Zadok

In this Sabbath's reading portion titled Emor, or "Say", most of the Feasts of the LORD are given to Moses in Leviticus 23 for the people to observe throughout their generations. A study of these Feasts reveals the prophetic Person, promise and timetable of Christ, just as the pattern of the Tabernacle also declared the promise of Christ. The Hebrew word for "feast" used in Leviticus 23 is moed, and the root word is ya'ad. The meanings of these two Hebrew words are very important to all of the people of God. The meaning includes: "appointed time, appointed season, appointed sign or signal, a fixed time, a point of time, assembly; betrothed, engaged for marriage, to espouse". As the Bride of Christ, paying attention to the appointed times and seasons that have been encased in the Feasts of the LORD is very important. The meanings of the individual pictographic Hebrew letters that make up the word for "feast", moed, when put together could be saying to us "the mighty stream of blood from the nail inescapably pulls us on a journey toward a destination, a righteous harvest, like a movement or a path entering through a door or curtain". Christ described Himself as the Door for the sheep, His followers, to enter into the pasture of salvation (Jn. 10:1-9). He is also the Door or Curtain by which we may enter into the Holiest Place to the Mercy Seat, which is considered in Jewish tradition to be the Throne of God (Heb. 10:19-23). These Feasts bring us on a set journey from beginning to the end on the path to and with the Lamb of God, our Betrothed (Rev. 19:7-9). Not only are the Feasts a path, but they are a set timeline according to the meanings of the words. They play a significant part in our understanding of the plan of God for all of us. Currently, at this time of year, we are in the middle of the spring feasts. Part of this Sabbath's reading that includes the Feasts of the LORD, is also an unusual vision from the Prophet Ezekiel. The prophet had just given a very detailed vision of a temple that had not yet been built (Ezek. Ch. 40-43). Ezekiel saw the glory of the LORD enter the temple from the eastern gate of Jerusalem in this vision, and heard a voice say, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet (see also Zech. 14:3-4), where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever..." (Ezek. 43:7). This temple of Ezekiel's vision is sometimes referred to as "the third temple", and many expect this temple to be built in these end times. Jewish tradition states that the Messiah will enter through the eastern gate when He comes because of the prophecy of Zechariah noted above. At the same time, Ezekiel also received the Word of the LORD concerning a revolutionary change in the priesthood that would serve Him in this prophesied temple. The Levites will no longer be accepted to minister before the LORD, and will only be allowed to minister in the outer courts. This is because they had previously led the people away from the LORD and into idol worship: "...And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed." (Ezek. 44:10-13). There was only one branch of the Levites that would be allowed to minister before God, in this new priesthood that Ezekiel saw, which were to be the sons of Zadok: "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,' says the Lord God. 'They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge." (Ezek. 44:15-16). The "Lord" who is speaking here about His Zadok priesthood is called Adonay in Hebrew. The meaning of Adonay/Adon includes, "Lord, Master, king, husband, prophet, prince, captain". The Hebrew letters that make up the name Adonay, when put together, mean: "the powerful authority of the First, who is the Door, the Way, the Son, the Offspring, the Seed, the Heir to the throne, whose hand accomplished the finished work" (see also Jn. 17:4, Jn. 19:28-30). This priesthood spoken of by Ezekiel as declared prophetically by Adonay, the Lord, will consist only of the sons or descendants of Zadok. Let us look at who Zadok was, who lived generations before this vision was given to Ezekiel. Zadok was a priest who remained faithful to King David when many others were conspiring with David's son, Absalom, the counterfeit heir, to depose the king (2 Sam. 15:23-24). King David had previously received the prophetic promise that the Messiah would be his future descendant (2 Sam. 8:12-18). Not only did Zadok remain faithful to David, and willing to follow him into exile, but he would also play a role in the king's future return: "The king also said to Zadok the priest, 'Are you not a seer (prophet)? ...See, I will wait/tarry/delay in the plains (crossing place, cause to bring over) of the wilderness (pasture for feeding flocks) until word comes from you to inform/certify (declare, utter, show forth, make known, profess openly, proclaim, bring into sight, proclaim and celebrate with praise) me." (v. 27-30). When the time came for King David's return, he sent a message to Zadok to bring to all of Judah: "You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?". This touched the hearts of all the men of Judah, who sent word to the king, "Return, you and all your servants." (see 2 Sam. 19:11-14). This is also the role that we have in the return of Jesus, "the Root and the Offspring of David". As Zadok asked the question of Judah, are we, Christ's brethren of His blood, the last to bring back the King? This should not be so. We, the Bride, are to join the Holy Spirit, not just in waiting for Christ's return, but in saying "Come", or erchomai in Greek, which means "to come forth from one place to another, used of those arriving or returning" (see Rev. 22:16-17, 20). The verse tells us to "say" this, but the meaning in Greek, lego, is much stronger. It means "to speak, affirm, maintain, teach, exhort, advise, to command, to call by name". Like Zadok, we have been given the responsibility by the King to exhort all of Judah, "the people of praise", to speak the command for Him to "Return" or "Come". Zadok's name in Hebrew means "to be just, be righteous, to be justified, make someone righteous, turn to righteousness". Daniel described God's people in the latter days or end times as "those who turn many to righteousness". The Zadok priesthood, which would be the descendants of Zadok as prophesied by Adonay, the Lord, in Ezekiel's vision, would have this calling also: They were to be clothed in linen (Ezek 44:17, Rev. 19:8). They will teach the people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and between the unclean and the clean (v. 23, Dan. 11:33). They shall stand as judges in controversies (v. 24, 1 Cor. 6:3-6). They shall keep the Lord's statutes, the appointed feasts, and hallow the Sabbath (v. 24, Jn. 8:31, Jn. 14:15, Jn. 15:10, Mt. 5:17-20, Mt. 12:8). The Lord, Adonay, also said that He is the Zadok priests' inheritance, and their possession (v. 28, Eph. 1:10-14), and they were to have no other inheritance in the earth. These priests were to have the first, best, or most chief, the head of the firstfruits offering (v. 30, 1 Cor. 15:20-23, Rom. 8:29). We also have been called to a priesthood, which Peter calls "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9-10), that requires something of us. I found that this week's Sabbath reading titled Emor, or "Say", contains so many parallels with our walk with Christ, and a timely message for the believers in Christ pertaining to our ministry or purpose on earth in these times. If you would like to learn more about these things, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, You show and teach us things in Your Word to guide us through these challenging days before Your return. Prepare us by Your Holy Spirit, and sanctify us by Your Word, to walk in the priesthood to which You have called us, and to minister Your salvation to all creation. We join with the Spirit, and exhort all, both Jewish and Gentile, to send this imperative word to our King of Kings, Jesus: "Come!". We ask and speak these things in the Name of Jesus. AMEN."