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Response
The priest Melchizedek is mentioned in three sections of Scripture. He is briefly introduced in Genesis 14:18–20. In a messianic psalm “The LORD has sworn, and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'” , (Psalm 110:4), David refers to the “order of Melchizedek” specifically: after describing the victory and glory of the Messiah, David says,
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
‘You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek'” “The LORD has sworn, and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'” , (Psalm 110:4).
The author of Hebrews, when speaking of Christ, quotes this verse in Hebrews 7:17. Therefore, Genesis provides background on the identity of Melchizedek, Psalm 110 connects Melchizedek to the Messiah, and Hebrews chapters 5, 6, and 7 describe the supremacy of Jesus as the Great High Priest, using Melchizedek’s role as an illustration of Jesus’ priesthood and kingship.
The Bible uses the phrase “the order of” to refer to a lineage. An Aaronic priest would have been a priest according to “the order of” Aaron “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?” , (Hebrews 7:11). These priests would have come from the lineage of Aaron, sharing a similar function and nature. Therefore, another translation of Psalm 110:4 states that the Messiah will be a priest “after the pattern of Melchizedek” (NET) or “after the manner of Melchizedek.”
zedek” (ISV).
Genesis 14 describes Melchizedek as the king of Salem (which would later become Jerusalem) and a priest of God Most High. Abram recognized Melchizedek’s priesthood through his tithing of the possessions he had taken in battle «And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. », (Genesis 14:16). Interestingly, this incident took place before the institution of the Aaronic line (part of the Levitical priesthood), which was to mediate between God and man under the Mosaic Law. Melchizedek was not a priest of Israel, as that nation did not exist—Abraham had no children yet. The Levites would not become a priestly tribe for another four centuries.
Psalm 110 describes the messianic nature of Jesus’ future rule, with an emphasis on Jesus’ eternality. It is in the context of Jesus’ kingship cf: Psalm 110:2 that David writes about the Messiah’s being “a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” «The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. », (Psalm 110:4). Priests according to the order of Aaron were not kings but priests alone. However, as the author of Hebrews says, Melchizedek was both a priest and a king «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; », (Hebrews 7:1). In the same way, Jesus holds the dual role of king and priest.
The eternal nature of the order of Melchizedek is presented in Hebrews 7:3: “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” In other words, Melchizedek appe
There is a mysterious figure in history with no record of genealogy or ancestral line, birth, or death. Melchizedek seems to transcend earthly existence, making him a symbol of Christ, who truly transcends earthly existence as the eternal King-Priest with no predecessor or successor in His high office.
One implication of Jesus’ priesthood in the order of Melchizedek is that the Mosaic Law was insufficient for salvation: “If perfection could have been achieved through the Levitical priesthood—indeed the law established the priesthood—why was there still a need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood changes, the law must also change” (Hebrews 7:11-12). We required a superior and eternal priesthood to save us from our sins forever. We needed Jesus, “who has become a priest not based on ancestry regulations but on the power of an indestructible life” «who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. », (Hebrews 7:16).
A priest serves as a mediator between God and humanity. In the Old Testament, the Aaronic or Levitical priests would offer sacrifices for the nation of Israel (Leviticus 16:1-28). These sacrifices had to be repeated regularly. Eventually, the priest would die, and his role as a mediator would end. Jesus, our High Priest “in the order of Melchizedek,” is not only our mediator but also our sacrifice (see 1 John 2:1-2). Due to His resurrection, death does not halt His work; Jesus remains our eternal.High Priest.
Jesus is not only the compassionate High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), but He is also the King «And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.», (Revelation 19:16). Jesus will physically reign as king in Jerusalem «The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.», (Psalm 110:2), and His kingship will be eternal «He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.», (2 Samuel 7:13). Similar to Melchizedek, who was both priest and king, Jesus embodies both roles. He serves as the eternal mediator between God and humanity and holds ultimate authority as the reigning king, poised to return and establish His physical kingdom in Jerusalem, the same city associated with Melchizedek.
