Things You Should Know about the Levitical Priesthood in the Bible

The Levitical priesthood...how did it start? Was it cruel to animals? Why did God want animals to be sacrificed? Did it end? Is it forever? What is the meaning of this ancient Biblical priesthood that started in Exodus? What is the difference between the Levitical and Aaronic priesthood? Does it matter to us today?

To help us better understand the character of God, and his word, we need to understand the Levitical priesthood. What comes to mind when you think of that? I used to picture it as a foreboding and scary thing, where an angry God demanded innocent animals to be punished so that in his anger he didn't kill the people instead. But that paints an incorrect picture of this priesthood.

Note that the Levitical priesthood is sometimes referred to as the Aaronic priesthood. This is the same priesthood, under two different names. Not all Levites were permitted to serve as priests, only those who had descended from Aaron. Other members of the tribe of Levi were able to perform different duties in the Tabernacle, but not the priestly jobs. We can think of this like a staff for a professional sports team. It takes many people, from coaches to ticket sellers to trainers to travel agents to make the team 'work,' but only a few people actually get to play on the field. This was the origin of the conflict with Korah in Numbers 16. Also note that the Levitical priesthood is different from the Melchizedek priesthood.

How did the Levitical priesthood start? This priesthood was instituted after the sin of the golden calf in Exodus 32. Up until that point in Scripture, we see a different priesthood operating (such as in Genesis 14 when the priest Melchizedek appeared), and we see individuals able to perform many priestly duties themselves (such as the Passover lamb sacrifice in Exodus 12). In Exodus 19:6 it says that initially God's plan was for all of his people to be priests, but the specifications of the Levitical priesthood became necessary after the people chose to disobey Biblical law and idolized the golden calf.

YHWH then provided the Levitical priesthood as a means for the people of Israel to have relationship with him, even though they had greatly sinned. This priesthood was not a punishment, but rather meant as a gift to God's people that enabled them to continuing being part of God's family after choosing to commit idolatry and serve other powers.

Here are a few things you should know about the Levitical priesthood:

-It wasn't the first or only priesthood in the Bible. 

Many people believe that the idea of a priesthood was some sort of backup plan that YHWH invented at the sin of the golden calf in Exodus 32, but Abraham encountered someone identified as Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God much earlier, back in Genesis 14:18.

-The animals were not being punished.

The most troubling idea of the Levitical priesthood for most people is the idea that animals were being suffering in our place as some sort of punishment, but this is not the case. Absolutely nowhere in Scripture is there a verse about the animals that were sacrificed being punished or being treated cruelly.

-The animals that were sacrificed were then eaten by priests.

The Levitical system did kill plenty of animals, but we need to understand the context of this. Most of the animals were then eaten by the priests and their families. We often imagine that the animals were killed and then burnt up entirely, as if God was saying, "These animals are going to die for no reason now," or "These are just for me, I don't care about providing for my people." Their sacrifice wasn't just for God's benefit, the entire tribe of Levi was fed and provided for this way. With that in mind, the Levitical priestly order seems much less draconian. If we wouldn't hesitate to eat meat today, we certainly can't object to this system where what is sacrificed then gets to benefit others.

-The priests did things besides kill animals.

There was a lot more to the happenings in the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, than just animal sacrifice. Grain, oil, and wine were also offered to YHWH, as well as incense. Levites were tasked with caring for the Tabernacle and doing things like baking the showbread offering. Priests were also responsible for checking for signs of leprosy, and going to homes if there were problems with mold, and giving directions for cleansing. The Levitical priesthood was connected with the liberation of debt and restoration of land in the Jubilee year. They settled disputes between others. Significantly the priests were tasked with teaching the difference between the common and the profane, and often read Scriptures to the people as a mean to teach them God's word and law. Most importantly, the priests sang songs of praise and thanks to YHWH each morning and evening.

-It didn't last forever.

And it wasn't supposed to either. Many people insist that animal sacrifice and the priesthood of Levi will continue into eternity, but that overlooks a heavy truth. The Levitical priesthood stopped operating nearly 2,000 years ago. It certainly wasn't functioning after the Romans burned the Temple in 70 AD, but honestly, it wasn't operating the day Jesus died. I don't mean that in an abstract sense. Even if we consider Caiaphas to be the legitimate high priest (which is a stretch), the tearing of his robes disqualified him from officiating that year's Passover sacrifice (Leviticus 21:10). And that's to say nothing of addressing corruption and idol worship that Ezekiel and other prophets talk about happening in the Temple system. Instead of literally forever, the Levitical priesthood was always supposed to be for a set time and purpose. It's simply not appropriate to translate the word 'olam' used in Exodus 27:21 and other passages to mean for all time or eternity, when that hasn't been the case.

-It was a foreshadow of the Messiah.

Hebrews 10:1 tells us this, and we see this played out by the Messiah. Jesus called his body the true Temple, and said that he was bread and light - references to the showbread offering and the lit menorahs in the Tabernacle. We also know that he cleansed lepers, and their was a cleansing pool at the Tabernacle. The actions of the priests and how the services were operated all have analogies to the Gospel.

-It was not the end-goal of God's plan.

This is not to say that it didn't work as YHWH expected it to. It was simply a temporary means for the people to have relationship with him, even as they were under the powers they had idolized. The Messiah's death was able to truly set the people free from the sin of idolatry, and God once again calls all people to be part of the Messiah's Melchizedek priesthood. Because this was the goal all along, this is why the New Testament references changes in priesthood, and "the old fading away" (Hebrews 8:13). 

-It is not the priesthood of the Messiah.

Psalm 110 and the book of Hebrews tell us that the Messiah's priesthood is of the order of Melchizedek. This means that while Jesus is now the High Priest, he is not directing operations for the return of the Levitical system with its animal sacrifices and so forth. The Messiah's priesthood is different in that all his followers are called to serve as priests (unlike the Levitical system which was limited to males of a certain age within a certain family line), and that instead of needing to slaughter animals over and over, his death was once and for all.

There is a lot to learn about the significance of the Levitical priesthood in the Bible! The New Testament tells us that all of Scripture is useful for teaching about God, and that includes the instructions and details he gave about the Tabernacle operations. Many things about this priesthood point to or foreshadow the work of the Messiah and the promises of God. We can be grateful that YHWH used this as part of the story of Israel's redemption, even as we are now under the Messiah's Melchizedek priesthood. 

Related posts:
Key Differences Between the Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods
Why We Don't Sacrifice Animals
Understanding the Book of Hebrews

Why Bible Believers Don't Sacrifice Animals Today

Animal sacrifice often comes up in Christian circles when discussing the Hebrew faith or Torah observant believers. If you don't sacrifice animals you're not keeping the whole law, right? And if you're guilty of breaking part of the law, what's the point in trying to keep the rest? Or if you're keeping the Sabbath and dietary regulations, doesn't that mean you want to sacrifice animals? The arguments go something like that.

Let's be clear here: we don't sacrifice animals. We don't need to sacrifice animals. We don't want to. And we shouldn't.

Hebrews teaches that the old Temple system of the Levitical priesthood is no longer needed thanks to the Messiah's sacrifice. Though the Levitical system was tremendously valuable, it is inferior to the priesthood of the Messiah. That seems fair, right? What could ever top the Messiah himself?

Yahusha the Messiah is our high priest and he operates under the order of Melchizedek. He is not a Levitical priest and doesn't act like one. Scripture tells us that the blood of bulls and goats can't take away our sins. But the Messiah's unchangeable priesthood remains forever and saves completely! (Hebrews 7:24-25)

I like the phrasing there, "saves completely!" Not "mostly saves." Not, "Hey I'm doing all this - can I get a little extra help from a goat?" He saves completely, so no one else needs to do this. If someone has completely cleaned my kitchen, do I need to go wash everything again? Or would that maybe be insulting to the cleaner? Wouldn't I be saying, "I appreciate you doing this an all, but I don't quite trust that you did it right, so I'm going to rewash the dishes"? Unlike how my kitchen will need cleaned again later, Yahusha does not need to sacrifice himself repeatedly.

"He entered into the Most Set-apart place once and for all, not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His own blood, obtaining everlasting redemption." -Hebrews 9:12

His sacrifice was once and for all. His blood obtained redemption for us that is good for yesterday, today, and forever. It would be an insult to treat his sacrifice the same as the continual animal sacrifices.

-Does this mean that the Levitical priesthood was bad? Not at all. It was created by YHWH for a specific purpose for a specific time (Hebrews 9:10). It was not meant to be a substitute for the true, Heavenly plan for redemption, but was rather a copy and shadow of the Messiah's blood poured out for us (Hebrews 8:5).

-Doesn't Scripture say forever? How does this idea fit with verses like Exodus 40:15, "They shall be an everlasting priesthood"? It's important to note that the word translated as everlasting or forever (olam in Hebrew) does not always mean literally forever. It is necessary to discern if olam is used to mean for all time or for a set time. This is similar to how forever gets used in English. If you have a long shift at work, you might remark to a friend that you'll "be there forever," and of course that doesn't mean you'll be on the job for all eternity. Or if a teacher tells students that they want homework turned in a certain way, "forever," or "for the entire time," they don't mean they want students to do that for the rest of their lives, but the rest of the time they are in their class. Olam is often used to mean for all time (YHWH is the same forever), but in this case olam means a set time. Considering that the Levitical priesthood hasn't operated in close to 2,000 years it is not an everlasting priesthood.

-Aren't we just waiting for a Temple to restart sacrifices? Animal sacrifice and the Levitical system was instated long before the Temple was ever built, so no a Temple is not a prerequisite to animal sacrifices. While it's true that Judaism (a religion that does not love or accept the Messiah) is making plans to rebuild the Temple, we need to strongly consider if we should align ourselves with another religion on this matter.

-What about Ezekiel? Many people believe that Temple sacrifices and Levitical priesthood will continue into the Millennial reign because of Ezekiel 43. It is imperative that we understand that the book of Ezekiel is actually a collection of thirteen scrolls and that the book does not place these in chronological order. According to the dates found in the book, chapter 43 and the vision for Temple service actually predates chapters 1-7 by five years! If we read the book chronologically, we see that this chapter was a conditional offer for Israel at that time, and that it is not regarding the Millennial reign, or any time after the Messiah came. Which is why John didn't see any kind of Temple in his vision of the new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:22).

-What about Daniel? Contrary to popular belief, Daniel doesn't prophecy of Temple sacrifice getting taken away in the end times. It's actually about sacrifice being reinstated! The literal translation of Daniel 8:11 would be, "He was magnified before the prince of host and the daily sacrifice was exalted, the exalted cornerstone of the Holy Place (the Messiah) was cast down." Daniel's abomination of desolation is the exaltation of the daily animal sacrifices instead of Yahusha's. Let's take note that animal sacrifice isn't just unnecessary thanks to the Messiah's sacrifice, but it's actually an abomination according to Scripture!

-Does this change in priesthood mean a change in the rest of Scripture as well? Not at all. The regulations for the Levitical system are not the same thing as the commandments given by YHWH to the people as to how to live. Nowhere does Scripture say instructions on eating, Sabbath observance, keeping the feasts, the ten commandments, etc. are done away with or changed, or that those commandments were intended only for the members of the Levitical priesthood. A change in priesthood doesn't mean everything else is changed too. If it seems like your Scripture says this, chances are you have a poor translation mixed with man made beliefs. Hebrews tells us that Sabbath keeping remains and that YHWH promises to write the Torah on our hearts.

Yahusha's death firmly entrenched him as our Melchizedek priest forever. Melchizedek is a different system than the Levitical priesthood, and thus operates differently. And the Messiah is much, much greater than any earthly high priest. His sacrifice was once and for all. If we believe his blood covers our sins, why would we need extra help from an animal? While his words remain forever, we need to make sure we know what priesthood our high priest operates under.

Related posts:
Comparing the Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods
Understanding Hebrews
A Hebraic Perspective on Galatians