By Paul Wolak

Today, God is raising up a new paradigm in the Church in the area of Praise and Worship. It is not that the old is bad, but that the new is better! This paper will contrast the old ways of worship (which are still in use in many denominational, charismatic, and even many Word of Faith churches) with what is to come. 

 The cloud has moved, and many are still stuck in the old ways. The old ways are Levitical--the way it has always been. The drudgery or routine--three fast songs and two slow ones. Those who have ears to hear are moving from a Levitical pattern of worship to a Melchisedec pattern of worship. (Melchisedec is the KJV spelling: Melchizedek is also correct).

 Through Jesus, we are priests after the order of Melchisedec, and every believer has direct access to the Father's heart through worship. We no longer need the blood of bulls and goats to approach the throne! God desires to bring new freedom in worship based on His voice, and worshiping out of "flow". He is raising up a new model of leadership for this purpose.

The Melchisedec priesthood actually predates the Levitical priesthood. Psalm 110 is a prophecy about Jesus, saying in verse 4b "...Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. This verse tells us that Jesus Christ has held this Priesthood in the heavens eternally. If He is a priest forever, then the Melchisedec priesthood has no beginning and no ending! Melchisedec, who was the: King of Righteousness, King of Peace; “without father, without mother, 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)

While the Levitical Priesthood required gifts and sacrifices and was steeped in regulations and required work, the Melchisedec Priesthood is a priesthood of rest. (Hebrews 4:9-10) If we have entered into his rest, we have CEASED from our own works, as God did from His. We are talking about a complete cessation of our own efforts and a total faith in the Finished Work of the Cross.

 God set it up before the foundation of the world that we could enter into his rest by accepting the final sacrifice, Jesus, the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the world".”

 We no longer have to approach God through the Levitical law or through ordinances and sacrifices. "For the priesthood being changed…”. (Heb. 7:12a) The Good News is that the priesthood has changed! No longer is it law based, but it is now grace based! WORSHIP TODAY SHOULD SPRING FORTH FROM A GRACE- BASED POSITION OF PRIESTHOOD. We know that true Spirit-led worship should proceed out of the flow which comes from our innermost beings.  

 As believers, we are priests forever after the order of Melchisedec and Jesus is our High Priest! That which continues forever is by nature unchangeable. "But this man, (Jesus), because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." (Hebrews 7:25)  Jesus began the shift when speaking with the woman at the well in Samaria. He started by saying that no more would God be worshipped in the mountain in Samaria, nor in Jerusalem. He indicated that the Jews knew who they worshipped for Salvation was of (birthed out of) the Jews. Jesus went on to say that the hour NOW IS, when the true worshipers would worship the Father in spirit (little "s" spirit, our innermost being) and in truth.

 Indeed, the Father seeks such to worship Him. In other words, the worship paradigm changed from an outward method of rituals, symbols, and deeds, to an inward “method” of flow. Now God, Who is a Spirit, would be worshiped out of the flow of his Spirit which bubbles up out of our innermost beings! How wonderfully freeing! "Out of our bellies shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38); rivers of true, spiritual worship!

What is described here is MUCH BETTER than what was available before. Note Hebrews 7:11-24: "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change also of the law. For he, of whom these things are spoken, pertaineth to ANOTHER TRIBE, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of the root of JUDAH; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; BY WHICH WE DRAW NIGH UNTO GOD. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (for those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, the Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a BETTER testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, BECAUSE HE CONTINUETH EVER, hath an UNCHANGEABLE PRIESTHOOD."

One of the meanings of Judah is "praise or praised". Judah was the tribe of praise. Jesus "…sprang out of Judah; of which Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." Hebrews 7:14. Even before Jesus sprang out of Judah, the Melchisedec Priesthood sprang out of Praise. Creation was birthed out of praise as the Word was spoken. The Morning stars sang! (Job 38:7).

 We have used different methods and traditions to approach God, some instituted by God for a season, and others totally made by man.  But now, through our High Priest, and based upon our priesthood as believers, we can approach God in and by the Spirit from our inward man. We do not have to beg and plead with God before we approach him.

 We can "come boldly before the throne of grace..." (Heb. 4:16a) “…Come and let yourselves be built, as living stones, into a spiritual temple; become a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.” (1 Peter 2:4-5, NEB) The spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God from his “kings and priests” (Rev. 1:6) is the flow of worship from our bellies, rising up to God as spiritual incense. It is His glory that fills the temple, and His glory that flows back to Him as High Worship.

As Michael Phillips says in his book “Is Jesus Coming Back As Soon As We Think?” the old covenant foreshadowed and prefigured the new. He shows how the lesser gives rise to the greater, stating that “the Bible’s types and foreshadowings are the outer layers and husks, always pointing deeper into the heart of things, and always moving toward eternity. The higher is always God’s intent, but he begins with lower, outer, shallower, more one-dimensional forms of those truths, making them understandable to the mind of man at one level before taking them to deeper levels.”

 As we progress through time, revelation increases as the Holy Spirit unveils more and more truth from the Scriptures. We are progressing towards the fulfillment of God’s intention for his people.

 God spoke recently to my Pastor, Dr. Kluane Spake, saying, “Speak nothing but my intention.”  How relevant for what God is doing today.  God uses the progressive revelation of praise and worship to help bring his intention to fulfillment. What is his intention? We cannot fully comprehend it now, but we can grasp many of the high truths of Scripture as we hear the voice of the Spirit of God.

 We can clearly see a revelation of God's intention as we reflect on the Garden of Eden. Adam walked with God and spoke with Him, and heard His voice. God's full intention, which was complete union and fellowship with Adam, was never realized because he ate from the wrong source. God, of course, knew that His full intention, which IS already fulfilled in eternity, was yet to come to fruition, and would take perhaps thousands of years.

 God sovereignly created man with the ability to choose his source, but made provision for man's full redemption through Christ. How interesting that our High Priest, after the order of Melchisedec, is our Tree of Life, our total Source, our Door into the total fulfillment of God's intention. The old methods of praise and worship cannot take us where God wants us to go in and with Him. The old methods are temporal, while the new methods are heavenly--  hidden deeply within our innermost beings. Praise is just waiting to burst forth as we yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him flow out of our spirits in the form of visions, songs of the Lord, spiritual songs, dancing, shouting and other spontaneous expressions. The expressions are only signs of the depth of God in our hearts individually, and of the Church corporately.

 The priesthood after the order of Melchisedec is a priesthood of mature Sons (male and female). We are called to be the "huios", which means grown up, Sons of God. (The End of the Levitcal Priesthood, Dr. Kluane Spake). This article goes on to say that "Now is the hour when the Lord brings believers into maturity. Grown up Sons are capable of walking in a NEW PRIESTHOOD in order to achieve His purposes on earth....It is vital to note that we are created to be BOTH kings and priests at the same time (Ex. 19:5-6). The Melchisedec Priesthood has always been God's creational INTENTION for His people--living life with a dominion rule of internal alignment to truth in wholeness and balance. This is the domain of our Kingdom, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and PEACE."

In light of this, it is clear that as spiritual priests after the order of Melchisedec, it is our job to forge the way into the fulfillment of God's intention through true, spiritual worship.

 The old covenant demonstrates a literal priesthood. By that we mean, Aaron was literally High Priest and his actual, physical sons became priests. In the new covenant we see a spiritual priesthood of which every believer is a part. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession." (1 Peter 2:9 NASB).

 Under the old Levitical priesthood, worship was more literal in its operation: sacrifices, rituals, literal incense, literal fire, etc. Part of the function of the new spiritual priesthood is to offer incense to God of a different kind than was offered by the Levitical priest. In the new priesthood, sacrifice, incense and fire are spiritual worship which flows out of the innermost being by the Holy Spirit.  "...having every one of them harps (music, melody), and golden vials (our innermost being, spirit--a WORTHY container) full of odours (incense, prayerful worship), which are the prayers (offerings) of the saints (worthy ones, redeemed by His Blood). AND THEY SUNG A NEW SONG. (Rev. 5:8b-9a). [Parentheses mine].

 As an example of worship in our new covenant priestly role, Dr. David K. Blomgren, in his book Song of the Lord, states: "The voice of the Divine Dove, the Holy Spirit, is coming forth through spiritual singing. The Bridegroom actually calls the Bride 'my Dove' in 2:14, because through her the voice of the Dove is heard. He loving beckons her to a ministry of singing, 'let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice. (2:14)" [Song of Solomon, 2:14]

Today more than ever the voice of the "Divine Dove" is rises up out of individual believers and through the Bride corporately. We minister to God and one another through singing. Whether to God or one another, the great joy of spiritual singing is that it is the voice of our Beloved that resonates from our innermost beings! 

Worship as a new covenant priest after the eternal order of Melchisedec is a love relationship with Jesus, where each believer offers pure incense and fire by the Holy Spirit out of their New Creation spirits. As part of our spiritual worship, we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. (Rom. 12:1 NIV) It is important to note that as the river of worship which begins in our innermost beings flows out of the New Creation, the whole man (spirit, soul, and body) is engaged in worship. (Rom. 12:1-2) New covenant priests are connected to the True Vine, and are partakers of the Divine Nature of the Father through our High Priest Jesus, the Son, who is a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.

What a beautiful flow as we worship by the Holy Spirit, into the Son, winding up with Christ, in the bosom of the Father! Our new priesthood takes us right where Christ is, into the bosom of the Father, where He is eternally. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." (John 1:18). 

Where is our High Priest? In the bosom of the Father. When is he there? NOW! ETERNALLY! And we as priests after the order of Melchisedec are there with Him. THIS IS WHERE THE NEW PARADIGM OF NEW COVENANT PRIESTLY WORSHIP AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC IS TAKES US!!

Why is it important to understand where this new paradigm is taking us? Are we going there for the sake of the glory we sense and the presence we feel as we worship?

There is a key here that must not be overlooked. The Bible says that no one will see God without holiness. Transformation into holiness (Christ-likeness) is key if we are truly to go where God wants us to go. Worship is a part of the process God uses to fashion us into the image of Christ.  As we worship God as priests after the order of Melchisedec, we change.

True Worship is not just a "Christian activity" that happens when we assemble together. True worship causes the Spirit of God to flow out from the center of our soul (our innermost beings) in order to change our soul. As the Holy Spirit flows out of our belly, we HEAR HIS VOICE. The voice of God is the Word of God, which is the agent of change. Does the voice of God instantaneously sanctify us? Not at all! Sanctification comes as we OBEY the voice of the Spirit of God as it flows from within.

James 1:22 says that we should be doers of the Word (Voice of God), and not hearers only. It is the hearing (command) coupled with the doing (obedience) that brings transformation and change.

Sometimes we mistake the Finished Work of Jesus for instantaneous sanctification. He indeed has finished the work! Now we must apprehend that reality and bring it to bear on our lives. This happens by obeying the Word of God as the Holy Spirit speaks it to us. We learn who we are in Christ and grasp Kingdom realities as we forge through the fires of adversity. The adversity causes us to grab hold of Kingdom principles and to realize who we are in Christ. This realization is an opening of our eyes to SEE who we really are.

The Work is finished, but do we SEE it? As we worship the Lord as priests after the order of Melchisedec, our vision clears and we can SEE. 

We can surmount adversity and tribulation by coming into a place of worship if we will allow it. Some forms of tribulation come because of foolish mistakes we make, ignorance of the Word, or our refusal to HEAR and SEE by the Spirit. Overcoming tribulation can be used by God to make us strong. We run into his presence and allow our souls to be transformed.

Their is another type of tribulation that comes because we are Christians.  This is tribulation that comes as a result of obeying God’s voice and DOING what we SEE. The apprehension of Kingdom realities could actually cause tribulation to arise: not because God is thrusting it upon us, but because our obedience to His voice brings us to a true knowledge of who we are in Christ.

As we operate from the New Creation, it is contrary to the ways of man and the ways of the world and naturally brings opposition. As we persevere in our New Creation nature, we become OVERCOMERS. The whole point of the eternal order of Melchisedec priests is to produce OVERCOMERS! True worship as priests after the order of Melchisedec comes as we enter into his presence as overcomers, through the Blood of Jesus and by faith.

Let us leave the old ways of worshiping God, which are patterned after the dead Levitical priesthood, which is a type and shadow of the Eternal Priesthood; and as priests after the order of Melchisedec, let us offer true fire and incense which flows from the Altar of God which is in the depths of our spirits. The Altar, the Throne, and even the Crystal River are all in our hearts. If the Father is truly enthroned in our hearts, true spiritual worship that is pleasing to him will be flow from us individually and as the Body of Christ!