Christ, a Priest after the order of Melchisedec

By John Thiel

Christ was a priest after the order of Melchisedec. To get a correct understanding of Jesus priesthood, we need to understand the order of Melchisedec. Who was Melchisedec? He was a king of Salem. Salem was Jerusalem. Later on, King David adopted the city.

As soon as David was established on the throne of Israel he began to seek a more appropriate location for the capital of his realm. Twenty miles from Hebron a place was selected as the future metropolis of the kingdom. Before Joshua had led the armies of Israel over Jordan it had been called Salem. Near this place Abraham had proved his loyalty to God. Eight hundred years before the coronation of David it had been the home of Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God. It held a central and elevated position in the country and was protected by an environment of hills. Being on the border between Benjamin and Judah, it was in close proximity to Ephraim and was easy of access to the other tribes. {PP 703.1}

That was where Melchisedec was king in that literal city. We’re looking at a human being that was a king in that city. The people knew of him, even the king of Sodom.

As the procession is about to descend the Mount of Olives, it is intercepted by the rulers. They inquire who and what is the cause of all this tumultuous rejoicing. As they, with much authority, repeat their question,–Who is this? the disciples, filled with a spirit of inspiration, are heard above all the noise of the crowd, repeating in eloquent strains the prophecies which answered this question. Adam will tell you, It is the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head. Ask Abraham, he will tell you, It is Melchisedek, King of Salem, King of Peace. Jacob will tell you, He is Shiloh of the tribe of Judah. Isaiah will tell you, Immanuel, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Jeremiah will tell you, The Branch of David, the Lord, our righteousness. Daniel will tell you, He is the Messiah. Hosea will tell you, He is the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord is his memorial. John the Baptist will tell you, He is the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. The great Jehovah has proclaimed from his throne, This is my beloved Son. We, his disciples, declare, This is Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of Life, the Redeemer of the world. And even the Prince of the powers of darkness acknowledges him, saying, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.”  {2SP 395.2}

A human can’t be called the prince of peace therefore this being must be divine.

Jesus was made after the order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 5:6 As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Apostle Paul says, we have many things to say regarding Melchisedec.

Hebrews 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

Here is an important issue, the bible does speak about him, and what it does say, is very plain and simple. Do you notice he finishes saying there are many things yet to say?

He talks about the terrible danger that exists if you lose the beginnings and drift away from what you have experienced of God.

Hebrews 6:19 Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

We are talking about a subject that is very important for a anchor for a our soul.

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without looking at any commentary, what are you recognition’s as it reads there? If there is a human being that is a king of righteousness, he has to be divine? In Melchisedec and in Jesus we are dealing with king of righteousness. Both Jesus and Melchisedec are priests of the most high God. We are not putting any interpretation on this, we are reading. Can you think of any other occurrences where it mentions of verses simular to the above.?

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

1 Tim 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall show, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Luke 19:38 Saying, Blessed [be] the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

This is our danger of listening to scholars who don’t read the bible exactly as it reads.

Hebrews 7:3 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.

7:4 Now consider how great this man [was], unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

He is eternal, he abideth continually. Who is he? What is he saying? Consider him. In verse 4 it says he was a man which is why the bible scholars have said this, of course, would not be literally true of Melchisedec.

It is true there is no record of Melchisedec. They are saying that it can’t be true of Melchisedec who is that being that ever liveth. Let us establish from the bible that what these Seventh Day Adventists have quoted that he has no beginning or end and there is no record of his death.  No end of life or beginning of days.

Is it talking about Christ in verse 8? It is talking about the one who Abraham gave his tithes to. Men that die (Levites) receive tithes. Who is that talking about? Melchisedec.

It can’t be construed. According to the bible, Melchisedec is someone who has not died. That is the scholastic interpretation of Melchisedec. They are saying he is not of eternal life like Christ. He is only a representation Christ. They are saying which is wrong. According to what we read, he is eternal.

Hebrews 7:10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

7:13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

7:14 For [it is] evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

7:17 For he testifieth, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope [did]; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

7:20 And inasmuch as not without an oath [he was made priest]:

7:21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

Jesus is the similitude of Melchisedec.  What is the similitude of Melchisedec? An endless life.  The bible is explaining itself, there is enough written here to not draw another conclusion.

The priests were appointed, not by God, but by an unbelieving government. The position of priest was bought and sold like goods of merchandise. Thus it was that Caiaphas obtained the office.  He was not a priest after the order of Melchisedec, by God’s appointment. He was bought and sold to work wickedness. He never knew what it was to be obedient to God. He had the form of godliness, and this gave him the power to oppress (MS 102, 1897). {5BC 1105.6}

God has never left Himself without witness on the earth. At one time Melchisedek represented the Lord Jesus Christ in person, to reveal the truth of heaven, and perpetuate the law of God (Letter 190, 1905).  {1BC 1092.8}

It was Christ that spoke through Melchisedek, the priest of the most high God. Melchisedek was not Christ, but he was the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father. And all through the generations of the past, Christ has spoken; Christ has led His people, and has been the light of the world. When God chose Abraham as a representative of His truth, He took him out of his country, and away from his kindred, and set him apart. He desired to mold him after His own model. He desired to teach him according to His own plan (RH Feb. 18, 1890). {1BC 1093.1}

20 (Gen. 28:22; Lev. 27:30). Tithing Goes Back to Days of Adam.– The tithing system reaches back beyond the days of Moses. Men were required to offer to God gifts for religious purposes, before the definite system was given to Moses, even as far back as the days of Adam. In complying with God’s requirements they were to manifest in offerings their appreciation of His mercies and blessings to them. This was continued through successive generations, and was carried out by Abraham, who gave tithes to Melchisedek, the priest of the most high God. The same principle existed in the days of Job (ST April 29, 1875). {1BC 1093.2}

If he is not Christ, but a representative, who was he?

Caiaphas was not a priest after the order of Melchisedec. He never knew what it was to be obedient to God. He had the form of godliness, and this gave him the power to oppress. He acted toward Christ as a priestly judge, an officiating high priest, but he was not this by God’s appointment. The priestly robes he rent in order to impress the people with his horror, covered a heart full of wickedness. Though clothed with a gorgeous dress, he was acting under the inspiration of Satan. {YI, June 7, 1900 par. 8}

Hebrews 7:3 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.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Thus these statements make the Holy Spirit a high priest forever. Every specification was met by the Holy Spirit but cannot be met by angel or human.

John 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show [it] unto you.

16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show [it] unto you.

16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

The Holy Spirit has been sent to be a representative of the father and of Jesus. That was Melchisedec. A priest of the most high God.

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Melchisedec means “my king is righteous” or “my king is righteousness.”  “Zedek” is “righteous” or “righteousness.”  The Hebrew word for “king” is “melek,” which gets shortened when it is combined with other things.  The “i” in the middle—actually, tacked onto the end of “melek” in this case—means “my.”  So the meaning of the whole name is “my king is righteous” or “my king is righteousness.”

The word Salem is the name of the city-state over which he ruled.  Apparently its longer form is the more familiar Jerusalem .  In Hebrew, Salem is a form of “shalom,” the word often translated “peace.”  This is why he is called “king of peace.”

Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God, and hence a representative of His, besides being a king.

Melchizedek (mĕl—kĭz̀ĕ—dĕk), KJV of NT Melchisedec (me¦l§ki¦z’e¦§de¦k). [Heb. Malkîṣedeq; Gr. Melchisedek, “my king is righteous” or “my king is righteousness.”] The king of Salem, and priest of the most high God who, when Abraham returned from retrieving the captives and spoil carried away by 4 invading kings, met him, gave him bread and wine, and blessed him. On his part Abraham gave him the tithes of all the spoil taken (Gen 14:1, 2, 11–20). The identity of Melchizedek has been much disputed. The Scripture gives little information concerning him. * Salem is most probably an abbreviated form of Jerusalem , as Ps 76:2 indicates. Having been both king of Jerusalem and also priest of the Supreme God of heaven and earth, he is set forth as a type of Christ, who also united the office of king and priest in Himself (Ps 110:2–4; Heb 6:20 to 7:21). See SDACom 1:308, 309; 7:439, 440.