In (Genesis 14:18-20) Next, David said as a prophecy, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:1-4).Following this, Paul too has said, "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest, according to the order of "Melchizedek" of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing" (Hebrews 5:8-11)

 

May the Holy Spirit help us understand this difficult matter in the light of Scripture. Some presume that this Melchizedek is Jesus Christ as it is written of him, "king of righteousness" and "king of peace" (Hebrews 7:2).

 

Also some presume that this Melchizedek is none other than the Holy Spirit as it is written of him, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually (Hebrews 12:3) as who other that the Holy Spirit could claim to be with out genealogy?.

 

There are people who assert that this Melchizedek is Jesus Christ only as He had said, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad (John 8:56). The above incident is mentioned in (Genesis 18:15) The Lord appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre along with two angels. All three ate the food offered by Abraham. The Lord then blessed Sarah and promised that when He returns according to the time of life, Sarah would give birth to a son.

Then the two angels who accompanied the Lord went away to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. But of Melchizedek,

it is mentioned in (Genesis 14:18), that he was the priest of God Most High. Therefore Melchizedek is only the priest of God.      This priest can be presumed to have existed since the time mankind first ever started to worship God (Genesis 4:26).Only a priest will know the rules of conducting worship to the Lord. After Abraham, nothing is known about his rules of worship.

 

However the Scripture has made mention of a priest. We read in (Genesis 25:22) But the children struggled together within her; and she said, 'If all is well, why am It his way?'  So she went to inquire of the Lord". To inquire of the Lord, there should have been a priest. This Melchizedek appears to have two names. It is mentioned that the was the priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18).

Paul explains that his first name Melchizedek means 'king of righteousness' and his second name 'king of Salem' means king of peace (Hebrews 7:2). Therefore he was not only a priest but also a king ruling righteously. His very name suggests this! Our beloved Savior Jesus Christ too was given two names. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 8:14). Immanuel means 'God with us' (Matthew 1:23)

 

Further, an angel of the Lord told Joseph in his dream: "she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).These were the meanings of those names. Moreover this Melchizedek was without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually (Hebrews 7:3).As it is mentioned that he was made like the Son of God, many say that he was the Holy Spirit.

The Scriptures has never mentioned that the Holy Spirit appeared in the flesh. Only about the Son Jesus Christ, the Scripture mention that 'God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by the angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world and received up in glory' (I Timothy 3:16). Therefore Melchizedek is not the Holy Spirit. It can be said that he was created like the angels of heaven. Those who live in heaven have neither genealogy nor beginning nor end. However those who are born on this earth have genealogy, a beginning and an end. 

 

As our Lord Jesus Christ was born in this world, He too has genealogy (Matthew 1:4).This Melchizedek was said to be immortal (Hebrews 7:8). As it is written that "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27), he is not an ordinary man but a resident of heaven. He was given the superior authority of receiving tithes from even the men authorized to receive tithes. 

He appears to be greater than even Abraham (Hebrews 7:4-10). Abraham was blessed by him. We read in the Scripture that God the Father made Jesus Christ the priest following the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17,20) (Psalms 110:4). Why should have God made Jesus Christ the priest after the order of Melchizedek? Is it not enough that He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? Why then was that priesthood? Why not a priesthood after the order of Aaron?' To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'and to seeds' as of many, but as of one, 'and to your seed', who is Christ (Galatians 3:16).God spoke to Abraham and Isaac, "In your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 26:4, 22:18). The authority to bless men and to intercede on their

 

behalf with God is vested in His priests (Leviticus 9:2) (Numbers 15:22-28). There is no doubt that the greater man can bless the lesser man (Hebrews 7:7). In the same manner, Melchizedek blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20) (Hebrews 7:1). As it was the promise of God to bless all the nations of the earth in Jesus Christ, God made His Son the priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17,20).

The priesthood given through Moses was only meant for the Israelites. That priesthood would not bless all the nations of the earth nor those priests would intercede with God for all. The Levitical priesthood did not have the perfection to bring people to God (Hebrews 7:11). Therefore that priesthood was changed and God the Father sent His Son to this earth and gave Him a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek to lead the people towards perfection. Now the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of Father in heaven having received priesthood after the order of Melchizedek from Him. However we should realize that we need a priest ordained after the order of Melchizedek to bless all the nations of the earth, to intercede on their behalf, to stand in the breach and to lead all nations to God.

 

(Hebrews 7:11) says: "if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek?" 

In the same manner we see that people have not yet attained perfection though they are redeemed by the sacrifice of Lord Jesus Christ and worship God!  The Scripture calls all those redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ as priests (1 Peter 2: 9,10). Our Lord Jesus Christ too had the title of  'High Priest' (Hebrews 3:1). He (Jesus Christ) has entered through the veil for us as eternal High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20).

If anyone sins (in this world) Jesus Christ the righteous intercedes with the Father (in heaven) on our behalf (I John 2:1). Similarly we need an apostle or a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek who is authorized according to the verse: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven (the authority to tend the sheep and the lambs), and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt.16: 18,19).These days many men of God attempt to gather al spiritual people redeemed by the Lord into a single fold and to lead them to perfection by changing their evil ways.

But their aim of gathering all the spiritual people as a single church and a single body without any blemish was not realized (Ephesians .5:26,27). This is not possible by all people. As revealed to him by God, Moses recorded in the book of Genesis that there was a priest of God who gave bread and wine to Abraham, the father of believers and blessed him. "The Lord has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:4); This was the prophecy on Jesus Christ uttered several centuries in advance, by King David who had been ruling the entire Israel and worshipping the Lord according to the Levitical priesthood. Paul has written that in fulfillment of this prophecy, Lord Jesus Christ appeared and offered Himself as the eternal sacrifice and was named by God as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10).

By these records we understand these things to some extent. Like the Lord raised Moses as savior from among the Israelites to redeem them from the bondage of Egyptians and lead them on to the land of Canaan by receiving the Levitical priesthood, in these days too, God has made an arrangement by raising a savior from among the saved people of God and giving him a priesthood of perfection after the order of Melchizedek so that the people of God attain the adoption which is the redemption of their body.

The prophets like Isaiah and Daniel have attested to the above. Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man  who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also do it" (Isaiah 46:11).     "I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; He shall my city and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward", says the Lord (Isaiah 45:13).

At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1).Another distinction of Melchizedek was his immortal and eternal priesthood. And there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing (Hebrews 7:23).But He, because He continues for ever, has an unchangeable priesthood (Hebrews 12:24). In the same way, the priest (apostle) who appears in these last days too should not see death (John 11:26).

 

One can see this secret in the revelation given to John and is mentioned by way of an account on the birth of a male child. "And she bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne" (Revelations 12:1-5). Some say that this male child symbolizes the saints who are the first fruits to be taken up in the first coming of our Lord. This view is not correct as it is written in (Thessalonians 4:16,17) thus: "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord". On the other hand in (Revelation 12:5), we read of only a single male child being taken up to God and to His throne and the child then receive the authority to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Whereas we shall be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, this male child proceeds straight to the throne of God! Another order of Melchizedek is that he is both a Priest and a King.

The Levitical priesthood does not offer the right to become a king.  As Jesus Christ came from the tribe of Judah, His children have only the right to become a king. However as our Lord Jesus Christ has also received the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, His children shall receive the right to become both priests and kings (Revelation 5:9,10). Therefore we see that God is going to transfigure the man chosen by Himself, take him up to the heaven, give him the authority to rule with a rod of iron and send him back to the world to lead His children towards perfection after the order of Melchizedek. A person who is not perfect himself can not lead others to perfection. Jesus Christ did not become a priest after the order of Melchizedek soon after His birth.  "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:8-20).