“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but I do ask You to keep them safe from the Evil One.” (John 17:15)
Jesus prays a high priest prayer. A high priest prayer is prayed in behalf of the people. (Verses 6-15) He is our High Priest in the heavenlies and continues to pray for us. “Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest Who has gone into the very presence of God—Jesus, the Son of God. Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
The priests of the Old Testament and their tasks were only a copy and shadow of what is happening in heaven today. It was not the real thing, but a copy of what was to come. The reality of Christ is better. “The work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. It is the same as it was with Moses. When he was about to build the Sacred Tent, God told him, "Be sure to make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain." But now, Jesus has been given priestly work, which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which He arranged between God and His people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.” (Hebrews 8:5-6) But Jesus is reality, the real thing these things in the Old Testament were copying. “All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.” (Colossians 2:17)
Many have asked why the Lord just didn’t immediately take us to heaven the moment we believed. Why has He left us here on earth? It was the High Priest prayer of Jesus that asked the Father not to take us out of this world. If we were gone, who would share the Good News? “But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, Who called you out of darkness into His own marvelous light. At one time you were not God's people, but now you are His people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received His mercy.” (1Peter 2:9-10) We also have an individual purpose here on earth. It’s our responsibility to find that purpose. We also have a purpose in the church (not the building but the people). Together we offer a perfect sacrifice of praise as priests unto God. “Come as living stones and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Peter 2:5)
God’s original plan was for man to live on earth, a perfect earth. But sin entered through Adam’s disobedience. “Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Eventually we will all live in a perfect earth. This will be in the Thousand Year Reign of Christ. The saints who have been raptured will rule with Christ on earth. “Happy and greatly blessed are those who are included in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them; they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they will rule with Him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
“If we continue to endure, we shall also rule with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” (2Timothy 2:12) We all want to rule. But here, Paul writes that we need to continue to endure. Are we troubled? Endure in faith of victory, in faith in God and His Promises. Persevere in the face of everything in this world telling you to do the opposite of enduring, to give in to the temptation, to give up, to choose the way of the world and to try to resolve things in our own wisdom and strength. Yes, it’s easier said than done. In those times, just seek the Lord’s Presence. He brings peace because He is Peace. He brings wisdom because He is wisdom. He brings joy because He is Joy. He brings victory because He is the Victor.
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