Christ's Melchizedek Priesthood and the Church's Covenant Distinction
Orientation
Many assume that because Christ is our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Church must therefore be under Israel's New Covenant, but this is a fundamental error that breeds confusion.
- The assumption collapses the distinction between earthly and heavenly inheritance.
- It creates pressure to attach our standing to a national covenant rather than to Christ Himself.
- It undermines the clarity and assurance that comes from Christ's finished work.
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. (Hebrews 7:12)
— Hebrews 7:12
Clarification
Christ's Melchizedekian priesthood does not place the Church under Israel's New Covenant, but rather demonstrates the replacement of the Mosaic Law by Christ's eternal priesthood.
- The New Covenant is for Israel's earthly destiny (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27).
- The Church's position is heavenly, rooted in the Everlasting Covenant between the Father and the Son (Hebrews 13:20).
- Hebrews uses the Jewish Scriptures to show the Law was destined to be replaced, not renewed.
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:13)
— Hebrews 8:13
Structure
Christ's priesthood is established by divine decree in the Everlasting Covenant, grounded in His resurrection and Sonship, not in the Levitical line or Israel's New Covenant.
- God's decrees in Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 establish Christ's eternal throne and priesthood.
- Christ's resurrection as the Seed of David declared Him Son of God with power, the basis of His incorruptible life (Hebrews 7:16).
- A change in the law was required because Christ is from Judah, not Levi, signaling the end of the Mosaic economy.
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. (Hebrews 7:16)
— Hebrews 7:16
Weight-Bearing Prose
The core argument of Hebrews is that the Mosaic Law, with its Aaronic priesthood, has been set aside by divine necessity. Christ’s priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek is not a function of the New Covenant with Israel but emerges from the Everlasting Covenant between the Father and the Son. This is established by Pauline categories: Christ’s resurrection power and declared Sonship (Romans 1:3-4) provide the ‘power of an incorruptible life’ that qualifies Him as an eternal High Priest. The Church’s calling is distinct from Israel’s. Israel’s New Covenant pertains to an earthly inheritance and national restoration. The Church’s position is heavenly, a mystery hidden in ages past but now revealed—believers are seated with Christ in the heavens, destined for a heavenly resurrection and glorification. Christ is the mediator of all covenants, uniting all things in heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:10), but the Church participates in His priesthood and kingship as heirs according to the promise, not as parties to Israel’s national covenants.
Integration
Your standing before God is not based on being under Israel’s New Covenant. It is secured by Christ, your High Priest, whose priesthood is eternal and grounded in the unbreakable Everlasting Covenant. There is no pressure to attach yourself to a system that has vanished. You are seated with Him in the heavenly places now. Your destiny is not an earthly inheritance but a heavenly one, sharing in His resurrection life. Rest in this. Christ is your portion, your righteousness, and your sure anchor. The work is finished, and your position is fixed in Him. Let this assurance ground you, removing all confusion and fear. He saves to the uttermost.