Why did Melchizedek come out to Abram? Why did he bless Abram? Scripture does not say, but it appears that God must have directed Melchizedek to meet Abram and bless him. Who is Melchizedek? Genesis tells us that he is the king of a city. He is a priest of God Most High - the true and living God. It is the book of Hebrews that tells us the name Melchizedek means “righteousness” and that Salem means “peace.” He was the righteous king of a peaceful city. Since the Jews gave names to cities and to people which described them, Melchizedek must have been a godly man. The next time we see Melchizedek is in the Psalms,     The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” (NASB) Ps. 110:4   That is all the Old Testament says about Melchizedek.       Who Is Melchizedek? There is speculation in Jewish literature that Melchizedek was Shem, Noah’s son. Shem was alive at the time of Abraham. The Dead Sea scrolls say that Melchizedek was Michael the archangel. These speculations are interesting, but the Word of Life says,     Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. (NASB) Heb. 7:3   Was Melchizedek a man or Jesus? The Greek helps us answer the question. First, the word for “without father” is APATOR which refers to a person whose father is unknown, has died, or there is no record of his male parent. It was used for orphans (without father), foundlings, children born out of wedlock, outcasts, and outlaws. There is another Greek word for father. It is PTER and it refers to one’s biological or adoptive male parent. So the emphasis of Heb. 7:3 is that Melchizedek’s father is unknown. The same meaning is true for the phrase “without mother” and so the conclusion is reached, “without genealogy.” The Greek word means that Melchizedek has no traceable genealogy.           Was Melchizedek a man or an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ - a theophany? For several reasons the answer appears to be that Melchizedek was a man. First, the emphasis of Hebrews is that Melchizedek had no traceable genealogy in scripture. He has no recorded father or mother.       The phrase “made like the Son of God” means that Melchizedek was like a painting of Jesus or a type of Christ, but he was not Jesus. One well-known pastor of the past, Arthur W. Pink, has said there would be no need to say that Melchizedek was like Jesus if he was Jesus. That is probably the best statement.       Hebrews also says that Melchizedek abides as a priest perpetually, DIEVEKES. History records that Julius Caesar after just finishing a military campaign against the Gauls returned to Rome only to discover that Pompey had taken over. After Julius Caesar defeated Pompey, he was declared to be Caesar “perpetually” even though he was not Caesar before he lived, after he died or while he had been briefly deposed. He was Caesar DIEVEKES. To describe Caesar as DIEVEKES was to give him an honor. It does not mean he reigned as Caesar forever. How does Jesus compare to Melchizedek ? Later in Heb. 7:24 the Spirit says that Jesus’ priesthood is permanent, APARABATOS.         < Back    Next >
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