THE GOD OF JESUS: PART TWENTY-FOUR
The Melchizedek Issue
Because of the manner in which Melchizedek is portrayed in Scripture, some believe Melchizedek is one and the same with a pre-incarnate Christ. It is believed it was Jesus Christ who appeared to Abraham as the priest Melchizedek.
Genesis 14:18-20: Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Melchizedek is seen as bringing bread and wine. Bread and wine were used by Christ to represent His body and blood at the meal He shared with His disciples prior to His crucifixion. Melchizedek, as priest of the Most High God, is seen blessing Abraham. Abraham is seen as giving a tenth of everything to Melchizedek. In Psalm 110:4, the LORD (YHWH) is seen as declaring to the lord (adoni), “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” As earlier discussed, adoni pertains to Christ and YHWH is God the Father.
The writer to the Hebrews discusses the issue of Christ becoming a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:5-6, So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 5:9-10: Once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:20: He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:1-4: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!
Hebrews 7:8: In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.
The writer explains that the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” and “king of Salem” which means “king of peace.” While these specific titles (“king of righteousness” and “king of peace”) are not seen in Scripture as being applied to Christ, in an apparent prophecy about Christ, He is called Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The writer goes on to describe Melchizedek as being “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” He also is "declared to be living.”
Because of the manner in which Melchizedek is described, he is believed to be Christ since Christ is believed to reflect the properties here associated with Melchizedek. The Greek word rendered “remains” (Hebrews 7:3) is μένει (menei). It is in the Present Indicative Active tense. Greek Lexicons define the present tense as meaning "a continuous, perpetual or ongoing state of being." The phrase “to be living,” in the above passage, is also in the Present Indicative Active tense. Both of these statements indicate Melchizedek has an ongoing existence.
In view of all this, Melchizedek is believed to have existed eternally and since the Son of God is believed to have existed eternally (without beginning of days or end of life) and the writer says, “like the Son of God remains a priest forever,” it is believed Melchizedek and Christ are one and the same.
The phrase, “without genealogy” is translated from the Greek word agenealogētos. Thayer's Greek to English Lexicon defines this word as “of who's decent there is no account,” which means there is no recorded genealogy. The Greek for “without Father” is apatōr and according to Thayer's Lexicon means, “whose father is not recorded in the genealogies.” The phrase, “without mother” is the Greek amētōr which Thayer's defines as “born without a mother” and “whose mother is not recorded in the genealogy.”
Jesus has a recorded genealogy and a mother of record as found in Matthew and Luke. Since Jesus has a recorded genealogy and mother of record and Melchizedek does not, it becomes problematical that Melchizedek and Christ are one and the same. The Scripture says he was like the Son of God in relation to being a priest forever and not that he was the Son of God.
The Greek word rendered “like” in “like the Son of God,” is ἀφομοιόω (aphomoioó). It is found just this once in the NT and is defined in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon as being used in Greek literature to mean “to copy; to produce a facsimile, to be made like, rendered similar.” Strongs Lexicon defines it as “to copy, to produce a facsimile, to be made like, rendered similar” The English Standard and New Revised Standard translations renders ἀφομοιόω (aphomoioó) as “resembling the Son of God.” The relationship between Melchizedek and Christ is further defined in Hebrews 7:14-17.
Hebrews 7:14-17: For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like (Greek ὁμοιότης (homoiotés) meaning "after the similitude of") Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Melchizedek represented an eternal priesthood that can never die out. The writer compares this to the temporal priesthood under Moses that had to be continually replenished as priests died. The writer did not say Jesus is Melchizedek but that Jesus’ priesthood is similar to Melchizedek's. The writer speaks of another priest like Melchizedek appearing, one who becomes a priest, not on the basis of ancestry but on the basis of living forever. Christ is seen as becoming this priest. Becoming a priest presupposes not having been a priest at some time in the past.
Melchizedek was a priest. If Jesus was Melchizedek, He would already be the priest Melchizedek. He would not have to become the priest Melchizedek or a priest like Melchizedek. The writer clearly shows that Jesus became a priest like Melchizedek. It is contradictory to conclude Jesus became who He already was. Psalm 110 clearly shows YHWH making Jesus a priest and not that He already was a priest. Some will argue the Son set aside being Melchizedek when He became the human Jesus. As already discussed, the idea that the Son was able to divest Himself of eternal properties or add temporal properties to eternal properties to become the human Jesus and still die as the eternal God is highly problematical.
It is much more Scriptural to conclude that Jesus, as the humanly begotten Son of God the Father, became a priest in the order of Melchizedek upon completing His earthly mission. This happened in association with His receiving authority, power and glory and an everlasting Kingdom as pictured in Daniel. Admittedly, this doesn’t define or identify Melchizedek other than what we see in Genesis and Hebrews. To conclude, however, that Melchizedek is Jesus, the Son of God, runs contrary to what we see the writer to the Hebrews recording and therefore becomes nothing more than speculations based on assuming the thing to be proved.
In Psalm 76:1-2 we read, “God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion." Salem is rendered from the Hebrew word שָׁלֵם which is defined as a “proper name, of a location” (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). This is the same word rendered “Salem” in Genesis 14:18-20. Many Biblical scholars and commentators identify Salem with Jerusalem including Jewish historian Josephus. Josephus identifies Salem as a city that afterwards became known as Jerusalem.
In his Antiquities of the Jews, 1.180, Josephus writes: “where Melchisedec, king of the city Salem, received him (Abraham). That name signifies, the righteous king: and such he was, without dispute, insomuch that, on this account, he was made the priest of God: however, they afterward called Salem Jerusalem.”
In the Samaritan Pentateuch, a Hebrew text of the Torah produced by the Samaritans in 1st century BC/AD, the word Salem (Hebrew: (שלם) in Genesis 14:18 is replaced with the word Shalemo (שלמו) and appears to refer to a location near Mt Gerizim which was located in Samaria.
Salem has historically been identified as a Canaanite city-state located on the eastern hill near the Gihon Spring. It was inhabited by a people known as Jebusites when David conquered the area after which it became known as the City of David. It is believed it was the Gihon Spring that provided water to the temple for the processing of the sacrificial system. It appears that Melchizedek met Abraham in the adjacent valley of Shaveh, also known as the valley of the kings. Shaveh is historically associated with the Kidron Valley, located on the east side of Jerusalem.
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, we see a different take on the personage Melchizedek. In a fragmentary manuscript known as 11Q13 found in cave #11, there is narrative that speaks of Melchizedek as king of Salem and also as being the archangel Michael. In another scroll labeled the Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen), there is a recording of Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek at Salem. This scroll identifies Salem as Jerusalem. In the Dead Sea Scroll writings, Melchizedek is seen as coming in the end times. When he comes, he will proclaim liberty to the people, forgive them the wrongdoings of all their iniquities and deliver them from the hand of Belial. Belial is seen as the arch enemy of God (often seen as another name for the devil). The text appears to speak of Melchizedek as a supernatural messiah-like figure.
Zion is seen in Scripture as the mount upon which the city of Jerusalem is built. It anciently was a Jebusite fortress captured by King David (2 Samuel 5:6–7). The name Zion appears 161 times in the OT and 7 times in the NT. While the Temple was built on Mount Moriah which is located northeast of Mount Zion, the term Zion had come to describe the general area where the temple and city of Jerusalem were located. It was known as the city of David.
In the NT, Jerusalem is seen as the daughter of Zion (Matthew 21:5, John 12:15). In Hebrews 12:22, Mount Zion is equated with the heavenly Jerusalem. In making this analogy, the writer is showing the association between Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Revelation provides a similar analogy.
Since Zion is an actual location and in Scripture is associated with Salem as seen in Psalm 76:1-2, it’s apparent Salem was a location where Melchizedek was king as indicated in Genesis 14:18-20. This location was later identified as the place where God dwelled. “God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion" (Psalm 76:1-2).
Those who hold to the position that Christ is Melchizedek often hold to the position that Christ is YHWH. In Psalm 110:1-4, YHWH is seen as addressing Christ (adoni). As covered in Part Three, the Hebrew adoni is not a reference to deity but to man unto whom power and authority is granted. This passage of Scripture shows YHWH granting adoni the right to be at His right hand and declaring adoni to be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. If YHWH is granting adoni (Christ) authority and power and declaring adoni to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek, how can Christ be YHWH?
Trinitarians often argue that Scriptures showing YHWH speaking to the Son are showing YHWH the Father speaking to YHWH the Son in a Trinitarian indwelling of Father, Son and Spirit. Psalm 110 makes this argument untenable in so much as YHWH is not addressing Jesus as Adonai (Lord) but as Adoni (lord). YHWH is not addressing Jesus as YHWH but as a glorified servant of YHWH to whom YHWH has granted great power and authority and the privilege of being at YHWH’s right hand as a priest.
In Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek is called the priest of God Most High. If Melchizedek is a priest of God Most High, how can he be the God Most High he is priest of? In Luke 1:31-35, Mary is told she will be with child and give birth to a son, who will be called the Son of the Most High. Throughout Scripture, the Most High is identified as YHWH. There can only be one Most High. Melchizedek is shown as a priest of the Most High and Jesus is called the Son of the Most High. This clearly shows both Melchizedek and Jesus are subservient to YHWH who alone is the Most High God. YHWH, as the Most High God, is not God the Son but is the God of the Son as has been clearly shown throughout this discussion.
Who was/is Melchizedek?
We still have the question of who was/is Melchizedek? Was he a human Being or a supernatural Being? A number of English translations of Hebrews 7:4 read, “See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!” (ESV and various other English translations). Referring to Melchizedek as a man would indicate he was a human Being. However, the Greek word for man does not appear in this passage. The Greek word used here is Οὗτος (houtos) and has the basic meaning of “this one.” Therefore, it appears to simply be referring to Melchizedek without identifying who Melchizedek is.
If he was a human Being, he would have died at some point. There is no reason to believe he still exists somewhere on planet earth as a human Being. Yet it is said that he was "without beginning of days or end of life." This would appear to make him a supernatural Being. If this should the case, what kind of supernatural Being was he and what became of him?
It is said he was the king of Salem, which as covered above, appears to be an actual location on planet earth and not just a word meaning king of peace. Was there a supernatural Being acting as king of Salem? How could he be "without beginning of days or end of life" if he was only human? Such language suggests eternal existence. However, only YHWH is seen in Scripture as having no beginning or end. Scripture shows Melchizedek to be a priest of YHWH, not YHWH. Jesus is seen as being made a priest like (resembling or being a facsimile) to that of Melchizedek and not that He is Melchizedek.
In view of the above, it may be best to view Melchizedek being “without beginning of days or end of life" within the overall context of there being no recorded history of where he came from or how he ended up. It being said that he is “without beginning of days or end of life,” when seen in the overall context of having no known genealogy and no known father or mother, the phrase “without beginning of days or end of life” may simply mean no known or recorded beginning or ending of life. To conclude Melchizedek is literally “without beginning of days or end of life” is to conclude he is eternal which would be contradictory to scripture that teaches that only YHWH is eternal.