Who is Melchisedec?

Hebrews 7:1-11

God said Jesus Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec as David describes in Psalm 110:4. To understand what that means, we need to go back and examine who Melchisedec was and what his priesthood entailed. Others have claimed to have the Melchisedec Priesthood, and this will also shed light on the validity of their claims.

Melchizedec first appears in Genesis 14, just after Abraham has rescued his nephew Lot from Chedorlaomer and the other kings involved in sacking Sodom. He is the first priest of God referred to in the Bible, and apparently the only one at the time. From the description, there was no others like him. To be Aaronic priests, they had to be descended from Aaron. There is no indication of any others. Many believe that Melchizedec was an incarnation of Christ , and as we see from his description, it seems probable.

“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” (Hebrews 7:1-3)

First, we notice the name Melchizedek, meaning King of Right or righteousness. Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Christ describes him as righteous. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

Melchizedek is also called the King of Salem or King of Peace. In Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah speaks of the Birth of Christ, describing some of the names he will be called. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Then we see the description of Melchisedec. He had neither Father or mother, nor predecessors. He is an eternal being. This description can only be taken to mean he is God. John 1:1-2 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” From John 1:14, it is easy to see that John is talking about Christ. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Clearly, the similarity is more than a title, and the final statement is that he was made like the Son of God. Christ is made a high priest forever after the same order. There could never be but one High Priest at a time. The implication is that there have only been two, and will never be any more, and those two may be the same.

“Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” (Hebrews 7:4-7)

Under the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood, the Levites were authorized to receive tithes on behalf of God. They were descendents of Abraham. Melchisedec was not from Abraham, and Abraham gave tithes to him. Natural men receive tithes here on earth, but in heaven, only those who cannot die, and Melchisedec is described as having no end. He could bless Abraham because he was greater. In effect, the Levites, who had not yet been born, payed tithes in Abraham, implying that they were lesser priests. Had there priesthood been the ultimate, there would have been no reason for another, but clearly there was a greater.

“And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:9-11)

Because the Aaronic priesthood could never complete the requirements, there was a need for another, greater priesthood, one that could take Melchisedec’s authority. Hebrews will contrast and compare the Aaronic functions with Christ’s actions to help understand why Christianity is so much better than the old Jewish religion, although there are many similarities. The similarities are deliberate. The old Jewish Religion was designed to help us understand what Christ would do. The similarity was to teach us. Galatians 3:24 says , “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

It was like a flight simulator, where we can learn the basics without the expense or danger of a mistake in real flight. It is not truly flying, but gives a useful approximation of the real thing. Those who have learned in the simulator are less likely to crash in a real plane. Those who have learned from the Law are less likely to wreck spiritually. I Corinthians 10:6 describes this. “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”