Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Christ at the Campfire Who was Melchizedek?

Please tell me what you know about this person and what he means. Thanks [color:"green"] [/color] [color:"purple"] [/color]

jzhull,

Take a look at Hebrews Chapters 5-7 and you will discover Melchizedek is not a was but is Jesus.

A pre-incarnate Jesus? The same Jesus of the New Testament?

jzhull,



Since Jesus Is "all the fullness of Diety dwelt in bodily form" He Is the Word Made flesh. Whenever we read "the Angel of the Lord", "LORD", or "LORD God" in the Old Testament It is Jesus of the New Testament.

I don't know if I would call him Jesus, because Jesus is a man's name. The Son of God always was and is and shall be, but Jesus was begotten in the flesh. Melchizedek, the Bible says, "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."

Jesus Christ had a mother. Her name was Mary. Gong!

Melchizedek was made LIKE UNTO the Son of God. Gong!

Jesus Christ had a descent - From Adam through Jacob through Judah through David to Mary. Gong!

He certainly has a different priesthood than the Levitical priesthood, and so does Jesus Christ.

"Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." Psalm 110:4 Heb 5:6, 10 Heb 7:11, 17, 21.
Christ's priesthood is likened to Melchizedek's priesthood. Gong!

It is an old tradition among the Jews that he may have been Shem, Noah's son, but I rarely go along with tradition, for we make the word of God of none effect by our tradition.

The strongest I would say, is that he is definitely a type of Christ, and certainly typifies what Jesus Christ's priesthood is like.

But to say he is Jesus Christ is to stretch the pages of the Holy Bible, methinks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

the_shootist,

Let me get this straight. Jesus is not the Son of God?

There are some (not me) who believe that God supplied BOTH the sperm and the egg to impregnate Mary. Therefore, Jesus has NO human descent.

Dick

Give yer head a shake, Ringman! Of course, he is! Have you been smoking some funny substances? Gosh! Where did that come from? All I said was that Melchizedek probably wasn't Jesus.

Are you trying to get me cursed and proclaim me lost too? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Four times in Hebrews Christ is said to be a Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek". See scripture references below.

Question, Why would Christ Be a Preist after the order of any Fallen Man???
He is a Preist after the order of his preincarnate (in Jesus) Self.


Hebrews 5:10
called by God as High Priest �according to the order of Melchizedek,�

Hebrews 6:20
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:11
[ Need for a New Priesthood ] Therefore, 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, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

Hebrews 7:17
For He testifies: � You are a priest foreverAccording to the order of Melchizedek.�

In the Jewish/Christian historical understanding, the term refers to the uber-priesthood.

Who were they in antiquity? They were the cleanest of the clean...or the holiest of all.

Ironically, it is now the name that describes one of the upper levels of ministry in Mormonism...

Melchizedek was a notable prophet and leader who lived about 2000 B.C. He is called the king of Salem (Jerusalem), king of peace and "priest of the most High God."

I mistook what you said also, though not the same way Ringer did.

I thought you were inferring that the NAME Jesus was created. Now I have some questions about what you did say.


You said:
"I don't know if I would call him Jesus, because Jesus is a man's name. The Son of God always was and is and shall be, but Jesus was begotten in the flesh."

By this I assumed that you meant that the pre-incarnent Christ always was, and was without father or mother, but that Jesus, the incarnent Christ and the flesh of His body, did indeed have a lineage. Now, this is not to say that Jesus Christ is not God, but simply that the body of Jesus was prepared by God (Hebrews 10:5 "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:"), while His soul and spirit are eternal and have always been. Is this what you meant?

I see the arguements you have made that Melchizedek was perhaps not Jesus Christ, and I have heard them before. They are not mine, but whether he was or wasn't Christ isn't my question. I just wanted to clarify the above point.

I was referring to the fact that Jesus is the name of the virgin born MAN - the son of God and a young Jewish virgin named Mary. He was not called Jesus prior to his birth in Luke 2 or Matthew 1. He was called the Word, a son and any number of other things. He was not called Jesus in the Old Testament. As the second person of the trinity, the Son of God always existed. As Jesus, he was born around 0 BC or -4 or whatever system of chronology you adhere to. The MAN, Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5) definitely had a chronology - a family tree, if you like. Of Melchisedek, it says he was without descent.

I haven't got a clue about who Melchisedek was, or is. I know he was a priest, and a king and a prophet, and Jesus Christ fulfils all those offices. He is a prophet during his earthly ministry; he is a priest offering the sacrifice of his body on the cross; he will be the King when he ascends the throne of David in Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ is certainly more than just the King of Jerusalem. He is more than the King of Salem or peace. He is the author of peace, which he made through the blood of his cross (Col 1:20-22). He is the prophet like unto Moses, without a doubt.

Who is Melchisedek? I don't know, but "I wouldn't call HIM (Melchisedek) Jesus."

Hope that clears it up. Do I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God the Son? Take that to the bank. It is solid gold. Do I think Melchisedek is the Son of God and God the Son? I don't see how you could prove that, though Christ is called "a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek."

Yes, Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature. He was begotten in the flesh, though he was ever present in the third heaven, though he made some appearance prior to his incarnation as Jesus - the man.

Sorry that I confused so many. It is not a hard principle, but here on the net, with a bunch of type A personalities, it is difficult to find any "give." It seems one is always up against it when trying to comment on a plain and simple verse or two of scripture, because the assumption is, (and I am guilty of it too) that everybody else is wrong, and I am right.

I would certainly be a heretick if I did not espouse belief in the FACT that Jesus Christ is Lord, and he is God. I believe that he is. (Hope that lets me off the hook with some of the brethren.)

And just to clear it up, I really did get saved on April 19th, 1982, at about 3:30 pm. And although I disagree with Sanlen on some of his posts (not many) and With RickyD on some of his posts (not many) and fish280 on some of his posts (not many) and Ringman on some of his posts, I will admit that ALL of you are very likely saved in the New Testament sense. Please allow that the same may be true for me as well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

"I disagree with Sanlen on some of his posts (not many)"



I....I think I might be crushed, (sniff, sniff). Oh, cruel world.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[quote]Give yer head a shake, Ringman! Of course, he is! Have you been smoking some funny substances? Gosh! Where did that come from? All I said was that Melchizedek probably wasn't Jesus. {Quote}


My guess is that he was Shem. The son of Noah. Shem's life crossed ABraham's. He also lived to hear the words of Noah hwo se life crossed Adams. so Shem could have heard the story from his father who heard it directly from Adam. It was also the custom of the oldest person of a tribe to be the spiritual leader. that would certainly be Shem.

One other thing to consider is that Abraham lived among idol worshippers. Where did he get the message of the One true God. Father Shem?

Interesting thought.

Straight,

I know folks who go along with you. I see your reasoning, but I don't see enough evidence from the Bible to stake my reputation as a teacher of the word of God on it. I will not endorse it. Shem had a mother and a father, and a descent. He had a beginning of days and he lived 600 years, so he had an ending of days as well.

Although I see some of your reasoning, it fails some of the Bible's tests.

We know the office of Melchezidek is a continual office. My question to you is this: Are we talking about the person or an office? In Hebrews it talks about a Priest after the order of Melchezidek. If it is an actual person in Genesis My guess, and it is only my opinion, Shem is the only one who may fit the bill. But I would be interested to hear your opinion.

Blessings

The OT references to Melchizedek call him the king of Salem and a high priest. He came out to meet Abraham. That pretty well indicates an man.
I see nothing whatever to indicate that he's Shem. In fact...Gen 11:1 "The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father�s household and go to the land I will show you." Abraham got his orders and knowledge direct from God. Genesis is full of references where God spoke directly to him. Also, Salem was Jerusalem and Melchizedek was king there, not in Babylon where Abraham started out. I see no indication that Melchizedek every traveled to Ur.

In short, we don't know who he was because God chose to not tell us. It's pure speculation and putting words in God's mouth to put a name on him.

Dick

"In short, we don't know who he was because God chose to not tell us. It's pure speculation and putting words in God's mouth to put a name on him."


I absolutely agree. As Shootist said, there are specific Bible tests for him. I understand the thought of wether the Bible is referring to the office or the man, but I see nothing in the Bible to indicate it was anything but the person, rather than the office. In short, he is either a preincarnate Christ, or we have no idea who he was.

[quote]The OT references to Melchizedek call him the king of Salem and a high priest. He came out to meet Abraham. That pretty well indicates an man. [quote]

That name "King of Salem" litterally translates to "King of Righteousness". There is too little to know to make the assumtion that he was a man. For all we know he was King of All, and the bible just mentions Salem. I don't think you can disregard the posability of an OT Christophany.