Seeking Out Seekers of Truth
Who is the mysterious Biblical person?
Never born and never dies?
Every person out there should have heard of the name Melchizedek. A most mysterious person of the Christian Bible, the Jewish Torah, and Islamic Qur’an, Melchizedek is clearly one of the closest people to the Creator, the protector of the Mission of Jesus, the Overseer of all of Creation, and the best friend the Human race will ever find.
If you were to look up Melchizedek in various religious resources this is what you would find.
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Priest of "God Most High" who appeared in patriarchal times, but whose significance was remembered throughout Old Testament times and eventually explained in the Book of Hebrews.
Melchizedek and Abraham. Melchizedek of Salem came out to pronounce a blessing on Abraham who was on his way back to Hebron after rescuing Lot from Kedorlaomer, king of the East ( Gen 14:18-24 ). Melchizedek provided food and wine for a sacral meal. As they ate, Melchizedek pronounced a blessing on Abraham in the name of God Most High.
The willingness with which Abraham acceded to Melchizedek as a priest of God Most High is a most interesting aspect of this narrative. This name apparently connoted the same meaningful theology to Abraham as the name "God Almighty" ( Exod 6:3 ). Abraham also equated God with "Creator of heaven and earth" ( Gen 14:22 ; cf. v. 19 ) in his ascription-confessional to the king of Sodom
A Priest Forever. Psalm 110:4 reads: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" This is a royal psalm. Two significant points are made about the One who is to sit at God's right hand. First, the order of Melchizedek is declared to be an eternal order. Second, this announcement is sealed with God's oath. Neither of these affirmations applied to the Aaronic order of priesthood.
Jesus Christ as the Great High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews presents Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, as a priest after the order of Melchizedek (4:14-7:28, esp. 5:5-11 ; 6:13-7:28). The author draws directly from Psalm 110:4 several crucial points to explain that the high priesthood of Christ has superseded and is superior to the priesthood of Aaron.
First, the priesthood of Melchizedek is an "order forever" ( 5:10 ). In contrast, the priesthood of Aaron had a history of disruptions and termination.
Second, the references to being "without father or mother" ( 7:3 ) and to being an "order forever" ( Hebrews 7:3 Hebrews 7:16 Hebrews 7:17 Hebrews 7:24 ) are to be understood as referring to the kind of priestly order rather than to the longevity of a particular priest of Abraham's time. Jesus even carries the longevity of his priesthood back to the Godhead (Hebrews 7:15 Hebrews 7:26 ; cf. 1 Peter 1:20 ).
Third, the divine guarantee for the priesthood of Melchizedek rests on God's oath.
For the writer of Hebrews to look at these Old Testament passages about Melchizedek along christological lines is in keeping with the practice of other New Testament writers. Early Christians were convinced that it was they upon whom the end of the ages had come and hence felt that the Old Testament was written in some divinely intended way to point to them.
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King of righteousness, the king of Salem
The question as to who this mysterious personage was has given rise to a great deal of modern speculation. It is an old tradition among the Jews that he was Shem, the son of Noah, who may have survived to this time. Melchizedek was a Canaanitish prince, a worshipper of the true God, and in his peculiar history and character an instructive type of our Lord, the great High Priest ( Hebrews 5:6 Hebrews 5:7 ; 6:20 ). One of the Amarna tablets is from Ebed-Tob, king of Jerusalem
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King of justice
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(King of righteousness ), king of Salem and priest of the most high God, who met Abram in the valley of Shaveh, which is the kings valley, brought out bread and wine, blessed him, and received tithes from him. ( Genesis 14:18-20 ) The other places in which Melchizedek is mentioned are ( Psalms 110:4 ) where Messiah is described as a priest forever, "after the order of Melchizedek," and ( Hebrews 5:1 ; Hebrews 6:1 ; Hebrews 7:1 ) ... where these two passages of the Old Testament are quoted, and the typical relation of Melchizedek to our Lord is stated at great length. There is something surprising and mysterious in the first appearance of Melchizedek, and in the subsequent reference to him. Bearing a title which Jews in after ages would recognize as designating their own sovereign, bearing gifts which recall to Christians the Lords Supper, this Canaanite crosses for a moment the path of Abram, and is unhesitatingly recognized as a person of higher spiritual rank than the friend of God. Disappearing as suddenly as he came, he is lost to the sacred writings for a thousand years. Jewish tradition pronounces Melchizedek to be a survivor of the deluge, the patriarch Shem. The way in which he is mentioned in Genesis would rather lead to the inference that Melchizedek was of one blood with the children of Ham, among whom he lived, chief (like the king of Sodom) of a settled Canaanitish tribe. The "order of Melchizedek," in ( Psalms 110:4 ) is explained to mean "manner" = likeness in official dignity = a king and priest. The relation between Melchizedek and Christ as type and antitype is made in the Epistle to the Hebrews to consist in the following particulars: Each was a priest, (1) not of the Levitical tribe; (2) superior to Abraham; (3) whose beginning and end are unknown; (4) who is not only a priest, but also a king of righteousness and peace. A fruitful source of discussion has been found in the site of Salem
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Melchizedek
During Abram's sojourn in Canaan this priest and king met and treated him with hospitality (Genesis 14:18-20 ). Much mystery appears to hang about this distinguished personage. Various theories have been advanced concerning him. Some assert that he was God Almighty. This is not a fact, for he was "the priest of the most high God" ( Genesis 14:18 ). Others assert that he was Jesus Christ. This is not a fact, for he was "made like the Son of God" ( Hebrews 7:3 ). It is asserted in the Scriptures that he was a man ( Hebrews 7:1-4 ). If you will reflect that the Scriptures deal with him in his official capacity, the difficulties and mysteries surrounding him will immediately vanish. Let us take a closer view. The history of the world, from the Biblical standpoint, naturally divides itself into three different periods, which for want of better terms I will designate, the Patriarchal dispensation, the Jewish dispensation, and the Christian dispensation.
Each dispensation is characterized by a priesthood peculiarly its own. There was no regular priestly line from the transgression to the giving of the law of Moses. In a general way, it may be asserted that every man was his own priest ( Genesis 4:1-4 ; Genesis 12:7 Genesis 12:8 ; Genesis 15:8-18 ; Genesis 26:19-25 ; Genesis 31:43-55 Genesis 35:1-15 ; Genesis 46:1 ). During this age Melchizedek appeared. He was king of Salem
We know that he did not belong to any special priestly order. His priestly office was independent of all other men. In the priestly office he was without father, and without mother, and without descent. No record was kept of his installation as priest, his official acts, or his death, hence, so far as the record is concerned, he was without beginning of days or end of life. At the inauguration of the second dispensation an entire family was set apart to the priestly office, and the priestly office remained in that family, and was transmitted from father to son and from generation to generation to the death of Christ ( Exodus 29:1 Exodus 29:29 ; Numbers 17:1-13 ; Numbers 18:1-7 Hebrews 7:11 Hebrews 7:23-28 ). David predicted that a priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek ( Psalms 110:4 ).
This is repeatedly affirmed by the author of Hebrews. The priesthood of the Christian dispensation is after the order of Melchizedek, and not after the order of Aaron. Jesus became a priest when he entered heaven by his own blood ( Hebrews 8:1-4 ; Hebrews 10:11-12 ). His priesthood is independent. He had no predecessor, and he will have no successor. He will remain in heaven and officiate as priest until the work of redemption is done.
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Gib Kocherhans wrote an article titled "The Name “Melchizedek”: Some Thoughts on Its Meaning and the Priesthood It Represents." He wrote this for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, better known as Mormons. There is a Priesthood of Melchizedek within the Mormon Church. In these article excerpts he says;
Why, then, does that sacred priesthood, which was titled the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God, bear Melchizedek’s name rather than that of some other prophet and patriarch (see D and C 107:3). After much study, I have concluded that the name Melchizedek is a name of deep significance, and that we can know, at least in part, why the Lord selected this particular name to identify his holy priesthood.
Too often a search to understand such things ends before it begins. Old Testament matters, we often conclude, are so peculiar and unusual that few can expect to understand them. So we give no further thought to any relationship between the name and ourselves.
But what of the name Melchizedek? Here is a term even stranger to our experience than Aaron. Yet the name is so significant that it is used to identify the order of priesthood by which the Savior atoned for the sins of the world (see Heb. 5–8). Why is Melchizedek given the singular honor of having the higher priesthood bear his name when we wish to avoid too frequent use of the Lord’s name (see D and C 107:3–4).
“Melchizedek was a man of faith, … And his people … obtained heaven” (JST, Gen. 14:26, 34). But this criteria would suggest that the priesthood could just as well bear the name of Enoch (see Moses 7:13, 21)—by virtue of the compelling impact of his similar accomplishments.
In fact, this miracle of both Melchizedek and Enoch preparing and then seeing translated an entire city into the presence of God is indeed a feat so powerful upon the imagination that none should misunderstand the allusion to either a Melchizedek or an “Enochian” priesthood as being the priesthood powerful enough to take us to heaven. Perhaps at last we have found the reason.
Yet, why is it that only Melchizedek has his name used to designate the “Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God”?
We turn again to the scriptures and see that they explain that it “is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest” (D and C 107:2), and that “there were many before him, and … many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention” (Alma 13:19; italics added).
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In truth, there are many names and responsibilities related to the Creator given to Melchizedek and there is no one else in the sacred texts garnering so much attention and evoking so much mystery.
Clearly, this is a person of high privilege to have direct access to the Creator and Jesus Christ among many others in the world outside of time.
My intention is to let you decide for yourself.
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In an article titled THE GREEN MAN AND THE KING OF SALEM, published October 7, 2013 by Philip Jenkins, the following excerpts reflect the Qur’an and Melchizedek.
One very popular Qur’anic hero is al-Khidr, “The Green One,” who appears in Sura 18, al-Kahf, verses 60-82. Seeking Wisdom, Moses travels to meet “One of [God’s] servants”, whom commentators universally identify as al-Khidr (18.65). Moses, in unexpectedly meek mode, begs to follow the Servant as a disciple, despite al-Khidr’s constant warnings that Moses could not stand the pace.
Through Islamic history, al-Khidr has fascinated scholars and ordinary believers alike. They note that Moses treated him so respectfully, suggesting that he was very important, and perhaps a prophet, or at least a saint, a wali, a friend of God. In tradition, also, he never died, placing him in a select category limited to Idris, Ilyas and Isa (Enoch, Elijah and Jesus). In some versions, he owes this immortality to having found and drunk the Water of Life. Sufis rank him very highly as one who attained the highest levels of mystical insight.
The most important thing we know about al-Khidr is who he is not. He cannot be a Biblical figure who is named elsewhere in the Qur’an, or he would have been identified accordingly. That immediately rules out Moses (obviously), Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, and many other obvious names. Subject to that limitation, he must be a figure known in Jewish and Christian memory as a mysterious being of extreme supernatural power, one of mysterious origins, without known circumstances of birth or death.
Unless I am missing something obvious, that really leaves only one candidate, and that is Melchizedek, King of Salem
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If you have not had the opportunity to meet and communicate with one having the mystical and spiritual status of Melchizedek you should try, because his perspective is with The Creator and Jesus and he has spent since the Beginning of Time trying to help guide us to eternal salvation.
This and the other articles I write under the Conversations with Melchizedek title are my attempt to share with you the enormous wisdom and teachings of this immortal being who has been to Earth many times in many forms working to keep us all on the Road to Kingdom Come.
However, it is up to you, as you travel the Road to Kingdom Come, to discover the remaining truths we must find. No one can tell you what to think. You and you alone, must seek out, find the answers to our salvation, and then help lead all others to salvation and reunion with the Creator..
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