What does "kings and priests" mean?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09
In Revelation 1:6, St. John writes that Christ has "made us kings and priests to His God and Father." This phrase carries deep theological meaning that is rooted in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament through the Incarnation and the grace of the Holy Spirit.
To understand this correctly, we must examine both terms spiritually and maintain the clear distinction between the general (spiritual) priesthood of all believers and the sacramental (ministerial) priesthood of the Church.
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1. What It Means to Be "Kings" (ⲛⲓⲟⲩⲣⲱⲟⲩ)
In the spiritual life, Christ does not make believers temporal earthly monarchs with political crowns. Rather, He restores our original royal dignity and gives us spiritual authority:
- Sovereignty over the Passions and Sin: In the Fall, man became an enslaved captive to sin, the flesh, and the devil. Through Holy Baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Christ frees us and crowns us with authority to reign over our thoughts, desires, and passions. A true Christian rules over anger, lust, pride, and greed rather than being ruled by them. As the Desert Fathers taught, the one who conquers his passions is greater than a king who conquers an earthly city.
- Triumph over the Demonic Powers: Christ gave His disciples "authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). Believers exercise royal dominion over demonic spiritual warfare through the sign of the Holy Cross.
- Heirs of the Eternal Kingdom: Through adoption in Christ, Christians are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven (Romans 8:17), destined to reign with Him in eternity (2 Timothy 2:12).
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2. What It Means to Be "Priests" (ⲛⲓⲟⲩⲏⲃ)
This refers to the universal or spiritual priesthood shared by all baptized Orthodox Christians. In this sense, every Christian has a consecrated status and offers spiritual sacrifices to God:
- The Offering of One’s Life: St. Paul commands: "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). The believer’s heart becomes an inner altar where the old self and worldly desires are put to death.
- The Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer: The Scriptures speak of lifting up "the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15) and "the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Psalm 140:2 LXX / Psalm 141:2).
- The Sacrifice of Repentance and Good Works: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 50:17 LXX / Psalm 51:17). Sharing, charity, and acts of mercy are also called sacrifices pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:16).
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3. The Vital Distinction: Universal Priesthood vs. Sacramental Priesthood
Protestants often misuse this passage to claim that there is no distinct ministerial priesthood in the Church, arguing that since all believers are "priests," there is no need for ordained clergy or a physical altar. This is a severe theological error that contradicts both the Old and New Testaments.
A. The Old Testament Typology
In Exodus 19:6, God told the entire nation of Israel:
"And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Yet, in that very same nation, God established a specific, ordained, ministerial priesthood restricted exclusively to Aaron and his sons to serve the tabernacle and offer the sacrifices of the altar.
- When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses and Aaron using the exact protest that Protestants use today—arguing that "all the congregation is holy, every one of them" and questioning why Aaron should hold a unique priesthood—God caused the earth to open and swallow them alive (Numbers 16).
- The general holiness of the whole congregation never abolished the specific, ordained ministry of the altar.
B. The Sacramental Priesthood of the Church (ⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲏⲃ, Met-ouêb)
In the New Covenant, the general spiritual priesthood of all believers exists alongside the sacramental, apostolic priesthood instituted directly by Christ:
- Instituted by Christ: The Lord chose the Twelve Apostles from among all His disciples, breathed on them the Holy Spirit, gave them the authority to forgive and retain sins (John 20:22–23), and commanded them alone at the Mystical Supper: "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19), giving them authority to offer His true Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist.
- Passed Down by Apostolic Succession: The Apostles appointed bishops and presbyters (priests) in every city through the laying on of hands (ⲭⲉⲓⲣⲟⲧⲟⲛⲓⲁ, cheirotonia) (Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 4:14; Titus 1:5).
- The Altar of the New Covenant: St. Paul explicitly confirms: "We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat" (Hebrews 13:10).
Summary
- "Kings" means Christians rule over their passions, the world, and sin by the Holy Spirit.
- "Priests" means all baptized believers belong to God and offer spiritual sacrifices of praise, prayer, repentance, and a holy life.
- It does not erase the sacramental priesthood of bishops and priests, who are ordained by the laying on of hands to shepherd the flock and administer the Holy Mysteries.