And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. –– Isaiah 66:21

The context of the above verse places it in the time when all nations “shall come, and see my glory” (Isaiah 66:18). It describes the aftermath of the battle commonly called “Jacob’s Trouble” which is detailed in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Here we find the saga of the escapees of that conflict (where God fights for Israel as in days of old) returning to their native lands. There they proclaim what they have observed. As a result, the nations to which they return bring back the remaining Hebrews to their homeland in Israel.

This brings us to the verse in question, “And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.” The majority of Christian commentaries refer to the “them” as the converted Gentiles who affect Israel’s return. Their support lies not in the grammar of the Hebrew text, but in their interpretation of the verse itself. Applying this to the literal Aaronic priesthood and order of Levites, they reason that this right is inherent to the Jewish people and therefore must refer to the Gentiles who would have no right to aspire either to the office of priest or Levite.

However, the time setting of the verse negates such an interpretation. Then neither Jew nor Gentile had any legitimate claims to the Aaronic order, for all genealogical records had been long since destroyed. The verse is not to be interpreted according to the ancient Jewish system but describes a priestly and Levitical function based on the concepts of the Law arrangement.

We suggest that the “them” of our verse, therefore, refers to the returning Israelites and not to the Gentiles who are credited with bringing them back. These offices refer to two distinct functions of restored Israel in Messiah’s kingdom.

Priests

In the worship services of the Tabernacle and Temple, the officiating priests were to come from a specified lineage, that of Aaron. However, the term priest (Hebrew, kohen, Strong’s 3548) is used in a wider sense in Scripture, both before and after the ceremonial priesthood of the law. Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God (Genesis 4:18). The sons of David are also given the title of kohen (mistranslated “chief rulers” in most versions) in 2 Samuel 8:18.

Many authorities ascribe the office of a domestic priest prior to the introduction of the Aaronic order to the firstborn son in a family. If such is correct, it adds insight into the transfer of the Levites for the firstborn during Israel’s wilderness wanderings. The etymology of the word kohen (priest) is worthy of note. The Arabic root suggests one who delivers a message from God, taking an intermediary role between two parties, representing each to the other. This connects well with the priestly work of Job when he prayed for his “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2, 42:8-9). It should be remembered also that one of the high priest’s functions in ancient Israel was to seek the counsel of God through the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30, Ezra 2:63).

Saalschutz in his Archaeology der Hebraica, ca. 78, attached a slightly different thought to the Hebrew word, giving it the meaning of “one who ministers in sacred services” (note Isaiah 61:6). McClintock and Strong give it the significance of one who “draws near” to the Divine presence while others remain afar off (Exodus 19:22, 30:20).

Levites

While all priests were Levites, all Levites were not priests. The consecration of the priests and their services are described in Leviticus 8 and 9 while the consecration and services of the Levites are given in Numbers 8. In the Old Testament worship services, the Levites were accorded three distinct roles.

1) Servants of the Tabernacle — “I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary” (Numbers 8:19).
2) Teachers of the Law — “And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law” (Nehemiah 8:9).
3) Singers of Praise — “And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night” (1 Chronicles 9:33).

These texts imply that restored Israel will have the Millennial age responsibilities of assisting man in their worship, teaching them the laws and regulations of that kingdom, and leading them in songs of eternal praise to Jehovah and his reigning Son. Our text says that God will “also” take of these latter returning Jews for “priests and for Levites.”

This has three additional implications.

1) The word “also” suggests that they are joining another group who already has these offices. These would appear to be the faithful remnant who come through Israel’s final battle. Micah 5:7 speaks of this class as showers upon the grass, “And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.”

2) At the same time, we recognize that this will be the time mentioned by the Prophet when “a nation shall be born in a day” (Isaiah 66:8). Israel will be that nation: (1) Spiritual Israel, the “holy nation”; and (2) Fleshly Israel, its earthly representative. From Israel, the light shall shine out which will bring the chastened world to its knees, and usher in the promised pouring out of the Lord’s spirit of holiness “upon all flesh after those days,” as it has been poured out upon his true servants and handmaids during these days (Joel 2:28, Volume 4 of Studies in the Scriptures, 638). Hence, this word may further indicate a close relationship with the resurrected prophets of old who will be “princes in all the earth” (Psalms 45:16).

3) The phrase “take of them” indicates that not all these Jews who return in this final exodus will be taken for the positions of priests or This implies that all these immigrants will not possess the necessary faith at first to fill these positions.

Israel restored will indeed have not only an honored role in the Messianic kingdom but will have many useful and vital occupations in their work as ambassadors and laborers in the great restitution work of helping all of resurrected mankind up the highway of holiness. Of them, with the resurrected ancients at their head, it shall truly be said, “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city” (Isaiah 1:26).

–– Beauties of the Truth 2003/3