From the beginning of the Hebrews recorded history there has always been a priest unto God. From Melchizedec, who ministered during the first years of Hebrew history, to the priesthood of the Christian believer at the present time, God has always had His representatives on earth providing "avenues of grace" for those to whom they ministered.
This Melchizedec is a very interesting character. He was the forerunner or type that our Lord Jesus would take on in His ministry as The Great High Priest of all ages. "Thou art a priest after the order of Melchizedec". God pronounced this to the Lord Jesus in Psalm 110, the Psalm of The Priest/King, regarded by many to be the pinnacle of the Psalter. It is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament quoted directly by our Lord when He stopped the mouth's of the Pharisees. In the process, He proved to all of the nay-saying critics of our time, that this Psalm is an authentic Psalm authored by David. This usage of Psalm 110 by our Lord also adds unparalleled credibility to the accuracy of the Old Testament narrative in Genesis 14:18-20.
Hebrews chapter seven also records this significant ministry, the priesthood of Melchizedec. He "Met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."(Hebrews 7:1-3). The Scripture goes on to further emphasize the greatness of this mystical man, as he received tithes of Abraham and additionally of Levi himself as he was represented physically and spiritually in the loins of Abraham!
In contrast to the Levitical priesthood, the Priesthood of Christ which is after the order of Melchizedec is far superior. The Levitical priesthood was based on genealogy. It was weak and unprofitable It had a succession of many priests. It was only for one nation. The high priest had to offer for his own sins, and it did not provide for a clean conscience. The Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ is based on the power of God, the power of His Blood is most capable, strong and profitable. Only One Priest is necessary. His Priesthood is for all people/nations. Our Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, is sinless, and His Blood does have the ability to cleanse consciences. His offering Himself "without spot to God", "once in the end of the world...to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself...to bear the sins of many" is the great foundation Stone upon which we rest. The price has been paid, the Sacrifice has been given, our sins are forever under the Blood of our Saviour, this Great High Priest unto God, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Although these facts are very important to the believer, there is much more on this subject of the priesthood, and specifically the subject of the priesthood of the believer. Our Lord Jesus, when He opened up the way into the presence of God for all His people, established a new priesthood, a "royal priesthood". a "kingdom of priests", made up of each and every person that experiences the "new birth" through faith in His Blood. Yes, every person that is "born again the Bible way" and becomes a member of God's kingdom, is given the privilege and authority to minister to God and man at the very Throne of Heaven! He automatically becomes a king/priest unto God!
God announced through Moses to the whole nation of Israel, at the foot of Mount Sinai, during their first encounter with Him as a gathered nation to hear His Word, that they would be a "kingdom of priests" if they kept the conditional command to "keep My covenant". But they did not!(Exodus 19:1ff) It was not until our Great High Priest/King the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, and offered up Himself for our transgessions against the Law, that God again announced by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter, that there would again be a "royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9), a "kingdom of priests" (Revelation 5:10) as the Apostle John also penned.
Here then lies the basis for us as "Born again the Bible way" Christians to claim our great, no not just great, but our high and holy calling, to serve the Glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords in this consecrated capacity!! This calling is unique, in that it can be filled by each and every believer. It is within this calling that we find our esteem, God's esteem. The value He places on His king/priests unto God cannot be estimated! He loves us and gave Himself for us, so that we could minister to Him in this far too significant office of the King to just be called "great".
"Why make such a fuss" out of this one simple Bible truth? Because the priesthood and the "avenues of grace" it supplies are the missing ingredients we need to revive our spiritual lives. They are the missing ingredients we must apply to revive the lives of others through intercessory prayer. They are the missing ingredients necessary for the revival of our local church, our local community, our own country!(II Chronicles 7:14) Without this work of the priest unto God, His Hands are literally tied without His instruments, His "avenues of grace", His king/priests, the ones He has called into this powerful ministry, those that provide Spiritual roadways for His power, His precious Holy Spirit to work in the lives of the saved and lost alike!
Yes, it is important, to have the privilege of spending quality time at the Throne of the King! It is an awe-inspiring duty we as His chosen saints have, to receive from Him the orders for the days march into the battlefields of the world where all authority is His, where His Plan is being worked out through His king/priests, receiving directions from Him as to who to pray for and when, and why, moment by moment communion with the King! What could be better? Yes, it's important to me, because it's an INCREDIBLY important job to God! His only Son died to fulfill His calling as the Supreme Sacrifice, becoming our Great High Priest in the process! He was the only one Who could satisfy the righteous demands of His Father, in order to atone, or pay the price for our sin debt, and the sins of all generations past! He, the Lord Jesus Christ was the only one Who was an Acceptable Sacrifice, that would fulfill all the requirements of God's Holy Character and all It's demands in dealing with the sin of mankind!