To ordain means to bestow on someone a priestly authority or to authorize as a priest or rabbi. It is granted by one of a higher authority.
Ordination is the act or ceremony in which one is ordained.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron was ordained as the first priest. This was conferred on him by Moses, as instructed by God, in an elaborate ceremony lasting seven days.
Key verse about ordination: “Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh” (Exodus 29:22, NLT).
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.