Melchisedec

 

¹ 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; ² 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; ³ 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. ⁴ Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

¹¹ 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? ¹² For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. ¹⁵ And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, ¹⁶ Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. ¹⁷ For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec… (Heb 7:1-17)

  Most teachers pass over the significance of this other priesthood. The priesthood up until the New Testament had been Levitical — the seed of Levi who were of the priesthood of Aaron. Until the Law, there seemed be no priesthood at all, but indeed, there was. Levi had not been born when Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec. The writer to the Hebrews was trying to explain to the Jews the true priesthood of Melchisedec, and that Jesus was a priest of that order. The Hebrews would have been quite familiar with Melchisedec from their Torah (Book of the Law). He was writing about the encounter of Abraham with the King of Salem, to wit:

¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. ¹⁹ And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: ²⁰ And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. ²¹ And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.” ²² And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth…” (Gen 14:18-22)

What is known from Genesis:

1.       Melchizedek was king of Salem.

2.       He served to them bread and wine in remembrance of something.

3.       He was a Priest of the Most High God.

4.       That God is possessor of heaven and earth.

5.       He blessed Abram of the Most High God.

6.       And Abram blessed him in remembrance of deliverance from the enemies.

7.       Abram had lifted up his hands to the Most High God. 

  First off, theologians misunderstand “king of Salem.” Salem was not the city of Jerusalem as is supposed because the Jebusites built that city and owned it at that time. In Hebrews it is written that Melchisedec, “Is King of Salem, which is, King of peace; ³ Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God.” He could not be priest of the city of Jerusalem. Hebrews validated that; he was King of Peace, and “Salem” means “Peace.”

  That “King of Peace” refers to Jesus, who at His birth was Prince of Peace: “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” (Isa 9:6). Jesus would be King when He suffered death on the Cross because He died to bring Peace to those on earth. Not civil peace but spiritual peace. Priests do that! Jesus is both King and Priest of the Most High God.

  “Abram lifted up his hands to the Most High God.” He did that in the Face of God. Melchizedek is the face, hands, finger, voice, and authority of God. He was a Priest of Peace, and that is what Jesus would be! Envision Abram with Melchizedek. His hands are lifted, surely horizontally as was the custom and his position formed the Cross. Abram was surely paying homage to Melchizedek who would die for the sins of his own and mankind’s. He had delivered Abram from his enemies and would deliver Abram and his seed from eternal death. The Name, “Jesus” is theophoric, meaning “Ya delivers.” Apparently, Abram credited Melchizedek with deliverance from the enemy.

  What did they do first? Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine. Those are the “elements” of Jesus’s body and blood. As the apostles would do much later, they did that in remembrance of Melchizedek delivering them from their enemies. Melchizedek means, “My King is Righteousness” and “King of Peace.” Who is that if not Jesus?

  He Blessed Abram. Note that the translators rightfully capitalized Melchizedek’s blessing of Abram, but not Abram’s to Melchizedek. In that case, Melchizedek infused Abram with the Holy Spirit. In the case of Abram, he gave homage to Melchizedek. God alone infuses with the Holy Spirit, and surely Melchizedek was the identity of God in the Flesh.

  Then look at the additional information in Hebrews: “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.” That is not in the Geneses account. Where did the writer of Hebrews obtain that crucial information? It was either inspired by God or it came from some other writings. The Books of Enoch were writings about things the angels showed Enoch in the heavens. It was not inspired but witnessed first-hand by Enoch and the writer of Hebrews concurred! Now look at what Enoch wrote for the rest of the story: (The following is quite lengthy but is well worth the read. I tells of the birth of the first Melchizedek. Have removed less significant passages for brevity). 

Behold, the wife of Nir, 〈whose〉 name was Sopanim, being sterile and never having at any time given birth to a child by Nir –

And Sopanim was in the time of her old age, and in the day of her death. She conceived in her womb, but Nir the priest had not slept with her, nor had he touched her, from the day that the LORD had appointed him to conduct the liturgy in front of the face of the people.

And when Sopanim saw her pregnancy, she was ashamed and embarrassed, and she hid herself during all the days until she gave birth. And not one of the people knew about it. And when 282 days had been completed, and the day of birth had begun to approach, and Nir remembered his wife, and he called her to himself in his house, so that he might converse with her.

〈And〉 Sopanim came to Nir, her husband; and, behold, she was pregnant, and the day appointed for giving birth was drawing near….

And Sopanim spoke to Nir, her husband, saying, “O my lord! Behold, it is the time of my old age, and the day of my death has arrived. I do not understand how my menopause and the barrenness of my womb have been reversed…”

And it came to pass, when Nir had spoken to his wife, Sopanim, that Sopanim fell down at Nir’s feet and died…

Now, let us go quickly and let us bury her secretly, and the LORD will cover up the scandal of our shame.” And they placed Sopanim on the bed, and they wrapped her around with black garments, and shut her in the house, prepared for burial. They dug a grave in secret.

And a child came out from the dead Sopanim. And he sat on the bed at her side. And Noe and Nir came in to bury Sopanim, and they saw the child sitting beside the dead Sopanim, and wiping his clothing. And Noe and Nir were very terrified with a great fear, because the child was fully developed physically, like a three-year-old. And he spoke with his lips, and he blessed the LORD. And Noe and Nir looked at him, and behold, the badge of priesthood was on his chest, and it was glorious in appearance. And Noe and Nir said, “Behold, God is renewing the priesthood from blood related to us, just as he pleases.” And Noe and Nir hurried, and they washed the child, and they dressed him in the garments of priesthood, and they gave him the holy bread and he ate it. And they called his name Melkisedek…

“But, concerning the child, don’t be anxious, Nir; because in a short while I shall send my archistratig, Michael. And he will take the child, and put him in the paradise of Edem, in the Paradise where Adam was formerly for 7 years, having heaven open all the time up until when he sinned.”

“And this child will not perish along with those who are perishing in this generation, as I have revealed it, so that Melkisedek will be the priest to all holy priests, and I will establish him so that he will be the head of the priests of the future…”

“And behold, Melkisedek will be the head of the 13 priests who existed before. And afterward, in the last generation, there will be another Melkisedek, the first of 12 priests. And the last will be the head of all, a great archpriest, the Word and Power of God, who will perform miracles, greater and more glorious than all the previous ones. He, Melkisedek, will be priest and king in the place Akhuzan, that is to say, in the center of the earth, where Adam was created, and there will be his final grave. And in connection with that archpriest it is written how he also will be buried there, where the center of the earth is, just as Adam also buried his own son there – Abel, whom his brother Cain murdered; for he lay for 3 years unburied, until he saw a bird called Jackdaw, how it buried his own young. ”And there will be another Melkisedek, the head of priests reigning over the people, and performing the liturgy for the LORD…”

“Don’t be frightened, Nir! I am the LORD’s archistratig. The LORD has sent me, and behold, I shall take your child today. I will go with him and I will place him in the paradise of Edem, and there he will be forever….”

And the LORD will tell him that he should to out to that mountain where stands the ark of Noe, your brother. And he will find there another Melkisedek, who has been living there for 7 years, hiding himself from the people who sacrifice to idols, so that they might not kill him. He will bring him out, and he will be the first priest and king in the city Salim in the style of this Melkisedek, the originator of the priests. The years will be completed up to that time – 3 thousand and 4 hundred and 32 – from the beginning and the creation of Adam. (2 Enoch 71-72) 

  That says much! First off, it reveals how Melchizedek is without father or mother. Sopanim was not a virgin like Mary, but her womb was like Sarai’s, wife of Abram. But also, like Elizabeth’s who became pregnant with John although her womb was barren. Like those much later, Melchizedek’s birth was a miracle. She was impregnated with the waters (semen) of God just as the universe was in the beginning. Sopanim, like the others to come after, was not the mother of Melchizedek in a biological sense but was his spiritual mother. Her womb was on loan from God for incubating the Son of God.

  Although righteous, Nir was not the father of Melchizedek. God was his biological and spiritual Father. It appears that God put on flesh twice; to save mankind from water, and to save mankind from fire. God was through with His vessel, and when Melchizedek was incubated enough, Sopanim died but Melchizedek remained not only alive, but as mature as a three-year old. Like Jesus long after, his adversaries would be hunting someone less than two, but he was born at a maturity of three years old. Perhaps Jesus was well beyond His years all along, as well! “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” (Mat 13:54).

  The wisdom of Jesus astonished His friends and neighbors when He was but twelve. Melchizedek astonished them all because he was mature from the womb, even speaking like an adult. What do you suppose he was saying? He most certainly was sharing the Word with Noah and Nir. How else would they know that peril was coming except from the Word of God?

  “He will be the head of the priests of the future.” That is the same role of Jesus. He was a priest on the order of Melchizedek. They both were head of all priests. The archangel, Michael said, “The LORD has sent me, and behold, I shall take your child today. I will go with him and I will place him in the paradise of Edem, and there he will be forever….” In Hebrews, it is written about Melchizedek, “Having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Melchizedek was eternal. Jesus is eternal. There are not two eternal beings who are Sons of God. Scripture says that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. For that to be true, Melchizedek has to be Jesus who came into the World to save Noah and his household.

  The “Paradise of Edem” is the Garden of Eden. Melchizedek was placed there for posterity. As I have written before, the Paradise of Eden is coincidental to the Garden of Eden. Paradise is the same place but in a different realm. That invisible realm is the Place of Peace, or Salem. Jerusalem is the physical realm in which Paradise still exists. It is the “foundation of peace,” and the Foundation Stone is that Foundation of Peace.

  Enoch wrote, “He, Melchizedek, will be priest and king in the place Akhuzan, that is to say, in the center of the earth, where Adam was created, and there will be his final grave.” Akhuzan is the Foundation Stone, it makes the center of the Earth as well as the celestial axis. On that Foundation Stone is where Adam was created. Obviously, the Garden of Eden is not in Iraq, but Israel and Salem and Jerusalem are the spiritual and physical foundation. They coincide but in different realms.

  Melchizedek was kept in the invisible Paradise until God revealed Him again. Melchizedek would not have human flesh, but glorified flesh to allow Him to translate from one realm to another with ease. The virgin birth was providing new glorified flesh for King of Righteousness and King of Peace. Is that heretical? “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.” (John 1:1-2). Just where was Jesus (John 1:14) in the beginning? He was with God and He IS God! Melchizedek was there recreating after the deluge just as Jesus will be to regenerate the heaven and the earth. God cannot be confined, nor can He be defined by His flesh. I submit that Melchizedek was not a brother to Jesus, and another Son of God, but the only begotten Son of God!

(picture credit: Getty Images)