The Testament of Levi Baptism
of Jesus
Baptism of Jesus to replace renewed priesthoods: The Testament of Levi has some interesting comments for modern attempts to restore the ancient Jubilee. Each Jubilee picks a new priesthood to receive honor, in the words of Revelation, for one hour.
"And now I have learnt that for seventy weeks ye shall go astray, and profane the priesthood, and pollute the sacrifices. And ye shall
make void the law, and
set at nought the words of the prophets
by evil perverseness. And ye shall persecute righteous men, and hate the godly; the words of the faithful shall ye abhor." Testament of Levi 4:24-26
The words of the prophets (through the Spirit of Christ) were set at nought by music according to Job, Amos, Isaiah and Ezekiel. To play loud arousal music when God was trying to speak through the prophets was to pollute or prostitute God.
The "praise" word from which Lucifer got his name is the Hebrew:
Halal (h1984) haw-lal'; a prim. root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causat. to celebrate; also to stultify: - (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (- ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.
Because this halal was usually with musical instruments, and is repeated in modern groups imitating the pipe organ (flutes) with a style called organum it is the same effect as chalal
Chalal (h2490) khaw-lal'; a prim. root [comp. 2470]; prop. to bore, i. e. (by impl.) to wound, to dissolve; fig. to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an "opening wedge"); denom. (from 2485) to play (the flute): - begin (* men began), defile, * break, defile, * eat (as common things), * first, * gather the grape thereof, * take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.
In the image of Dan, Levi prophesied that after Judah fell and went into captivity they would return. In time a new priesthood would be established and in the fifth week they would return to their desolate country and renew the house of the Lord (v. 10).
"And whereas ye have heard concerning the seventy weeks, hear also concerning the priesthood. For in each jubilee there shall be a priesthood" Testament of Levi 5:1
Levi then describes what will happen during the seventy weeks which resulted in the captivity and their return to Jerusalem. When they returned they would renew the house of the Lord but almost immediately they would restore their old prostitute religion:
"And in the seventh week shall become priests, who are idolaters, adulterers, lovers of money, proud, lawless, lascivious, abusers of children and beasts. And after their punishment shall have come from the Lord, the priesthood shall fail" Testament of Levi 5:11
The counting began with the order to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The seventy weeks would be seventy times seven or 490 years. The seventh week would begin in 42 years and would continue for seven years. During this return from captivity the people -- led by the priests -- would restore the idolatry which had destroyed Israel and Judah. within a hundred years the temple is not heard from until it is used by the Greeks to restore idolatry and establish the Greek Gymnasium.
In the parallel prophecy of Tyre, it was said that they would return to prostitution (literal and spiritual) and she would attract her customers by singing the song of the prostitute which was --
Take up a harp, walk through the city, O prostitute forgotten; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered. Isa 23:16
The prophecy of the return from captivity and the rebuilding of the temple clearly was not and could never be fulfilled by the literal rebuilding in Jerusalem. The priesthood would fail and would become a negative model of the true priesthood. It is significant that when the first century Jews observed the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus refused to enter Jerusalem until the beginning festivities had run their disorderly course. This feast was much like modern revivalism and mass meetings for people to hawk their wares.
In time, God would raise up a new priest and the focus would be redirected from rituals and celebrations to a life of righteousness and justice.
Then shall the Lord raise up a new priest. And to him
all the words of the Lord shall be revealed; (Isa 1:1f)
and he shall execute a righteous judgment upon the earth for a multitude of days.
And his star shall arise in heaven as of a king. Testament of Levi 5:13-15
When Joel prophesied that God's Spirit would be poured upon all flesh it was clearly in the sense that certain people would perform the sign that Messiah had come with truth as well as with judgment. After that, Joel prophesied that the method would be for each generation to teach the gospel to the next and so on until the return.
This spirit of wisdom and knowledge would be poured out and the spirit of disorder and destruction would be judged by supernatural signs. The result of this new order would be that a spirit of understanding would lead to sanctification.
- And the knowledge of the Lord shall be poured forth upon the earth,
- as the water of the seas.
- The heavens shall be opened, and
- from the temple of glory shall come upon him sanctification,
- with the Father's voice as from Abraham to Isaac.
- And the glory of the Most High shall be uttered over him and
- the spirit of understanding and sanctification
- shall rest upon him in the water. Testament of Levi 5:19,-22
This Spirit is not a little person or family member:
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; Isa 11:2 (and quick understanding)
This would be the final priesthood and during Messiah's reign the Gentiles would be multiplied in knowledge and enlightened through the grace of the Lord. Finally he will put an end to sin and lawlessness. In time, Messiah will restore the original state which Adam and Eve enjoyed in the garden:
And he shall open the gates of paradise, and shall remove the threatening sword against Adam, and he shall give to the saints to eat from the tree of life, and the spirit of holiness shall be on them. And Beliar shall be bound by him, and he shall give power to his children to tread upon the evil spirits. Testament of Levi 5:26-27
After completing his message, Levi gave his people a choice:
And now, my children, ye have heard all; choose, therefore, for yourselves either the light or the darkness, either the law of the Lord or the works of Beliar" Testament of Levi 5:30
A law is not an evil, arbitrary rule of the "old God" of the Old Testament. Rather, God's laws are "statements of cause and effect." If you jump off a tall build the cause is the jump and the uncontrolled effect is death. God has always had laws of cause and effect. However, children don't like rules.
Click Here to see how music and drama are sold as tools of external revival.
Kenneth Sublett
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