• Priest
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • the sanctification service at the sanctuary, in which Aaron and his sons were inducted into the priesthood. Moses interceded for Israel, calling upon Jehovah’s name. (Num. 14:13-20) The word “priest” was also used occasionally to denote a “lieutenant” or “chief minister or official.” In the list of the chief officers serving under King David the record reads: “As for the sons of David, they became priests.”—2 Sam. 8:18; compare 2 Samuel 20:26; 1 Kings 4:5; 1 Chronicles 18:17.

      THE CHRISTIAN PRIESTHOOD

      Jehovah had promised that if Israel kept his covenant they would become to Him “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6) However, the priesthood of Aaron’s line was to continue only until the coming of the greater priesthood that it foreshadowed. (Heb. 8:4, 5) It would endure until the ending of the Law covenant and the inauguration of the new covenant. (Heb. 7:11-14; 8:6, 7, 13) The offer was first made exclusively to Israel to become Jehovah’s priests serving in God’s promised kingdom arrangement; in time this offer was extended to the Gentiles.—Acts 10:34, 35; 15:14; Rom. 10:21.

      Only a remnant of the Jews accepted Christ, the nation thereby failing to provide the members of the real kingdom of priests and the holy nation. (Rom. 11:7, 20) Because of Israel’s unfaithfulness God had forewarned them of this by his prophet Hosea centuries before, saying: “Because the knowledge is what you yourself have rejected, I shall also reject you from serving as a priest to me; and because you keep forgetting the law of your God, I shall forget your sons, even I.” (Hos. 4:6) Correspondingly, Jesus told the Jewish leaders: “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.” (Matt. 21:43) Nevertheless, Jesus Christ, being under the Law while on earth, recognized the Aaronic priesthood as being in force and directed ones whom he cured of leprosy to go to the priest and make the required offering.—Matt. 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 17:14.

      On Pentecost day of the year 33 C.E. the Law covenant came to an end and the “better covenant,” the new covenant, was inaugurated. (Heb. 8:6-9) On that day God made manifest this change by the outpouring of holy spirit. The apostle Peter then explained to the Jews present from many nations that their only salvation now lay in repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ. (Acts chap. 2; Heb. 2:1-4) Later, Peter spoke of the Jewish builders rejecting Jesus Christ as the cornerstone and then said to Christians: “But you are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession.’”—1 Pet. 2:7-9.

      Peter explained also that the new priesthood is “a spiritual house for the purpose of a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 2:5) Jesus Christ is their great High Priest and they, like Aaron’s sons, make up the underpriesthood. (Heb. 3:1; 8:1) Yet, differently from the Aaronic priesthood, which had no part in kingship, kingship and priesthood are combined in this “royal priesthood” of Christ and his joint heirs. In the Bible book of Revelation the apostle John speaks of the followers of Jesus Christ as “loosed . . . from our sins by means of his own blood,” and says that he “made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.”—Rev. 1:5, 6.

      This last book of the Bible also reveals the number composing the body of underpriests. Those whom Jesus Christ made “to be a kingdom and priests to our God” are shown as singing a new song in which they say that they were bought by Christ’s blood. (Rev. 5:9, 10) Farther on, the ones singing the new song are enumerated as 144,000 persons “bought from among mankind as a first fruits to God and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 14:1-5) Finally this underpriesthood is shown as being resurrected to heaven and joining Jesus Christ in his rule, becoming “priests of God and of the Christ” and ruling “as kings” with Christ during his thousand-year reign.—Rev. 20:4, 6.

      By comparing the priesthood of Israel and its functions and benefits toward the people of that nation (Heb. 8:5), we can get some idea of the benefits and blessings to be received by the people of earth from the perfect and everlasting priesthood of Jesus Christ and his body of underpriests during their joint reign over the earth for a thousand years. The privilege will be theirs of teaching the people the law of God (Mal. 2:7), accomplishing complete forgiveness of sins on the basis of the ransom sacrifice of the great High Priest (administering the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice) and bringing about the healing of all infirmities (Mark 2:9-12; Heb. 9:12-14; 10:1-4, 10), distinguishing between what is clean and what is unclean in God’s sight and removing all uncleanness (Lev. chaps. 13-15), judging the people in righteousness and seeing that Jehovah’s righteous law is enforced throughout the earth.—Deut. 17:8-13.

      Just as the tent of meeting in the wilderness was God’s place of dwelling with men, a sanctuary where they could approach him, so God’s tent will again be with mankind in a much closer, more lasting and beneficial way, in his spiritual temple comprised of his holy priesthood. (Rev. 21:3) With such a royal priesthood the people will certainly be happy, as was Israel when the kingdom and priesthood were functioning faithfully toward God, during which time “Judah and Israel were many, like the grains of sand that are by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing” and dwelling “in security, everyone under his own vine and under his own fig tree.”—1 Ki. 4:20, 25.

      PAGAN PRIESTS

      The ancient nations had priests through whom they made approach to their gods. These men were reverenced by the people and always wielded great influence, generally being among the ruling class, or being close advisers to the rulers. The priesthood was the most educated class and generally held the people in ignorance. In this way they were able to prey on the superstition of the people and their fear of the unknown. In Egypt, for example, the people were led to worship as a god the Nile River, viewing their priests as possessing divine control over its seasonal overflow, on which their crops depended.

      This encouragement of superstitious ignorance was in direct contrast to the priesthood of Israel, who constantly read and taught the law to the entire nation. Each man was to know God and his law. (Deut. 6:1-3) The people themselves were able to read and write, being commanded by Jehovah to write his commands on their gates and doorposts and to read and teach his law to their children.—Deut. 6:4-9.

      Egyptian priesthood not the pattern for Israel’s priesthood

      In the face of these facts there are some who claim that Moses, the mediator of the Law covenant, was deeply influenced by his life in Egypt, his training in the court of Pharaoh and his instruction “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” (Acts 7:22) Thus they attribute to the man Moses the setting up of the priesthood of Israel and the formulation of its regulations and say that many of its features were patterned after those of Egypt. Their line of argument, however, ignores what the Bible itself says. Moses, though used to deliver the Law to Israel, was in no sense the lawmaker. Israel’s Lawgiver was Jehovah God (Isa. 33:22), who used angels to transmit the Law by the hand of the mediator Moses.—Gal. 3:19.

      Every detail of Israel’s worship was outlined by God. The plans for the tent of meeting were given to Moses (Ex. 26:30), and it is written that he was commanded: “See that you make all things after their pattern that was shown to you in the mountain.” (Heb. 8:5; Ex. 25:40) All the service at the sanctuary was of Jehovah’s origination and direction. The record repeatedly assures us of this by saying that Moses and the sons of Israel “kept doing according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses. They did just so.” “According to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, that was the way the sons of Israel did all the service. And Moses got to see all the work, and, look? they had done it just as Jehovah had commanded. That was the way they had done.” “And Moses proceeded to do according to all that Jehovah had commanded him. He did just so.”—Ex. 39:32, 42, 43; 40:16.

      According to Egyptologists, in some things the dress of the Egyptian priests was similar to that of the priests of Israel, such as the use of linen; there was a shaving of the bodies of the Egyptian priests, as with the Levites (though the priests of Israel did not—Num. 8:7); there were washings. But do these few similarities prove that they had the same origin, or that one came from the other? Similar materials and methods are used world wide in making clothing, houses and buildings and in performing daily duties, such as washing, but there is great divergence also in style and methods. We do not say that one came from the other, or that the dress or the act has the same religious or symbolic significance.

      In most features of their dress and functions there was no similarity whatsoever between the Israelite and the Egyptian priests. For example, while the Israelite priests served barefooted, the Egyptian priests wore sandals. The robes of the Egyptian priests were entirely different in design and their dress and appurtenances bore symbols of the worship of their false gods. They shaved their heads, which Israel’s priests did not do (Lev. 21:5), and used wigs or wore headgear totally unlike that of Israel’s priests, according to monumental inscriptions found in Egypt. Furthermore, Jehovah made it clear that Israel was not to adopt any of the practices of Egypt or the other nations, either in worship or in judicial practice.—Lev. 18:1-4; Deut. 6:14; 7:1-6.

      The argument made by supporters of the theory that Israel’s priesthood borrowed from Egypt has, therefore, no foundation. We must remember that the idea of sacrifice and priesthood came originally from God and was expressed by faithful men from the beginning, such as Abel and Noah, and was carried out in patriarchal society by Abraham and others. All nations would therefore have an inheritance of this knowledge, though perverted into many forms as they forsook the true God and pure worship. Having the inborn desire to worship, and without the guidance of Jehovah, the pagan nations developed many unrighteous and even degrading rites, all of which brought them into opposition to true worship.

      Disgusting practices of pagan priests

      The Egyptian priests of Moses’ day opposed Moses before Pharaoh, trying to discredit Moses and his God Jehovah by the practice of magic. (Ex. 7:11-13, 22; 8:7; 2 Tim. 3:8) But they were forced to bow in defeat and humiliation. (Ex. 8:18, 19; 9:11) The worshipers of Molech of Ammon sacrificed their sons and daughters by burning them in the fire. (1 Ki. 11:5; 2 Ki. 23:10; Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5) Baal worshipers of the Canaanites followed the same detestable practice, also performing self-laceration and lewd, disgusting immoral rites. (Num. 25:1-3; 1 Ki. 18:25-28; Jer. 19:5) The priests of the Philistine god Dagon and the Babylonian priests of Marduk, Bel and Ishtar practiced magic and divination. (1 Sam. 6:2-9; Ezek. 21:21; Dan. 2:2, 27; 4:7, 9) All of them worshiped images made of wood, stone and metal. Even King Jeroboam of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel set up priests to direct the worship of golden calves and “goat-shaped demons” to prevent the people from engaging in true worship at Jerusalem.—2 Chron. 11:15; 13:9; see MICAH No. 1.

      Unauthorized priesthoods condemned by God

      Jehovah was unalterably opposed to all these forms and practices, which actually constituted the worship of demons. (1 Cor. 10:20; Deut. 18:9-13; Isa. 8:19; Rev. 22:15) Whenever these gods or the priesthood representing them came into open defiance of Jehovah they were humiliated. (1 Sam. 5:1-5; Dan. 2:2, 7-12, 29, 30; 5:15) Often their priests and prophets suffered death. (1 Ki. 18:40; 2 Ki. 10:19, 25-28; 11:18; 2 Chron. 23:17) And since Jehovah recognized no priesthood aside from that of the house of Aaron during the existence of the Law covenant, it follows that what Aaron’s office foreshadowed, namely, the priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is also the greater High Priest according to the manner of Melchizedek, is the only way of approach to Jehovah. (Acts 4:12; Heb. 4:14; 1 John 2:1, 2) Any priesthood that opposes this God-ordained King-Priest and his underpriesthood, God’s spiritual temple or sanctuary, is to be avoided by true worshipers of God.—Deut. 18:18, 19; Acts 3:22, 23; Rev. 18:4, 24; see HIGH PRIEST.

  • Priests’ Cities
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PRIESTS’ CITIES

      These were cities in the Promised Land that were set aside as places of residence for the Aaronic priests and their families. Of the forty-eight cities given to the tribe of Levi by Israel’s other tribes, thirteen particularly belonged to the Kohathite priests of Aaron’s family. (Josh. 21:1-42; 1 Chron. 6:54-81) The tribes of Judah and Simeon gave them nine cities and four were given by the tribe of Benjamin. Thus, “all the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities and their pasture grounds.” (Josh. 21:4, 9-19) These cities were Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon (apparently Hilen), Debir, Ain (Ashan), Juttah, Beth-shemesh, Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth and Almon (Alemeth), all except Juttah and Gibeon again being named at 1 Chronicles 6:54-60.

      David sent word to priests in their various cities to gather together when he was about to bring the ark of Jehovah to Jerusalem. (1 Chron. 13:1-5) And specific reference is made to the appointment of men to distribute contributed portions to their priestly brothers residing in priests’ cities during King Hezekiah’s reign.—2 Chron. 31:11-19.

  • Prisca
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PRISCA

      (Prisʹca) [old woman]; Priscilla (Pris·cilʹla) [little old woman].

      The shorter form of the name is found in Paul’s writings, the longer form in Luke’s. Such a variation was common in Roman names.

      Priscilla was the wife of Aquila, with whom she is always mentioned. The two showed fine Christian works and hospitality, not only to individuals, but also by having congregation meetings in their home in both Rome and Ephesus.

      Because of Emperor Claudius’ decree, Aquila and his wife left Rome and went to Corinth in 50 C.E. Not long after their arrival Paul joined them in tent-making. (Acts 18:2, 3) They traveled on with Paul to Ephesus, remained there for a time, and were instrumental in ‘expounding the way of God more correctly’ to the eloquent Apollos. (Acts 18:18, 19, 24-28; 1 Cor. 16:19) Returning to Rome for a time (Rom. 16:3-5), they later traveled back to Ephesus. (2 Tim. 4:19; 1 Tim. 1:3) Their personal contact with Paul extended from about 50 C.E. to Paul’s death, some fifteen years or so later, during which association they “risked their own necks” for the apostle’s soul.—Rom. 16:3, 4; see AQUILA.