Moses died, according to the chronological record of the Bible, in the year B. C. 1451. Upwards of three hundred years afterwards we find Eli officiating as Priest; and although he was a good man, he did not control his sons, nor stop their iniquitous practices; for which he and his sons were reproved by the Lord. And Samuel took his place, and he selected and anointed Saul, who had, as Joshua, part of Moses' honor. And the Aaronic Priesthood continued to exercise its priestly power, more or less, until Christ; of which as appears John was the last legitimate High Priest.
In the new translation the removal of the Melchizedek Priesthood is clearly defined as follows: "And the Lord said unto Moses: Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at first on the tables which thou brakest: but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order [or the Melchizedek], and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them. But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage."—Ex. xxxiv, 1, 2.
The Lord said unto Moses: "Thou canst not see my face at this time, lest mine anger is kindled against thee also, and I destroy thee and thy people; for there shall no man among them see me at this time and live; for they are exceeding sinful. And no sinful man hath at any time; neither shall there be any sinful man at any time, that shall see my face and live."—N. T. Ex. xxxiii, 20. He did, however, place him in the cleft of a rock, and covered him with His hand, and permitted him to see His back parts; but not His face. A little while before this, Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the Elders of Israel saw God, and did eat and drink.—Ex. xxiv, 9-11. But now Moses even, could not see his face, nor any of the people go near him, and when Moses had been a second time on the mount and his face shone so that they could not look upon him, Moses had to put a vail on his face.—Ex. xxxiv, 29-35.
Paul in referring to this says: "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away."—II. Cor. iii, 13-16.
From the foregoing and from the whole history of the Aaronic Priesthood until the coming of Christ, it appears that, with the exception of some prominent prophets who held the Melchizedek Priesthood, as the direct gift of God, without, it would seem, the power to confer it upon others—not having an organization—there was very little of the manifestation of the gift and power of God among the people of the Jews, so that it might truly be said, "There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land; and in all that mighty hand, and in all that great terror, which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel."—Deut. xxxiv, 10-12.
From the foregoing it is evident:
First.—That the Melchizedek Priesthood was greater than the Aaronic, and that while it ruled, it controlled all matters pertaining to the government and instruction of the people, and that it organized and directed the Aaronic Priesthood, which was in reality an appendage to the greater.
Second.—That when the Melchizedek Priesthood was in a great measure withdrawn, as there was no regular organization of that Priesthood, it was left to a great extent to the guidance and direction of the Lord, who, from time to time, inspired different men as Prophets, who came to the people with the word of the Lord, receiving their inspiration and calling directly from him, as Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and others. But that a portion of Moses' spirit rested upon Joshua, upon the seventy Elders of Israel, upon the Prophets in the days of Elijah, Elisha and others.
Third.—That the Aaronic Priesthood continued in its full force, having a complete organization, which it received under the hands of Moses, or through the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Fourth.—That the Aaronic Priesthood, being continued, it held the Urim and Thummim, and gave direction to Joshua, who was set apart by Moses, and to Saul, David, Solomon and others, who were anointed and set apart to their kingly power, and to rule over and to lead and direct Israel, and that this state of things continued until Christ. The High Priests of the Aaronic Priesthood being the acknowledged representatives of God, holding the priestly power: whilst the kings were anointed by them, or by their priestly authority, and the kings and rulers had to get the word of the Lord from the Aaronic Priesthood, or through the Urim and Thummim.