Christ_, our great High Priest. In the one hundred and
tenth psalm, which the Saviour himself quotes as written by David "in
spirit," and as referring to himself (Matt. 22:41-45; Mark 12:35-37) the
Messiah is represented as uniting in himself the kingly and the priestly
office. There is a remarkable symbolical transaction in Zechariah (chap.
6:9-14) which contains the same representation. The prophet is directed,
in the presence of competent witnesses, to "take silver and gold, and
make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua [the Hebrew word
answering to the Greek _Jesus_, which stands in the Septuagint rendering
of this passage] the son of Josedech, the high priest." In his office as
high priest Joshua typifies Christ our great High Priest. By the
symbolical act of crowning Joshua is typified _the kingly office of
Christ as united with the priestly_. Hence the prophet is directed by
God to add: "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man
whose name is the BRANCH" (compare chap. 3:8, and Isa. 11:1; Jer.
23:4-6; 33:15, 16); "and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall
build the temple of the Lord: even he shall build the temple of the
Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his
throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of
peace shall be between them both." In accordance with these
representations a large part of the epistle to the Hebrews is occupied
with a discussion of our Lord's priestly office, in which, beyond
contradiction, he is exhibited as the great antitype of both Melchizedec
and the Levitical priests.

12. If the Levitical priests typified Christ, it follows that the
_sacrifices_ which they offered _were also typical of Christ's
sacrifice_ for the sins of the world. So the epistle to the Hebrews
argues: "Every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices:
wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer."
Chap. 8:3. The Levitical priests stood "daily ministering, and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins." Chap.
10:11. Their offerings were only _typical of expiation_, and needed
therefore to be continually repeated till the Antitype itself should
appear. But Christ offered his own blood on Calvary, by which he
obtained eternal redemption for us, so that his sacrifice needs no
repetition. He was "once offered to bear the sins of many;" and by this
"one offering he hath perf