, the high priest brought God’s presence to Israel as he pronounced God’s blessing upon them” (73–74).

Schrock divides the relationship between priest and people into three historical stages:

When the priests fulfill their ministry.
When the priests compromise their duties (do not fulfill their ministry).
The promise of a new priesthood that will replace the Levitical priesthood.

Stage 1: The Priests Fulfill Their Ministry

Upon entering the promised land in the book of Joshua, the priests are the most faithful, making the book of Joshua a good source for illustrating the priesthood in practice. There are two traits that mark this time:

The priests enable God’s people to draw near to God (75). Without the Levitical priests, communion with God would have been impossible.
The Levitical priests facilitate worship for God’s people (76). Throughout Joshua “the priests are proactive in maintaining the purity of God’s tabernacle and seeking the purity of God’s people” (76).

Stage 2: The Levitical Priesthood is Compromised

Cracks in the Levitical priesthood begin to show at the end of Joshua. By the time of the Judges, the priests have completely neglected their duties. 1 Samuel reveals that the priests are serving themselves at the tabernacle—violating women and exploiting the people (78). Schrock lists four ways the priests compromise their priestly position and fail to keep their priestly duties:

The priests failed to obey the Law (78–80).
The priests failed to guard the tabernacle/temple and maintain the purity of God’s house (80–82).
The priests failed to instruct God’s people (82–83).
The priests failed to offer holy sacrifices on God’s altar; rather they offered impure sacrifices (83–86).

Stage 3: A New Priesthood is Promised

The first promise of a new priest comes in 1 Samuel 2:35 (86). After that, David is presented as a priestly kind of king (87–88), although the fusion of priest and king is not clear in the days of David (89). Two of the clearest statements about a coming royal priest are Jeremiah 30:21 and Zechariah 6:12–14. Other passages that describe the future priesthood are Isaiah 53, 55–66 and Jeremiah 33:14–26. Further, Ezekiel 36 identifies a new priestly people (94–96).

Chapter 4: The Writings—The Royal Priesthood Anticipated

The Writings anticipate the arrival of the royal priest. Schrock focuses on specific passages that heighten the anticipation of the royal priesthood.

1–2 Chronicles

“The condition of the priesthood depends upon the faithfulness of the king” (101). The “priests’ faithfulness determines the condition of the nation, and their faithfulness is also determined by the kings” (101). Thus, priests and kings complement one another, a trend seen throughout Chronicles.
Many of the sons of David (the kings) engage in priestly duties, functioning as priestly kings (102).
Although the priesthood functions well with faithful kings, most of the time the Levitical priesthood is unfaithful and is not able to bring lasting salvation (106–07).

Ezra-Nehemiah

“Ezra exemplifies what a priest should look like. Through his model and his appointment of others (7:15; 8:24; cf. Neh. 12:44–47), we see that priests protect God’s Holy Place, teach God’s law, offer sacrifices, make confession, and lead the congregation in worship” (108).
However, upon the end of the book of Nehemiah, the priests have defiled themselves again and need cleansing, showing the need for a better priesthood (109–10).

Psalm 110

Schrock claims that Psalm 110 is the most important passage in the Old Testament for understanding the purposes of the priesthood (110). Schrock connects Psalm 110 to Psalm 118 and book 5 of the Psalter for his interpretation, but, unfortunately, does not provide a succinct interpretation of the Psalm. For a thorough treatment of the Royal Priesthood in Psalm 110, see Matthew Emadi’s monograph The Royal Priest: Psalm 110 in Biblical Theology (2022) in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series.

Psalms 132–34

These psalms explain the coming royal priest will bring a new priesthood. The New Covenant will not restore the priesthood to Levi, but to those who are clothed in righteousness and salvation by taking refuge in the true royal priest (113).

Daniel 7:13–14

This passage centres on the Son of Man who is presented with imagery and allusions to both Adam (king/ruler) and Aaron (priest). The Son of Man “is presented as a new Adam who will receive authority over all nations because of his inherent righteousness” (114–15). The imagery of the Son of Man also recalls Aaron and the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16, giving priestly elements to the Son of Man (115). “Thus, with Aaron and Adam in view, these verses are suggestive of a royal priest” (115).

Daniel 9:24–27

Daniel 9 presents a righteous king who offers himself up as a priestly sacrifice for the salvation of his people (116).

Chapter 5: The Gospels—The Royal Priesthood Arrives

The plan for this chapter is to trace the priesthood in the Gospels along the lines of the priestly definition employed throughout the book and to see how Jesus’ birth story and baptism identify Jesus as a priest.

Luke introduces Jesus as a royal priest in five ways Luke 1–2:

There are multiple allusions to 1 Samuel 1–2 that identify a change in the priesthood (123).
Jesus eclipses John and his priestly house (123–24).
Jesus’ baptism identifies his priestly service (124–25).
Jesus’ priesthood is highlighted in his genealogy and his likeness to Adam (125–26).
Jesus’ arrival promises to fulfill the words of the prophets about a new royal priest, such as Zechariah 3 (126–27).

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus does what priests do. The following activities give a composite picture of Jesus as a priest, pointing to his priesthood.

Jesus teaches like priests do (128–30). Even his message is priestly.
Jesus heals (130–31). Whereas the priests pronounce one clean or unclean, Jesus actually cleanses people. He is a greater priest than the Levitical priests.
Jesus purifies the temple (131).
Jesus forgives sin (131–32).
Jesus prays for his people (132–33).

At the heart of Jesus’ ministry is the sacrifice Jesus offers on the cross (134). “In each Gospel we can see how Jesus moves toward the cross, which is the pinnacle of his priestly work”—making atonement for sin (134).

“The Gospels never call Jesus a ‘priest,’ but as Jesus said, ‘Each tree is known by its own fruit’ (Luke 6:44). In this case, a priest is known by his actions. Because true priesthood ‘is primarily about doing things, . . . rather than about being a particular kind of person or having a particular genealogical descent,’ we can say with confidence that the Gospels present Jesus as a royal priest” (140).

Chapter 6: Acts through Revelation—The Royal Priesthood Multiplies

This chapter will assess Acts–Revelation to discern what it says about Christ’s priesthood, what this means for Jesus’ people, and how Jesus’ people understand the meaning of Jesus’ priesthood.

The Priesthood Inaugurated in Acts

“At Pentecost, we see how Spirit-baptism consecrates the church for service. Just as Jesus’s baptism ordained him for priestly service, now his greater baptism—the baptism in the Spirit—identifies and empowers the people who will serve as priests in his kingdom. Pentecost is what marks out Christ’s royal priests. Just as Aaron’s ministry was bolstered by the addition of Levites (Num. 3:11–13; 8:14–16; 18:7), so Christ receives from the Father priests made clean by the Spirit” (142).

There are three priestly elements in Acts:

The church becomes the place of holy worship where priests serve in God’s presence (143–44). Worship now occurs wherever the Spirit gathers God’s saints. “Acts shows the Spirit assembling God’s people into local temples of Christian worship” (143).
Acts shows how priests and Levites are added to the church (144–45). This shows that the Sinai covenant is coming to an end.
Gentiles receiving the Spirit is a sign that the kingdom of priest has come (145).

The Priesthood Expanded in Paul and Peter

There are seven practices of new covenant priests: (1) baptism, (2) prayer, (3) reading Scripture, (4) church discipline, (5) ministry to one another, (6) proclamation, and (7) the Lord’s Supper (145).

Following Schrock’s definition of priesthood used throughout this book, the church is called to do the following:

The church sanctifies the house of God (146–51). “Just as priests in Israel were brought near to God to serve in his temple and minister to God’s people, now members of the church, which is the temple of the living God, are called to be priests to one another” (147).
The church speaks the words of God (151–54). The church speaks the word of God by (1) reading and hearing Scripture, (2) praying, and (3) proclaiming the gospel to others.
The church offers spiritual sacrifices (154–57). The church offers spiritual sacrifices by serving one another, by suffering, and by taking the Lord’s Supper.

The Priesthood Explained in Hebrews

Hebrews makes Jesus’ royal priesthood explicit and explains it, arguing that Jesus is the true and exalted royal priest.

Hebrews explicitly calls Jesus a high priest, applying Psalm 110 to Jesus (158–59).
Hebrews explains Jesus’ qualifications to be God’s high priest (160–61).
Hebrew shows how Jesus’ ministry (his actions) is priestly, including the sacrifice of his life (162–67).

The Priesthood Everlasting in Revelation

The book of Revelation adds three aspects of the priesthood:

The kingdom of priests is created by the sacrifice of Christ (168–69).
Christ is a royal priest who radiates the glory of God (169–70).
God’s royal priests engage in worship and warfare (170–71).

Epilogue: Royal Priesthood Yesterday, Today, and Forever

“Jesus is a royal priest, and the rest of the New Testament identifies the church as his family of royal priests” (175).

“In worshipping God, serving one another, sanctifying God’s house with prayer and church discipline, baptizing saints, communing at the Lord’s Table, offering sacrifices of praise, speaking the word to one another, and blessing the nations with the gospel, they [the children of God] are priests living in the kingdom of Christ” (175).