Melchizedek's order

[friend of]

For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:17 NIV)

This verse is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. But there is something I don't quite understand about it. For someone to be of the order of something means to proceed from it, not precede it. If I am of the order of such and such, that means that such and such was before me, I was generated by it. How could Jesus proceed from the order of anyone, like Melchizedek, when He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last? Shouldn't Melchizedek proceed from the order of Jesus Christ, who is eternal? Why would Jesus be bound by any order of procession?

Just who is Melchizedek anyway?

discuss

 

[Jim B]

Genesis 14:17-20: "After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by the Most High God,
Creator of heaven and earth.
Worthy of praise is the Most High God,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything."

Melchizedek was a priest to whom Abraham gave tribute, so clearly he was superior to Abraham. Here is the NET translator's note about him: Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Ps 110 the Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek."

 

[lforrest]

The order of Melchizedek is a royal priesthood. Melchizedek was king of Salem. Jesus Christ is king of kings.

There is an untold story behind the fall of Salem. For some reason it didn't survive the proliferation of idolatry.

Did Malkizadech have to watch as his kingdom crumbled around him? And his people fell pray to every false god.

 

[Episkopos]

The order of Melchizedek is a royal priesthood. Melchizedek was king of Salem. Jesus Christ is king of kings.

There is an untold story behind the fall of Salem. For some reason it didn't survive the proliferation of idolatry.

Did Malkizadech have to watch as his kingdom crumbled around him? And his people fell pray to every false god.

Actually Salem (shalem) is not a place. In Hebrew the word shalem is very close to the word shalom. Now Jesus is the Prince of peace (Sar Shalom). We know that Shalom is not a place, do we not? Shalem is akin to this.

It is not possible to understand what shalem is without understanding prophetic things. Shalem speaks of the perfection of intimacy with God. The word Jerusalem...is actually JeruSHALEM...or...you shall see perfection.

God will perfect what is imperfect in our understanding and in our relationship with Him.

A present experience of shalem comes with the danger of becoming presumptuous. Being born again is an experience of shalem. The warnings of God to the "Shulamites" (born again ones) comes with the warning to repent...4 times...more than any other warning in the Bible.

"Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies." Song 6:13

Any encounter with God makes one "Shalem"....or knowledgeable of God's intimacy. Jacob returned "Shalem" from His encounter with God.

The two camps are from the Jews and the Gentiles who are meant to be one flock ...AFTER they both repent from their selfish stance that has elevated their souls in contrast to the selfless nature of God. Until we repent there will be no One New Man.

 

[Webers_Home]

.

Shouldn't Melchizedek proceed from the order of Jesus Christ, who is
eternal? Why would Jesus be bound by any order of procession?

Most Christians readily attest that Jesus is fully God and fully Man, while in
reality they believe that he's some sort of divine hominid because real men
are not eternal beings. Real men got their start with Adam on the sixth day
of creation.

While true that the Word spoken of by John 1:1-3 is an eternal being, the
flesh that the Word became in John 1:14 isn't an eternal being. In point of
fact, according to Rom 1:3, the Word's flesh came into being by means of
David's flesh. His came into being by means of Abraham's flesh, and his by
means of Noah's flesh, and on down the line to Adam's flesh.

Sometimes it's a bit difficult for Christians to accept that the Word exists as
creator and created simultaneously. But high priests like Melchizedek are
taken from among real men rather than divine hominids; and for good
reason-- real men can relate to fellow men, whereas a divine hominid
would have no fellow men; and would be too alien to relate to anyone but
himself.
_

 

[lforrest]

Actually Salem (shalem) is not a place. In Hebrew the word shalem is very close to the word shalom. Now Jesus is the Prince of peace (Sar Shalom). We know that Shalom is not a place, do we not? Shalem is akin to this.

It is not possible to understand what shalem is without understanding prophetic things. Shalem speaks of the perfection of intimacy with God. The word Jerusalem...is actually JeruSHALEM...or...you shall see perfection.

God will perfect what is imperfect in our understanding and in our relationship with Him.

A present experience of shalem comes with the danger of becoming presumptuous. Being born again is an experience of shalem. The warnings of God to the "Shulamites" (born again ones) comes with the warning to repent...4 times...more than any other warning in the Bible.

"Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies." Song 6:13

Any encounter with God makes one "Shalem"....or knowledgeable of God's intimacy. Jacob returned "Shalem" from His encounter with God.

The two camps are from the Jews and the Gentiles who are meant to be one flock ...AFTER they both repent from their selfish stance that has elevated their souls in contrast to the selfless nature of God. Until we repent there will be no One New Man.

Allegories aside, I believe that Abraham really met with Malkizadech. As Abraham gave him 10% of everything he owned. And refused to take anything from Malkizadech. It's not likely for Abraham to refuse God's provisions or for 10% of everything he owned to be spirited away.

I initially thought Malkizadech to be a preincarnate appearance of Christ. Because of the many parallels. But consider that Abraham had seen another preincarnate appearance before the judgement at Sodom. He Identifed this man as the Lord and conducted himself differently than with Malkizadech.

So I've come to believe Malkizadech to not be a preincarnate Christ, but a mortal king of that day.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
• Ps 110:4 . .The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind; "You are a
priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

On the page of scripture, Mel had neither father nor mother,. And as far as
the Bible is concerned, he produced no descendants to follow in his
footsteps. The thing is: priests are normally required to show their
genealogy to qualify for the post; for example:

• Ezra 2:61-62 . . And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah,
the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the
daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: These
sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but
they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the
priesthood.

From a certain point of view, Mel is an eternal being, viz: there's no record
of his birth and there's no record of his death; indicating that a
Melchizedekian priest has to be someone who was never born, and who
has yet to die.

Now, our Jesus was a mortal man. The Bible has his genealogy, plus a
record of his birth, and a record of his death. However; our Jesus is no
longer reckoned a mere mortal, now he's a deity. In point of fact according
to Phil 2:6-11 Jesus Christ is authorized to be respected, to be spoken of, to
be spoken to, and to speak for himself, as God.

As far as the Bible is concerned, Jesus Christ is an eternal being because his
possession of the name of God affords him all the attributes of God: the
whole ball of wax, so to speak. Bottom line is: our Jesus easily qualifies for
the position of a Melchizedekian priest.

Now the thing is: Mel's position is that of a high priest. This is very
important because the official high-priest slot has room for only one man at
a time and he remains in it till he's dead. Well; Jesus Christ died that one
time and he's never going to die ever again so he's the last of the Mohicans;
so to speak. Thus his term in office; "You are a priest forever"
_

 

[Davy]

For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:17 NIV)

This verse is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. But there is something I don't quite understand about it. For someone to be of the order of something means to proceed from it, not precede it. If I am of the order of such and such, that means that such and such was before me, I was generated by it. How could Jesus proceed from the order of anyone, like Melchizedek, when He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last? Shouldn't Melchizedek proceed from the order of Jesus Christ, who is eternal? Why would Jesus be bound by any order of procession?

Just who is Melchizedek anyway?

discuss

Apostle Paul in Hebrew 7 revealed that Melchizedek is about our Lord Jesus Who met Abraham and offered Abraham "bread and wine". In the latter part of John 8, Jesus said Abraham rejoiced to see His day, and he saw it and was glad.

The meaning of Lord Jesus being a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek is pointing to Jesus as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, even from ETERNITY. And the important question to ask is -- was Jesus The KING of old, after the order of Melchizedek before... He was born of woman in the flesh? YES! Even before Abraham, even before Adam, even in the old world before Satan first rebelled.

In other words, Lord Jesus has ALWAYS, from ETERNITY, been The KING. The name Melchizedek Paul says means "King of righteousness" (king of the zadok, i.e, the just, literally). That has always been Jesus' Office. And that's actually why Hebrews 7 reveals that order in connection with Lord Jesus.

What does the "bread and wine" that Melchizedek offered to Abraham represent? Signs of the New Covenant. Do you think Jesus in that time when He met Abraham was offering Abraham the tokens of the New Covenant? Yeah, He was, as God's Promise by Faith according to Apostle Paul was first given through... Abraham, even 430 years prior to the giving of the law through Moses (Galatians 3; Romans 4).