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Propnet, Priest and King FROM ADDRESSES G IVEN A T C H IN A IN L A N D M ISSION CONFERENCE , N IA G R A O N THE LAKE, 1917 B$ ReV. John McMicol, B. D. Toronto, Ontario In every age and department Christ’s work h’as been taught under three aspects— prophet, priest, king. They are not only theological divisions, but Biblical teaching. But they are not three offices, but three aspects of one office. The whole work of our Lord can he summed up under these three heads. The Old Testament tells us this, for the various dispensations of which we read there were started by long lines of priests, prophets, and kings, and all these three lines converge in the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses spoke o f „ the Prophet that would arise. Also our Lord was fore told as Priest, and the Old Testament is full of predictions of Him as King. In the New Testament all the apostles tell of Him in His threefold office, Prophet, Priest, King. In the first chapter of Revelation that we have had our thoughts turned to we see Him, “ the faithful Witness,” which is the office of the Prophet, “ the First-begotten from the dead,” the High Priest, as we shall see, the One Who offers the sacrifice unto God, “ The Prince of the kings of the earth” is His princely glory. In 1 Corinthians 1:30 we read that Christ Jesus is made unto us wisdom— that is as Prophet, and righteousness and sanctification, as Priest, and redemption, as King. His three appearings in Hebrews 9: 24-28 are the three aspects of His office. 1. Christ appears now in the pres ence of God for us, as the One who as Son of Man stands for man before God, and who as Son of God stands to us for God. That is the function of the Prophet. 2. He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. That is the High Priestly aspect. : 3. He will appear without sin unto salvation, as King. Christ as Prophet Let us turn to the first aspect, the Prophet. The essential function of a prophet is to be God’s spokesman,— not simply speaking about the future, though that is included. A prophet is above all simply God’s spokesman. In Exodus Aaron was a prophet to Moses. That is, Aaron stood to Moses as Moses stood to God. And so God raised up a long line of prophets to represent Him, and they carried God’s Will on through Old Testament days till the Great Prophet came. In Hebrews 1:1, 2 we read that “ God', who at sundry times and in divers man ners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” That long line heads up to Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ took the place of Prophet in His first sermon, recorded in Luke 4:18. And in His last journey up to Jerusalem people1 recognized this. It was assumed that He was the Pro phet, when He raised the son of the widow of Nain. (Luke 7:16). Both He and the people recognized this.
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