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WHO WAS MELCHIZEDEK?

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 12, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 15.

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WHO WAS MELCHIZEDEK?

By G. W. Reaser

EVERY Bible student meets with questions, the solution of which will, for a time at least, baffle his knowledge. If he be a persistent student, his mind will frequently revert to such questions, until the time comes when, with additional light focused upon the problems, harmonious and perfectly satisfactory solutions will either gradually develop, or flash suddenly upon his mind. The discovery of such questions is but a natural result of the pursuit of the thoughts of the Infinite One by the finite mind; and, instead of being an objection to Divine Revelation, is rather a proof thereof; for it is written, “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are . . . My thoughts [higher] than your thoughts.”
The Melchizedek who met Abraham, on the return of the latter from his victorious pursuit of Chedorlaomer, was not, as some have thought, the Messiah; and yet Christ is Melchizedek. These statements, altho apparently contradictory, are perfectly harmonious.
Reference is made but twice, in the scriptures which antedate the birth of Christ, to the subject of our inquiry, by his official title,—“Melchizedek” (See Gen. 14:17-20; Ps. 110:4). Doubtless he is mentioned in connection with a group, or order, of equal associates, in the first and second chapters of the book of Job, but in these instances his title is not disclosed. It is left for the inspired writer of “the Leviticus of the New Testament,” the book of the priesthood of the new dispensation (Hebrews), more fully to reveal and establish the identity of this individual.

Exaltation of Christ.

The divine purpose in the writing of each book of the Bible is the unfolding of the complete plan of salvation for mankind; yet each book has its specific purpose, its link to supply, in the golden chain of heaven-born truth. The distinct purpose in the writing of the book of Hebrews is to exalt and magnify, to beautify and glorify, the priesthood of Christ. The Subject of this inspired epistle is first declared to be equal with the Most High fellow-God, with the fulness of creative power inherent in Him; and so far superior to the highest angels in glory, that all of these mighty messengers are invited to unite joyfully in His worship.
It is further stated that, notwithstanding His exalted position, His infinite greatness, His supreme power and glorious majesty, He condescended to take upon Himself the weak, fallen nature of sin-defiled humanity, “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham; . . . that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest.”
The argument of the first two chapters of the book under consideration is concentrated upon the first verse of chapter three, in the invitation to the “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” to “consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”
In continuation of this discourse upon the exalted priesthood of Christ, frequent reference is made to the fact that He was made of God, an High Priest “after the order of Melchizedek,” and in this thought is the climax of the argument reached; the complete glorification of the greatest high priest known to the universe, set forth.

After the Order of Melchizedek.

This oft-repeated statement of Inspiration, in declaring Christ to be “a priest after the order of Melchizedek,” is neither incidental nor accidental. The Holy Spirit does not thus employ language, nor play upon words. The purpose of Jehovah must be to convey to our minds new conceptions of truth and beauty relative to the priesthood of Christ. But this effort of the Infinite Mind to exalt Christ as our Great High Priest, is partially lost upon us unless we can discern the full import of the significance of the Melchizedek priesthood, and grasp the beauty and grand reality of the truth intended to be imparted to us in styling our Saviour a “High Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” There could be no force or meaning to the expression if there is no solution to it.
Is it possible that the strength of the discourse, the beauty of the culminating point of the book of Hebrews, in exalting the priesthood of Christ, is lost to earnest Bible students?—Not so, if we can solve the problem which now claims our concentrated attention. If any fear “trespassing upon forbidden ground,” I intrench myself confidently behind the invitation, “Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus,” in His office as priest “after the order of Melchizedek.”
Perhaps the first point that we should note in our investigation is, that there was a time in the life of Christ when He was not a high priest (Heb. 5:5). When He was clothed by His Father with the office of priesthood, He was ordained to be a priest “after the order of Melchizedek” (verse 6).
The thought of the “order” of the Melchizedek priesthood should next claim our attention. Certainly more than one individual is required to constitute an order. Naturally we would grasp the idea of a group of persons associated together in like official position or social capacity, to form an order. Take, as an example, the order of priesthood called “the Aaronic.” There were many priests in this order, of whom Aaron was the first in point of time, hence the name.
Just how many priests there are in the “order of Melchizedek” it is not necessary for us to know at present. We have knowledge of two individuals who are mentioned as being of the Melchizedek order of priesthood; the priest who met Abraham is one; Christ is “another”; after the same order (Heb. 7:15).
A succession of monarchs have reigned upon the throne of Great Britain. Each man in this line, or order, was called a king. The Melchizedek who blessed Abraham is one priest in a certain class; Christ is another of the same class, or order, He also being given the same title,—“Melchizedek.”
That the Melchizedek of Genesis was not Christ is proven by the statement that he was “made like unto the Son of God,” and again by the fact “that after the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest” (verses 3, 15). Thus Melchizedek was one, and Christ “another” in the same “order.” Christ had a pedigree. His ancestry is distinctly traced from Adam. Matthew 1; Luke 3. Melchizedek has no pedigree. He did not enter this world by birth into our human family as did Christ. He had, as a priest, no “beginning of days” as an infant; he departed from this world without an “end of life.” Christ was both born and died. Therefore these two persons were distinct individuals, but each a priest after the same order.
Melchizedek doubtless came into existence in the same manner as Adam. He did not begin life as “an infant of days.” He was not born, but created. His first appearance upon the stage of action was in the full stature of his manhood. So with Adam. Both were “without father, without mother” in the sense of birth as applied to the membership of our human family, subsequent to the first pair. Adam, like Melchizedek, would have been favored with “an endless life,” an unchangeable priesthood, had he not forfeited his divine right by sinning.
A clue to the identity of Melchizedek is suggested in his name. Interpreted, it signifies “King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.” Somewhere this illustrious character ruled over a righteous kingdom, in a peaceful, sinless, and bloodless city, called “Salem.”
In the days of Abraham are we to suppose that there was, in truth, a righteous kingdom with a capital city of peace in this world, over which this priest-king ruled? The only cities of that period, of which we have any historical record, were centers of wickedness, strife, and bloodshed; of which Sodom and Gomorrah were illustrious examples. Had there been a righteous kingdom upon earth, there would certainly have been some annals of it, either in sacred or profane history. In the silence of both, we are driven to the conclusion that there was no kingdom of righteousness in this world, nor a capital city, entitled to the peaceful name “Salem.” Therefore the kingdom of Melchizedek was not in this world.
Had there been such a nation, surely God would have used it for the promulgation of His truth in the earth; and, instead of calling Abraham, to make of him a great nation, which should be the custodian of His truth, He would simply have called him to join himself to the righteous nation already established under the sovereignty of Melchizedek.
There are, however, other inhabited worlds in space; and are we not, at this point, justified in asserting our knowledge as to the names of the permanent capital cities of two of these worlds?—one being “Salem, City of Peace;” the other, “Jerusalem,”—“God’s City of Peace” (Rev. 21:1-3). Melchizedek reigning in Salem; Christ to reign in the New Jerusalem.
Unquestionable proof that Melchizedek was not a member of our human family is found in the fact that he was not chosen as “father of the faithful,” which high honor was conferred upon Abraham; altho it is expressly stated that Melchizedek was a “better” personage than Abraham (Heb. 7:6, 7). If there was a member of our human family upon the stage of action in Abraham’s day who was conceded by Inspiration to have been superior to Abraham, surely the “better” would have been chosen to occupy the exalted position of “father of the faithful.” Still further evidence that he did not belong to our race is supplied in the statement that he “abideth a priest continually.” “Here men die.”
Salem, Oregon.
(Continued next week.)