One of Scripture’s most striking themes is the progressive expansion of who belongs to God’s kingdom and serves as His priests. This unfolding vision highlights God’s amazing grace in inviting more and more people into His worship and service. It also shows the Biblical pattern of progressive revelation culminating in the cross of Christ and the radical changes that it brought.  

Learning of this narrative at the heart of the Bible was one of the things that most powerfully opened my eyes to Biblical truth.

From Eden’s Garden to Abraham’s Promise: The Beginning of God’s Kingdom of Priests

The story begins in Eden, which is portrayed as the first temple where God walks with humanity. Adam and Eve were called to “work and keep” the garden (Genesis 2:15)—language later used for the Levitical priests who served in the tabernacle (Numbers 3:7–8). In Eden, humanity was invited to enjoy God’s presence and extend His reign throughout the earth.

After the fall, this priestly calling does not vanish but continues to unfold in God’s plan of redemption, now centered on His promises to Abraham. God’s plan although centered on the nation of Israel hints at a blessing that extends far  beyond ethnic Israel—such as God’s promise to Abraham that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3), and the figure of Melchizedek, a Gentile priest-king who blesses Abraham (Genesis 14:18–20). And although the Torah only calls the descendants of one tribe to serve as covenant priests, it opens up space for sojourners to join in worship (Exodus 12:48–49) and commands justice and kindness toward foreigners (Leviticus 19:33–34).

All of these glimpses prepare the way for the fuller vision of a multiethnic kingdom of priests fulfilled in Christ.

Ezekiel and Isaiah’s Radical Inclusivity for Their Day

In a time when Israel’s priesthood was strictly hereditary and ethnic, the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah foresee a radically inclusive future. Both Ezekiel in his temple vision (Ezekiel 47:21–23) and Isaiah in his prophecy of a renewed Israel (Isaiah 66:21) foresee Gentiles serving alongside Israel as priests in the restored temple. This was revolutionary. For centuries, Gentiles were outsiders to the covenant community and excluded from priestly roles. These prophecies announce God’s plan to break down ethnic barriers to bring the nations into His worship.

These great prophets looked forward to a renewed, inclusive temple worship with Gentile priests. But their visions were still limited to some men offering sacrifices as part of the Levitical priesthood. These promises would find deeper fulfilment with the coming of Christ and the establishment of his Church and kingdom. The New Testament reveals the full realization of that hope

Jesus’ Promises of Living Water and the Holy Spirit: Breaking Barriers to Inclusive Temple Worship and Service

Jesus broke down barriers of worship and promised a radically inclusive vision. Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) is one of the most striking examples of how God’s kingdom transcends ethnic, gender, and social boundaries to offer direct access to worship and priestly service to all believers.

The Samaritans were deeply despised by the Jews and worshipped on a rival temple on Mount Gerazim. Jews would travel great distances to avoid crossing through Samaritan lands. In addition, Jewish men would typically avoid speaking to women publicly, much less Samaritan women. Yet Jesus intentionally crosses these boundaries to offer her living water—a metaphor for the Holy Spirit who brings eternal life and transforms worship.

One of the Samaritan woman’s most pressing questions is where she can properly worship God, in Jerusalem or Mount Gerazim. But Jesus shatters that paradigm. By offering “living water” that satisfies thirst forever (John 4:13–14), Jesus promises that the Spirit will indwell believers personally, replacing the need for any particular temple building or ethnic exclusivity. All believers will instead be able to worship God in spirit and truth.

A few chapters later, Jesus speaks at the Feast of Tabernacles, a holiday that commemorated God’s provision and presence with the Jewish people as they wandered in the desert. Jesus proclaims that those who believe in Him will be indwelt with the Holy Spirit:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink… rivers of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37–38).

John explains this refers to the Spirit (John 7:39), signaling that temple worship is no longer confined to a physical location or an ethnic priesthood but is fulfilled by the Spirit’s presence in the hearts of believers.

This aligns with Old Testament promises that the temple would be a place of God’s indwelling (e.g., Ezekiel 37:26–28), now realized spiritually in every believer (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). The Spirit makes believers living temples, enabling them to serve as priests who worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24).

The Day of Pentecost

This promise became a reality on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of God, fell upon believers.

Just as the glory of God once filled the tabernacle and later Solomon’s temple (Exodus 40:34–35; 1 Kings 8:10–11), the Holy Spirit now descends to fill God’s new temple—His people. Tongues of fire descend echoing the fire of God’s glory that rested on the tabernacle. God’s presence had moved from buildings made by human hands to dwelling within the human heart.

A Priesthood of All Believers

The Apostolic writers of the New Testament bore witness to this radical new priesthood where members were both God’s living temple and a kingdom of priests.

Paul teaches this clearly:

• “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• “And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1)

Because the Spirit dwells in every believer, there is no spiritual hierarchy that limits who can access God or serve Him as priests. We are all entitled to enter into his presence and offer living sacrifices of faith. This applies equally to men and women, reinforcing the New Testament’s teaching on the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). There were no restrictions on priestly roles based on ethnicity or gender and invites every follower of Christ to embrace their identity as a holy temple—set apart, empowered, and called to worship and serve God intimately.

This beautiful biblical reality is powerfully captured in The Bible Project’s video “The Royal Priesthood” It’s one of the clearest and most accessible explanations of how every believer is invited into this royal priesthood. I highly recommend watching it to deepen your understanding. This series was one of the things that helped me to first see these themes woven through the Bible.

John’s Vision in Revelation: A Kingdom of Priests for All Believers

John’s apocalyptic vision builds on and surpasses the Old Testament’s prophetic hope. In Revelation John declares that Christ has made His followers into a “kingdom and priests” (or a “kingdom of priests” depending on the translation) (1:6; 5:10; 20:6) This priesthood includes all believers—Jew and Gentile alike—united in Christ. Worship is no longer confined to an ethnic or hereditary class but becomes the calling and privilege of every follower of Jesus.

But John’s vision doesn’t stop there. In his climactic vision, John sees the New Heavens and the New Earth. We finally arrive at the eternal reality toward which all of redemptive history has been moving:

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
(Revelation 21:22–23)

In the New Jerusalem, there is no need for a temple because God’s immediate presence fills the entire creation. The barriers of access that defined the old covenant—curtains, courts, priests, and sacrifices—are gone forever. All of God’s people, from every nation and tribe, worship Him ceaselessly, directly, and joyfully.

John’s vision represents the fulfilment of all of God’s promises regarding an inclusive, Spirit-filled priesthood:

• Every believer is a living temple, perfected in glory.
• All nations walk in God’s light, fulfilling the promise to Abraham that all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3; Revelation 21:24–26).
• Worship becomes unceasing and universal, no longer bound to place, ritual, or lineage—only to the glory of God and the Lamb.

The story that began with a single family (Abraham), developed through a nation (Israel), and was foreshadowed in temple worship now ends with the entire redeemed creation as God’s dwelling place and all of redeemed mankind as priests to God forever and ever.