Melchizedek

Bread and Wine

Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.—Genesis 14:18

The text above mentions two items which are the same as the symbols Jesus used at the Last Supper to represent his body and his blood. Those symbols represent the wholeness of his life given for us as our ransom. “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). “This is my blood ... shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

In the book of Hebrews, the apostle Paul makes it clear that Jesus fulfilled the picture of Melchizedek. What Melchizedek did for the men following Abraham, Jesus fulfilled in giving the antitypical bread and wine to the seed of Abraham.

The narrative in Genesis about Melchizedek is brief, only seven verses (Genesis 14:18-24). That this brief record of history provides a symbolic illustration of Jesus, is indicated in Psalm 110, where the name Melchizedek appears for only the second time in the entire Old Testament. Psalm 110 is a Messianic Psalm. Verse four (ASV) says: “Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” This was sufficient to alert Paul that Melchizedek was a divinely intended picture of our Lord Jesus.

Psalm 110 carries a heading that says it is “A Psalm of David.” It might as well mean that it is a psalm about David. The psalm does fit King David in many ways. But as David himself was a figure of Jesus, so this psalm is commonly recognized to have its deepest application to our Lord Jesus.

Verse four refers to “the order of Melchizedek.” This does not mean that Melchizedek, the priest, had an entire “order” of priests and under priests in his entourage. It is not like referring to the “Benedictine Order,” or the “Mendicant Order,” which suggests a large number of members comprising a religious following. The word “order” in Psalm 110:4 is from Strong’s #1700, “a reason, suit, or style.” It means a priest in the style and pattern of Melchizedek. Rotherham captures the thought well: “After the manner of Melchizedek.”

When Paul cited this phrase in Hebrews 5:6, “after the order of Melchizedek,” the word “order” is the Greek word taxis, Strong’s #5010. Taxis means a “regular arrangement ... rank or character ... official dignity.” In other words, it refers not to number, but to type, style, manner, or kind. Rotherham renders it “according to the rank of Melchizedek.” The New World translation reads “according to the manner of Melchizedek.” Both translations capture the thought. Melchizedek was a single priest. Our Lord Jesus fulfills this picture, and he is a single priest.{FOOTNOTE: Jesus also inherited the throne of David, as a single king. The throne was passed down through the line of David to the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, and was overturned in the ruin of the kingdom of Judah. Then it was no more “until he [singular] come whose right it is,” and it was given to him (Ezekiel 21:27). That Jesus was the singular heir to that throne does not mitigate against the fact that he generously offers to the elect, that they may sit with him in his throne (Revelation 3:21). Likewise, that Jesus is the singular fulfillment of Melchizedek, does not mitigate against the saints joining with him in serving the world during the millennium as associate priests (Revelation 20:6).}

An Immediate Application

Psalm 110 was evidently written with King David in mind, and the passage fits him well. Jehovah had chosen David and determined to use him to expand the dominion of Israel under his leadership: “Jehovah said unto my Lord [David], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (verse 1, ASV). Verse two describes this anointed king as ruling from Zion, from where David ruled. He was to rule “in the midst of thine enemies,” and conquer them—as David conquered many kings and thus expanded his domain.

The meaning of verse three is better understood in the NIV than in the King James version, though it is understandable in both: “Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth” (NIV). In other words, the youthful, valiant men of Israel would freely serve the cause of their king, flock to his leadership, and prove successful.

Verse four is the one that speaks of David as a “priest.” The word in the Hebrew, is kohen, Strong’s #3548. It is the usual Hebrew word translated “priest” in the Old Testament. But it has a broader meaning than what is indicated by the English word “priest.” Strong’s Concordance defines it as “literally, one officiating.” Other than “priest,” it is also rendered “chief ruler, prince, principal officer.” The breadth of meaning in this word allows it to describe David, even though he was not specifically a Levitical priest.{FOOTNOTE: For example, 2 Samuel 8:18 says “David’s sons were chief rulers.” The phrase “chief rulers” is a translation of the Hebrew word kohen.}

This verse indicates David would be a “chief ruler” of the sort that Melchizedek was, and David does fit this description in a variety of ways. Both served as King of Salem, presuming Salem was the ancient name of the place later called “Jeru-salem.”{FOOTNOTE: Strong’s Concordance defines “Jerusalem” to mean “founded peaceful.” The name comes from #3384, yarah, and #7999, shalam. Yarah means “properly, to flow, as water ... transitively, to lay or throw.” Evidently this part is carried into Jerusalem to mean laid down or “founded.” Perhaps this name was adopted by someone who built up the city in a more complete way, and thus “founded” the former place of Salem. Shalam is defined as “to be safe ... figuratively to be completed; by implication to be friendly.” From this perhaps is extruded the thought of “peace,” the oft reported meaning. (The word so often rendered “peace” is shalom, Strong’s #7965, “safe, i.e., [figuratively] well, happy, friendly; also [abstractly] welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace.”)} Melchizedek was a political ruler and he served a religious role—David was a political ruler, and though not technically a priest, he also served a religious role, both in seeking a place of honor for the ark of the covenant, and leading Israel to be obedient and faithful to Jehovah.

Even the name Melchizedek fits the time of David. He was King of Israel, and the Hebrew word for king is melchi. The faithful Levitical priest in the time of David was Zadok (meaning “righteous”), and through him the religious influence of David was exerted (2 Samuel 8:17; 15:24). The combination of the two words yields melchi-zadok—Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was an abiding priest, in the sense that his passing was not recorded. David was made a ruler “for ever” in the sense that God promised David the power of the throne would always be vested in his family line. That was a remarkable promise. Every king over Jerusalem for eighteen generations was of the descent of David. By comparison, the royal line of the ten-tribe kingdom that split away in the days of David’s grandson, Rehoboam, was normally overthrown every three or four generations. Ultimately the right of rulership from King David vested in Jesus, a son of David who literally abides forever.

Verse five refers to David at the right hand of God, striking through kings in the day of his wrath, thus subduing them. Verse six speaks of the consequences: the conquest of opposing kings and their armies. Verse seven speaks of God’s sustaining power to keep, preserve, and sustain him, “lift up his head.” All these favors did accrue to King David.

The Fuller Application

However, as Christians realize, the psalm is fulfilled more deeply in the son of David, our Lord Jesus, and this is the application Paul made in the book of Hebrews.

Paul’s point in Hebrews is that Jesus has instituted a higher service, replacing the rudiments of the Law Covenant, so that Christians, even Jewish Christians, should not look to the old arrangements for their rescue and blessing. They should look to Christ and his higher ministry.

In the first chapter of Hebrews Paul made the point that Jesus is higher than angels because the angels administered the Law to Israel. By showing that Jesus is superior to the angels, he emphasized that the service of Jesus is higher than the ordinances of the law (Hebrews 2:2; Galatians 3:19).

In the fifth chapter of Hebrews, Paul introduced the subject of the priesthood that Jesus fills. He explained that Jesus in his exalted state does serve as our high priest, but he is a priest like Melchizedek, rather than like Aaron. Paul’s discussion continues through chapter seven, where he explains that Melchizedek was greater than Levi. Thus the priesthood of Jesus (Melchizedek) is higher than the priesthood of Levi (the tribe of Aaron).

Paul then made a central point. If the priesthood serving our needs had changed from the Levitical, to the Melchizedek, this necessarily means that the whole Law Covenant, so intertwined with the Levitical priesthood, is no longer in force as the agent of blessing in this age of grace: “The priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (Hebrews 7:12).

How Jesus is Like Melchizedek

Aaron of the Levitical priesthood, and Jesus of the Melchizedek priesthood, are alike in one respect: both were called of God (Hebrews 5:4,5). To demonstrate the calling of Jesus, Paul quoted Psalm 110:4, where God said: “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:6; 7:17).

Paul connected the time when Jesus entered upon his Melchizedek service, with the time mentioned in Psalm 2:7, “Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee” (Hebrews 5:5). This, in turn, is connected by Paul in Acts 13:33 to the resurrection of Christ. In other words, Jesus began his Melchizedek service upon his resurrection to the heavenly nature when he entered eternal life.

After digressing from the subject of Melchizedek in Hebrews chapter six, Paul returned to the subject in the last verses of that chapter. There he speaks of Jesus having ascended into heaven, “within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever [never to die again] after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19,20).

In Hebrews 7:1,2, Paul showed that both the office Melchizedek held, and his name, refer prophetically to Jesus. By office he was King of Salem, which means “King of peace.” By name he was Melchizedek, “being by interpretation king of righteousness.” Both designa-tions clearly fit Jesus.

Melchizedek’s parentage was not recorded for us, “without father, without mother [of record, thus] without pedigree [margin],” unlike Levitical priests, who had to demonstrate their pedigree from Aaron. The priesthood of Jesus, like Melchizedek, did not depend upon tracing his roots to Aaron (Hebrews 7:3).{FOOTNOTE: Twentieth Century New Testament, Ferrar Fenton, Lamsa, and the Complete Jewish Bible, all agree (editor).}

Also, Paul noted that the record does not mention the passing of Melchizedek, whereas the death of Aaron is recorded. The contrast indicates that the antitypical Melchizedek will be without end of days. This fits Jesus, who now has eternal life: “Having neither beginning of days [no genealogy on record], nor end of life [on record]; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3).

Next, Paul observed that Melchizedek was greater than Levi, for Abraham, from whom Levi descended, paid tithes to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:4-10).

Paul had more comments on the subject, but he paused to make a point, using a rhetorical question: “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood ... what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek?” (Hebrews 7:11). The point is clear: perfection, completion, wholeness, comes to us under the greater, more glorious, Melchizedek priesthood. We are free from the Law.

In the paragraph above, an ellipses indicates a portion of verse 11 has been omitted. That portion is rendered “for under it [the Levitical priesthood] the people received the law” (KJV). The rendering does give the sense, but it obscures the construction Paul used, and thereby obscures a connection Paul intended with a later text in Hebrews 8:6.

Here is the Kingdom Interlinear, for the relevant part of each text (the word order is modified to reflect the sense in English): “For upon it [the Levitical priesthood] the people has been legally set” (Hebrews 7:11). “Upon which better promises has been legally set” (Hebrews 8:6). In each case something has been “legally set,” or established—the service of the Law upon the priesthood of Aaron, the service of grace upon the priesthood of Melchizedek.

The expression in English, “has been legally set,” appearing in both texts, is from a single word in the Greek, nenomothetetai, Strong’s #3549. In Scripture the word appears only these two times. Strong’s gives the meaning “to legislate, to have enactments injoined, be sanctioned.” There is a clear distinction between the age of Law, and the age of grace, and this distinction is demonstrated by the two different kinds of priests officiating in each.

In Hebrews 7:20,21, another comparison is noted. The Aaronic priesthood was not established with an oath, whereas Psalm 110:4 does introduce an oath respecting the Melchizedek priesthood. By this standard also, the latter is superior.

There is another comparison in verses 23, 24. The Aaronic priesthood was filled by different people over time because death caused a change of office holders, whereas the Melchizedek priesthood is unchanging because Jesus is undying.

Verse 26—Paul says the higher priest who serves us is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” He is clearly superior to the sinful and afflicted priests of the Old Testament.

Verse 27—The Aaronic priests offered sacrifices which needed repetition, because they did not actually remove sin, whereas our high priest offered once for all, because his offering is ever efficacious.

Verse 28—The Aaronic priests had infirmities, whereas our high priest is “perfected [margin] for evermore.”

Joseph, the Butler, and the Baker

The bread and wine, given by Melchizedek to sustain Abraham’s men, are found again in the account of Joseph. Like Melchizedek, Joseph also is a picture of our savior. Jesus died to provide our redemption. His sacrificed life —flesh and blood—provides our redemption. Thus it is appropriate that these symbols appear within the Joseph narrative at a time when Joseph represents Christ in the prison house of death.

Joseph had been condemned under a false accusation, just as Jesus was condemned under a false accusation. While Joseph was in prison, he encountered two of Pharaoh’s servants, the baker (bread supplier), and butler (cup bearer). The two servants had similar dreams, and each asked Joseph for an interpretation.

In the butler’s dream there were three clusters of grapes which he squeezed into a cup and gave to pharaoh. Joseph said the three clusters represented three days. On the third day the butler would be exonerated, restored to be the cup-bearer to Pharaoh again. And so it happened. Likewise, Jesus would be raised on the third day, exalted to the right hand of God, and provide the wine of redemption that “cheereth God and man” (Judges 9:13).

In the baker’s dream there were three baskets of breadstuffs, which birds took and carried away. Joseph said the three baskets also represented three days. On the third day the baker would be hanged and his flesh—like the bread —would be plucked by birds and be gone. Jesus, on the third day, would not be raised with his flesh. The flesh would be gone forever, given “for the life of the world” (John 6:51), just as the birds carried away the flesh of the baker.

The two symbols here represent the totality of Jesus’ human life given for our redemption. One illustrates that Jesus will be raised to administer the joyful blessings flowing from that redemption. The other illustrates that his flesh, or human nature, was forever sacrificed for our redemption.

Loaves and Raisins

The same symbols appear in modified form in an episode about King David. His men were tired, on the run, despairing, and in need of nourishment. Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, a son of Saul, provided them “two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins,” and other amenities (2 Samuel 16:1). It is a common thought that Saul’s forty-year rule represents the Jewish age, David’s forty-year rule represents the Gospel age, and Solomon’s forty-year rule represents the Millennial age. This is a key to understanding this episode from David’s life.

Mephibosheth, favored by David, but of the line of Saul, represents those of faith among the Jewish people who received the favors of Christ by receiving him as their Messiah. It was through those Jewish brethren that others, Gentiles of faith, were nourished in the gospel, for the word came to them through the Jews who had faith. “The Gospel of Christ ... is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Perhaps the “two” (hundred) loaves depict the lessons about Christ contained in the two parts of the written word of God, the Old and New Testaments, that were composed mostly by Jewish men of faith. The bunches of raisins are “fruit of the vine” preserved for later use. Through early Christians, primarily Jewish, the word went out to the Gentile world offering them the blessing of redemption.

Two Essential Emblems

The human life of Jesus, given in sacrifice for us, is depicted in the emblems passed the evening of the Last Supper. We need them to have life. During this age, the benefits provided by Jesus’ sacrifice enable us to yield our justified lives in sacrifice with Christ, for the prospect of a heavenly reward.

After this age closes, the world will be nourished with the same redemptive value we have received. For them also it will remove Adamic condemnation, and allow them to progress upward, back into the image of God. For them, also, it will mean everlasting life. By that time the heavenly calling will have closed, and the world will have the opportunity to enjoy everlasting life on the human plane, as Adam and Eve were originally offered. It will be a lesser, but nevertheless a wonderful reward, and they will rejoice in it greatly: “It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).