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Short Studies in Biblical Theology
The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God
A Biblical Theology of the Royal Priesthood from Genesis to Revelation “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” ―1 Peter 2:9 From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of the royal priesthood runs through the biblical story from the garden of Eden through the priesthood of Israel to Jesus Christ―the true and better high priest. It culminates with the creation of God’s new covenant people, called out of the nations to be his priests to the nations. In this concise treatment, David Schrock traces this theme of priesthood throughout the Bible and displays to readers how Jesus, the great high priest, informs the worship, discipleship, and evangelism of the church.
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2022
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159 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 1, 2022
The Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, published by Crossway Books includes a series of accessible books designed for the non-specialist. The books are basic enough for anyone to grasp but are also invaluable tools for pastors. As a veteran pastor, I have been greatly encouraged by this series.
The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God by David S. Schrock is most recent book in the series. This book traces the history of God’s royal priesthood which begins in Eden and cultivates in new Jerusalem.
The Royal Priesthood begins in Eden as God commissions Adam to glorify him by reflecting the greatness of his worth in the Garden. Adam is charged with an importance stewardship in the Garden - he must work it and keep it (Gen. 2:15) and thus serve the Lord.
The author traces the various movements of the priesthood through redemptive history, which culminates with the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ. The book concludes with these fitting words:
The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God by David S. Schrock is most recent book in the series. This book traces the history of God’s royal priesthood which begins in Eden and cultivates in new Jerusalem.
The Royal Priesthood begins in Eden as God commissions Adam to glorify him by reflecting the greatness of his worth in the Garden. Adam is charged with an importance stewardship in the Garden - he must work it and keep it (Gen. 2:15) and thus serve the Lord.
The author traces the various movements of the priesthood through redemptive history, which culminates with the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ. The book concludes with these fitting words:
"This way of life is the one that brings glory to God and extends Jesus’s blessing to the ends of the earth. Because of Christ’s priesthood, heaven and earth have been united in Christ. And one day soon, as Psalm 110 foretells, all Christ’s enemies will be put under his feet."
July 24, 2025
Some sections were a little dry, but overall, I learned a lot and appreciated the clarity he brought to a theme that often gets overlooked. I especially loved the sections on Christ’s priesthood in the Gospels and the role of the Christian today as New Covenant Priests. This is worthwhile read for anyone wanting a deeper biblical theology of priesthood.
January 30, 2024
One of the better books in the series. As much as I love TD Alexander, this volume is better than Alexander’s volume on the same subject in the ESBT series.
January 20, 2025
A great overview of the Biblical theology of priesthood. Would highly encourage for anyone trying to get a better framework for the OT and NT connections regarding priesthood.
April 9, 2022
This is a GREAT addition to this series, which at its best helps pull together various strands of the Bible and show how a unifying theme can make sense of multiple truths you may know already. This did that beautifully. Excellent in highlighting Christ as the Royal Priest who establishes a Royal Priesthood. One tidbit I loved is how it explained why Psalm 110 is the most quoted text in the NT.
May 5, 2023
Fantastic.
This short, weighty book did nothing but edify my soul.
The priesthood has always been something that interests me, but Schrock's skilful handling of this theme from creation to recreation has stoked my passion for new heights.
Seeing this theme taken from beginning to end of the bible has made my spirit soar.
If you want your mind blown and simultaneously your heart and soul edified, read this book.
This all to say, it is weighty, so buckle up.
This short, weighty book did nothing but edify my soul.
The priesthood has always been something that interests me, but Schrock's skilful handling of this theme from creation to recreation has stoked my passion for new heights.
Seeing this theme taken from beginning to end of the bible has made my spirit soar.
If you want your mind blown and simultaneously your heart and soul edified, read this book.
This all to say, it is weighty, so buckle up.
February 2, 2022
In my journey through scripture this year, I've arrived in Exodus as Moses leads Israel out of Egypt, arriving at Mount Sinai where he meets with God and receives instructions for how the people are to live.
Moses comes down from the mountain, his face is shining with glory so distinctly he has to cover it up. What an amazing sight it would've been! Yet we're reminded in 2 Cor 3:9-11 the glory radiating from Moses was nothing in comparison to that of the glory Christ. The ministry of righteousness, the new covenant in the finished work of Jesus, far exceeds the old.
"Righteousness is what Christ grants his people by means of his covenantal obedience, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and heavenly intercession."
In The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God the author takes us through a study of the priesthood from Genesis to Revelation, so we can delight more fully in the glory of God's son, our great high priest.
The priesthood seems mysterious - and maybe a little much with all the blood and sacrifices - which makes it all the more important for us to grow in understanding, especially because the theme of the priesthood is significant to understanding the gospel: Consider the priestly offering of Jesus to atone for our sins, or how the church is called to function as priests (1 Pet 2:5).
He defines priesthood in this way: "Priests are consecrated, mediators between God and his covenant people, who stand to serve at God's altar sanctifying God's Holy Place, sacrificing God's offerings and speaking God's covenant."
As he leads us first through the Old Testament, we see every form of worship centers on the priests and their sacrificial duties. We watch as they neglect their responsibilities and the consequences which result. Through the prophets, God speaks of a royal priest, a new and better priest, who will come to create a whole new kingdom of priests.
In the Gospels, we discover Jesus' priestly activities and how the Lord's supper points to the application of blood at Passover, the new covenant being established, and the priestly meal of wine and bread.
After Jesus' ascension, priestly activities are no longer restricted to the priests and Levites, but are now a part of all who love and follow Him. Through the New Testament letters, he shows us how the church sanctifies the house of God, speaks the words of God, and offers spiritual sacrifices.
Friend, you may not be interested in a deep study like this, but as believers our priestly role is important, particularly in these times. We sanctify the church by serving, worshiping and becoming more like our Savior. We speak the words of God as we pray, hear and read scripture, and proclaim the gospel to others. We offer spiritual sacrifices by serving one another, extending grace to each other and sharing the Lord's supper as a community.
Each of these activities points us more toward the worship of God, not the world, nor our selfish desires. May we consider seriously our role within our local body of believers and with one heart and mind worship the Lord.
Quick Stats
# of pages: 208
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
My Rating: 5 stars
*A big thanks to Crossway for the complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to post an honest review. {reviewed first here https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/wh...}
Moses comes down from the mountain, his face is shining with glory so distinctly he has to cover it up. What an amazing sight it would've been! Yet we're reminded in 2 Cor 3:9-11 the glory radiating from Moses was nothing in comparison to that of the glory Christ. The ministry of righteousness, the new covenant in the finished work of Jesus, far exceeds the old.
"Righteousness is what Christ grants his people by means of his covenantal obedience, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and heavenly intercession."
In The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God the author takes us through a study of the priesthood from Genesis to Revelation, so we can delight more fully in the glory of God's son, our great high priest.
The priesthood seems mysterious - and maybe a little much with all the blood and sacrifices - which makes it all the more important for us to grow in understanding, especially because the theme of the priesthood is significant to understanding the gospel: Consider the priestly offering of Jesus to atone for our sins, or how the church is called to function as priests (1 Pet 2:5).
He defines priesthood in this way: "Priests are consecrated, mediators between God and his covenant people, who stand to serve at God's altar sanctifying God's Holy Place, sacrificing God's offerings and speaking God's covenant."
As he leads us first through the Old Testament, we see every form of worship centers on the priests and their sacrificial duties. We watch as they neglect their responsibilities and the consequences which result. Through the prophets, God speaks of a royal priest, a new and better priest, who will come to create a whole new kingdom of priests.
In the Gospels, we discover Jesus' priestly activities and how the Lord's supper points to the application of blood at Passover, the new covenant being established, and the priestly meal of wine and bread.
After Jesus' ascension, priestly activities are no longer restricted to the priests and Levites, but are now a part of all who love and follow Him. Through the New Testament letters, he shows us how the church sanctifies the house of God, speaks the words of God, and offers spiritual sacrifices.
Friend, you may not be interested in a deep study like this, but as believers our priestly role is important, particularly in these times. We sanctify the church by serving, worshiping and becoming more like our Savior. We speak the words of God as we pray, hear and read scripture, and proclaim the gospel to others. We offer spiritual sacrifices by serving one another, extending grace to each other and sharing the Lord's supper as a community.
Each of these activities points us more toward the worship of God, not the world, nor our selfish desires. May we consider seriously our role within our local body of believers and with one heart and mind worship the Lord.
Quick Stats
# of pages: 208
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
My Rating: 5 stars
*A big thanks to Crossway for the complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to post an honest review. {reviewed first here https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/wh...}
December 30, 2023
What does the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament has to teach us about the topic of priesthood? This book is a survey of a biblical view of priesthood, where the author is presenting to readers a biblical theology of priesthood that culminate with Jesus as the High Priest and the Church as a family of priests. The book is a part of the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series which is published by Crossway. The author David Schrock has a doctorate from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a pastor in Virginia.
After the series preface and the introduction the book has six chapters and an epilogue. The first chapter looks at the theme of the Royal Priesthood being patterned in the book of Genesis which shapes everything else to follow while the next chapter looks at the Royal Priesthood in the rest of the Law of Moses. Chapter three and four then looks at the Prophets and the Writings in the Old Testament while chapters five and six turns to the New Testament with looking at the Gospels and the final chapter examines Acts through Revelation.
I learned quite a few things from this book and I’m glad I read it. It cleared some basic things that I should have known before but didn’t before reading this such as the priest are from the line of Aaron and the priests and Levites are distinct in their role. The author laid out the three responsibilities that priests have as mediator between God and mankind: Priests sanctify God’s Holy Place, they sacrifice God’s offering and they speak God’s covenant. From this paradigm the author notes the priest motif appear a lot more in Scripture than passages that are talking about the priests from the lineage of the sons of Aaron explicitly. I really like the book’s exploration of the book of Genesis and also the tracing of the priesthood in the Prophets and the historical books in the Old Testament. There’s so much rich contents here. I really like the book’s looking at the structure of the book of Psalms with interpreting Psalm 110.
I recommend this book and what I got the most out of this is how the motif of priesthood helps us to understand the work and ministry of Jesus better as a Priest of the New Covenant.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
After the series preface and the introduction the book has six chapters and an epilogue. The first chapter looks at the theme of the Royal Priesthood being patterned in the book of Genesis which shapes everything else to follow while the next chapter looks at the Royal Priesthood in the rest of the Law of Moses. Chapter three and four then looks at the Prophets and the Writings in the Old Testament while chapters five and six turns to the New Testament with looking at the Gospels and the final chapter examines Acts through Revelation.
I learned quite a few things from this book and I’m glad I read it. It cleared some basic things that I should have known before but didn’t before reading this such as the priest are from the line of Aaron and the priests and Levites are distinct in their role. The author laid out the three responsibilities that priests have as mediator between God and mankind: Priests sanctify God’s Holy Place, they sacrifice God’s offering and they speak God’s covenant. From this paradigm the author notes the priest motif appear a lot more in Scripture than passages that are talking about the priests from the lineage of the sons of Aaron explicitly. I really like the book’s exploration of the book of Genesis and also the tracing of the priesthood in the Prophets and the historical books in the Old Testament. There’s so much rich contents here. I really like the book’s looking at the structure of the book of Psalms with interpreting Psalm 110.
I recommend this book and what I got the most out of this is how the motif of priesthood helps us to understand the work and ministry of Jesus better as a Priest of the New Covenant.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
February 14, 2022
First sentence: In the beginning God created a priest. And not just any priest, but a royal priest--a man made in God's likeness, a son fashioned to reflect God's beauty, an image-bearer commissioned to rule God's world with holy affections. God commissioned the first family--Adam and his fellow image bearer, Eve--to be fruitful and multiply and fill the world with God's glory.
The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God is one of the books in Crossway's series Short Studies in Biblical Theology. This book traces the theme of the royal priesthood through the entire Bible--Genesis to Revelation.
Early on it defines (explains) the terms priest and priesthood. Schrock makes clear the importance (significance) of the concept of the priesthood in Scripture.
He then unpacks how the books of the Bible fit together (work together) to portray this image, this concept of the Royal Priesthood. He traces everything out as is made clear in the table of contents:
In the Beginning: The Royal Priesthood Patterned
The Law: The Levitical Priesthood Legislated
The Prophets: The Priesthood Promised, Compromised, and Promised Again
The Writings: The Royal Priesthood Anticipated
The Gospels: The Royal Priesthood Arrives
Acts through Revelation: The Royal Priesthood Multiplies
I love that he uses the Jewish ordering of the Old Testament! I think it makes his argument stronger/more coherent.
You might suppose that this one would be "dry" or "boring" or too scholarly to be appealing/engaging. But I found it a good, solid read. I didn't find it confusing or too weighty/heavy. I thought it offered much food for thought.
The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God is one of the books in Crossway's series Short Studies in Biblical Theology. This book traces the theme of the royal priesthood through the entire Bible--Genesis to Revelation.
Early on it defines (explains) the terms priest and priesthood. Schrock makes clear the importance (significance) of the concept of the priesthood in Scripture.
He then unpacks how the books of the Bible fit together (work together) to portray this image, this concept of the Royal Priesthood. He traces everything out as is made clear in the table of contents:
In the Beginning: The Royal Priesthood Patterned
The Law: The Levitical Priesthood Legislated
The Prophets: The Priesthood Promised, Compromised, and Promised Again
The Writings: The Royal Priesthood Anticipated
The Gospels: The Royal Priesthood Arrives
Acts through Revelation: The Royal Priesthood Multiplies
I love that he uses the Jewish ordering of the Old Testament! I think it makes his argument stronger/more coherent.
You might suppose that this one would be "dry" or "boring" or too scholarly to be appealing/engaging. But I found it a good, solid read. I didn't find it confusing or too weighty/heavy. I thought it offered much food for thought.
March 12, 2022
PRIESTS - consecrated mediators between God and His covenant people”
Ok, now what? That’s what “The Royal Priesthood”, by David A. Schrock is all about. The subject of priesthood is not one that has come up much in my 60+ years of Bible study so this book was interesting because of that. I recognized the “big picture” in the Old Testament especially when author, Schrock, used charts or grids to summarize priests and events in OT Israel.
It would have been helpful if Schrock had used more charts to compare the OT priests. There are so many men involved and the sequence of relationships, laws, historical events - it’s all overwhelming, especially in narrative form. The charts make it easy to visualize progression between priests, relationships between families and who is responsible for major historical events.
Once the book moves to the New Testament, Christ is the high priest, scripture references are gospel centered and the narrative isn’t as dry. Schrock does work thru the entire New Testament seeking Christ and His church, making application for today’s worshipers.
All things considered, a bit dry in the beginning but an unique topic for Bible study📚
Ok, now what? That’s what “The Royal Priesthood”, by David A. Schrock is all about. The subject of priesthood is not one that has come up much in my 60+ years of Bible study so this book was interesting because of that. I recognized the “big picture” in the Old Testament especially when author, Schrock, used charts or grids to summarize priests and events in OT Israel.
It would have been helpful if Schrock had used more charts to compare the OT priests. There are so many men involved and the sequence of relationships, laws, historical events - it’s all overwhelming, especially in narrative form. The charts make it easy to visualize progression between priests, relationships between families and who is responsible for major historical events.
Once the book moves to the New Testament, Christ is the high priest, scripture references are gospel centered and the narrative isn’t as dry. Schrock does work thru the entire New Testament seeking Christ and His church, making application for today’s worshipers.
All things considered, a bit dry in the beginning but an unique topic for Bible study📚
March 14, 2022
This book is a look at what actions a priest of God did in the Bible, which people acted as priests from Genesis to Revelation, and how kingship and priesthood combined in Jesus. Some of these connections were ones pointed out in the Bible, but others were more speculative. While interesting, I wasn't always convinced that there were connections. For example, when talking about the Gospels and how some of Jesus' words connected to words in the Prophets, the author used a man calling his friend away from sitting under his fig tree as fulfillment of prophecy about a man calling his neighbor to join him under his fig tree. Doesn't seem to quite fit to me. While I usually enjoy this type of book, the writing was academic enough that it was more of a classroom experience than a series of enjoyable "ah ha!" insights. It was worth reading but not something I'd recommend to a layman unless they were really interested in the topic.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
March 3, 2022
Workmanlike look at priesthood in the Bible as it terminates in Christ. Nothing new or earth-shattering here, but that would not be Crossway's goal with this series anyway, I daresay. It is classed as "biblical theology" but varies very little from a systematic discussion (again, not a bad thing). Relatively new believers could handle this text and learn a lot.
July 14, 2022
Good book. Wish it was more extensive but this is a “short” study in biblical theology. It is good to see the priesthood from Adam-Jesus-believers.
Although I am not certain on calling people like Adam and Moses priests. They resemble them but God never calls them priests.
Although I am not certain on calling people like Adam and Moses priests. They resemble them but God never calls them priests.
May 22, 2023
Excellent
January 13, 2026
very helpful if reading Leviticus or doing a study in Hebrews
March 31, 2022
I typically enjoy this series very much but the past few have been a bit of a letdown. I do not have a real reason to feel this way but it seems that the writing is rushed or repetitive. I had hoped that there would have been more of an emphasis on our current standing as priests before God instead of the historical examples.
It was not that it was terrible but it lost me at times and I pushed through to finish this instead of simply putting it down. Overall, I would get it if you want to add it to your series to have a complete set but there are likely other works that will cover the same topic that you could pursue.
This was sent to me for an unbiased review.
It was not that it was terrible but it lost me at times and I pushed through to finish this instead of simply putting it down. Overall, I would get it if you want to add it to your series to have a complete set but there are likely other works that will cover the same topic that you could pursue.
This was sent to me for an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews