Who is Melchizedek?

[Bread and Circus]

Hebrews 6:19-20; 7:1-3, 12-20

We have this [hope]—like a sure and firm anchor of the soul—that enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a "high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. "For this Melchizedek—

King of Salem, priest of the Most High God,
who met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings,
and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything;
first, his name means "king of righteousness,"
then also, "king of Salem," meaning "king of peace";
without father, mother, or genealogy,
having neither beginning of days nor end of life,
but resembling the Son of God—
remains a priest forever.

If, then, perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise in the order of Melchizedek, and not to be described as being in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. For the One about whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has served at the altar. Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah, and about that tribe Moses said nothing concerning priests.

And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek arises, who doesn't become a [priest] based on a legal command concerning physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. For it has been testified:
You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

So the previous commandment is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable (for the law perfected nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

None of this [happened] without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, but He with an oath made by the One who said to Him:

The Lord has sworn, and He will not change His mind,
You are a priest forever.
So Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Really an interesting passage, I think the Holman Christian Standard Bible translates the passage much better. It seems to me that Melchizedek is portrayed as a sort of precursor to Jesus. Melchizedek was the eternal priest who was replaced by Jesus, and with him "a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God." Really cool stuff, shamed I have never heard about this before.

 

[Bread and Circus]

Since it says he was "priest of the Most High God", and only "resembling the Son of God" but he "remains a priest forever". So he is not God, he is not Jesus, but he is "without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life" he is a eternal being. So my vote is other, assuming the translators got it all right (the words in brackets are what the translators put in as the words they think belongs there). Seems to me this Melchizedek guy is pretty important.

 

[moderndaymicah]

He is clearly a man and cannot be Christ. I've heard things like this before, but none of them are biblically sound.
To me he is a man who found Grace when he truly devoted himself to God, and became a priest. It IS important to know who or what he represents. I think he falls into the same category as Enoch, or Elijah who did not die and were taken to heaven.

Why is it important that Christ was a priest of the order of Melchizedek? Because Abraham paid a tenth to him. That meant that all of the Jews had paid a tenth to him, and that there was a priesthood outside of theirs and one their father had acknowledged as righteous. This means that they are all "under" this priesthood in a sense. So this really will make more sense to Hebrew people and not much to us greek minded folk who weren't in Abraham anyway. I think if you just read the whole book of Hebrews, you might figure it out. Ask for revelation in your reading, it's helped me understand the Bible beyond simple facts.

Now, something that we should clear up. All humans are "everlasting" creatures. They have a beginning but no end. God is an "eternal" being meaning no beginning and no end. However when we become Christians we are grafted onto the vine and become eternal creatures, because we have been joined, grafted, been submerged into Christ and who Christ is we are also.

Rom 6:3 Or do you* fail to understand that we, as many as were baptized [or, immersed] into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore, we were buried together with Him through the baptism [or, immersion] into death, so that even as Christ was raised up from [the] dead through the glory of the Father, so also _we_ should walk about [fig., conduct ourselves] in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have become planted together [fig., united] [with Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be [in the likeness] of the resurrection;
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our former person was crucified together [with Him], so that the body of sin shall be made useless [or, pass away], [so that] we [are] no longer to be serving as a slave to sin.

Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before [the] laying of the foundation of the world [or, before beginning of the creation of the universe], so that we shall be holy and unblemished [fig., without fault] before Him, in love,

This could also explain no genealogy if he is now identified as eternal a pre-Christian Christian he might not claim his earthly parentage. Didn't Jesus say something about that relationship to our parents?

I by no means think I know what is 100% correct though I do seem to present things that way, it is part of my nature, which has annoyed people on forums before. Since I'm new I just wanted to point out that I'm not a very pretentious or self righteous person, though my writings may read that way sometimes.

 

[ursen]

Ok late to the game as usual. Won't tell you what I voted because this is an issue which has created a lot of fuss. "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness," II Timothy 3:16, NIV. So it does have it's importance, but for the average Christian it can make for divisiveness if stressed too much. It is at points like this that we need to acknowledge that our understanding of God's Word is imperfect in many areas and make room for different opinions. It is in passages that create different thoughts that we need to remind ourselves of the basics that are important. Christ the Messiah died for our sins, was raised on the third day that we may live in Him. Essence of the gospel there, way boiled down, but what is important. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or other issues aren't really important, but how are we living in Christ daily, and how we are treating our brothers and sisters in Christ are. We see in the story of Melchizedek that God receives the honor, that is what is important, are we honoring God in our lives? After being a Christian for 39 years (give or take a few months) I find that is the essence of the story, God was being honored, can I do the same?