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6. and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father -- to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
    and has MADE US to be a KINGDOM and PRIESTS to serve HIS GOD and FATHER --
This verse indicates one of the greatest transformations that takes place in a Christian's life. While here on earth locked in our physical bodies, and at times not feeling very royal, Christ through His blood (see previous verse) and its release makes us into a priestly kingdom. The four living creatures and twenty four elders sing of it before the throne in Revelation 5:10 .

In our priestly function, we, as a group (kingdom), are to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:4-10). One of these sacrifices is intercessory prayer. Is it a sign of the times that this kind of prayer is so seldom seem among believers today?

The result of our kingdom is to reign with Him for a thousand years - Revelation 20:6 .

In Old Testament times, after the children of Israel left Egypt, God promised the same kingdom and priestly function to the nation of Israel in Exodus 19:3-6 . Centuries later it was confirmed through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61:4-9). That is not to say that present day Christians replace the Israel kingdom; that promise was forever and irrevocible - Romans 11:28-29 .

    TO HIM be GLORY and POWER for ever and ever! Amen.
Yet even though we are a priestly kingdom, we still are His servants. (Revelation 22:3).

As for the earth, Adam was given dominion over it - Genesis 1:24-26 . Adam with his wife Eve, in turn, sold out to the serpent (Satan) - Genesis 3:1-7 , and now John is saying it really belongs to God, and He is using POWER to reclaim it (Hebrews 2:5-10); in fact, that is what the book of Revelation is all about!


 "Scripture taken from the The Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright ) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

References to the Revelation of Jesus Christ are in bold italics. All other references are in bold only. Return from cross-references by using the BACK button.