nced repeatedly, and in the strongest terms; and we
have already seen that, along with the Ark of the Covenant, the temple,
the Levitical priesthood, the whole sacrificial service stands in the
closest and most indissoluble connection; so that all this must fall
along with it. 2. A very important proof is furnished by ver. 22, which
must be regarded as a declaration, by the Prophet himself, as to the
manner in which he wishes to be understood. Now, in that verse, it is
promised that all the descendants of Abraham shall be changed into
Levites; and this is declared to form a part of the eternal acceptance
of the tribe of Levi, promised in the verse under consideration. This
shows then, that, in the verse under review, the Levites cannot come
into consideration as descendants of Levi after the flesh, but only as
regards their destination and vocation. 3. As the most ancient and
authentic interpreter of Jeremiah, Zechariah must be considered. He was
most anxious to obviate the same fears which Jeremiah here meets; and,
in him, the first two of the three features which Jeremiah comprehends
in the unity of the idea, appear separated, but in such a manner that
the connecting unity of the idea is not lost sight of In Zech. iii.,
God assures the people that, notwithstanding the greatness of their
sins, He would not only allow the office of High-priest to continue as
heretofore, and accept his mediation, but that, at some future period,
[Pg 466] He would also send the true High-priest, who should make a
complete and everlasting atonement. In ver. 8, the High-priest and his
colleagues in the priestly office are designated as types of Christ
who, putting most completely to shame the people's despair in God's
mercy, should fully accomplish the expiation and atonement which the
former had effected only imperfectly. In chap. iv. the priestly is,
along with the royal order, designated as one of the two sons of the
oil, the two anointed ones of the Lord, whose anointing remaineth for
ever; and from chap. vi. 13, where the Messiah appears as the true
High-priest and King at the same time, it appears that, here too, the
shadow only belongs to the Levitical priesthood, but the substance to
Christ. 4. Elsewhere, too, plain examples are not wanting, in which the
idea of the priesthood only is regarded, while the peculiar form of its
manifestation under the Old Testament is lost sight of. Among those is
Is. lxi. 6, where, in reference to all I