Melchizedek

Things we know

Things we don’t know

Know

1. Name – Melchizedek

2. From Salem (original name of Jerusalem)

3. King (mayor) of that city

4. Priest of God

   1. Not a pagan deity

   2. But priest of “El Elyon” (Most High God)

5. He was kind to Abraham

6. Abraham paid “tithes” to him

7. He is named in – Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6; 5:10; 6:20; 7:1-21

Don’t Know

1. Names of his parents

2. When he was born or died

3. Where he was born or died

4. His ancestry (family tree)

5. See Nehemiah 7:61, 64

6. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) comments: "The argument of Hebrews 7 is similar to the rabbinic argument from silence, which assumed that nothing exists unless Scripture mentions it. Since Genesis says nothing of Melchizedek's parents, genealogy, birth, or death, he serves as a type representing the eternal Son of God (v. 3)" ("Melchizedek," vol. 3, p. 313).

7. About Hebrews 7:3, Halley's Bible Handbook says: What is the meaning of 'without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life'? Not that it was actually so, but that it appeared so in the Old Testament Records. Levitical Priests were Priests Because of their Genealogy. But Melchizedek, without Genealogy, was the Recognized Priest of the Human Race at that time. Hebrew tradition is that Shem, who was still alive in the days of Abraham, and, as far is as known, Oldest Living Man at the time, was Melchizedek. A mysterious, solitary picture and type, in the dim past, of the Coming Eternal Priest-King. (p. 652)

A False View – Melchizedek was Christ

1. Some assume this from –

   1. no beginning, no end

   2. continually a priest

2. This view fails to understand some words

   1. Made like – to copy, to become like, make oneself like – Hebrews 7:3 “made like unto” – always requires 2 things, one of which is a clone, a copy, made to look like the other

   2. Another – Greek – heteros – another, different, another of a different sort – allos – another of the same type – Hebrews 7:15

   3. Type / Antitype – like a rubber stamp – strike against to leave an imprint, branding cattle, stamp or seal in wax

      1. Type = the pattern, blueprint, design (Tabernacle)

         1. This is the rubber stamp

         2. Thayer – the mark of a stroke, a figure formed by a blow or impression

      2. Antitype = the thing itself (Heaven itself – Hebrews 9:24)

         1. This is what the rubber stamp prints

         2. Thayer – a thing formed after some pattern, a thing resembling another, its counterpart

What We Should Learn

1. Combination of Priest and King

   1. Not possible under Law of Moses

      1. Kings from Judah

      2. Priests from Levi

   2. Jesus is BOTH

      1. Mary from Levi

      2. Joseph from Judah

2. Anointed (Hebrew – Messiah; Greek – Christ)

   1. 3 offices were anointed – Prophet, Priest, King

   2. Jesus was all 3 – He is the “Anointed One”

3. Treat others with respect

   1. Abraham honored Melchizedek

   2. Abraham returned all taken from Sodom

4. Melchizedek was higher than Abraham

   1. Abraham was a Patriarch over his family

   2. Little is known about the priesthood of this period

   3. Priesthood of Melchizedek is older than the Law of Moses

   4. It is also higher than Levitical priesthood

5. OT has many “types” (patterns, figures) of God’s Plan

   1. Hebrews 8:5 – make all things according to the “pattern”

   2. 1 Peter 3:21 – Ark is a “figure” of salvation through baptism

6. NT shows the “antitype” made from those patterns

   1. Christ – antitype of Melchizedek

   2. Church – antitype of Israel (church in wilderness)

   3. Salvation – antitype of Noah and ark

   4. Worship – antitype of tabernacle worship

Melchizedek

Things we know

Things we don’t know

Know

1. Name – Melchizedek

2. From Salem (original name of Jerusalem)

3. King (mayor) of that city

4. Priest of God

   1. Not a pagan deity

   2. But priest of “El Elyon” (Most High God)

5. He was kind to Abraham

6. Abraham paid “tithes” to him

7. He is named in – Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6; 5:10; 6:20; 7:1-21

Don’t Know

1. Names of his parents

2. When he was born or died

3. Where he was born or died

4. His ancestry (family tree)

5. See Nehemiah 7:61, 64

6. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) comments: "The argument of Hebrews 7 is similar to the rabbinic argument from silence, which assumed that nothing exists unless Scripture mentions it. Since Genesis says nothing of Melchizedek's parents, genealogy, birth, or death, he serves as a type representing the eternal Son of God (v. 3)" ("Melchizedek," vol. 3, p. 313).

7. About Hebrews 7:3, Halley's Bible Handbook says: What is the meaning of 'without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life'? Not that it was actually so, but that it appeared so in the Old Testament Records. Levitical Priests were Priests Because of their Genealogy. But Melchizedek, without Genealogy, was the Recognized Priest of the Human Race at that time. Hebrew tradition is that Shem, who was still alive in the days of Abraham, and, as far is as known, Oldest Living Man at the time, was Melchizedek. A mysterious, solitary picture and type, in the dim past, of the Coming Eternal Priest-King. (p. 652)

A False View – Melchizedek was Christ

1. Some assume this from –

   1. no beginning, no end

   2. continually a priest

2. This view fails to understand some words

   1. Made like – to copy, to become like, make oneself like – Hebrews 7:3 “made like unto” – always requires 2 things, one of which is a clone, a copy, made to look like the other

   2. Another – Greek – heteros – another, different, another of a different sort – allos – another of the same type – Hebrews 7:15

   3. Type / Antitype – like a rubber stamp – strike against to leave an imprint, branding cattle, stamp or seal in wax

      1. Type = the pattern, blueprint, design (Tabernacle)

         1. This is the rubber stamp

         2. Thayer – the mark of a stroke, a figure formed by a blow or impression

      2. Antitype = the thing itself (Heaven itself – Hebrews 9:24)

         1. This is what the rubber stamp prints

         2. Thayer – a thing formed after some pattern, a thing resembling another, its counterpart

What We Should Learn

1. Combination of Priest and King

   1. Not possible under Law of Moses

      1. Kings from Judah

      2. Priests from Levi

   2. Jesus is BOTH

      1. Mary from Levi

      2. Joseph from Judah

2. Anointed (Hebrew – Messiah; Greek – Christ)

   1. 3 offices were anointed – Prophet, Priest, King

   2. Jesus was all 3 – He is the “Anointed One”

3. Treat others with respect

   1. Abraham honored Melchizedek

   2. Abraham returned all taken from Sodom

4. Melchizedek was higher than Abraham

   1. Abraham was a Patriarch over his family

   2. Little is known about the priesthood of this period

   3. Priesthood of Melchizedek is older than the Law of Moses

   4. It is also higher than Levitical priesthood

5. OT has many “types” (patterns, figures) of God’s Plan

   1. Hebrews 8:5 – make all things according to the “pattern”

   2. 1 Peter 3:21 – Ark is a “figure” of salvation through baptism

6. NT shows the “antitype” made from those patterns

   1. Christ – antitype of Melchizedek

   2. Church – antitype of Israel (church in wilderness)

   3. Salvation – antitype of Noah and ark

   4. Worship – antitype of tabernacle worship