📖 A Kingdom of Priests

Living in the Kingdom between resurrection and return

September 24, 2025 ‱ Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

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A Kingdom of Priests

Every kingdom has subjects.

But the Kingdom of God has priests.

And it’s important that we know our role.

Keeping the Kingdom

So, this language of a “Kingdom of Priests” first appears in relation to Israel.

The Israelites have just been taken out of slavery in Egypt and are on their way to the Promised Land - where they will develop a society built on their relationship to God.

Speaking to Moses about it, God says the following: 

“Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)

A priest intercedes between God and the people.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the Apostle Peter follows this thought when addressing those in God’s Kingdom


But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

(1 Peter 2:9)

Like Israel of old, the Church, God’s Kingdom, is to act as priests to the world.

Understanding Our Role

Knowing our identity as a “Kingdom of Priests” is important to understanding our role in the Kingdom.

A priest intercedes between the people and God, meaning they help make people right with God.

This is what Jesus, the ultimate priest, did for those who receive His death and resurrection. And, ultimately, only He has the power to make people right with God.

But what we, His priests, can do is direct people to Jesus so they can become right with God.

We do this by fulfilling Jesus’ “Great Commission" of Matthew 28:18-20. In other words, we go and share the Gospel with others.

That’s our role in the Kingdom.

A Kingdom of priests who are also “fishers of men.”

We do this in many ways.

For starters, we follow the example of Jesus. We obey His teachings and uphold a relationship with Him and His Church.

Then, through the relationships He gives us, we’re able to both exhibit and share the Gospel.

So, we share in the Gospel by how we live, by our conversations, and by our efforts (aided, of course, by the grace of the Holy Spirit).

But we can also share the Gospel in how we influence the world as a whole.

This leads to something fascinating called “Kingdom Theology”, an important facet of the Kingdom here and now.

And it’s with that topic that we’ll conclude our series tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter

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