Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government

Warrior Priests

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2002-11-07

Synopsis: John Weaver concludes his series on the biblical doctrine of war by examining the concept of warrior priests. He argues that from Adam through the Levites to New Testament believers, God's priests have always had a dual function: to serve (dress/till) and to guard/protect (keep). Adam failed in his guardianship and was defrocked; the Levites were given a military charge to protect the tabernacle, instruments, and high priest, and were armed for that purpose. When Israel's priests failed to teach and guard the law, the nation suffered judgment. In the New Testament, believers inherit the priesthood and are called to be warrior priests, actively contending for truth and righteousness, not retreating from cultural battles. The church is to attack the gates of hell, not be besieged by them.

[John Weaver] For those of you who have not been here all week, I've been dealing with the biblical doctrine of war. And the first night I just simply dealt with the fact that God is a warrior and showed it to you from the Word of God. And then the next night I actually combined three or four messages very quickly and I dealt with the concept of holy war and just war. And then last night I dealt basically with Deuteronomy chapter 20 on military regulations in the Bible. And of course, tonight I want to bring the last message, and just reminding you that I haven't even scratched the surface because there are 15 tapes in the series, and I've had to really do a lot of condensing. But tonight I'm going to deal with the subject of warrior priests. And I want you to look in your Bibles, first of all, to 1 Peter chapter 2, and then we're going to the book of Revelation chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 2. And then we'll turn to Revelation chapter 1.

[John Weaver] So in 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning there, notice what Peter writes. He says, you also as lively or living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So he writes to these Christians and he says that you are a holy priesthood. And then if you'll skip down to verse nine, he says, but you were chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So once again, in verse nine, he calls us a royal priesthood. Then if you look in the book of Revelation, chapter one, beginning there with verse five. Revelation one in verse five. The Word of God says,"...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Now watch carefully verse 6,"...and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father.

[John Weaver] To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." So Peter writes that we are a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood, and now we find that we have been made priests and kings to God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand that a priest is a duly authorized minister in sacred things. In order to be a priest, one must be chosen by God. The book of Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 4 says, And no man taketh this honor unto himself. And so it is God alone who can make an individual a priest. A man is not a priest by self-appointment. He's not a priest by the election of the people or by political influence.

[John Weaver] The priesthood was and is a divine institution, and therefore, priests are divinely appointed. Now, a priest could not perform just simply any function that he wanted to perform. A priest could only perform those functions that had been appointed to him by God. For instance, A regular priest, as most of you know, could not enter into the holiest of all in the tabernacle or in the temple. A priest could just mainly go to the holy place, but he could not go into the holiest of all, because that was reserved for the high priest, and then he went in then only once a year, and that not without the shedding of blood. And likewise, a normal Levite could not do anything but simply serve the tabernacle. The main offerings and sacrifices were reserved for the priests of the house of Aaron.

[John Weaver] Now certainly the Levites helped, but they were restricted in what they could do. Now scripture then speaks emphatically of the fact that Christians are priests. 1 Peter 2 and verse 5 says that we are a holy priesthood. 1 Peter 2 and verse 9 says we are a royal priesthood. When you get to Revelation 1 and verse 6, Revelation 5 and verse 10, and Revelation 20, verse 6, each of these passages, once again, enunciate the fact that we are priests. Now, the truth of the fact that God's people are to be a kingdom of priests began in the Old Testament.

[John Weaver] If you would turn back in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 19, and let's look at verses 5 and 6. Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6. Note what the Word of God says. God says, Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant. Then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine.

[John Weaver] And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and holy nation. And these are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel." So, once again, the fact of God's people being a kingdom of priests goes back to the Old Testament. Now, as New Testament priests, we certainly have certain duties. According to the Word of God, we are indeed to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ. According to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, we are to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. The Bible in the book of Hebrews 13 and verse 15 tells us that we are to offer up the sacrifice of praise continually.

[John Weaver] That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name. And then in Romans 12 and verse 1, as priests, we are to present our bodies unto Him, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Him, which is our reasonable service.

[John Weaver] Now you ask, well, are those all of our priestly duties? And the answer is no. There are many more priestly duties. We could list, for instance, intercession. Not only praying for ourselves, but for others as well. But there is a priestly function that most of us have never heard about, or at least have never thought about. And that function is known as a warrior function. And let me just point out that this is not what you would call a carnal function. It certainly is not carnal. It is spiritual, but it certainly differs from what you and I would normally think of as priestly functions.

[John Weaver] Now, priests, I'm going to show you from the Bible, had a duty of guarding and keeping over and above their normal priestly duties. Now, let me begin by giving you the context of the warrior-priest. In order to understand the context, we must go back in our Bibles all the way to Genesis, and we need to look at Adam's guardianship in the garden. So if you will turn there to the book of Genesis 2 and verse 15. Now, I'm going to try to take my time tonight because I want you to see all the Scriptures that I'm going to be sharing with you And I want you to understand the impact and the importance of them. So we're looking at Adam's guardianship in Genesis chapter 2.

[John Weaver] Now, Eden was originally organized as a special sanctuary, a special temple, so to speak, where God could meet with his creatures, which he had created in his image. And in the sanctuary, he placed Adam as a priest. And he gave Adam specific responsibilities. What were they? Look in verse 15 of Genesis chapter 2. And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note those two simple functions. To dress it and to keep it.

[John Weaver] Now let's take the word dress, first of all. The word dress is the Hebrew word abod, which literally means to serve, to tend, or to till. So Adam then had a responsibility to serve the garden, to tend the garden, to till the garden. But that's not all the Bible says. If you look back in verse 15, and the Lord God put the man into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Now, what in the world does the word keep mean? The verb is the word shamar in the Hebrew, and it literally means to keep, to guard, or to protect.

[John Weaver] Now, all of us understand this. were to come up to you and say, look, here's my pocket knife. I want you to keep it for me. When I ask you to keep my pocket knife for me, I'm asking you to protect it. I'm asking you to make sure that it does not get lost, that it does not get stolen. In other words, if you keep my pocket knife, then you have a responsibility to protect it.

[John Weaver] Now, that's exactly what this word means. It means to keep or to protect. So Adam then had a responsibility, not just simply to till the garden, not just simply to dress it, but to guard it and to protect it. Now, although Adam tilled the garden, he failed to guard it and protect it.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 3, look at verses 23 through 24. Watch carefully. What happened when Adam failed to protect the garden or keep the garden? Well, here's what happened. God basically defrocked him. He took away his guardianship. Look what the Bible says. So what did God do? God defrocked Adam. He drove him out of the garden.

[John Weaver] Adam still had the responsibility to tend and to keep the ground, but he lost his guardianship because he was unfaithful. He was no longer considered a warrior priest. He had basically forfeited the privilege of his position, and that office then was given to others, to the cherubims, who guarded and protected the Tree of Light.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to see several other passages where the word shamar is used in the Hebrew. Look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 4 and verse 9. Every one of these passages, and many others that I'm going to show you, is the same Hebrew word shamar. I'm emphasizing the fact that this word means to keep or to protect. Now watch Genesis chapter 4 and verse 9. Everyone knows the story.

[John Weaver] And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not. Am I my brother's keeper? That is, am I my brother's protector? His argument is this, Lord, what do you think I am? Do you think I'm just simply the guardian of my brother? Do you think all I have to do is run around and protect him? That's the essence of Cain's question.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to Genesis 28. Here Jacob is given a promise by God in Genesis 28, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 13. Genesis 28 verse 13 and behold the Lord stood above it and said here's what God tells Jacob I'm the Lord God of Abraham my father and the God of Isaac the land whereon thou lies to thee I will give it into thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed now remember Jacob is on his way to Laban He's on his way out of the land, so to speak. But look at verse 15. Here's what God tells him,"...and behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee," for the same word, Shemar,"...I will keep thee in all the places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land.

[John Weaver] For I will not leave thee until I have done all that which I have spoken to thee." Now, what did God tell Jacob? Jacob, you're leaving the land, but I'm going to keep you. I'm going to guard you. I'm going to protect you. You will come back into this land, and I will fulfill everything that I told you. So you can see the emphasis on guarding and protecting. Now, if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 9, you'll see the same word shemar used, just in a little different sense, but it still has the emphasis of guarding and protecting. Notice Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 9. After we have the Shema Israel, that is, Shema Israel, Adonai Elohim, Adonai Echad, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. He tells us, that's in Deuteronomy chapter 6, but then he tells us the same thing basically in Deuteronomy chapter 4 about the greatness of his law and the greatness of his person.

[John Weaver] And then he says in verse 9, only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life. But teach them thy sons and thy sons' sons. But when he said, but only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, what is he saying? Guard your soul. Protect your soul. Now, the word is translated keep, but it means to guard and to protect.

[John Weaver] God placed Adam in the garden. He said, Adam, I want you to till the ground, but that's not all. You guard it. You protect it. And Adam failed in that guardianship.

[John Weaver] Now, let's look secondly in the historical context of the Levitical guardianship. You see, these two terms of working and guarding go hand-in-hand, not just in the life of Adam, but also in the life of the Levites. In fact, this theme is developed throughout the entire Bible. So let's go in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 1, and let's look at verse 53. Numbers, chapter 1, and verse 53. Now, there are two terms here that we need to understand before we go any further, and I'll explain them to you. because I want you to see them over and over in the Bible. In Numbers chapter 1 in verse 53, God says,"...but the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony." So the Levites then camped around the tabernacle. But look at the last phrase in verse 53. And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

[John Weaver] Now, once again, the word keep is the word shamar. It means to guard. It means to protect. So literally says, and the Levites shall guard or protect the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. Now, the word charge is a very interesting word as well. The Hebrew word is Mishmareth, and literally it is a military term. The word actually means a watch, a sentry, or an act of custody, or a charge. Some of you men who were in service, you remember how we had to walk a sentry post, or we were placed on sentry duty. And on that post you had a charge that you had to keep.

[John Weaver] You could let no one pass that way unchallenged. It was a military term with a military responsibility. That's exactly the same word. So in verse 53, the latter part, here's what he says. And the Levites shall keep, that is, they shall guard, they shall protect the sentry post of the tabernacle of testimony. Sounds to me like some of these priests had a warrior function.

[John Weaver] Now, look in Numbers chapter 3. Let me show you how plainly this is taught in the Bible. Numbers chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Here's what the Word of God says, Numbers 3, verse 5. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. So the Levites are given to Aaron that they may minister to him. Watch verse 7. And they shall keep his charge, that is, his sentry post, there to protect and to look out for Aaron, the high priest, and the charge of the whole congregation, that is, around the tabernacle, before the tabernacle of the congregation, and there to do the service of the tabernacle. Watch carefully. And they shall keep, that is, they shall guard and protect all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge or the sentry post of the children of Israel to do the service of the tabernacle.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop there. God says, all right, you Levites, I'm giving you to Aaron and his sons. You've got a charge. You must protect Aaron. You must protect the instruments. You must protect the tabernacle. Let's go further. Look if you would in verse 9. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest office.

[John Weaver] Watch, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." Now let me ask you a question. If someone ran into that tabernacle and tried to attack Aaron, who do you think would have put him to death? Those Levites. If someone tried to get into that tabernacle and steal those instruments, who would have killed him? Those Levites. They had a charge. They had a century post. They were charged with guarding and keeping and protecting Aaron.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point out, this is not all that is given to us here in Numbers chapter 3. For instance, look in verse 32. This is a very important verse. I want you to underline this verse. Or at least mark it down, because I'm going to refer to this verse a little bit later. The Bible says,"...and Eliezer, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary." Now, Eliezer, the son of Aaron, was chief. Now watch carefully, he was head over the chief of the Levites. So the Levites had chiefs, but they were answerable to Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron. And then he says, and he has the oversight of them that keep, that guard or protect the sentry post of the sanctuary. Now look in verse 38. He says, But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons.

[John Weaver] keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. So once again, anyone who got around that tabernacle who was not supposed to be there and later on around the temple when they were not supposed to be there, they were executed by the Levites because the Levites were warrior priests.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in Numbers chapter four. Some of you have marginal references in your Bible. Others do not. So for those of you who do not have the marginal reference, I will show you or tell you another way that the same Hebrew is translated here. So let's read these verses. Look in Numbers chapter 4 and verse 3. From 30 years old and upward, even into 50 years old, all that enter into the host to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. Skip down to verse 23. Note the word, to do the work. Skip down to verse 23. From 30 years old and upward until 50 years old shalt thou number them, all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. Now, how many of you have a marginal reference that translates to do the work something differently?

[John Weaver] Anybody have that in your Bibles? Actually, what it says is, to war the warfare of the congregation. to do the work, or to war the warfare of the tabernacle. To do the work of the tabernacle was to war the warfare. If you'll skip down to verse 30, it'll be the same thing. Deuteronomy 4, Numbers 4 and verse 30. He says this, from 30 years old and upward, even into 50 years old, shalt thou number them, everyone that enters into the service, to war the warfare of the tabernacle of the congregation. And then if you look in Numbers 8 and verse 24, it's the same thing. Numbers 8, And verse 24, here the Word of God says this, Now, what I want to do is I want to show you about four passages right now to show you the emphasis once again on the fact that these Levites had a guardianship They were protectors of Aaron, the instruments, and the tabernacle. Look in Numbers chapter 8 and verse 26. He says,"...but they shall minister," that is the Levites,"...they shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation," and here it is again,"...to keep the charge," that is to guard, to protect the sentry post,"...and shall do no service.

[John Weaver] Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites, touching their charge." Now turn over to Numbers chapter 18. And here you're going to see the truth repeated again that was repeated or given to us in Numbers chapter 3. Notice Numbers chapter 18 beginning there with verse, well let's read verse 2 just so you can see it's the Levites. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee. But thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they, that is the Levites, They shall keep the charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle, only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they nor ye also die.

[John Weaver] So everyone have their separate duties. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle, that is, guard the centripost of the tabernacle congregation, for all the service, or all the warfare of the tabernacle, and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And you shall keep the charge, or guard the centripost of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are given as a gift for the Lord to do the service, or to do the warfare of the tabernacle and congregation. Therefore, thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil, and you shall serve. I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." So once again, God said, I've given all these Levites.

[John Weaver] They can't touch that inner sanctum. They can't touch anything that the high priest and the sons of Aaron or to do, but they are to guard that tabernacle. They are to assist Aaron, and they are to guard those instruments, and they are to guard the high priest.

[John Weaver] Now if you'll turn over in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 7. 1 Samuel chapter 7, and look at verse 1. Let me give you the background, and here's the same word shemar, and I'm really emphasizing the fact now that this word means to guard, or to protect.

[John Weaver] Now you know the story how that the Ark of the Covenant had been taken by the Philistines. God smoked the Philistines with emeralds and they sent the Ark back on a cart with oxen pulling it. And of course the children of Israel get the cart back and get the Ark back. They take it off the cart and here's what happens in chapter 7 verse 1 of 1 Samuel.

[John Weaver] And the men of Kirgeth-Jerom came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eliezer his son to keep the ark of the LORD." Now when they sanctified Eliezer his son to keep the ark of the LORD, what was he to do? He was to stand there and guard it. He was to stand there and protect it.

[John Weaver] What many of us do not realize is that in the tabernacle and in the temple, later on, there were armed guards. You did not just waltz into the temple or into the tabernacle. If you had no business there or if you had no function or ministry there, you were not allowed into the tabernacle or into the temple. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Kings, chapter 12, and look at verse 9. 2 Kings, chapter 12, verse 9.

[John Weaver] Now, certainly there was the court where you could go, if you were supposed to go there, but you didn't go any further. Notice in 2 Kings, chapter 12, and look at verse 9. The Bible says, But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bore a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar on the right side, as one cometh into the house of the Lord." Watch now,"...and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord." Did you read that? "...and the priests that kept the door." Now, if you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 34 and verse 9, you see the same thing stated differently, but the same principle. 2 Chronicles, chapter 34, and look at verse 9. The Bible says,"...and when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of Judah and Benjamin, and they returned

[John Weaver] to Jerusalem." Note there were Levites stationed at the doors. There were guards. I've been in two churches in this country, one out west and one down south, where they literally had to have guards posted. And they had to have the doors locked because, are you listening? Not that they were afraid of vandalisms and people just trying to break in and create problems. But because of our government.

[John Weaver] Because the local governments had passed rules and laws saying that the pastor could not even preach unless he was licensed by the state. And one of those pastors said, you're out of your mind. I'm not going to pay you money and take a license to do what God's already commanded me to do. And they had to keep their doors locked and they had men standing guard there. because this pastor had already been arrested three or four times and thrown in jail for preaching without a license.

[John Weaver] Now, they had armed guards. By the way, everybody can quote this verse. We quote it all the time and never even think about it. But do you remember what David said in Psalm 84 and verse 10? David said, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. What does he mean a doorkeeper? He means a guard that stood there by the door. David said, I'd rather be a guard in the house of God just standing there than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 23. Let me show you how the normal priestly functions and this warrior function is listed for us in the Word of God. So here we have 1 Chronicles chapter 23, and let's begin reading there with verse 27. You see, all of us are familiar with verse 27 and right on down. We're familiar with those functions, but when we get to that last verse, somehow it just goes right over our heads. But here it is, 1 Chronicles 23 verse 27. For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above.

[John Weaver] I don't know if you've been noticing or not, but at first it started at 30, then it went down to 25, and now it's down to 20. He says,"...for by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above, because their office..." Here's what was the Levitical office. "...their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God." So the Levites helped the priest do certain things. That's not all.

[John Weaver] Notice, if you would, here some of it specified both for the showbread and for the fine flour for meal offering and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size. So the Levites measured and got everything ready. Watch verse 30. Here's something else they did. and to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at even." So morning and even, another duty of the Levites was to praise God. Watch verse 31,"...and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths, and in the new moons, and on the set feasts by number, according to the order commanded unto them continually before the Lord."

[John Weaver] So they could help in those areas. Ah, but look in verse 32. You see, we already know they did the other things. But now, in verse 32, he says, and in light of all these other duties, and that they should keep the charge, guard the sentry post of the tabernacle of the congregation and the sentry post of the holy place and the sentry post of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, and the service of

[John Weaver] the house of the Lord. So he says the Levites do all these things and they guard Aaron. and they guard the instruments, and they guard the sanctuary.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 23 to show you a different mentality. I get tickled sometimes when I read the Scripture, and I think of the mentality that we exhibit today. Do you remember, everyone in here remembers Waco and the Branch Davidians? And I certainly do not know too much about them. I certainly probably would not agree with Coresh's theology. I don't even know if he was a Christian, don't know anything about it. But I know one thing the ATF charged was that they had weapons in the church building. You remember that?

[John Weaver] Of course, what they didn't tell you was that a number of men had federal firearms licenses, and that's how they made money. They would take weapons and recondition them and sell them. And everything they had was perfectly legal. They don't tell you that. But, you know, we begin to think about weapons in the church house. Oh man, come on, are you out of your mind? Well, let me just show you how the Bible teaches.

[John Weaver] Here in 2 Chronicles 23, Jehoiada is the high priest. Joash is about to be anointed king, but Joash is a child. You know why he's a child? He's only about nine years old. His father Ahaziah died, and guess what his grandmother did? She did a very un-grandmotherly thing. She jumped up and murdered all of her grandchildren just so she could be queen. And the only reason she didn't murder him His nurse snatched him and hid him. And now, Jehudah is going to make him king. Jehudah is a high priest, and Athaliah sitting on the throne is queen. Okay? So watch this now. They're having to do this thing right, but look at it.

[John Weaver] Let's begin with verse 4. This is the thing that you shall do. Here's Jehudah telling the people what they shall do. A third part of you entering on the Sabbath of the priests and the Levites shall be porters of the doors. A third of you can't guard the doors." Now watch,"...and a third part shall be at the king's house, and a third part at the gate of the foundation, and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord." Now watch, verse 6,"...but let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister to the Levites.

[John Weaver] They shall go in, for they are holy." But all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord."

[John Weaver] Now here's what he says. Now all you people, you keep watch out here, but now the priests and the Levites, we're going to be keeping watch in here because this is where we're supposed to be. Watch verse 7. And the Levites, remember now we're talking about priests, we're talking about preachers, we're talking about teachers. And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand. Now remember, we're in the temple. Every man with his weapons in his hand, and whosoever else cometh in the house, he shall be put to death. But be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth out."

[John Weaver] Now look what Jehoiada said. Jehoiada said, you folks stay out here in the court and you stay on the outside. The priests and Levites are in here, and the priests and Levites are armed to the teeth. And if anybody comes in this temple that's not supposed to be there, they're going to be put to death. But you know, there's a problem. Watch verse 8. The problem was some of the other folks didn't have weapons like they should have. Watch verse 8. So the Levites and all Judah did according to all the things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded and took every mannishmen that were to come in on the Sabbath. with them that were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses. Moreover, watch, Jehoiada the priest delivered unto the captains of the hundreds spears and bucklers and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God." Where did they keep the weapons? In the temple?

[John Weaver] You know, the interesting thing is, the battle of Lexington, One of the men killed was old Caleb Monroe. You know where he fell? On the church house steps, running into the church building to get more powder for the colonial soldiers. They kept their weaponry in the church building. And here, when the captains of hundreds didn't have enough weapons, Jehoiada says, hold it. I got a stash right here in the temple. I'll share with you. Isn't that interesting?

[John Weaver] You see, we've dismissed the idea of a warrior function in the priesthood. I'm going to show you the consequences of that in a little bit. But every time I've read the word keep, in all of these passages, it has been the same exact Hebrew word, shemar, which means to keep and to guard and to protect.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand something. It is impossible to understand the New Testament without a knowledge of the background of the Old Testament. And you and I cannot understand the function of a warrior priest unless we understand the background. For instance, there are certain men in the New Testament that you may have wondered about. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 4. Let me show you. Some of you may know, but I would guarantee that most of you would not know.

[John Weaver] If I were to ask you who the Sadducees were, you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Pharisees were, you could probably tell me. If I could ask you who the scribes and, you know, the lawyers were, you could probably tell me. But look at this. Look in Acts chapter 4, verse 1, for instance. I'll give you several other passages. Watch carefully. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, You know who they are. And the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. Who in the world was the captain of the temple? And a little bit later we're going to find out there was more than one captain. But here's a man designated as the captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter 5, verse 24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple And the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them wherento this would grow." Notice. The high priest and the captain of the temple. Skip down to verse 26.

[John Weaver] Watch carefully. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. So here was a captain. He had some officers. He goes and brings in the disciples. And he brings them without violence. Why? Not because he did not have authority to use violence. Not because he was not armed. But because he feared the people. They were outnumbered. But their designated here is the captain of the temple.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 22. You'll see it again. Luke 22. Note, if you would please, verse 4. I told you there was more than one captain. Luke 22, verse 4, here's Judas betraying the Lord, and he went his way in commune with the chief priests and with the captains, plural, how he might betray him unto them. So now he's dealing with the captains. And if you look in verse 52 of Luke 22, look what Jesus Christ says. Then Jesus said unto the chief priest, and the captains of the temple, and the elders which were come to him, he says, Be ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves. So these captains and these officers were armed. And our Lord says, You've come out to take me as a thief. You've come out with swords and with staves. It's very obvious as you read the New Testament that there was more than one captain. There were plenty of officers of the temple. And it's very clear that these men were armed.

[John Weaver] It's very clear that they had the authority to use those weapons. But where in the world did these men come from? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 16. Acts 16. And let's begin reading there with verse 20. The only reason I'm going to read these verses is to show you one word, and then I'm going to tell you what that one word is, alright? Look in Acts chapter 16 and verse 20.

[John Weaver] "...and brought them to the magistrates." You see that word magistrates? Look in your Bibles in verse 22. The Bible said,"...and the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates ran off their clothes." Verse 35,"...and on this day the magistrates sent the sergeants. Look in verse 36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, the magistrates, and now here it is again in verse 38, and the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates. Now every time you see the word magistrates here in Acts 16, it is from the Greek word strategos. That is the source of our military word strategy. It also comes from Strategos, which is the Greek word for an army.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you what you can do, and this is very interesting. You can get a Greek lexicon and look up the word Strategos, and I'll tell you what you will find. You will find the definition of the word Strategos, and here it is. I've jotted it down. The definition right out of the Greek lexicon is this. It means a general, a governor, A military officer, the chief of the Levites.

[John Weaver] Do you remember back when we were in Numbers chapter 3 and verse 32? I told you there was a verse you needed to underline or you needed to mark. And that was when Eliezer, the son of Aaron, was chief over the chief of the Levites. Here's the word strategos translated magistrates, but it means not just simply a magistrate, but a general, a governor, a commandant, a military officer, the chief of the Levites.

[John Weaver] Where did these captains of the temple come from in the New Testament? Well, they were just the Levites from the Old Testament that had the warrior function. They were the ones that were armed that protected the tabernacle and Aaron and the instruments. Go back in your Bibles. Let me show you. Go back in your Bibles to Psalm 42. We're not going to read Psalm 42. We're just going to look at the heading. And I'm going to tell you why. Look in Psalm 42, just at the heading.

[John Weaver] It says,"...to the chief musician, Meshiel, for the sons of Korah." So Psalm 42 was a song, an ode, written for the sons of Korah, who were Levites, by the way, to sing. Psalm 42 was a psalm written just for the sons of Korah that they may sing. You say, now why are you emphasizing that? Well, let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 16. I hope you remember that in Numbers, chapter 16, there was a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. I don't know if you remember who was involved or not, but let me show you. Numbers 16, verse 1. Watch carefully. Now Korah, the son of Ishar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab and Om, the sons of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses. Now here were men that rebelled against Moses and Aaron. Who were they? They were Korah, who happened to be the son of Ishar, who happened to be the son of Kohath, who happened to be the son of Levi.

[John Weaver] Now, the other two men were sons of the children of Reuben. But the reason I'm telling you this is whenever you see the word Korahites in your Bible, or Kohathites, it's just the family of the Levites, because Korah had sons. He was the son of Kohath and the son of Ishar, who was the son of Levi. You see what I'm saying? So you would have the Korites, the Koaphites, the Isarites, as well as the Levites. I mean, they were all Levites, but they were just different families of the Levites. Now, you see, God killed Korah and all these men and their rebellion. And he killed the 250 princes that joined together with him.

[John Weaver] But if you look in Numbers chapter 26, And verse 11, you remember what Moses did? Moses said, separate yourselves from these rebellious men. And a lot of folks left Dathan and Abiram and Korah and came over unto Moses. Guess who else came over unto Moses? The children of Korah. For he says in v. 26 and v. 11, look at it, Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not. So when you get to Psalm 42 now, David writes that psalm for the children of Korah, who were Korahites, who were Levites, to sing.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you why I'm telling you this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. You see, these Korahites were very brave men.

[John Weaver] Watch carefully. 1 Chronicles 9 verse 19, And Shalom the son of Kor, the son of Biasap, the son of Korah, and his brethren of the house of his father the Korahites, these are all Levites now, were over the work of the service, watch carefully, keepers, guardians, protectors of the gates of the tabernacle, and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry. Now their fathers were over the hosts of the Lord. I told you Monday night what the word host meant. What does it mean? An army. So their fathers were over the army of the Lord, and they were also keepers of the entry. Now look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 12. Let me show you some more of these Korahites. 1 Chronicles chapter 12, and let's read verses 1 and 2.

[John Weaver] Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. Watch, they were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin. Now skip down to verse 6, you're going to see some of these mighty men named.

[John Weaver] There is Elkanah, there's Jeshiah, there's Azriel, there's Joeser, there's Joshebin, the Korhites. And Jolah and Zebediah, the sons of Jehoram, of Geder, and the Gadax, where they were separated unto David and behold of the wilderness, men of might and men of war, fit for the battle, and could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were swift as a rose upon the mountains." Isn't it interesting? Right in the middle of those names, you have the Korhites, who were nothing more than Levites. And here they're listed as some of David's mighty men of war.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. What did Adam do? Adam failed to guard and protect and to keep his charge. What happened in the Levitical ministry in the Old Testament? Basically, they failed to guard and keep and protect their charge. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 15. Let's read the first six verses. 2 Chronicles 15, beginning with verse 1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, And he went out to meet Asa, and he said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, and Benjamin.

[John Weaver] The Lord is with you while you be with him. And if you seek him, he will be found of you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 3. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in. But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries, and nation was a distorted nation, and city of city. Watch, for God did vex them with all adversity." Now let's go back to verse 3. The Bible says, now for a long season, Israel hath been without the true God. How in the world could Israel be without the true God? The true God revealed Himself unto Israel. The true God chose Israel. How could Israel be without the true God? Here's how. Because they were without a teaching priest and without the law. You must remember that a king rules by his law. And there had to be someone to teach that law.

[John Weaver] And basically, these Levites had abdicated their position. They were not teaching the law of God. Consequently, it is said that the nation was without the true God. And look at the consequences. Skip down to verse 5. And in those times, that is, when they did not have the teaching priests, when they were not obeying the law, in those times there was no peace to him that went out.

[John Weaver] nor to him that came in. But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city, for God did vex them with all adversity." Let me just give you an illustration. When I was a boy, and contrary to popular opinion, that hadn't been all that long ago. But when I was a boy, and my father was a farmer, let me just hasten to tell you that.

[John Weaver] We lived on a farm. Dad had all kind of expensive farm equipment. Combines, tractors, whatever it took to farm five or six hundred acres, he had it. But do you realize about every Christmas, or at least in December sometime, Dad would take us on a two-week vacation down to Florida where we had relatives, and we would stay and visit with them for two weeks at the time.

[John Weaver] We never locked a door. We never locked a window. And when we came back, everything was exactly where we left it.

[John Weaver] Now you try that today. I'm going to tell you something, folks. We are practically in the same position today. We're without the true God, basically, because we're without true preachers who truly preach the Word of God. And consequently, we have a country of violence and wickedness and theft and ungodliness. So basically, the Levites failed in their guardianship. And if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 2, You'll see Paul really rebuking them for that. You've got to remember now, it was the priests and the Levites that were charged with teaching the law of God and the way of God. Look in Romans chapter 2, look what Paul says, beginning there, verse 21.

[John Weaver] He nails their hide to the wall. He says, Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? And thou that sayest to man should not commit adultery, dost thou not commit adultery? Thou that abhorst idols, dost thou not commit sacrilege? Of course they were. Thou that makest thy boast of the law through breaking the law, dishonest thou thy God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written."

[John Weaver] So he's saying, look, you failed. You didn't protect anything. You went under.

[John Weaver] Now let me give you the Christian context. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would. to Matthew 21. I'm going to try to tie it together for you, but look here. Matthew 21. You see, when old Israel apostatized from the faith, God defrocked her from the priesthood. Notice in Matthew chapter 21, and look if you would, beginning there with verse 42. Look what the Lord said. Matthew 21, verse 42.

[John Weaver] Jesus is speaking, by the way, to the rulers. And Jesus said unto them, Did you never read in the Scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? That's Christ. The same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Look what he tells these Pharisees and these scribes. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they perceived that he spake of them." They got the idea. But look what he told them. The kingdom of God is taken from you.

[John Weaver] You failed in your charge. You didn't guard and protect. And now, just like I defrocked Adam, I'm defrocking you. I want you to understand, we now, as a true Israel of God, the new creation in Christ Jesus, now have inherited the mantle of the priesthood. What does that mean? That means that our responsibility as Christians – are you listening? – is to lead the world in righteousness. It is to protect ourselves and others by holy, godly living in obedience to King Jesus, who is the great High Priest.

[John Weaver] In fact, we have a specific command from our Lord. Do you remember what He said in Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20? He said, go in all the nations, what? And preach the gospel, baptizing them, what? And making disciples of them, and teach them to observe everything that I've commanded you. Guess what has happened in this land, folks? Oh, we may have made a few disciples. We may have baptized somebody. But I've got news for you.

[John Weaver] We haven't taught anybody anything. We are living in a land of absolute, total, abysmal ignorance when it comes to the Word of God. Do you know what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3.15? That the church is the pillar and the ground of truth. Where is truth today? It's vacant in most of our churches. It's not there. You see, the truth of the matter is this. We have a responsibility to protect and guard the truth. And the way to protect and to guard the truth is to declare it and to establish it in every area of life. It's to bring our lives and the lives of others into full obedience to the Word of God. Every one of you can quote probably Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 18.

[John Weaver] You remember where he said, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. You remember that passage? Then we're to have our feet shoved with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We're to have the helmet of salvation. We're to have the shield of faith. We're to have in our hand the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Do you remember that? Do you realize when most people quote that passage, they envision a Roman soldier, and they talk about his helmet and all this.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you. Paul was not talking about a Roman soldier. Paul had in mind the armor of the high priest. All you have to do is read Exodus 28, read Isaiah 59, Isaiah 61, and you will find that Paul had in mind the military uniform of the high priest. Do you know the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 8 and in Romans chapter 13 and verse 12 calls that the armor of light? Have you ever noticed in the Bible that the Bible always depicts the Lord Jesus Christ at the head of an army? An army of warrior priests doing battles with the forces of darkness and winning decisive victories. Read Psalm 110. Read Revelation 19. What does our Lord do?

[John Weaver] He comes on a white horse and His army follows Him and He makes war. You know what our biggest problem is as Christians? I'll tell you what it is. We have abdicated our position as warrior priests. We have literally given in and given up. Look in your Bibles. You're in Matthew. Look in Matthew 16, verse 18. Watch this. Matthew 16, verse 18. And I know you can quote this verse too, but look what God, our Lord Jesus, tells Peter. Watch. He said, And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, And upon this rock, that is, upon his confession, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

[John Weaver] Now, you can go all through the Bible. Any time you read about the gates, it speaks of authority, power. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this. The gates is the only way into a city in Bible times, because the cities had walls around them. When our Lord said, the gates of hell shall not prevail. Are you listening to me? It was not that hell was attacking the church. It was the fact that the church was attacking hell. And our Lord said the authority and the power of hell will not prevail.

[John Weaver] You talk about abdicating our positions, we have basically retreated. We have given up. We have given over. We will not fight. We're afraid we might offend someone. Do you remember what our Lord told His disciples? They came up to Him and said, knowest thou not that thou hast offended the Pharisees? You know what our Lord said? Come on, help me out. He said, He said, every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone.

[John Weaver] They be blind leaders of the blind, and of the blind leaders of the blind, they shall both fall in the ditch. Did it really upset our Lord that He had offended them? No! He said, let them alone. They're lost as a hound dog anyhow. Doesn't matter. Let them be upset. But you see, folks, the pattern that I'm trying to show you tonight is repeated over and over in Scripture. God provides a priest. God gives him a charge not just to work, but to protect and to keep and to guard. And that priest fails in that charge, and consequently, the earth is crushed under the judgment of God. Adam failed to protect his bride in the Garden of Eden. She failed in the temptation, and as a consequence, the whole world is cursed.

[John Weaver] Even Aaron the high priest deserted his post in Exodus chapter 32 and lapsed into idolatry, and he's responsible for 3,000 people being executed. You remember how he built that golden calf? Aaron knew better. Listen, folks. The whole book of Judges illustrates this truth. God gives a man, and then the man fails. and the judgment of God comes on the country. We have so compromised the truth of God today that so many professing Christians, please understand I'm using the word professing, we've so compromised the truth of the Word of God today that many professing Christians advocate premarital sex, extramarital affairs, therapeutic divorce, compassionate abortion, governmental tyranny, and legalized fraud and theft, all in the name of Christianity. I've got news for you folks.

[John Weaver] There is no such thing as a benevolent socialism. There's no such thing as a Christian sodomite. There's no such thing as a biblical abortion. There's no such thing as a Therapeutic divorce. But you see what we've done? We've just retreated. We've backed up. We've said, alright. We give up. We give in. We give out. Have it any way you want it. Instead of saying, no! The world is wrong. And our society is wrong.

[John Weaver] And the government is wicked. And that's wrong. And that's wrong. This is what God says. And here we stand. That's where we ought to be. We ought to be fighters. We ought to be fierce. We ought to be courageous. Why? Because we have the sovereign God of the universe behind us. He's commanded us, be strong and of good courage. I want to tell you something, folks. We are seeing and witnessing firsthand the death and the demise of America and our culture, and our society. And it's our fault.

[John Weaver] I do lay the charge primarily at the feet of the preachers. I understand that. Because they're responsible to teach and preach. But dear friend, let me tell you something. I might have a responsibility to teach and preach, but you equally have a responsibility to study and to listen and to heed and to obey. And I've got news for you. There are two ways that God can stir up a congregation. God could, God could reach that pastor directly. And that's wonderful when God does that, when God stirs up the preacher. But you know, sometimes God does it in a roundabout way. Sometimes God bypasses the preacher and He stirs up a member of the church. And all of a sudden, that member of the church starts asking questions. And you know, it's embarrassing to preachers when you can ask a question we don't have the answer for. I mean, come on, we're supposed to know everything. Don't you know that? And all of a sudden, the preacher gets embarrassed and the preacher gets shamed into having to study because some of his members have more insight than he does.

[John Weaver] I want to tell you something, folks. I don't care how God does it. I don't care if God deals with the preachers directly or if He shames us into studying and taking a stand. I don't care. Just so we wake up. And just so God will give us men. Just so God will give us grace to serve Him effectually with reverence and godly fear. If we lose our country, if we lose our culture, Don't blame it on our wicked civil rulers. And don't blame it on the ungodly. For help me out. For God said, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and call upon me, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal their land. It's not the wicked with which we have to contend first and foremost. It's our own wicked hearts. We have to make sure that we'll stand as a warrior priest and say like Martin Luther of old, God help me. Here I stand.

[John Weaver] I can do no other. Let's pray. Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for the truth of the Word of God. Thank You, Lord, that there were men, men that were mighty warriors in the faith. And Lord, we're so cowardly and so scared, even of our own shadows, so many times. We pray, Lord, like the disciples of old, that when they prayed, the whole building was shaken and they were filled with holy boldness that they might preach and teach Thy Word. O God, give us holy boldness. Give us courage that we may praise and worship and serve the only who is God of gods and King of kings. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Warrior Priests

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	370393817
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2002-11-07
Dictation Name
Book	Book 008: Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13 — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	103

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review of Series

Weaver reviews the previous messages on God as a warrior, holy war and just war, and military regulations in Deuteronomy 20, then introduces the topic of warrior priests.

For those of you who have not been here all week, I've been dealing with the biblical doctrine of war. And the first night I just simply dealt with the fact that God is a warrior and showed it to you from the Word of God. And then the next night I actually combined three or four messages very quickly and I dealt with the concept of holy war and just war. And then last night I dealt basically with Deuteronomy chapter 20 on military regulations in the Bible. And of course, tonight I want to bring the last message, and just reminding you that I haven't even scratched the surface because there are 15 tapes in the series, and I've had to really do a lot of condensing. But tonight I'm going to deal with the subject of warrior priests. And I want you to look in your Bibles, first of all, to 1 Peter chapter 2, and then we're going to the book of Revelation chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 2. And then we'll turn to Revelation chapter 1.

So in 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning there, notice what Peter writes. He says, you also as lively or living

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:5

stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

So he writes to these Christians and he says that you are a holy priesthood. And then if you'll skip down to verse nine, he says, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So once again, in verse nine, he calls us a royal priesthood. Then if you look in the book of Revelation, chapter one, beginning there with verse five. Revelation one in verse five. The Word of God says, "...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Now watch carefully verse 6, "...and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father.

New Testament Priesthood of Believers

Citing 1 Peter 2:5,9 and Revelation 1:6, Weaver establishes that Christians are a holy and royal priesthood, made kings and priests to God.

So in 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning there, notice what Peter writes. He says, you also as lively or living

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:5

stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." So Peter writes that we are a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood, and now we find that we have been made priests and kings to God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Divine Institution and Limitations of Priesthood

Priests are divinely appointed, not self-appointed, and their functions are strictly limited by God's command, as seen in the distinctions between high priest, priests, and Levites.

Now, I want you to understand that a priest is a duly authorized minister in sacred things. In order to be a priest, one must be chosen by God. The book of Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 4 says, And no man taketh this honor unto himself. And so it is God alone who can make an individual a priest. A man is not a priest by self-appointment. He's not a priest by the election of the people or by political influence. The priesthood was and is a divine institution, and therefore, priests are divinely appointed. Now, a priest could not perform just simply any function that he wanted to perform. A priest could only perform those functions that had been appointed to him by God. For instance, a regular priest, as most of you know, could not enter into the holiest of all in the tabernacle or in the temple. A priest could just mainly go to the holy place, but he could not go into the holiest of all, because that was reserved for the high priest, and then he went in then only once a year, and that not without the shedding of blood. And likewise, a normal Levite could not do anything but simply serve the tabernacle. The main offerings and sacrifices were reserved for the priests of the house of Aaron.

Now certainly the Levites helped, but they were restricted in what they could do. Now scripture then speaks emphatically of the fact that Christians are priests. 1 Peter 2 and verse 5 says that we are a holy priesthood. 1 Peter 2 and verse 9 says we are a royal priesthood. When you get to Revelation 1 and verse 6, Revelation 5 and verse 10, and Revelation 20, verse 6, each of these passages, once again, enunciate the fact that we are priests. Now, the truth of the fact that God's people are to be a kingdom of priests began in the Old Testament.

Old Testament Background: A Kingdom of Priests

The concept of God's people as a kingdom of priests originates in Exodus 19:5-6, and New Testament priests have duties including offering spiritual sacrifices, praise, and presenting their bodies as living sacrifices.

If you would turn back in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 19, and let's look at verses 5 and 6. Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6. Note what the Word of God says. God says, Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant. Then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and holy nation. And these are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:5-6

" So, once again, the fact of God's people being a kingdom of priests goes back to the Old Testament. Now, as New Testament priests, we certainly have certain duties. According to the Word of God, we are indeed to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ. According to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, we are to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. The Bible in the book of Hebrews 13 and verse 15 tells us that we are to offer up the sacrifice of praise continually.

That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name. And then in Romans 12 and verse 1, as priests, we are to present our bodies unto Him, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Him, which is our reasonable service. Now you ask, well, are those all of our priestly duties? And the answer is no. There are many more priestly duties. We could list, for instance, intercession. Not only praying for ourselves, but for others as well. But there is a priestly function that most of us have never heard about, or at least have never thought about. And that function is known as a warrior function. And let me just point out that this is not what you would call a carnal function. It certainly is not carnal. It is spiritual, but it certainly differs from what you and I would normally think of as priestly functions.

The Warrior Function of Priests Introduced

Beyond intercession and other duties, there is a neglected priestly function: the warrior function, which is spiritual but distinct from typical priestly roles.

Now you ask, well, are those all of our priestly duties? And the answer is no. There are many more priestly duties. We could list, for instance, intercession. Not only praying for ourselves, but for others as well. But there is a priestly function that most of us have never heard about, or at least have never thought about. And that function is known as a warrior function. And let me just point out that this is not what you would call a carnal function. It certainly is not carnal. It is spiritual, but it certainly differs from what you and I would normally think of as priestly functions.

Now, priests, I'm going to show you from the Bible, had a duty of guarding and keeping over and above their normal priestly duties. Now, let me begin by giving you the context of the warrior-priest. In order to understand the context, we must go back in our Bibles all the way to Genesis, and we need to look at Adam's guardianship in the garden. So if you will turn there to the book of Genesis 2 and verse 15. Now, I'm going to try to take my time tonight because I want you to see all the Scriptures that I'm going to be sharing with you And I want you to understand the impact and the importance of them. So we're looking at Adam's guardianship in Genesis chapter 2.

Now, Eden was originally organized as a special sanctuary, a special temple, so to speak, where God could meet with his creatures, which he had created in his image. And in the sanctuary, he placed Adam as a priest. And he gave Adam specific responsibilities. What were they? Look in verse 15 of Genesis chapter 2. And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Adam's Guardianship and Failure in Eden

Adam was placed in Eden as a priest to dress (serve/till) and keep (guard/protect) the garden. He failed to guard it, allowing the serpent's intrusion, and God defrocked him, assigning guardianship to cherubim.

Now I want you to note those two simple functions. To dress it and to keep it. Now let's take the word dress, first of all. The word dress is the Hebrew word abod, which literally means to serve, to tend, or to till. So Adam then had a responsibility to serve the garden, to tend the garden, to till the garden. But that's not all the Bible says. If you look back in verse 15, and the Lord God put the man into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Now, what in the world does the word keep mean? The verb is the word shamar in the Hebrew, and it literally means to keep, to guard, or to protect.

Now, all of us understand this. If I were to come up to you and say, look, here's my pocket knife. I want you to keep it for me. When I ask you to keep my pocket knife for me, I'm asking you to protect it. I'm asking you to make sure that it does not get lost, that it does not get stolen. In other words, if you keep my pocket knife, then you have a responsibility to protect it.

Now, that's exactly what this word means. It means to keep or to protect. So Adam then had a responsibility, not just simply to till the garden, not just simply to dress it, but to guard it and to protect it. Now, although Adam tilled the garden, he failed to guard it and protect it.

Now, if you look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 3, look at verses 23 through 24. Watch carefully. What happened when Adam failed to protect the garden or keep the garden? Well, here's what happened. God basically defrocked him. He took away his guardianship. Look what the Bible says. So what did God do? God defrocked Adam. He drove him out of the garden.

Adam still had the responsibility to tend and to keep the ground, but he lost his guardianship because he was unfaithful. He was no longer considered a warrior priest. He had basically forfeited the privilege of his position, and that office then was given to others, to the cherubims, who guarded and protected the Tree of Life. Now, I want you to see several other passages where the word shamar is used in the Hebrew. Look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 4 and verse 9. Every one of these passages, and many others that I'm going to show you, is the same Hebrew word shamar. I'm emphasizing the fact that this word means to keep or to protect. Now watch Genesis chapter 4 and verse 9. Everyone knows the story.

The Levitical Guardianship: Armed Guards of the Sanctuary

The Levites were charged with a military sentry duty (mishmereth) to guard the tabernacle, its instruments, and the high priest, using force if necessary. Passages in Numbers, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles show they were armed and authorized to kill intruders.

Now, let's look secondly in the historical context of the Levitical guardianship. You see, these two terms of working and guarding go hand-in-hand, not just in the life of Adam, but also in the life of the Levites. In fact, this theme is developed throughout the entire Bible. So let's go in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 1, and let's look at verse 53. Numbers, chapter 1, and verse 53. Now, there are two terms here that we need to understand before we go any further, and I'll explain them to you. because I want you to see them over and over in the Bible. In Numbers chapter 1 in verse 53, God says, "...but the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony." So the Levites then camped around the tabernacle. But look at the last phrase in verse 53. And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

Now, once again, the word keep is the word shamar. It means to guard. It means to protect. So literally says, and the Levites shall guard or protect the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. Now, the word charge is a very interesting word as well. The Hebrew word is Mishmareth, and literally it is a military term. The word actually means a watch, a sentry, or an act of custody, or a charge. Some of you men who were in service, you remember how we had to walk a sentry post, or we were placed on sentry duty. And on that post you had a charge that you had to keep.

You could let no one pass that way unchallenged. It was a military term with a military responsibility. That's exactly the same word. So in verse 53, the latter part, here's what he says. And the Levites shall keep, that is, they shall guard, they shall protect the sentry post of the tabernacle of testimony. Sounds to me like some of these priests had a warrior function.

Now, look in Numbers chapter 3. Let me show you how plainly this is taught in the Bible. Numbers chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Here's what the Word of God says, Numbers 3, verse 5. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. So the Levites are given to Aaron that they may minister to him. Watch verse 7. And they shall keep his charge, that is, his sentry post, there to protect and to look out for Aaron, the high priest, and the charge of the whole congregation, that is, around the tabernacle, before the tabernacle of the congregation, and there to do the service of the tabernacle. Watch carefully. And they shall keep, that is, they shall guard and protect all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge or the sentry post of the children of Israel to do the service of the tabernacle.

Now, let me just stop there. God says, all right, you Levites, I'm giving you to Aaron and his sons. You've got a charge. You must protect Aaron. You must protect the instruments. You must protect the tabernacle. Let's go further. Look if you would in verse 9. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest office.

Watch, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." Now let me ask you a question. If someone ran into that tabernacle and tried to attack Aaron, who do you think would have put him to death? Those Levites. If someone tried to get into that tabernacle and steal those instruments, who would have killed him? Those Levites. They had a charge. They had a sentry post. They were charged with guarding and keeping and protecting Aaron.

Now, let me just point out, this is not all that is given to us here in Numbers chapter 3. For instance, look in verse 32. This is a very important verse. I want you to underline this verse. Or at least mark it down, because I'm going to refer to this verse a little bit later. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 3:5-9,32,38

"...and Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary."

Now, Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was chief. Now watch carefully, he was head over the chief of the Levites. So the Levites had chiefs, but they were answerable to Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron. And then he says, and he has the oversight of them that keep, that guard or protect the sentry post of the sanctuary. Now look in verse 38. He says, But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons.

keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. So once again, anyone who got around that tabernacle who was not supposed to be there and later on around the temple when they were not supposed to be there, they were executed by the Levites because the Levites were warrior priests. Now, I want you to look in Numbers chapter four. Some of you have marginal references in your Bible. Others do not. So for those of you who do not have the marginal reference, I will show you or tell you another way that the same Hebrew is translated here. So let's read these verses. Look in Numbers chapter 4 and verse 3. From 30 years old and upward, even into 50 years old, all that enter into the host to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. Skip down to verse 23. Note the word, to do the work. Skip down to verse 23. From 30 years old and upward until 50 years old shalt thou number them, all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. Now, how many of you have a marginal reference that translates to do the work something differently?

Anybody have that in your Bibles? Actually, what it says is, to war the warfare of the congregation. to do the work, or to war the warfare of the tabernacle. To do the work of the tabernacle was to war the warfare. If you'll skip down to verse 30, it'll be the same thing. Deuteronomy 4, Numbers 4 and verse 30. He says this, from 30 years old and upward, even into 50 years old, shalt thou number them, everyone that enters into the service, to war the warfare of the tabernacle of the congregation. And then if you look in Numbers 8 and verse 24, it's the same thing. Numbers 8, And verse 24, here the Word of God says this, Now, what I want to do is I want to show you about four passages right now to show you the emphasis once again on the fact that these Levites had a guardianship They were protectors of Aaron, the instruments, and the tabernacle. Look in Numbers chapter 8 and verse 26. He says, "...but they shall minister," that is the Levites,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 4:3,23,30

"...they shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation,"

and here it is again, "...to keep the charge," that is to guard, to protect the sentry post, "...and shall do no service.

Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites, touching their charge.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 8:24-26

" Now turn over to Numbers chapter 18. And here you're going to see the truth repeated again that was repeated or given to us in Numbers chapter 3. Notice Numbers chapter 18 beginning there with verse, well let's read verse 2 just so you can see it's the Levites. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee. But thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they, that is the Levites, They shall keep the charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle, only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they nor ye also die.

So everyone have their separate duties. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle, that is, guard the sentry post of the tabernacle congregation, for all the service, or all the warfare of the tabernacle, and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And you shall keep the charge, or guard the sentry post of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are given as a gift for the Lord to do the service, or to do the warfare of the tabernacle and congregation. Therefore, thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil, and you shall serve. I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." So once again, God said, I've given all these Levites.

They can't touch that inner sanctum. They can't touch anything that the high priest and the sons of Aaron or to do, but they are to guard that tabernacle. They are to assist Aaron, and they are to guard those instruments, and they are to guard the high priest. Now if you'll turn over in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 7. 1 Samuel chapter 7, and look at verse 1. Let me give you the background, and here's the same word shemar, and I'm really emphasizing the fact now that this word means to guard, or to protect.

Now you know the story how that the Ark of the Covenant had been taken by the Philistines. God smoked the Philistines with emerods and they sent the Ark back on a cart with oxen pulling it. And of course the children of Israel get the cart back and get the Ark back. They take it off the cart and here's what happens in chapter 7 verse 1 of 1 Samuel. And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 7:1

" Now when they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD, what was he to do? He was to stand there and guard it. He was to stand there and protect it.

What many of us do not realize is that in the tabernacle and in the temple, later on, there were armed guards. You did not just waltz into the temple or into the tabernacle. If you had no business there or if you had no function or ministry there, you were not allowed into the tabernacle or into the temple. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Kings, chapter 12, and look at verse 9. 2 Kings, chapter 12, verse 9.

Now, certainly there was the court where you could go, if you were supposed to go there, but you didn't go any further. Notice in 2 Kings, chapter 12, and look at verse 9. The Bible says, But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bore a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar on the right side, as one cometh into the house of the Lord." Watch now,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 12:9

"...and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord."

Did you read that?

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 12:9

"...and the priests that kept the door."

Now, if you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 34 and verse 9, you see the same thing stated differently, but the same principle. 2 Chronicles, chapter 34, and look at verse 9. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 12:9

"...and when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of Judah and Benjamin, and they returned

to Jerusalem." Note there were Levites stationed at the doors. There were guards. I've been in two churches in this country, one out west and one down south, where they literally had to have guards posted. And they had to have the doors locked because, are you listening? Not that they were afraid of vandalisms and people just trying to break in and create problems. But because of our government. Because the local governments had passed rules and laws saying that the pastor could not even preach unless he was licensed by the state. And one of those pastors said, you're out of your mind. I'm not going to pay you money and take a license to do what God's already commanded me to do. And they had to keep their doors locked and they had men standing guard there. because this pastor had already been arrested three or four times and thrown in jail for preaching without a license.

Now, they had armed guards. By the way, everybody can quote this verse. We quote it all the time and never even think about it. But do you remember what David said in Psalm 84 and verse 10? David said, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. What does he mean a doorkeeper? He means a guard that stood there by the door. David said, I'd rather be a guard in the house of God just standing there than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 23. Let me show you how the normal priestly functions and this warrior function is listed for us in the Word of God. So here we have 1 Chronicles chapter 23, and let's begin reading there with verse 27. You see, all of us are familiar with verse 27 and right on down. We're familiar with those functions, but when we get to that last verse, somehow it just goes right over our heads. But here it is, 1 Chronicles 23 verse 27. For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above.

I don't know if you've been noticing or not, but at first it started at 30, then it went down to 25, and now it's down to 20. He says, "...for by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above, because their office..." Here's what was the Levitical office. "...their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God." So the Levites helped the priest do certain things. That's not all. Notice, if you would, here some of it specified both for the showbread and for the fine flour for meal offering and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size. So the Levites measured and got everything ready. Watch verse 30. Here's something else they did. and to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at even." So morning and even, another duty of the Levites was to praise God. Watch verse 31, "...and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths, and in the new moons, and on the set feasts by number, according to the order commanded unto them continually before the Lord."

So they could help in those areas. Ah, but look in verse 32. You see, we already know they did the other things. But now, in verse 32, he says, and in light of all these other duties, and that they should keep the charge, guard the sentry post of the tabernacle of the congregation and the sentry post of the holy place and the sentry post of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, and the service of the house of the Lord. So he says the Levites do all these things and they guard Aaron. and they guard the instruments, and they guard the sanctuary.

Now, the interesting thing is this. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 23 to show you a different mentality. I get tickled sometimes when I read the Scripture, and I think of the mentality that we exhibit today. Do you remember, everyone in here remembers Waco and the Branch Davidians? And I certainly do not know too much about them. I certainly probably would not agree with Koresh's theology. I don't even know if he was a Christian, don't know anything about it. But I know one thing the ATF charged was that they had weapons in the church building. You remember that?

Of course, what they didn't tell you was that a number of men had federal firearms licenses, and that's how they made money. They would take weapons and recondition them and sell them. And everything they had was perfectly legal. They don't tell you that. But, you know, we begin to think about weapons in the church house. Oh man, come on, are you out of your mind? Well, let me just show you how the Bible teaches.

Here in 2 Chronicles 23, Jehoiada is the high priest. Joash is about to be anointed king, but Joash is a child. You know why he's a child? He's only about nine years old. His father Ahaziah died, and guess what his grandmother did? She did a very un-grandmotherly thing. She jumped up and murdered all of her grandchildren just so she could be queen. And the only reason she didn't murder him His nurse snatched him and hid him. And now, Jehoiada is going to make him king. Jehoiada is a high priest, and Athaliah sitting on the throne is queen. Okay? So watch this now. They're having to do this thing right, but look at it.

Let's begin with verse 4. This is the thing that you shall do. Here's Jehoiada telling the people what they shall do. A third part of you entering on the Sabbath of the priests and the Levites shall be porters of the doors. A third of you can't guard the doors." Now watch, "...and a third part shall be at the king's house, and a third part at the gate of the foundation, and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord." Now watch, verse 6, "...but let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister to the Levites. They shall go in, for they are holy." But all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord."

Now here's what he says. Now all you people, you keep watch out here, but now the priests and the Levites, we're going to be keeping watch in here because this is where we're supposed to be. Watch verse 7. And the Levites, remember now we're talking about priests, we're talking about preachers, we're talking about teachers. And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand. Now remember, we're in the temple. Every man with his weapons in his hand, and whosoever else cometh in the house, he shall be put to death. But be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth out."

New Testament Captains of the Temple and the Greek Word Strategos

The 'captain of the temple' in Acts and Luke corresponds to the Levitical warrior-priests. The Greek word strategos, translated 'magistrates' in Acts 16, means a general or military officer, specifically the chief of the Levites.

If I were to ask you who the Sadducees were, you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Pharisees were, you could probably tell me. If I could ask you who the scribes and, you know, the lawyers were, you could probably tell me. But look at this. Look in Acts chapter 4, verse 1, for instance. I'll give you several other passages. Watch carefully. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, You know who they are. And the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. Who in the world was the captain of the temple? And a little bit later we're going to find out there was more than one captain. But here's a man designated as the captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter 5, verse 24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple And the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow." Notice. The high priest and the captain of the temple. Skip down to verse 26.

Watch carefully. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. So here was a captain. He had some officers. He goes and brings in the disciples. And he brings them without violence. Why? Not because he did not have authority to use violence. Not because he was not armed. But because he feared the people. They were outnumbered. But their designated here is the captain of the temple.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 22. You'll see it again. Luke 22. Note, if you would please, verse 4. I told you there was more than one captain. Luke 22, verse 4, here's Judas betraying the Lord, and he went his way in commune with the chief priests and with the captains, plural, how he might betray him unto them. So now he's dealing with the captains. And if you look in verse 52 of Luke 22, look what Jesus Christ says. Then Jesus said unto the chief priest, and the captains of the temple, and the elders which were come to him, he says, Be ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves. So these captains and these officers were armed. And our Lord says, You've come out to take me as a thief. You've come out with swords and with staves. It's very obvious as you read the New Testament that there was more than one captain. There were plenty of officers of the temple. And it's very clear that these men were armed.

It's very clear that they had the authority to use those weapons. But where in the world did these men come from? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 16. Acts 16. And let's begin reading there with verse 20. The only reason I'm going to read these verses is to show you one word, and then I'm going to tell you what that one word is, alright? Look in Acts chapter 16 and verse 20.

"...and brought them to the magistrates." You see that word magistrates? Look in your Bibles in verse 22. The Bible said, "...and the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates ran off their clothes." Verse 35, "...and on this day the magistrates sent the sergeants. Look in verse 36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, the magistrates, and now here it is again in verse 38, and the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates. Now every time you see the word magistrates here in Acts 16, it is from the Greek word strategos. That is the source of our military word strategy. It also comes from Strategos, which is the Greek word for an army.

Now, let me tell you what you can do, and this is very interesting. You can get a Greek lexicon and look up the word Strategos, and I'll tell you what you will find. You will find the definition of the word Strategos, and here it is. I've jotted it down. The definition right out of the Greek lexicon is this. It means a general, a governor, A military officer, the chief of the Levites. Do you remember back when we were in Numbers chapter 3 and verse 32? I told you there was a verse you needed to underline or you needed to mark. And that was when Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was chief over the chief of the Levites. Here's the word strategos translated magistrates, but it means not just simply a magistrate, but a general, a governor, a commandant, a military officer, the chief of the Levites.

Where did these captains of the temple come from in the New Testament? Well, they were just the Levites from the Old Testament that had the warrior function. They were the ones that were armed that protected the tabernacle and Aaron and the instruments. Go back in your Bibles. Let me show you. Go back in your Bibles to Psalm 42. We're not going to read Psalm 42. We're just going to look at the heading. And I'm going to tell you why. Look in Psalm 42, just at the heading.

The Korahites as Mighty Men of War

The Korahites, a Levitical family, served as gatekeepers and were listed among David's mighty men of war, skilled with bows and slings, demonstrating the warrior aspect of the priesthood.

It says, "...to the chief musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah." So Psalm 42 was a song, an ode, written for the sons of Korah, who were Levites, by the way, to sing. Psalm 42 was a psalm written just for the sons of Korah that they may sing. You say, now why are you emphasizing that? Well, let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 16. I hope you remember that in Numbers, chapter 16, there was a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. I don't know if you remember who was involved or not, but let me show you. Numbers 16, verse 1. Watch carefully. Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab and On, the sons of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses. Now here were men that rebelled against Moses and Aaron. Who were they? They were Korah, who happened to be the son of Izhar, who happened to be the son of Kohath, who happened to be the son of Levi.

Now, the other two men were sons of the children of Reuben. But the reason I'm telling you this is whenever you see the word Korahites in your Bible, or Kohathites, it's just the family of the Levites, because Korah had sons. He was the son of Kohath and the son of Izhar, who was the son of Levi. You see what I'm saying? So you would have the Korahites, the Kohathites, the Izharites, as well as the Levites. I mean, they were all Levites, but they were just different families of the Levites. Now, you see, God killed Korah and all these men and their rebellion. And he killed the 250 princes that joined together with him.

But if you look in Numbers chapter 26, And verse 11, you remember what Moses did? Moses said, separate yourselves from these rebellious men. And a lot of folks left Dathan and Abiram and Korah and came over unto Moses. Guess who else came over unto Moses? The children of Korah. For he says in v. 26 and v. 11, look at it, Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not. So when you get to Psalm 42 now, David writes that psalm for the children of Korah, who were Korahites, who were Levites, to sing.

Now, let me tell you why I'm telling you this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. You see, these Korahites were very brave men.

Watch carefully. 1 Chronicles 9 verse 19, And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren of the house of his father the Korahites, these are all Levites now, were over the work of the service, watch carefully, keepers, guardians, protectors of the gates of the tabernacle, and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry. Now their fathers were over the hosts of the Lord. I told you Monday night what the word host meant. What does it mean? An army. So their fathers were over the army of the Lord, and they were also keepers of the entry. Now look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 12. Let me show you some more of these Korahites. 1 Chronicles chapter 12, and let's read verses 1 and 2.

Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. Watch, they were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin. Now skip down to verse 6, you're going to see some of these mighty men named.

There is Elkanah, there's Jesiah, there's Azareel, there's Joezer, there's Jashobeam, the Korahites. And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham, of Gedor, and the Gadites, where they were separated unto David and behold of the wilderness, men of might and men of war, fit for the battle, and could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were swift as roes upon the mountains." Isn't it interesting? Right in the middle of those names, you have the Korahites, who were nothing more than Levites. And here they're listed as some of David's mighty men of war.

Failure of the Priests and National Judgment

When Israel lacked teaching priests and the law, the nation was without the true God and experienced great vexation and violence (2 Chronicles 15). Paul rebukes the priests for hypocrisy in Romans 2.

Now, let me ask you a question. What did Adam do? Adam failed to guard and protect and to keep his charge. What happened in the Levitical ministry in the Old Testament? Basically, they failed to guard and keep and protect their charge. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 15. Let's read the first six verses. 2 Chronicles 15, beginning with verse 1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, And he went out to meet Asa, and he said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, and Benjamin.

The Lord is with you while you be with him. And if you seek him, he will be found of you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you. Now look at verse 3. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in. But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries, and nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city. Watch, for God did vex them with all adversity." Now let's go back to verse 3. The Bible says, now for a long season, Israel hath been without the true God. How in the world could Israel be without the true God? The true God revealed Himself unto Israel. The true God chose Israel. How could Israel be without the true God? Here's how. Because they were without a teaching priest and without the law. You must remember that a king rules by his law. And there had to be someone to teach that law.

And basically, these Levites had abdicated their position. They were not teaching the law of God. Consequently, it is said that the nation was without the true God. And look at the consequences. Skip down to verse 5. And in those times, that is, when they did not have the teaching priests, when they were not obeying the law, in those times there was no peace to him that went out. nor to him that came in. But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city, for God did vex them with all adversity." Let me just give you an illustration. When I was a boy, and contrary to popular opinion, that hadn't been all that long ago. But when I was a boy, and my father was a farmer, let me just hasten to tell you that.

We lived on a farm. Dad had all kind of expensive farm equipment. Combines, tractors, whatever it took to farm five or six hundred acres, he had it. But do you realize about every Christmas, or at least in December sometime, Dad would take us on a two-week vacation down to Florida where we had relatives, and we would stay and visit with them for two weeks at the time. We never locked a door. We never locked a window. And when we came back, everything was exactly where we left it.

Now you try that today. I'm going to tell you something, folks. We are practically in the same position today. We're without the true God, basically, because we're without true preachers who truly preach the Word of God. And consequently, we have a country of violence and wickedness and theft and ungodliness. So basically, the Levites failed in their guardianship. And if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 2, You'll see Paul really rebuking them for that. You've got to remember now, it was the priests and the Levites that were charged with teaching the law of God and the way of God. Look in Romans chapter 2, look what Paul says, beginning there, verse 21.

He nails their hide to the wall. He says, Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? And thou that sayest to man should not commit adultery, dost thou not commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou not commit sacrilege? Of course they were. Thou that makest thy boast of the law through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written."

So he's saying, look, you failed. You didn't protect anything. You went under.

The Church as Warrior Priests Today

Jesus took the kingdom from apostate Israel and gave it to the church (Matthew 21:43). Believers now inherit the priestly mantle and must lead in righteousness, teach all nations, and actively engage in spiritual warfare, not retreat. The church is to attack the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18).

Now let me give you the Christian context. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would. to Matthew 21. I'm going to try to tie it together for you, but look here. Matthew 21. You see, when old Israel apostatized from the faith, God defrocked her from the priesthood. Notice in Matthew chapter 21, and look if you would, beginning there with verse 42. Look what the Lord said. Matthew 21, verse 42.

Jesus is speaking, by the way, to the rulers. And Jesus said unto them, Did you never read in the Scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? That's Christ. The same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Look what he tells these Pharisees and these scribes. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they perceived that he spake of them." They got the idea. But look what he told them. The kingdom of God is taken from you.

You failed in your charge. You didn't guard and protect. And now, just like I defrocked Adam, I'm defrocking you. I want you to understand, we now, as a true Israel of God, the new creation in Christ Jesus, now have inherited the mantle of the priesthood. What does that mean? That means that our responsibility as Christians – are you listening? – is to lead the world in righteousness. It is to protect ourselves and others by holy, godly living in obedience to King Jesus, who is the great High Priest.

In fact, we have a specific command from our Lord. Do you remember what He said in Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20? He said, go in all the nations, what? And preach the gospel, baptizing them, what? And making disciples of them, and teach them to observe everything that I've commanded you. Guess what has happened in this land, folks? Oh, we may have made a few disciples. We may have baptized somebody. But I've got news for you.

We haven't taught anybody anything. We are living in a land of absolute, total, abysmal ignorance when it comes to the Word of God. Do you know what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3.15? That the church is the pillar and the ground of truth. Where is truth today? It's vacant in most of our churches. It's not there. You see, the truth of the matter is this. We have a responsibility to protect and guard the truth. And the way to protect and to guard the truth is to declare it and to establish it in every area of life. It's to bring our lives and the lives of others into full obedience to the Word of God. Every one of you can quote probably Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 18.

You remember where he said, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. You remember that passage? Then we're to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We're to have the helmet of salvation. We're to have the shield of faith. We're to have in our hand the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Do you remember that? Do you realize when most people quote that passage, they envision a Roman soldier, and they talk about his helmet and all this.

I've got news for you. Paul was not talking about a Roman soldier. Paul had in mind the armor of the high priest. All you have to do is read Exodus 28, read Isaiah 59, Isaiah 61, and you will find that Paul had in mind the military uniform of the high priest. Do you know the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 8 and in Romans chapter 13 and verse 12 calls that the armor of light? Have you ever noticed in the Bible that the Bible always depicts the Lord Jesus Christ at the head of an army? An army of warrior priests doing battles with the forces of darkness and winning decisive victories. Read Psalm 110. Read Revelation 19. What does our Lord do?

He comes on a white horse and His army follows Him and He makes war. You know what our biggest problem is as Christians? I'll tell you what it is. We have abdicated our position as warrior priests. We have literally given in and given up. Look in your Bibles. You're in Matthew. Look in Matthew 16, verse 18. Watch this. Matthew 16, verse 18. And I know you can quote this verse too, but look what God, our Lord Jesus, tells Peter. Watch. He said, And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, And upon this rock, that is, upon his confession, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Now, you can go all through the Bible. Any time you read about the gates, it speaks of authority, power. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. Now, I want you to think about this. The gates is the only way into a city in Bible times, because the cities had walls around them. When our Lord said, the gates of hell shall not prevail. Are you listening to me? It was not that hell was attacking the church. It was the fact that the church was attacking hell. And our Lord said the authority and the power of hell will not prevail.

You talk about abdicating our positions, we have basically retreated. We have given up. We have given over. We will not fight. We're afraid we might offend someone. Do you remember what our Lord told His disciples? They came up to Him and said, knowest thou not that thou hast offended the Pharisees? You know what our Lord said? Come on, help me out. He said, He said, every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone.

Call to Courage and Repentance

Weaver laments the church's retreat on moral issues and calls for holy boldness, urging both preachers and congregants to stand as warrior priests, trusting God to heal the land if His people humble themselves and turn from wickedness.

They be blind leaders of the blind, and of the blind leaders of the blind, they shall both fall in the ditch. Did it really upset our Lord that He had offended them? No! He said, let them alone. They're lost as a hound dog anyhow. Doesn't matter. Let them be upset. But you see, folks, the pattern that I'm trying to show you tonight is repeated over and over in Scripture. God provides a priest. God gives him a charge not just to work, but to protect and to keep and to guard. And that priest fails in that charge, and consequently, the earth is crushed under the judgment of God. Adam failed to protect his bride in the Garden of Eden. She failed in the temptation, and as a consequence, the whole world is cursed.

Even Aaron the high priest deserted his post in Exodus chapter 32 and lapsed into idolatry, and he's responsible for 3,000 people being executed. You remember how he built that golden calf? Aaron knew better. Listen, folks. The whole book of Judges illustrates this truth. God gives a man, and then the man fails. and the judgment of God comes on the country. We have so compromised the truth of God today that so many professing Christians, please understand I'm using the word professing, we've so compromised the truth of the Word of God today that many professing Christians advocate premarital sex, extramarital affairs, therapeutic divorce, compassionate abortion, governmental tyranny, and legalized fraud and theft, all in the name of Christianity. I've got news for you folks.

There is no such thing as a benevolent socialism. There's no such thing as a Christian sodomite. There's no such thing as a biblical abortion. There's no such thing as a Therapeutic divorce. But you see what we've done? We've just retreated. We've backed up. We've said, alright. We give up. We give in. We give out. Have it any way you want it. Instead of saying, no! The world is wrong. And our society is wrong.

And the government is wicked. And that's wrong. And that's wrong. This is what God says. And here we stand. That's where we ought to be. We ought to be fighters. We ought to be fierce. We ought to be courageous. Why? Because we have the sovereign God of the universe behind us. He's commanded us, be strong and of good courage. I want to tell you something, folks. We are seeing and witnessing firsthand the death and the demise of America and our culture, and our society. And it's our fault.

I do lay the charge primarily at the feet of the preachers. I understand that. Because they're responsible to teach and preach. But dear friend, let me tell you something. I might have a responsibility to teach and preach, but you equally have a responsibility to study and to listen and to heed and to obey. And I've got news for you. There are two ways that God can stir up a congregation. God could, God could reach that pastor directly. And that's wonderful when God does that, when God stirs up the preacher. But you know, sometimes God does it in a roundabout way. Sometimes God bypasses the preacher and He stirs up a member of the church. And all of a sudden, that member of the church starts asking questions. And you know, it's embarrassing to preachers when you can ask a question we don't have the answer for. I mean, come on, we're supposed to know everything. Don't you know that? And all of a sudden, the preacher gets embarrassed and the preacher gets shamed into having to study because some of his members have more insight than he does.

I want to tell you something, folks. I don't care how God does it. I don't care if God deals with the preachers directly or if He shames us into studying and taking a stand. I don't care. Just so we wake up. And just so God will give us men. Just so God will give us grace to serve Him effectually with reverence and godly fear. If we lose our country, if we lose our culture, Don't blame it on our wicked civil rulers. And don't blame it on the ungodly. For help me out. For God said, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and call upon me, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal their land. It's not the wicked with which we have to contend first and foremost. It's our own wicked hearts. We have to make sure that we'll stand as a warrior priest and say like Martin Luther of old, God help me. Here I stand.

I can do no other. Let's pray. Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for the truth of the Word of God. Thank You, Lord, that there were men, men that were mighty warriors in the faith. And Lord, we're so cowardly and so scared, even of our own shadows, so many times. We pray, Lord, like the disciples of old, that when they prayed, the whole building was shaken and they were filled with holy boldness that they might preach and teach Thy Word. O God, give us holy boldness. Give us courage that we may praise and worship and serve the only who is God of gods and King of kings. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Priesthood of All Believers

Summary: All Christians are made a holy and royal priesthood through Christ, inheriting the priestly role originally given to Israel.

Evidence: 1 Peter 2:5,9 and Revelation 1:6 are cited to show believers are priests.

Dual Function of Priests: Service and Guardianship

Summary: From Adam onward, priests have a twofold duty: to serve (dress/till) and to guard/protect (keep). The Hebrew word shamar emphasizes protection.

Evidence: Genesis 2:15 uses 'dress' (abod) and 'keep' (shamar); Adam failed to guard and was defrocked.

Levitical Warrior-Priests

Summary: The Levites had a military charge to guard the tabernacle, its instruments, and the high priest, and were armed and authorized to use lethal force.

Evidence: Numbers 1:53; 3:7-9,32,38; 4:3,23,30; 8:24-26; 18:2-7; 1 Chronicles 23:32; 2 Chronicles 23:4-8.

Failure of Priestly Guardianship Brings Judgment

Summary: When priests fail to teach and guard the truth, the nation suffers chaos, violence, and divine judgment.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 describes Israel without teaching priests, resulting in no peace and great vexations.

The Church as the New Israel and Warrior Priesthood

Summary: Jesus transferred the kingdom from apostate Israel to the church, which must now fulfill the warrior-priest role by teaching, guarding truth, and engaging in spiritual warfare.

Evidence: Matthew 21:43; Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 6:10-18; Matthew 16:18.

Call to Holy Boldness and Cultural Engagement

Summary: Christians must stop retreating on moral issues and stand courageously on God's Word, confronting societal evils.

Evidence: Weaver rebukes advocacy of premarital sex, abortion, etc., and calls for fighters who stand like Martin Luther.

Key Arguments

The Hebrew word 'shamar' consistently means to guard or protect, not merely to keep.

Summary: Weaver argues that 'keep' in Genesis 2:15 and numerous Levitical passages means to guard/protect, establishing a warrior function for priests.

Evidence: Genesis 2:15; 4:9; 28:15; Deuteronomy 4:9; Numbers 1:53; 3:7-8; 18:3-5; 1 Chronicles 23:32.

The Levites' service was described as 'warfare'.

Summary: The Hebrew term for 'service' in Numbers 4 and 8 is translated in margins as 'war the warfare,' indicating the military nature of their duties.

Evidence: Numbers 4:3,23,30; 8:24-26; marginal renderings noted.

The temple had armed guards and stored weapons.

Summary: 2 Chronicles 23 shows priests and Levites armed with weapons in the temple, and Jehoiada distributed spears and shields stored in the house of God.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 23:4-8; 2 Kings 12:9; 2 Chronicles 34:9; Psalm 84:10.

New Testament 'captains of the temple' were Levitical warrior-priests.

Summary: The Greek strategos, used for 'captain' and 'magistrates,' means a military officer or chief of the Levites, linking New Testament temple guards to Old Testament Levites.

Evidence: Acts 4:1; 5:24,26; Luke 22:4,52; Acts 16:20,22,35,36,38; Numbers 3:32.

The church is to attack the gates of hell, not be attacked.

Summary: Matthew 16:18 depicts the church as the aggressor against hell's authority, not a besieged fortress.

Evidence: Matthew 16:18; gates represent authority/power.

The armor of God in Ephesians 6 is based on the high priest's garments.

Summary: Paul's description of the Christian's armor draws from the high priest's attire in Exodus 28 and Isaiah 59, not a Roman soldier's gear.

Evidence: Ephesians 6:10-18; Exodus 28; Isaiah 59; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Romans 13:12.

Priestly failure leads to national judgment.

Summary: When priests fail to teach and guard, the nation loses the knowledge of God and suffers chaos; the church's retreat has led to America's moral decline.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 15:3-6; Romans 2:21-24; contemporary examples of moral compromise.

Scripture References

1 Peter 2:5

Context: Believers are a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices.

1 Peter 2:9

Context: Believers are a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

Revelation 1:5-6

Context: Christ has made us kings and priests to God.

Hebrews 5:4

Context: No one takes the honor of priesthood upon himself; it is by divine appointment.

Exodus 19:5-6

Context: God's original intent for Israel to be a kingdom of priests.

Hebrews 13:15

Context: Offer the sacrifice of praise continually.

Romans 12:1

Context: Present your bodies a living sacrifice.

Genesis 2:15

Context: Adam placed in Eden to dress and keep it; 'keep' means guard/protect.

Genesis 3:23-24

Context: God drove Adam out and placed cherubim to guard the tree of life.

Genesis 4:9

Context: Cain's question 'Am I my brother's keeper?' uses shamar.

Genesis 28:13-15

Context: God promises to keep (guard) Jacob.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Context: Keep (guard) your soul diligently.

Numbers 1:53

Context: Levites shall keep (guard) the charge of the tabernacle.

Numbers 3:5-9,32,38

Context: Levites given to Aaron to keep his charge and guard the sanctuary; Eleazar chief over the chiefs.

Numbers 4:3,23,30

Context: Service of the tabernacle described as 'war the warfare' in margin.

Numbers 8:24-26

Context: Levites to keep the charge and do no other service.

Numbers 18:2-7

Context: Levites to guard the charge of the tabernacle; stranger put to death.

1 Samuel 7:1

Context: Eleazar sanctified to keep (guard) the ark.

2 Kings 12:9

Context: Priests that kept the door.

2 Chronicles 34:9

Context: Levites that kept the doors gathered money.

Historical References

Waco and the Branch Davidians

Context: Weaver mentions the ATF's charge that they had weapons in the church building, noting they had federal firearms licenses.

Battle of Lexington and Caleb Monroe

Context: Caleb Monroe was killed on the church steps running to get powder stored in the church for colonial soldiers.

Martin Luther

Context: Weaver quotes Luther's 'Here I stand, I can do no other' as an example of holy boldness.

Important Quotes

And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

Significance: Key verse establishing the Levites' guardian role; 'keep' is shamar, meaning guard/protect.

And Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

Significance: Links the Levitical chiefs to the New Testament strategos, showing continuity of the warrior-priest office.

And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand.

Significance: Explicitly shows armed priests in the temple, fulfilling a protective warrior function.

I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Significance: David's desire to be a guard at the temple door, highlighting the honor of the warrior-priest role.

The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Significance: Jesus' pronouncement transferring the priestly kingdom from apostate Israel to the church.

The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Significance: Weaver interprets this as the church attacking hell's gates, not being besieged.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and call upon me, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal their land.

Significance: Call to repentance and the promise of national healing if God's people fulfill their priestly role.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding the Hebrew word 'shamar' (to guard/protect) change your view of the priestly role in both Old and New Testaments?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that 'keep' in Genesis 2:15 and Levitical passages means to guard, not just maintain.

In what ways have modern churches abdicated the 'warrior priest' function, and what are the consequences?

Context: Weaver argues that the church has retreated from cultural battles, leading to moral decay.

How should the church balance the 'service' (dressing/tilling) and 'guardianship' (keeping/protecting) aspects of its calling?

Context: The dual function is seen in Adam and the Levites; Weaver calls for both teaching and contending for truth.

What does it mean for the church to be on the offensive against the 'gates of hell' in practical terms today?

Context: Matthew 16:18 is interpreted as the church attacking hell's authority.

How can individual believers fulfill their role as warrior priests in their families, workplaces, and communities?

Context: Weaver calls all Christians to holy boldness and courage, not just preachers.

Why does Weaver say that the nation's moral decline is primarily the fault of the church rather than secular society?

Context: He cites 2 Chronicles 7:14 and the failure of priests to teach and guard the law.

Applications

Embrace the warrior-priest identity

Summary: Recognize that as a believer, you are a priest with a duty not only to serve but to guard and protect the truth and the people of God.

Evidence: 1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:6; the pattern of Adam and the Levites.

Study and obey God's Word diligently

Summary: To guard the truth, you must know it; both preachers and congregants must study Scripture to avoid the ignorance that leads to national judgment.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 15:3; 1 Timothy 3:15; the call to teach all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

Engage in spiritual warfare with holy boldness

Summary: Put on the full armor of God (patterned after the high priest's garments) and actively contend against evil, not retreating from cultural battles.

Evidence: Ephesians 6:10-18; Matthew 16:18; the example of Martin Luther.

Repent of cowardice and compromise

Summary: Confess where you have given in to societal pressure on moral issues and resolve to stand on God's Word regardless of offense.

Evidence: Weaver's rebuke of Christian advocacy for unbiblical practices; the call to be fighters.

Take responsibility for national healing

Summary: Instead of blaming secular leaders, humble yourself, pray, and turn from wickedness, trusting God to heal the land.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 7:14; the pattern of priestly failure leading to judgment.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T04:41:39Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:52:26Z

Clean Transcript

Warrior Priests

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

For those of you who have not been here all week, I've been dealing with the biblical doctrine of war. And the first night I just simply dealt with the fact that God is a warrior and showed it to you from the Word of God. And then the next night I actually combined three or four messages very quickly and I dealt with the concept of holy war and just war. And then last night I dealt basically with Deuteronomy chapter 20 on military regulations in the Bible. And of course, tonight I want to bring the last message, and just reminding you that I haven't even scratched the surface because there are 15 tapes in the series, and I've had to really do a lot of condensing. But tonight I'm going to deal with the subject of warrior priests. And I want you to look in your Bibles, first of all, to 1 Peter chapter 2, and then we're going to the book of Revelation chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 2. And then we'll turn to Revelation chapter 1.
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So in 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning there, notice what Peter writes. He says, you also as lively or living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So he writes to these Christians and he says that you are a holy priesthood. And then if you'll skip down to verse nine, he says, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So once again, in verse nine, he calls us a royal priesthood. Then if you look in the book of Revelation, chapter one, beginning there with verse five. Revelation one in verse five. The Word of God says, "...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Now watch carefully verse 6, "...and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father.
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To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." So Peter writes that we are a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood, and now we find that we have been made priests and kings to God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now, I want you to understand that a priest is a duly authorized minister in sacred things. In order to be a priest, one must be chosen by God. The book of Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 4 says, And no man taketh this honor unto himself. And so it is God alone who can make an individual a priest. A man is not a priest by self-appointment. He's not a priest by the election of the people or by political influence.
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The priesthood was and is a divine institution, and therefore, priests are divinely appointed. Now, a priest could not perform just simply any function that he wanted to perform. A priest could only perform those functions that had been appointed to him by God. For instance, a regular priest, as most of you know, could not enter into the holiest of all in the tabernacle or in the temple. A priest could just mainly go to the holy place, but he could not go into the holiest of all, because that was reserved for the high priest, and then he went in then only once a year, and that not without the shedding of blood. And likewise, a normal Levite could not do anything but simply serve the tabernacle. The main offerings and sacrifices were reserved for the priests of the house of Aaron.
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Now certainly the Levites helped, but they were restricted in what they could do. Now scripture then speaks emphatically of the fact that Christians are priests. 1 Peter 2 and verse 5 says that we are a holy priesthood. 1 Peter 2 and verse 9 says we are a royal priesthood. When you get to Revelation 1 and verse 6, Revelation 5 and verse 10, and Revelation 20, verse 6, each of these passages, once again, enunciate the fact that we are priests. Now, the truth of the fact that God's people are to be a kingdom of priests began in the Old Testament.
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If you would turn back in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 19, and let's look at verses 5 and 6. Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6. Note what the Word of God says. God says, Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant. Then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine.
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And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and holy nation. And these are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel." So, once again, the fact of God's people being a kingdom of priests goes back to the Old Testament. Now, as New Testament priests, we certainly have certain duties. According to the Word of God, we are indeed to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ. According to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, we are to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. The Bible in the book of Hebrews 13 and verse 15 tells us that we are to offer up the sacrifice of praise continually.
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That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name. And then in Romans 12 and verse 1, as priests, we are to present our bodies unto Him, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Him, which is our reasonable service.
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Now you ask, well, are those all of our priestly duties? And the answer is no. There are many more priestly duties. We could list, for instance, intercession. Not only praying for ourselves, but for others as well. But there is a priestly function that most of us have never heard about, or at least have never thought about. And that function is known as a warrior function. And let me just point out that this is not what you would call a carnal function. It certainly is not carnal. It is spiritual, but it certainly differs from what you and I would normally think of as priestly functions.
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Now, priests, I'm going to show you from the Bible, had a duty of guarding and keeping over and above their normal priestly duties. Now, let me begin by giving you the context of the warrior-priest. In order to understand the context, we must go back in our Bibles all the way to Genesis, and we need to look at Adam's guardianship in the garden. So if you will turn there to the book of Genesis 2 and verse 15. Now, I'm going to try to take my time tonight because I want you to see all the Scriptures that I'm going to be sharing with you And I want you to understand the impact and the importance of them. So we're looking at Adam's guardianship in Genesis chapter 2.
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Now, Eden was originally organized as a special sanctuary, a special temple, so to speak, where God could meet with his creatures, which he had created in his image. And in the sanctuary, he placed Adam as a priest. And he gave Adam specific responsibilities. What were they? Look in verse 15 of Genesis chapter 2. And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
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Now I want you to note those two simple functions. To dress it and to keep it.
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Now let's take the word dress, first of all. The word dress is the Hebrew word abod, which literally means to serve, to tend, or to till. So Adam then had a responsibility to serve the garden, to tend the garden, to till the garden. But that's not all the Bible says. If you look back in verse 15, and the Lord God put the man into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Now, what in the world does the word keep mean? The verb is the word shamar in the Hebrew, and it literally means to keep, to guard, or to protect.
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Now, all of us understand this. If I were to come up to you and say, look, here's my pocket knife. I want you to keep it for me. When I ask you to keep my pocket knife for me, I'm asking you to protect it. I'm asking you to make sure that it does not get lost, that it does not get stolen. In other words, if you keep my pocket knife, then you have a responsibility to protect it.
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Now, that's exactly what this word means. It means to keep or to protect. So Adam then had a responsibility, not just simply to till the garden, not just simply to dress it, but to guard it and to protect it. Now, although Adam tilled the garden, he failed to guard it and protect it.
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Now, if you look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 3, look at verses 23 through 24. Watch carefully. What happened when Adam failed to protect the garden or keep the garden? Well, here's what happened. God basically defrocked him. He took away his guardianship. Look what the Bible says. So what did God do? God defrocked Adam. He drove him out of the garden.
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Adam still had the responsibility to tend and to keep the ground, but he lost his guardianship because he was unfaithful. He was no longer considered a warrior priest. He had basically forfeited the privilege of his position, and that office then was given to others, to the cherubims, who guarded and protected the Tree of Life.
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Now, I want you to see several other passages where the word shamar is used in the Hebrew. Look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 4 and verse 9. Every one of these passages, and many others that I'm going to show you, is the same Hebrew word shamar. I'm emphasizing the fact that this word means to keep or to protect. Now watch Genesis chapter 4 and verse 9. Everyone knows the story.
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And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not. Am I my brother's keeper? That is, am I my brother's protector? His argument is this, Lord, what do you think I am? Do you think I'm just simply the guardian of my brother? Do you think all I have to do is run around and protect him? That's the essence of Cain's question.
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Look in your Bibles to Genesis 28. Here Jacob is given a promise by God in Genesis 28, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 13. Genesis 28 verse 13 and behold the Lord stood above it and said here's what God tells Jacob I'm the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac the land whereon thou liest to thee I will give it and to thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed now remember Jacob is on his way to Laban He's on his way out of the land, so to speak. But look at verse 15. Here's what God tells him, "...and behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee," for the same word, Shemar, "...I will keep thee in all the places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land.
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For I will not leave thee until I have done all that which I have spoken to thee." Now, what did God tell Jacob? Jacob, you're leaving the land, but I'm going to keep you. I'm going to guard you. I'm going to protect you. You will come back into this land, and I will fulfill everything that I told you. So you can see the emphasis on guarding and protecting. Now, if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 9, you'll see the same word shemar used, just in a little different sense, but it still has the emphasis of guarding and protecting. Notice Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 9. After we have the Shema Israel, that is, Shema Israel, Adonai Elohim, Adonai Echad, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. He tells us, that's in Deuteronomy chapter 6, but then he tells us the same thing basically in Deuteronomy chapter 4 about the greatness of his law and the greatness of his person.
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And then he says in verse 9, only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life. But teach them thy sons and thy sons' sons. But when he said, but only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, what is he saying? Guard your soul. Protect your soul. Now, the word is translated keep, but it means to guard and to protect.
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God placed Adam in the garden. He said, Adam, I want you to till the ground, but that's not all. You guard it. You protect it. And Adam failed in that guardianship.
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Now, let's look secondly in the historical context of the Levitical guardianship. You see, these two terms of working and guarding go hand-in-hand, not just in the life of Adam, but also in the life of the Levites. In fact, this theme is developed throughout the entire Bible. So let's go in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 1, and let's look at verse 53. Numbers, chapter 1, and verse 53. Now, there are two terms here that we need to understand before we go any further, and I'll explain them to you. because I want you to see them over and over in the Bible. In Numbers chapter 1 in verse 53, God says, "...but the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony." So the Levites then camped around the tabernacle. But look at the last phrase in verse 53. And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
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Now, once again, the word keep is the word shamar. It means to guard. It means to protect. So literally says, and the Levites shall guard or protect the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. Now, the word charge is a very interesting word as well. The Hebrew word is Mishmareth, and literally it is a military term. The word actually means a watch, a sentry, or an act of custody, or a charge. Some of you men who were in service, you remember how we had to walk a sentry post, or we were placed on sentry duty. And on that post you had a charge that you had to keep.
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You could let no one pass that way unchallenged. It was a military term with a military responsibility. That's exactly the same word. So in verse 53, the latter part, here's what he says. And the Levites shall keep, that is, they shall guard, they shall protect the sentry post of the tabernacle of testimony. Sounds to me like some of these priests had a warrior function.
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Now, look in Numbers chapter 3. Let me show you how plainly this is taught in the Bible. Numbers chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Here's what the Word of God says, Numbers 3, verse 5. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. So the Levites are given to Aaron that they may minister to him. Watch verse 7. And they shall keep his charge, that is, his sentry post, there to protect and to look out for Aaron, the high priest, and the charge of the whole congregation, that is, around the tabernacle, before the tabernacle of the congregation, and there to do the service of the tabernacle. Watch carefully. And they shall keep, that is, they shall guard and protect all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge or the sentry post of the children of Israel to do the service of the tabernacle.
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Now, let me just stop there. God says, all right, you Levites, I'm giving you to Aaron and his sons. You've got a charge. You must protect Aaron. You must protect the instruments. You must protect the tabernacle. Let's go further. Look if you would in verse 9. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest office.
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Watch, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." Now let me ask you a question. If someone ran into that tabernacle and tried to attack Aaron, who do you think would have put him to death? Those Levites. If someone tried to get into that tabernacle and steal those instruments, who would have killed him? Those Levites. They had a charge. They had a sentry post. They were charged with guarding and keeping and protecting Aaron.
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Now, let me just point out, this is not all that is given to us here in Numbers chapter 3. For instance, look in verse 32. This is a very important verse. I want you to underline this verse. Or at least mark it down, because I'm going to refer to this verse a little bit later. The Bible says, "...and Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary." Now, Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was chief. Now watch carefully, he was head over the chief of the Levites. So the Levites had chiefs, but they were answerable to Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron. And then he says, and he has the oversight of them that keep, that guard or protect the sentry post of the sanctuary. Now look in verse 38. He says, But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons.
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keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. So once again, anyone who got around that tabernacle who was not supposed to be there and later on around the temple when they were not supposed to be there, they were executed by the Levites because the Levites were warrior priests.
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Now, I want you to look in Numbers chapter four. Some of you have marginal references in your Bible. Others do not. So for those of you who do not have the marginal reference, I will show you or tell you another way that the same Hebrew is translated here. So let's read these verses. Look in Numbers chapter 4 and verse 3. From 30 years old and upward, even into 50 years old, all that enter into the host to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. Skip down to verse 23. Note the word, to do the work. Skip down to verse 23. From 30 years old and upward until 50 years old shalt thou number them, all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. Now, how many of you have a marginal reference that translates to do the work something differently?
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Anybody have that in your Bibles? Actually, what it says is, to war the warfare of the congregation. to do the work, or to war the warfare of the tabernacle. To do the work of the tabernacle was to war the warfare. If you'll skip down to verse 30, it'll be the same thing. Deuteronomy 4, Numbers 4 and verse 30. He says this, from 30 years old and upward, even into 50 years old, shalt thou number them, everyone that enters into the service, to war the warfare of the tabernacle of the congregation. And then if you look in Numbers 8 and verse 24, it's the same thing. Numbers 8, And verse 24, here the Word of God says this, Now, what I want to do is I want to show you about four passages right now to show you the emphasis once again on the fact that these Levites had a guardianship They were protectors of Aaron, the instruments, and the tabernacle. Look in Numbers chapter 8 and verse 26. He says, "...but they shall minister," that is the Levites, "...they shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation," and here it is again, "...to keep the charge," that is to guard, to protect the sentry post, "...and shall do no service.
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Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites, touching their charge." Now turn over to Numbers chapter 18. And here you're going to see the truth repeated again that was repeated or given to us in Numbers chapter 3. Notice Numbers chapter 18 beginning there with verse, well let's read verse 2 just so you can see it's the Levites. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee. But thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they, that is the Levites, They shall keep the charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle, only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they nor ye also die.
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So everyone have their separate duties. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle, that is, guard the sentry post of the tabernacle congregation, for all the service, or all the warfare of the tabernacle, and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And you shall keep the charge, or guard the sentry post of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are given as a gift for the Lord to do the service, or to do the warfare of the tabernacle and congregation. Therefore, thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil, and you shall serve. I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." So once again, God said, I've given all these Levites.
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They can't touch that inner sanctum. They can't touch anything that the high priest and the sons of Aaron or to do, but they are to guard that tabernacle. They are to assist Aaron, and they are to guard those instruments, and they are to guard the high priest.
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Now if you'll turn over in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 7. 1 Samuel chapter 7, and look at verse 1. Let me give you the background, and here's the same word shemar, and I'm really emphasizing the fact now that this word means to guard, or to protect.
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Now you know the story how that the Ark of the Covenant had been taken by the Philistines. God smoked the Philistines with emerods and they sent the Ark back on a cart with oxen pulling it. And of course the children of Israel get the cart back and get the Ark back. They take it off the cart and here's what happens in chapter 7 verse 1 of 1 Samuel.
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And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD." Now when they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD, what was he to do? He was to stand there and guard it. He was to stand there and protect it.
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What many of us do not realize is that in the tabernacle and in the temple, later on, there were armed guards. You did not just waltz into the temple or into the tabernacle. If you had no business there or if you had no function or ministry there, you were not allowed into the tabernacle or into the temple. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Kings, chapter 12, and look at verse 9. 2 Kings, chapter 12, verse 9.
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Now, certainly there was the court where you could go, if you were supposed to go there, but you didn't go any further. Notice in 2 Kings, chapter 12, and look at verse 9. The Bible says, But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bore a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar on the right side, as one cometh into the house of the Lord." Watch now, "...and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord." Did you read that? "...and the priests that kept the door." Now, if you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 34 and verse 9, you see the same thing stated differently, but the same principle. 2 Chronicles, chapter 34, and look at verse 9. The Bible says, "...and when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of Judah and Benjamin, and they returned
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to Jerusalem." Note there were Levites stationed at the doors. There were guards. I've been in two churches in this country, one out west and one down south, where they literally had to have guards posted. And they had to have the doors locked because, are you listening? Not that they were afraid of vandalisms and people just trying to break in and create problems. But because of our government.
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Because the local governments had passed rules and laws saying that the pastor could not even preach unless he was licensed by the state. And one of those pastors said, you're out of your mind. I'm not going to pay you money and take a license to do what God's already commanded me to do. And they had to keep their doors locked and they had men standing guard there. because this pastor had already been arrested three or four times and thrown in jail for preaching without a license.
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Now, they had armed guards. By the way, everybody can quote this verse. We quote it all the time and never even think about it. But do you remember what David said in Psalm 84 and verse 10? David said, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. What does he mean a doorkeeper? He means a guard that stood there by the door. David said, I'd rather be a guard in the house of God just standing there than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
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Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 23. Let me show you how the normal priestly functions and this warrior function is listed for us in the Word of God. So here we have 1 Chronicles chapter 23, and let's begin reading there with verse 27. You see, all of us are familiar with verse 27 and right on down. We're familiar with those functions, but when we get to that last verse, somehow it just goes right over our heads. But here it is, 1 Chronicles 23 verse 27. For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above.
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I don't know if you've been noticing or not, but at first it started at 30, then it went down to 25, and now it's down to 20. He says, "...for by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above, because their office..." Here's what was the Levitical office. "...their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God." So the Levites helped the priest do certain things. That's not all.
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Notice, if you would, here some of it specified both for the showbread and for the fine flour for meal offering and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size. So the Levites measured and got everything ready. Watch verse 30. Here's something else they did. and to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at even." So morning and even, another duty of the Levites was to praise God. Watch verse 31, "...and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths, and in the new moons, and on the set feasts by number, according to the order commanded unto them continually before the Lord."
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So they could help in those areas. Ah, but look in verse 32. You see, we already know they did the other things. But now, in verse 32, he says, and in light of all these other duties, and that they should keep the charge, guard the sentry post of the tabernacle of the congregation and the sentry post of the holy place and the sentry post of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, and the service of
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the house of the Lord. So he says the Levites do all these things and they guard Aaron. and they guard the instruments, and they guard the sanctuary.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 23 to show you a different mentality. I get tickled sometimes when I read the Scripture, and I think of the mentality that we exhibit today. Do you remember, everyone in here remembers Waco and the Branch Davidians? And I certainly do not know too much about them. I certainly probably would not agree with Koresh's theology. I don't even know if he was a Christian, don't know anything about it. But I know one thing the ATF charged was that they had weapons in the church building. You remember that?
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Of course, what they didn't tell you was that a number of men had federal firearms licenses, and that's how they made money. They would take weapons and recondition them and sell them. And everything they had was perfectly legal. They don't tell you that. But, you know, we begin to think about weapons in the church house. Oh man, come on, are you out of your mind? Well, let me just show you how the Bible teaches.
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Here in 2 Chronicles 23, Jehoiada is the high priest. Joash is about to be anointed king, but Joash is a child. You know why he's a child? He's only about nine years old. His father Ahaziah died, and guess what his grandmother did? She did a very un-grandmotherly thing. She jumped up and murdered all of her grandchildren just so she could be queen. And the only reason she didn't murder him His nurse snatched him and hid him. And now, Jehoiada is going to make him king. Jehoiada is a high priest, and Athaliah sitting on the throne is queen. Okay? So watch this now. They're having to do this thing right, but look at it.
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Let's begin with verse 4. This is the thing that you shall do. Here's Jehoiada telling the people what they shall do. A third part of you entering on the Sabbath of the priests and the Levites shall be porters of the doors. A third of you can't guard the doors." Now watch, "...and a third part shall be at the king's house, and a third part at the gate of the foundation, and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord." Now watch, verse 6, "...but let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister to the Levites.
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They shall go in, for they are holy." But all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord."
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Now here's what he says. Now all you people, you keep watch out here, but now the priests and the Levites, we're going to be keeping watch in here because this is where we're supposed to be. Watch verse 7. And the Levites, remember now we're talking about priests, we're talking about preachers, we're talking about teachers. And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand. Now remember, we're in the temple. Every man with his weapons in his hand, and whosoever else cometh in the house, he shall be put to death. But be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth out."
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Now look what Jehoiada said. Jehoiada said, you folks stay out here in the court and you stay on the outside. The priests and Levites are in here, and the priests and Levites are armed to the teeth. And if anybody comes in this temple that's not supposed to be there, they're going to be put to death. But you know, there's a problem. Watch verse 8. The problem was some of the other folks didn't have weapons like they should have. Watch verse 8. So the Levites and all Judah did according to all the things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded and took every man his men that were to come in on the Sabbath. with them that were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses. Moreover, watch, Jehoiada the priest delivered unto the captains of the hundreds spears and bucklers and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God." Where did they keep the weapons? In the temple?
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You know, the interesting thing is, the battle of Lexington, One of the men killed was old Caleb Monroe. You know where he fell? On the church house steps, running into the church building to get more powder for the colonial soldiers. They kept their weaponry in the church building. And here, when the captains of hundreds didn't have enough weapons, Jehoiada says, hold it. I got a stash right here in the temple. I'll share with you. Isn't that interesting?
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You see, we've dismissed the idea of a warrior function in the priesthood. I'm going to show you the consequences of that in a little bit. But every time I've read the word keep, in all of these passages, it has been the same exact Hebrew word, shemar, which means to keep and to guard and to protect.
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Now, I want you to understand something. It is impossible to understand the New Testament without a knowledge of the background of the Old Testament. And you and I cannot understand the function of a warrior priest unless we understand the background. For instance, there are certain men in the New Testament that you may have wondered about. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 4. Let me show you. Some of you may know, but I would guarantee that most of you would not know.
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If I were to ask you who the Sadducees were, you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Pharisees were, you could probably tell me. If I could ask you who the scribes and, you know, the lawyers were, you could probably tell me. But look at this. Look in Acts chapter 4, verse 1, for instance. I'll give you several other passages. Watch carefully. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, You know who they are. And the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. Who in the world was the captain of the temple? And a little bit later we're going to find out there was more than one captain. But here's a man designated as the captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter 5, verse 24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple And the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow." Notice. The high priest and the captain of the temple. Skip down to verse 26.
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Watch carefully. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. So here was a captain. He had some officers. He goes and brings in the disciples. And he brings them without violence. Why? Not because he did not have authority to use violence. Not because he was not armed. But because he feared the people. They were outnumbered. But their designated here is the captain of the temple.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 22. You'll see it again. Luke 22. Note, if you would please, verse 4. I told you there was more than one captain. Luke 22, verse 4, here's Judas betraying the Lord, and he went his way in commune with the chief priests and with the captains, plural, how he might betray him unto them. So now he's dealing with the captains. And if you look in verse 52 of Luke 22, look what Jesus Christ says. Then Jesus said unto the chief priest, and the captains of the temple, and the elders which were come to him, he says, Be ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves. So these captains and these officers were armed. And our Lord says, You've come out to take me as a thief. You've come out with swords and with staves. It's very obvious as you read the New Testament that there was more than one captain. There were plenty of officers of the temple. And it's very clear that these men were armed.
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It's very clear that they had the authority to use those weapons. But where in the world did these men come from? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 16. Acts 16. And let's begin reading there with verse 20. The only reason I'm going to read these verses is to show you one word, and then I'm going to tell you what that one word is, alright? Look in Acts chapter 16 and verse 20.
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"...and brought them to the magistrates." You see that word magistrates? Look in your Bibles in verse 22. The Bible said, "...and the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates ran off their clothes." Verse 35, "...and on this day the magistrates sent the sergeants. Look in verse 36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, the magistrates, and now here it is again in verse 38, and the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates. Now every time you see the word magistrates here in Acts 16, it is from the Greek word strategos. That is the source of our military word strategy. It also comes from Strategos, which is the Greek word for an army.
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Now, let me tell you what you can do, and this is very interesting. You can get a Greek lexicon and look up the word Strategos, and I'll tell you what you will find. You will find the definition of the word Strategos, and here it is. I've jotted it down. The definition right out of the Greek lexicon is this. It means a general, a governor, A military officer, the chief of the Levites.
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Do you remember back when we were in Numbers chapter 3 and verse 32? I told you there was a verse you needed to underline or you needed to mark. And that was when Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was chief over the chief of the Levites. Here's the word strategos translated magistrates, but it means not just simply a magistrate, but a general, a governor, a commandant, a military officer, the chief of the Levites.
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Where did these captains of the temple come from in the New Testament? Well, they were just the Levites from the Old Testament that had the warrior function. They were the ones that were armed that protected the tabernacle and Aaron and the instruments. Go back in your Bibles. Let me show you. Go back in your Bibles to Psalm 42. We're not going to read Psalm 42. We're just going to look at the heading. And I'm going to tell you why. Look in Psalm 42, just at the heading.
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It says, "...to the chief musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah." So Psalm 42 was a song, an ode, written for the sons of Korah, who were Levites, by the way, to sing. Psalm 42 was a psalm written just for the sons of Korah that they may sing. You say, now why are you emphasizing that? Well, let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 16. I hope you remember that in Numbers, chapter 16, there was a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. I don't know if you remember who was involved or not, but let me show you. Numbers 16, verse 1. Watch carefully. Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab and On, the sons of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses. Now here were men that rebelled against Moses and Aaron. Who were they? They were Korah, who happened to be the son of Izhar, who happened to be the son of Kohath, who happened to be the son of Levi.
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Now, the other two men were sons of the children of Reuben. But the reason I'm telling you this is whenever you see the word Korahites in your Bible, or Kohathites, it's just the family of the Levites, because Korah had sons. He was the son of Kohath and the son of Izhar, who was the son of Levi. You see what I'm saying? So you would have the Korahites, the Kohathites, the Izharites, as well as the Levites. I mean, they were all Levites, but they were just different families of the Levites. Now, you see, God killed Korah and all these men and their rebellion. And he killed the 250 princes that joined together with him.
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But if you look in Numbers chapter 26, And verse 11, you remember what Moses did? Moses said, separate yourselves from these rebellious men. And a lot of folks left Dathan and Abiram and Korah and came over unto Moses. Guess who else came over unto Moses? The children of Korah. For he says in v. 26 and v. 11, look at it, Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not. So when you get to Psalm 42 now, David writes that psalm for the children of Korah, who were Korahites, who were Levites, to sing.
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Now, let me tell you why I'm telling you this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. You see, these Korahites were very brave men.
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Watch carefully. 1 Chronicles 9 verse 19, And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren of the house of his father the Korahites, these are all Levites now, were over the work of the service, watch carefully, keepers, guardians, protectors of the gates of the tabernacle, and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry. Now their fathers were over the hosts of the Lord. I told you Monday night what the word host meant. What does it mean? An army. So their fathers were over the army of the Lord, and they were also keepers of the entry. Now look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 12. Let me show you some more of these Korahites. 1 Chronicles chapter 12, and let's read verses 1 and 2.
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Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. Watch, they were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin. Now skip down to verse 6, you're going to see some of these mighty men named.
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There is Elkanah, there's Jesiah, there's Azareel, there's Joezer, there's Jashobeam, the Korahites. And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham, of Gedor, and the Gadites, where they were separated unto David and behold of the wilderness, men of might and men of war, fit for the battle, and could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were swift as roes upon the mountains." Isn't it interesting? Right in the middle of those names, you have the Korahites, who were nothing more than Levites. And here they're listed as some of David's mighty men of war.
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Now, let me ask you a question. What did Adam do? Adam failed to guard and protect and to keep his charge. What happened in the Levitical ministry in the Old Testament? Basically, they failed to guard and keep and protect their charge. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 15. Let's read the first six verses. 2 Chronicles 15, beginning with verse 1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, And he went out to meet Asa, and he said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, and Benjamin.
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The Lord is with you while you be with him. And if you seek him, he will be found of you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
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Now look at verse 3. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in. But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries, and nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city. Watch, for God did vex them with all adversity." Now let's go back to verse 3. The Bible says, now for a long season, Israel hath been without the true God. How in the world could Israel be without the true God? The true God revealed Himself unto Israel. The true God chose Israel. How could Israel be without the true God? Here's how. Because they were without a teaching priest and without the law. You must remember that a king rules by his law. And there had to be someone to teach that law.
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And basically, these Levites had abdicated their position. They were not teaching the law of God. Consequently, it is said that the nation was without the true God. And look at the consequences. Skip down to verse 5. And in those times, that is, when they did not have the teaching priests, when they were not obeying the law, in those times there was no peace to him that went out.
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nor to him that came in. But great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city, for God did vex them with all adversity." Let me just give you an illustration. When I was a boy, and contrary to popular opinion, that hadn't been all that long ago. But when I was a boy, and my father was a farmer, let me just hasten to tell you that.
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We lived on a farm. Dad had all kind of expensive farm equipment. Combines, tractors, whatever it took to farm five or six hundred acres, he had it. But do you realize about every Christmas, or at least in December sometime, Dad would take us on a two-week vacation down to Florida where we had relatives, and we would stay and visit with them for two weeks at the time.
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We never locked a door. We never locked a window. And when we came back, everything was exactly where we left it.
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Now you try that today. I'm going to tell you something, folks. We are practically in the same position today. We're without the true God, basically, because we're without true preachers who truly preach the Word of God. And consequently, we have a country of violence and wickedness and theft and ungodliness. So basically, the Levites failed in their guardianship. And if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 2, You'll see Paul really rebuking them for that. You've got to remember now, it was the priests and the Levites that were charged with teaching the law of God and the way of God. Look in Romans chapter 2, look what Paul says, beginning there, verse 21.
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He nails their hide to the wall. He says, Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? And thou that sayest to man should not commit adultery, dost thou not commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou not commit sacrilege? Of course they were. Thou that makest thy boast of the law through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written."
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So he's saying, look, you failed. You didn't protect anything. You went under.
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Now let me give you the Christian context. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would. to Matthew 21. I'm going to try to tie it together for you, but look here. Matthew 21. You see, when old Israel apostatized from the faith, God defrocked her from the priesthood. Notice in Matthew chapter 21, and look if you would, beginning there with verse 42. Look what the Lord said. Matthew 21, verse 42.
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Jesus is speaking, by the way, to the rulers. And Jesus said unto them, Did you never read in the Scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? That's Christ. The same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Look what he tells these Pharisees and these scribes. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they perceived that he spake of them." They got the idea. But look what he told them. The kingdom of God is taken from you.
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You failed in your charge. You didn't guard and protect. And now, just like I defrocked Adam, I'm defrocking you. I want you to understand, we now, as a true Israel of God, the new creation in Christ Jesus, now have inherited the mantle of the priesthood. What does that mean? That means that our responsibility as Christians – are you listening? – is to lead the world in righteousness. It is to protect ourselves and others by holy, godly living in obedience to King Jesus, who is the great High Priest.
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In fact, we have a specific command from our Lord. Do you remember what He said in Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20? He said, go in all the nations, what? And preach the gospel, baptizing them, what? And making disciples of them, and teach them to observe everything that I've commanded you. Guess what has happened in this land, folks? Oh, we may have made a few disciples. We may have baptized somebody. But I've got news for you.
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We haven't taught anybody anything. We are living in a land of absolute, total, abysmal ignorance when it comes to the Word of God. Do you know what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3.15? That the church is the pillar and the ground of truth. Where is truth today? It's vacant in most of our churches. It's not there. You see, the truth of the matter is this. We have a responsibility to protect and guard the truth. And the way to protect and to guard the truth is to declare it and to establish it in every area of life. It's to bring our lives and the lives of others into full obedience to the Word of God. Every one of you can quote probably Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 18.
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You remember where he said, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. You remember that passage? Then we're to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We're to have the helmet of salvation. We're to have the shield of faith. We're to have in our hand the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Do you remember that? Do you realize when most people quote that passage, they envision a Roman soldier, and they talk about his helmet and all this.
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I've got news for you. Paul was not talking about a Roman soldier. Paul had in mind the armor of the high priest. All you have to do is read Exodus 28, read Isaiah 59, Isaiah 61, and you will find that Paul had in mind the military uniform of the high priest. Do you know the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 8 and in Romans chapter 13 and verse 12 calls that the armor of light? Have you ever noticed in the Bible that the Bible always depicts the Lord Jesus Christ at the head of an army? An army of warrior priests doing battles with the forces of darkness and winning decisive victories. Read Psalm 110. Read Revelation 19. What does our Lord do?
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He comes on a white horse and His army follows Him and He makes war. You know what our biggest problem is as Christians? I'll tell you what it is. We have abdicated our position as warrior priests. We have literally given in and given up. Look in your Bibles. You're in Matthew. Look in Matthew 16, verse 18. Watch this. Matthew 16, verse 18. And I know you can quote this verse too, but look what God, our Lord Jesus, tells Peter. Watch. He said, And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, And upon this rock, that is, upon his confession, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
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Now, you can go all through the Bible. Any time you read about the gates, it speaks of authority, power. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.
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Now, I want you to think about this. The gates is the only way into a city in Bible times, because the cities had walls around them. When our Lord said, the gates of hell shall not prevail. Are you listening to me? It was not that hell was attacking the church. It was the fact that the church was attacking hell. And our Lord said the authority and the power of hell will not prevail.
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You talk about abdicating our positions, we have basically retreated. We have given up. We have given over. We will not fight. We're afraid we might offend someone. Do you remember what our Lord told His disciples? They came up to Him and said, knowest thou not that thou hast offended the Pharisees? You know what our Lord said? Come on, help me out. He said, He said, every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone.
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They be blind leaders of the blind, and of the blind leaders of the blind, they shall both fall in the ditch. Did it really upset our Lord that He had offended them? No! He said, let them alone. They're lost as a hound dog anyhow. Doesn't matter. Let them be upset. But you see, folks, the pattern that I'm trying to show you tonight is repeated over and over in Scripture. God provides a priest. God gives him a charge not just to work, but to protect and to keep and to guard. And that priest fails in that charge, and consequently, the earth is crushed under the judgment of God. Adam failed to protect his bride in the Garden of Eden. She failed in the temptation, and as a consequence, the whole world is cursed.
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Even Aaron the high priest deserted his post in Exodus chapter 32 and lapsed into idolatry, and he's responsible for 3,000 people being executed. You remember how he built that golden calf? Aaron knew better. Listen, folks. The whole book of Judges illustrates this truth. God gives a man, and then the man fails. and the judgment of God comes on the country. We have so compromised the truth of God today that so many professing Christians, please understand I'm using the word professing, we've so compromised the truth of the Word of God today that many professing Christians advocate premarital sex, extramarital affairs, therapeutic divorce, compassionate abortion, governmental tyranny, and legalized fraud and theft, all in the name of Christianity. I've got news for you folks.
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There is no such thing as a benevolent socialism. There's no such thing as a Christian sodomite. There's no such thing as a biblical abortion. There's no such thing as a Therapeutic divorce. But you see what we've done? We've just retreated. We've backed up. We've said, alright. We give up. We give in. We give out. Have it any way you want it. Instead of saying, no! The world is wrong. And our society is wrong.
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And the government is wicked. And that's wrong. And that's wrong. This is what God says. And here we stand. That's where we ought to be. We ought to be fighters. We ought to be fierce. We ought to be courageous. Why? Because we have the sovereign God of the universe behind us. He's commanded us, be strong and of good courage. I want to tell you something, folks. We are seeing and witnessing firsthand the death and the demise of America and our culture, and our society. And it's our fault.
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I do lay the charge primarily at the feet of the preachers. I understand that. Because they're responsible to teach and preach. But dear friend, let me tell you something. I might have a responsibility to teach and preach, but you equally have a responsibility to study and to listen and to heed and to obey. And I've got news for you. There are two ways that God can stir up a congregation. God could, God could reach that pastor directly. And that's wonderful when God does that, when God stirs up the preacher. But you know, sometimes God does it in a roundabout way. Sometimes God bypasses the preacher and He stirs up a member of the church. And all of a sudden, that member of the church starts asking questions. And you know, it's embarrassing to preachers when you can ask a question we don't have the answer for. I mean, come on, we're supposed to know everything. Don't you know that? And all of a sudden, the preacher gets embarrassed and the preacher gets shamed into having to study because some of his members have more insight than he does.
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I want to tell you something, folks. I don't care how God does it. I don't care if God deals with the preachers directly or if He shames us into studying and taking a stand. I don't care. Just so we wake up. And just so God will give us men. Just so God will give us grace to serve Him effectually with reverence and godly fear. If we lose our country, if we lose our culture, Don't blame it on our wicked civil rulers. And don't blame it on the ungodly. For help me out. For God said, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and call upon me, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal their land. It's not the wicked with which we have to contend first and foremost. It's our own wicked hearts. We have to make sure that we'll stand as a warrior priest and say like Martin Luther of old, God help me. Here I stand.
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I can do no other. Let's pray. Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for the truth of the Word of God. Thank You, Lord, that there were men, men that were mighty warriors in the faith. And Lord, we're so cowardly and so scared, even of our own shadows, so many times. We pray, Lord, like the disciples of old, that when they prayed, the whole building was shaken and they were filled with holy boldness that they might preach and teach Thy Word. O God, give us holy boldness. Give us courage that we may praise and worship and serve the only who is God of gods and King of kings. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T04:41:39Z

Warrior Priests

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver concludes his series on the biblical doctrine of war by examining the concept of warrior priests. He argues that from Adam through the Levites to New Testament believers, God's priests have always had a dual function: to serve (dress/till) and to guard/protect (keep). Adam failed in his guardianship and was defrocked; the Levites were given a military charge to protect the tabernacle, instruments, and high priest, and were armed for that purpose. When Israel's priests failed to teach and guard the law, the nation suffered judgment. In the New Testament, believers inherit the priesthood and are called to be warrior priests, actively contending for truth and righteousness, not retreating from cultural battles. The church is to attack the gates of hell, not be besieged by them.

Introduction and Review of Series

Weaver reviews the previous messages on God as a warrior, holy war and just war, and military regulations in Deuteronomy 20, then introduces the topic of warrior priests.

So in 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning there, notice what Peter writes. He says, you also as lively or living

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:5

stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

New Testament Priesthood of Believers

Citing 1 Peter 2:5,9 and Revelation 1:6, Weaver establishes that Christians are a holy and royal priesthood, made kings and priests to God.

So in 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning there, notice what Peter writes. He says, you also as lively or living

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:5

stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The Divine Institution and Limitations of Priesthood

Priests are divinely appointed, not self-appointed, and their functions are strictly limited by God's command, as seen in the distinctions between high priest, priests, and Levites.

Old Testament Background: A Kingdom of Priests

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:5-6

" So, once again, the fact of God's people being a kingdom of priests goes back to the Old Testament. Now, as New Testament priests, we certainly have certain duties. According to the Word of God, we are indeed to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ. According to 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, we are to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. The Bible in the book of Hebrews 13 and verse 15 tells us that we are to offer up the sacrifice of praise continually.

The Warrior Function of Priests Introduced

Beyond intercession and other duties, there is a neglected priestly function: the warrior function, which is spiritual but distinct from typical priestly roles.

Adam's Guardianship and Failure in Eden

The Levitical Guardianship: Armed Guards of the Sanctuary

Scripture Reading — Numbers 3:5-9,32,38

"...and Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 4:3,23,30

"...they shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation,"

and here it is again, "...to keep the charge," that is to guard, to protect the sentry post, "...and shall do no service.

Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites, touching their charge.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 8:24-26

" Now turn over to Numbers chapter 18. And here you're going to see the truth repeated again that was repeated or given to us in Numbers chapter 3. Notice Numbers chapter 18 beginning there with verse, well let's read verse 2 just so you can see it's the Levites. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee. But thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they, that is the Levites, They shall keep the charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle, only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they nor ye also die.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 7:1

" Now when they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD, what was he to do? He was to stand there and guard it. He was to stand there and protect it.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 12:9

"...and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord."

Did you read that?

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 12:9

"...and the priests that kept the door."

Now, if you look in 2 Chronicles chapter 34 and verse 9, you see the same thing stated differently, but the same principle. 2 Chronicles, chapter 34, and look at verse 9. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 12:9

"...and when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of Judah and Benjamin, and they returned

New Testament Captains of the Temple and the Greek Word Strategos

The Korahites as Mighty Men of War

The Korahites, a Levitical family, served as gatekeepers and were listed among David's mighty men of war, skilled with bows and slings, demonstrating the warrior aspect of the priesthood.

Now, let me tell you why I'm telling you this. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. 1 Chronicles 9, verse 19. You see, these Korahites were very brave men.

Failure of the Priests and National Judgment

When Israel lacked teaching priests and the law, the nation was without the true God and experienced great vexation and violence (2 Chronicles 15). Paul rebukes the priests for hypocrisy in Romans 2.

So he's saying, look, you failed. You didn't protect anything. You went under.

The Church as Warrior Priests Today

Call to Courage and Repentance

Warrior Priests

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	370393817
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2002-11-07
Dictation Name
Book	Book 008: Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13 — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	103

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review of Series: Weaver reviews the previous messages on God as a warrior, holy war and just war, and military regulations in Deuteronomy 20, then introduces the topic of warrior priests.
New Testament Priesthood of Believers: Citing 1 Peter 2:5,9 and Revelation 1:6, Weaver establishes that Christians are a holy and royal priesthood, made kings and priests to God.
The Divine Institution and Limitations of Priesthood: Priests are divinely appointed, not self-appointed, and their functions are strictly limited by God's command, as seen in the distinctions between high priest, priests, and Levites.
Old Testament Background: A Kingdom of Priests: The concept of God's people as a kingdom of priests originates in Exodus 19:5-6, and New Testament priests have duties including offering spiritual sacrifices, praise, and presenting their bodies as living sacrifices.
The Warrior Function of Priests Introduced: Beyond intercession and other duties, there is a neglected priestly function: the warrior function, which is spiritual but distinct from typical priestly roles.
Adam's Guardianship and Failure in Eden: Adam was placed in Eden as a priest to dress (serve/till) and keep (guard/protect) the garden. He failed to guard it, allowing the serpent's intrusion, and God defrocked him, assigning guardianship to cherubim.
The Levitical Guardianship: Armed Guards of the Sanctuary: The Levites were charged with a military sentry duty (mishmereth) to guard the tabernacle, its instruments, and the high priest, using force if necessary. Passages in Numbers, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles show they were armed and authorized to kill intruders.
New Testament Captains of the Temple and the Greek Word Strategos: The 'captain of the temple' in Acts and Luke corresponds to the Levitical warrior-priests. The Greek word strategos, translated 'magistrates' in Acts 16, means a general or military officer, specifically the chief of the Levites.
The Korahites as Mighty Men of War: The Korahites, a Levitical family, served as gatekeepers and were listed among David's mighty men of war, skilled with bows and slings, demonstrating the warrior aspect of the priesthood.
Failure of the Priests and National Judgment: When Israel lacked teaching priests and the law, the nation was without the true God and experienced great vexation and violence (2 Chronicles 15). Paul rebukes the priests for hypocrisy in Romans 2.
The Church as Warrior Priests Today: Jesus took the kingdom from apostate Israel and gave it to the church (Matthew 21:43). Believers now inherit the priestly mantle and must lead in righteousness, teach all nations, and actively engage in spiritual warfare, not retreat. The church is to attack the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18).
Call to Courage and Repentance: Weaver laments the church's retreat on moral issues and calls for holy boldness, urging both preachers and congregants to stand as warrior priests, trusting God to heal the land if His people humble themselves and turn from wickedness.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The Hebrew word 'shamar' consistently means to guard or protect, not merely to keep.

Weaver argues that 'keep' in Genesis 2:15 and numerous Levitical passages means to guard/protect, establishing a warrior function for priests.

Genesis 2:15; 4:9; 28:15; Deuteronomy 4:9; Numbers 1:53; 3:7-8; 18:3-5; 1 Chronicles 23:32.

The Levites' service was described as 'warfare'.

The Hebrew term for 'service' in Numbers 4 and 8 is translated in margins as 'war the warfare,' indicating the military nature of their duties.

Numbers 4:3,23,30; 8:24-26; marginal renderings noted.

The temple had armed guards and stored weapons.

2 Chronicles 23 shows priests and Levites armed with weapons in the temple, and Jehoiada distributed spears and shields stored in the house of God.

2 Chronicles 23:4-8; 2 Kings 12:9; 2 Chronicles 34:9; Psalm 84:10.

New Testament 'captains of the temple' were Levitical warrior-priests.

The Greek strategos, used for 'captain' and 'magistrates,' means a military officer or chief of the Levites, linking New Testament temple guards to Old Testament Levites.

Acts 4:1; 5:24,26; Luke 22:4,52; Acts 16:20,22,35,36,38; Numbers 3:32.

The church is to attack the gates of hell, not be attacked.

Matthew 16:18 depicts the church as the aggressor against hell's authority, not a besieged fortress.

Matthew 16:18; gates represent authority/power.

The armor of God in Ephesians 6 is based on the high priest's garments.

Paul's description of the Christian's armor draws from the high priest's attire in Exodus 28 and Isaiah 59, not a Roman soldier's gear.

Ephesians 6:10-18; Exodus 28; Isaiah 59; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Romans 13:12.

Priestly failure leads to national judgment.

When priests fail to teach and guard, the nation loses the knowledge of God and suffers chaos; the church's retreat has led to America's moral decline.

2 Chronicles 15:3-6; Romans 2:21-24; contemporary examples of moral compromise.

Scripture References

1 Peter 2:5: Believers are a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices.
1 Peter 2:9: Believers are a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
Revelation 1:5-6: Christ has made us kings and priests to God.
Hebrews 5:4: No one takes the honor of priesthood upon himself; it is by divine appointment.
Exodus 19:5-6: God's original intent for Israel to be a kingdom of priests.
Hebrews 13:15: Offer the sacrifice of praise continually.
Romans 12:1: Present your bodies a living sacrifice.
Genesis 2:15: Adam placed in Eden to dress and keep it; 'keep' means guard/protect.
Genesis 3:23-24: God drove Adam out and placed cherubim to guard the tree of life.
Genesis 4:9: Cain's question 'Am I my brother's keeper?' uses shamar.
Genesis 28:13-15: God promises to keep (guard) Jacob.
Deuteronomy 4:9: Keep (guard) your soul diligently.
Numbers 1:53: Levites shall keep (guard) the charge of the tabernacle.
Numbers 3:5-9,32,38: Levites given to Aaron to keep his charge and guard the sanctuary; Eleazar chief over the chiefs.
Numbers 4:3,23,30: Service of the tabernacle described as 'war the warfare' in margin.
Numbers 8:24-26: Levites to keep the charge and do no other service.
Numbers 18:2-7: Levites to guard the charge of the tabernacle; stranger put to death.
1 Samuel 7:1: Eleazar sanctified to keep (guard) the ark.
2 Kings 12:9: Priests that kept the door.
2 Chronicles 34:9: Levites that kept the doors gathered money.

Historical References

Waco and the Branch Davidians: Weaver mentions the ATF's charge that they had weapons in the church building, noting they had federal firearms licenses.
Battle of Lexington and Caleb Monroe: Caleb Monroe was killed on the church steps running to get powder stored in the church for colonial soldiers.
Martin Luther: Weaver quotes Luther's 'Here I stand, I can do no other' as an example of holy boldness.

Important Quotes

And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

Key verse establishing the Levites' guardian role; 'keep' is shamar, meaning guard/protect.

And Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

Links the Levitical chiefs to the New Testament strategos, showing continuity of the warrior-priest office.

And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand.

Explicitly shows armed priests in the temple, fulfilling a protective warrior function.

I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

David's desire to be a guard at the temple door, highlighting the honor of the warrior-priest role.

The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Jesus' pronouncement transferring the priestly kingdom from apostate Israel to the church.

The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Weaver interprets this as the church attacking hell's gates, not being besieged.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and call upon me, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal their land.

Call to repentance and the promise of national healing if God's people fulfill their priestly role.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding the Hebrew word 'shamar' (to guard/protect) change your view of the priestly role in both Old and New Testaments?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that 'keep' in Genesis 2:15 and Levitical passages means to guard, not just maintain.

[Question]

In what ways have modern churches abdicated the 'warrior priest' function, and what are the consequences?

[Context]

Weaver argues that the church has retreated from cultural battles, leading to moral decay.

[Question]

How should the church balance the 'service' (dressing/tilling) and 'guardianship' (keeping/protecting) aspects of its calling?

[Context]

The dual function is seen in Adam and the Levites; Weaver calls for both teaching and contending for truth.

[Question]

What does it mean for the church to be on the offensive against the 'gates of hell' in practical terms today?

[Context]

Matthew 16:18 is interpreted as the church attacking hell's authority.

[Question]

How can individual believers fulfill their role as warrior priests in their families, workplaces, and communities?

[Context]

Weaver calls all Christians to holy boldness and courage, not just preachers.

[Question]

Why does Weaver say that the nation's moral decline is primarily the fault of the church rather than secular society?

[Context]

He cites 2 Chronicles 7:14 and the failure of priests to teach and guard the law.

Applications

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