/Tithe Part 4 (Tithing to Christ will Continue into His Millennial Reign)/ Tithe Part 4 (Tithing to Christ will Continue into His Millennial Reign)

Tithe Part 4 (Tithing to Christ will Continue into His Millennial Reign)


Tithing To Christ Will Continue Into His Millennial Reign. 
There is no specific command to tithe or not to tithe in the New Testament, unlike in the Old Testament, and this happens to be the reason why anti-tithe Christians who misunderstand the subject of tithing under the New Covenant have failed to comprehend the spirit behind the letter. But a proper understanding of the Apostles teaching in Hebrews Chapter seven, on the superiority of the Melchizedec Priesthood over the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood, in relation to tithing, reveals that the Apostle was never against tithing. The Idea he's presenting is simply that the manner in which the tithe is administered today has changed, not that tithing has ceased, as some have erroneously assumed. The change in the manner of tithing, Paul said, is simply as a result of the change in Priesthood from the inferior Levitical Priesthood to the superior Melchizedec Priesthood, which equally receives tithes, but in a different attitude or manner than the Levitical Priesthood.  
I have heard so many ridiculous comments about tithing in these days, even among certain preachers. It appears that the devil (the defeated enemy of mankind) is out to launch a fresh resistance against the prosperity of the Church. And he seems to be using these men. But you see, Jesus, who is our Melchizedec, Has already rendered the devil a perpetual failure. Satan's resistance army cannot withstand the advancement of the Church.
Among all the ridiculous things being churned out against tithing under the New Testament, one that evokes uncontrolled laughter is the idea that; tithing is based solely on the law of Moses or the Levitical Priesthood, and as a result, has passed away with the Law of Moses and its Priesthood. Proponents of this ridiculous idea believe that tithing belongs to the era of the law alone, and since the law has passed away, then tithing is no longer valid today. They also claim that since there is no specific command to Christians to give tithes under the New Testament, then it must mean that tithing is no longer necessary today. In addition to this, they also claim that since the principle of giving under the New Testament is "give as you have decided in your mind," (2 Cor. 9: 7), they conclude that tithing, therefore, which is a defined kind of offering as the name implies (1/10th) must be irrelevant today. Greedy men and stingy Christians will quickly buy into the idea because it gives them an alibi to continue in their stinginess.
Is this what Paul meant in his statement to the Churches of the Gentiles, that tithing to Christ or the Melchizedec Priesthood is no longer valid? It is certainly not. People who come to such conclusion do so based on their misunderstanding of Paul's teaching on tithing. 
First of all, you must understand that today under the New Covenant, giving to God 1/10th of your income is not by force. Just like Abraham was never forced to give the tithe of all to Melchizedec (Gen. 14:20). Notice also that Melchizedec was not the one who demanded that Abraham gave him tithes of all. Abraham tithed voluntarily based on the revelation he had of the personality of Melchizedec and his endless Priesthood (see my teachings on tithing part 1 & 2). In like manner, God never demands it by force from anyone today. Whatever one decides to give to God is optional, it is based on your revelation or understanding of the Priesthood of Christ, who is our Melchizedec. Under the New Covenant, God never demands anything from us by force. This is the spirit of the New Covenant. But to say that tithing is no longer valid today under the Melchizedec or New Covenant Priesthood is to greatly miss the point. 
You remember that Paul said, "let every man decide for himself what he wants to give" (2 Cor. 9:7). So the key clause here is "our decision". You are the one to decide for yourself the offering you want to give. No one can decide that for you. Now I ask you, what if a person decides to give his 1/10th (tithe), will God reject it? The answer is an obvious no. If that is the persons decision, then God honors it. Paul's point is this, whatever you choose to give to the Lord is up to you.
He was never against anyone who voluntarily decides to give the tithe (1/10th) of their earnings, or more, or less. What Paul was against is forcing people to give, rather than letting them decide for themselves what they want to give. If you force or trick people to tithe or give any other type of offering, then you are wrong. I will now proceed to show you again why tithing is still valid today. And not just today, but that it will extend even into the millennial reign of Christ. Read on! Greedy men or stingy Christians are against tithing or giving God more than their tithe because teaching against tithe gives them the alibi to stay stingy. Teaching against tithe and generous giving is the devil's strategy to promote stinginess among Christians.

The Two Priesthoods That 
  Received Tithes  
Most Christians are unaware that two kinds of Priesthoods were involved in receiving tithes, and one of them is still functional today. You remember in my teaching on tithing Part 3, I had mentioned the three kinds of Priesthood revealed in the Bible (See my teaching on tithing Part 3, Click here to read)
The two Priesthoods entitled of God to receive tithes were;
  • The Melchizedec Priesthood, which represented the Priesthood of Christ.
  • The Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood. This was the Old Testament Priesthood of the Law
One out of these two Priesthoods has ceased to exist, which is the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood. This implies that tithing to the Levitical Priesthood has ceased. In contrast to the Levitical Priesthood, the Melchizedec Priesthood is still alive and active. Therefore tithing to the Melchizedec Priesthood has never ceased since this Priesthood is alive forevermore. Paul clearly tells us that Christ is in the Priestly order of Melchizedec (Heb. 7: 17 ESV), and has a different Priestly ministry than those Priests who were of the order of Aaron (Heb. 7: 11). As I have earlier pointed out in my previous teachings on tithes (Parts 1, 2 & 3), I would like to restate here the Biblical fact that; the Law of Moses had not been established during Melchizedec's day when Abraham gave him tithes of all (Gen. 14: 20), and Christ's Ministry, being separate from the Law of Moses, was exemplified by Melchizedec. So you can see that folks who are claiming that tithing belongs exclusively to the Law of Moses are totally out of line with the revelation of scripture. Their problem actually is that they fail or refuse to see the whole picture, and as such limit their understanding of tithing only to the Levitical Priesthood. By so doing, they betray their poor understanding of the subject matter in the light of scriptural evidence.  
Paul never told any Christian not to give tithes if they so decided. What he said was "give based on your decision, or according to your capacity" (2 Cor. 9. 7). To tithe or not to tithe wasn't Paul's problem. And this wasn't his reason for writing Hebrews chapter seven. Rather, his reason was to prove or show that the Melchizedec Priesthood which is the Priesthood of Christ, which collected tithes from Abraham, is superior both to Abraham and the Levitical Priesthood. Paul used the following statement to prove this truth, "the lesser is blessed by the greater" (Heb. 7: 7). This is just like saying, "the lesser gives tithes to the greater"
Hebrews 7: 4-9 shows the superiority of the Melchizedec Priesthood to both Abraham and the Levitical Priesthood, in that; 
  • Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedec who represented Christ (Heb. 7: 4).
  • The Levites who received tithes from their brethren under the law of Moses, paid tithes through Abraham to Melchizedec, because they were in the loins of Abraham (Heb. 7: 5, 9, 10).
  • The Levitical Priesthood can no longer receive tithes today because it has ceased to exist (Heb. 7: 11-12). But the Melchizedec Priesthood which is the Priesthood of Christ is endless ( Heb. 5:9, 10; 6:20). Therefore tithing to the Melchizedec Priesthood cannot and will never cease. It will continue even into the Millennial reign of Christ. (see Psalm 72).
  • Melchizedec whose genealogy and Priesthood are not related to the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood took tithes of Abraham who was the recipient of the promises. This proves that as far as the LORD is concerned, tithing wasn't only limited to, or restricted to the Levitical Priesthood as many have erroneously imagined. Tithing is both to the Melchizedec Priesthood and the Levitical Priesthood. But since the latter has ceased to exist, tithing to it has also ceased to exist. However, tithing to the Melchizedec Priesthood continues, because this Priesthood is forever. The Melchizedec Priesthood is the Grace Priesthood. It never imposes tithes on anyone. It only receives tithes voluntarily.
Paul is simply letting us know that there is another Priesthood, the Melchizedec Priesthood that is not related to the already abolished Levitical Priesthood, and superior to it, which also receives tithes. This Melchizedec Priesthood is an everlasting and eternal Priesthood. About this Melchizedec Priesthood, Paul said, he had so much to say, that is also difficult to interpret that many wouldn't understand (Heb. 5: 10, 11). And so it remains today that many still don't understand, or should I say they are yet to understand, that the Melchizedec Priesthood is alive and still receives tithes today, and will continue to do so even into the millennial reign of Christ. JESUS IS OUR MELCHIZEDEK. Tithing to Jesus our Melchizedec is personal, voluntary, and as a matter of truth, based on personal understanding and choice. And it based on Grace, not the Law of Moses.

Now the Priesthood Has Been Changed From 
the Levitical to Melchizedec

Another thing we must understand here is that the manner or method in which the Levitical Priesthood collected tithes from men under the Law was different from the manner in which the Melchizedec Priesthood receives tithes.  
  • Under the Levitical Priesthood, tithing was compulsory for everyone. It was collected by force, and failure to tithe was visited with sever divine punishments or penalties. 
  • In contrast to the Levitical Priesthood, the Melchizedec Priesthood never demands or receives tithes by force, or coercion, and there are no punishments for anyone who decides never to tithe. It is this freedom that we enjoy under this Melchizedec Priesthood that makes people think that tithing is no longer valid. 
Melchizedec represents Christ to whom all shall bow (Ps. 110:4), and give their tithes, and bring their gifts both now and in the millennium (Ps. 72). This Priesthood is the New Covenant Priesthood in Christ.
It is the Priesthood of the Church. Giving tithes under the New Covenant is an expression of our belief or acknowledgment that Jesus remains our only Melchizedec or High Priest forever. This act or practice of tithing is never imposed on anyone, under the New Covenant. This is the truth that Paul wanted Christians of all ages to understand, not that it is no longer valid or that it is wrong to tithe if you so decide. Some Christians today have a problem understanding what Paul meant by "Generous Giving." They think it means tithe giving is no longer necessary. Well, that's not what the Apostle means by that expression. First of all, to give generously means to give without reservation. That is to say, as Christians, we should not be stingy in our giving, or hoard our possessions. You can see that the word doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't give your tithe if that's what you choose to give. Secondly, giving generously also means giving much more than just your tithe, not that you don't give your tithe. That is, don't limit your giving to just your tithe. It doesn't mean you shouldn't tithe. Another side of the truth about "generous giving", for those who think generous giving means not tithing, is that no one has ever even given to God as generously as they should give,  in the true sense of that expression, except Jesus Christ. What am I driving at? My point here is this, you cannot give to God as generously enough as is meant. There is nothing we give to The LORD that can be generous enough to compare to His matchless gift of salvation or eternal life. So you can see why under the New Covenant there is no need for God to forcefully demand anything from us. Rather He allows us to make up our own mind on what we want to give. Therefore, whatever we choose to give to God, whether it's the 1/10th (tithe) of our earnings, or more than 1/10th, or even less, is totally up to us. It is the revelation behind our giving that determines what we choose to give and the attitude of heart with which we give whatever we have chosen to give. 

The Three Ways Anyone Can Give To 
The Church Under The New Covenant 
There are basically three ways Christians can give to the Church, under the New Covenant.  By a process of comparison of all the New Testament passages involving Christian offering,  we arrive at this salient but undeniable reality. But before I go on to explain this, you will agree that under the New Covenant, everyone gives according to their faith or trust. Jesus said, "be it unto you according to your faith." (Matt. 9: 29). 
How much you trust God determines how much you depend on Him. The degree to which you depend on God is a reflection of your faith or trust in Him. Whatever you give to God is a reflection of your faith or trust in Him. Understand this, we are the ones that determine our harvest. And we do this by our free will (i.e, voluntarily). Paul declared, "A man's harvest in life is determined by the proportion of his giving." (Gal. 6: 7)
Then again he said, "...whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Cor. 9: 6)In other words, we control what and how we give. Notice here that Paul isn't telling us what to give or not to give, whether to give our tithe or not. He's simply telling us that whatever we choose to give determines our harvest. And you are to understand also that the harvest we reap goes beyond this present world. Having said that, I will now list the three ways Christians give to the Church under the New Covenant. 
  • You can decide to give lesser than your tithe. That is lesser than 1/10th of your earnings.
  • You can decide to give your tithe. That is 1/10th of your earnings.
  • You can decide to be the super giver and give more than your tithe. That is more than your 1/10th. 
But understand that whatever you decide to give from your earnings is a reflection of your belief about Christ. It's a part of your worship. Don't let any anti-tithe preacher fool you into thinking that you can literally give all your money to God and live off on nothing. That's not God's design for us. That's not the way He wants it. And even if anyone could manage to pull it off, then that's a call to human effort, which is the enemy of Grace. God is not a greedy God who wants to take from you every penny you've got. The only way you can give God your all is through your tithe; because your tithe is God's revealed way by which we can give our all. YOUR TITHE REPRESENTS YOUR ALL. Get that clear. This is why your tithe is a unique type of seed. The choice is yours!


Did Anyone Teach Tithing in 
The New Testament?
Most Christians don't realize that the New Testament was inaugurated when Jesus shed His Blood and was put into effect when He resurrected from the dead. To confirm this, Paul said that a Covenant does not take effect until the death of the testator (Heb. 9:15 - 26).
Just as the Old Covenant was dedicated or established by blood sacrifice, likewise, the New Covenant had also to be established by the superior sacrifice of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Major parts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are not New Testament, because they occurred before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That said, I shall now continue to show that Paul taught tithing in the New Testament.
Paul taught tithing, he pointed out the following in his teaching on tithing;
  • Melchizedec Priesthood (which is the Priesthood of Christ, or New Covenant Church Priesthood) is eternal and should be honored and will continue to be honored (Heb. 6:20; 7: 1- 11, 17, 21). When Abraham gave tithes of all to Melchizedec, he did so to honor him.
  • There were two different kinds of Priesthood that received tithes (i) The Melchizedec Priesthood, which represents the Christ or New Covenant Priesthood. This Priesthood, Paul tells us, is superior to the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood, and is eternal (Heb. 7: 4 - 10). (ii) The Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood, which was the Priesthood of the Law. This Priesthood has ceased to exist. Therefore tithing to this Priesthood has also ceased. But tithing to the Melchizedec Priesthood, which is the New Covenant Priesthood headed by Christ, is still operative and will continue even into the millennial reign of Christ. Tithing to Christ is endless. In Psalm 72, David speaks prophetically that in the millennial reign of Christ, the Kings of the earth shall at that time bring presents (vs 10). The expression "bring presents", is used here in the sense of "bringing gifts." 
  • Since the Priesthood has been changed from the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood to the Melchizedec Priesthood, which does not have any relationship to the Levitical Priesthood, there also of necessity has to be a change of tithing from the defunct Levitical Priesthood, to the Melchizedec Priesthood, as God intended it to be from the beginning, even before the advent of the Law. (Heb. 7: 11-17).
  • Since the Melchizedec Priesthood is endless, then it holds that tithing to this Priesthood is also endless. (Psalm 110: 4)
  • All the Children of Abraham in Faith are encouraged to walk in his steps of faith (Rom. 4:12; Heb. 7). By giving Melchizedec a tithe of all, Abraham expressed faith in the endlessness of the Melchizedec Priesthood. Abraham tithed to Melchizedec only once, because of the privilege he had of meeting Melchizedec just once in his lifetime. He never saw Melchizedec again because the time was not yet ripe then for the Melchizedec Priesthood to take full effect, as it has today. But we can bring our tithes again and again because our Melchizedec, Christ, is always with us. We have Him with us forever in the Melchizedec Priesthood. 
  • Tithing is associated with the New Covenant in the sense that Melchizedec brought bread and wine to Abraham (Gen. 14: 18). The bread depicts the broken body of Christ, while the wine represents the shed blood of Christ (cf: Luke 22: 14- 20; 1 Cor 11: 23-34). Melchizedek's bread and wine were given to Abraham, therefore, as a representation of the LORD's Supper or the Holy Communion. This as Paul tells us implies that Abraham understood the Gospel of Grace, through the broken body and the shed blood of Christ, as God announced it to Him through his contact with Melchizedec (cf: Gal. 3: 8). The New Covenant of Grace is the fulfillment of God's dealing with Abraham because all of the promises of God to Abraham were fulfilled in Christ, having nothing to do with the Law of Moses. All New Covenant believers are involved in this fulfillment and should have nothing to do with the Law of Moses. Our tithing, therefore, is not to the Levitical Priesthood, which no longer exists, but to Christ our Melchizedec, who brought the Holy Communion, representing the New Covenant, and to whom Abraham tithed in his encounter with Melchizedec. 
Should We Separate The Tithe 
From Other Offerings
This is another question that is worth answering - Should we give our tithes separately from other offerings? The answer is yes. Actually, this question should not come up at all when we understand the uniqueness of the tithe, or what it represents. Whether you choose to separate your tithe and give it separately, or you decide to lump it up and give it alongside your general offerings is a matter of understanding. A proper understanding of what the tithe represents and its uniqueness will never lump it up with or as part of the general offering for the following reasons;


  • Tithing is a special kind of offering. It is a defined offering, but like all other offerings in the New Covenant, it is voluntary. This is to keep in line with the spirit of giving under the New Covenant. The Melchizedec Priesthood is God's Highest order of Priesthood ever. Gentile Churches were never forced to tithe in the early Church because they knew that giving under the New Covenant is basically voluntary, as Paul and the other Apostles had taught them. 
  • Secondly, the tithe is unique because it represents the whole. That is what 1/10 (one-tenth) signifies. To tithe means that; you have given your all to God
Why We Should Tithe
We are free to tithe today for the following reasons;
  • The Melchizedec Priesthood which is the New Covenant Priesthood is the only Priesthood that is still functional today. All other Priesthoods have ceased to exist. 
  • Our tithe is a witness that Jesus Christ is still alive, and that His Priesthood, which is the Melchizedec Priesthood is forever alive and functional (Heb. 7: 7-8, 16-17, 21).
  • Tithing is a recognition of Christ as the head of the Church, and from Him, all our blessings proceed. (1 Cor. 4: 7; Eph. 1: 22; 5: 23; Col. 1:18; 2: 10)                                                                                                                             You can see why the tithe is different from all other offerings we give. Tithe refers to Christ's Headship of the Melchizedec Priesthood of which we belong in the New Covenant. There is no other offering we give that can take the place of tithe and what it represents or stands for. The tithe as we must understand stands for or represents Headship. It means that the Headship of the New Covenant Priesthood belongs to Christ.

Conclusion
If anyone comes to you claiming that tithing has ceased to exist today or that its no longer necessary, or important, they should equally show you as proof that the Melchizedec Priesthood which is the endless Priesthood of Christ has ceased to exist, or is no longer functional. For as long as a particular Priesthood is still existent, it then implies that tithing to that Priesthood is still valid. The Melchizedec order of Priesthood which is the Priesthood of Christ is still very much alive and active forever more.! You can now understand why Satan is against tithing. He is craftily attacking the Priesthood of Christ. One final thing we should learn here is that; the truth set forth under the New Testament clearly reveals that it is not the amount of the seed sown but the spirit in which it is given that determines its value and power. Whatever you choose to give to the LORD is a reflection of the revelation that you have of Him. Your tithe represents your "ALL". And its main purpose is; to witness to the everlasting and eternal Priesthood of Jesus Christ, our High Priest. When you give your tithe, you are simply giving a witness that Jesus Priesthood is alive and active forever, and will still be in His millennial reign. After all,  no one tithes to a dead (non-existent and non-functional) priesthood.



Prize Chukwuka. 

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