Hebrews Chapter Seven, Melchizedek: High Priest Continually

The opposing camp suggests that Melchizedek was either a pre-incarnate Christ or an angel; so I suppose that really means this camp is even divided in opinion as to what to make of Melchizedek’s appearance in the Old Testament. Dr. Henry Morris was of the opinion that Melchizedek was a theophany of Christ, come out to greet Abraham. 

The weight of the evidence leans heavily on Psalm 110:4. It is quoted in Hebrews 5:6, 10, 7:17, 21 and inferred in Hebrews 6:20. One might further infer that Hebrews 5:1-5 and 7:17-24 already exist as expositional passages as to the appropriation and retention of the priesthood mentioned in that Psalm. Surely as it was with Aaron and Jesus, so it was with Melchizedek, that he did not take up the priestly office himself but was appointed to it by El Elyon. Further, debate continues if Salem existed as a city in that time since Ezekiel writes, “Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite,” Ezekiel 16:13, see also Ezekiel 21:30. The argument goes, then, that Salem (or Jerusalem) did not exist yet as a city for Melchizedek to rule or minister at since Jerusalem was “born” through the pagan nations inhabiting ancient Canaan.

 

Even should this be an acceptable theory, chronology still favors the potential for Salem to exist in Abraham’s day. Ham was born prior to the Flood, and after its recession he begot sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan, of whom we are the most invested in currently. Canaan, Ham’s son, begot Sidon, Heth and the Jebusites (listed first, Genesis 10:16) and his sibling nations. It is implied by the language that Canaan became the “father” or patriarch of the listings found in Genesis 10:16-18, including the boundary of Gerar, which would later be ruled by Abimelech, an upstanding ruler and contemporary of Abraham’s, though he was a Canaanite, Genesis chapter 20. We also learn that prior to the battle of kings in Genesis chapter 14, rulership of Shinar had passed from Nimrod’s hands to a man named Amraphel, Genesis 14:1. The point I am briefly trying to impress is that time had elapsed since the Flood. In three generations Ham’s prodigy had become the nations of Canaan. But Abraham, descended from Shem, was not born into that family until the 9th generation, Genesis 11:10-27, 1 Chronicles 1:24-27.

 

A little math will give us a lapse of time since the Flood, following Shem’s genealogy. From the time of the Flood to the time of Peleg (when the earth was divided) we get 101 years. 2 years go by before Shem’s firstborn is born. Then between Arphaxad’s birth and Peleg’s birth signaling the dispersion of tongues at Babel a total of 101 years have elapsed. I am fetching these numbers from Genesis chapter 11, beginning with verse 10. 2 years after the Flood Arphaxad is born. At 35 he begets Salah. At 30 Salah begets Eber. At 34 Eber begets Peleg, equaling 101 years since the Flood, or 99 years since Shem began begetting children. Following the chapter when we arrive at Terah and Abram we must do a little more math. Genesis 11:32 states that Terah died in Haran at 205 years old. Genesis 12:4 fills in necessary information, and we are made aware that Abram left Haran after his father’s death at 75 years old. The conclusion? Well, one conclusion is that Abram was not the eldest, because the math would mean he was born when Terah was 130 years old, though we are told Terah began begetting sons at 70 years old, Genesis 11:26. Though Abram receives primacy, it is because of his election by God and his importance to Jewish history; much like Shem is listed first amongst Noah’s sons though he too is not the eldest, Genesis 9:24,10:1, 10:21.

 

These polemics lead us to a total of 352 years after the Flood, and 350 years after Shem began having children until the arrival of Abram. Having already determined that 101 transpired between the Flood and Peleg, or 99 years between Arphaxad and Peleg’s birth leading to Babel and its dispersion, we can safely link that monumental moment in history with the mention of all the Canaanite families being dispersed, Genesis 10:18. This would also explain why Moses, when recording the settlement of the Canaanites into their ancient home, writes, “These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations,” Genesis 10:20. Quite the contrast from that verse’s chronological predecessor, which states, “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech,” Genesis 11:1. So about 249-253 years following the dispersion we reach Abram’s day. So how much can a population grow in 250 years? To put this into perspective, America in 1800 had a population of 5,308,483. Today it is estimated at 334,233,854. That is an increase of 63 times its former amount. We sought this solely for the purpose of establishing the possibility of large populations and the very real potential for Salem existing in Abraham’s time. Arguing anymore beyond this is conjecture and unprofitable, so let’s leave it with the possibility that a real Salem certainly could have existed.

 

Back to the matter at hand, Hebrews 7:3 continues Melchizedek’s already very impressive résumé. Claiming titles that belong to God in verse 2, it says of him that he is without mother, father, or genealogy. Furthermore it is stated that the conclusion reached here is that Melchizedek has neither beginning of days nor end of life. The naturalist explanation leans on the idea that no one knew his father, mother, or could produce his genealogy. In this instance one might paraphrase the verse, “Not knowing when he was born or confirming when he died.” However, the language the writer employs in later verses (see Hebrews 7:8) makes it difficult to explain Melchizedek in purely natural terms. Rather, it seems as if one would explain him away. The supernaturalist leans on Psalm 110:4 and David’s mention of the high priest. Even there the Psalmist writes that the Son would be appointed a High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Is the nature of the order appointed by God eternal, since it states that Jesus will be High Priest forever according to this order? If that is accepted as true, then the verse currently being considered must be read as meaning precisely what it says.

 

That implies Melchizedek is merely a cypher for God the Word, the pre-incarnate Son before He took on flesh for mankind’s redemption. The glory of this theophany, or God’s manifestation to Abraham especially, would not be unlike what John witnessed on Patmos. When the apostle heard a voice speaking to him he turned to see, and in front of him was, “One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band,” Revelation 1:13. A glorified Jesus Christ appeared to John, girt in the priestly raiment of His station as He served as our High Priest in the heavenly places.

 

Furthermore it is said of Melchizedek that he remains a priest continually, again inferring no beginning of days or end of life. Are there two such priests in this order? The strong language employed to describe Melchizedek makes it difficult to ignore the exegete that champions the supernatural explanation. Whether Salem did exist as a city of stone and mortar in Abram’s day becomes irrelevant in light of this argument. The Salem Moses referred to in Genesis would be, “the Jerusalem [that is] above is free, which is the mother of us all,” Galatians 4:26. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,” Hebrews 12:22. “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,” Revelation 21:10. No matter if one believes that Melchizedek was merely a man and a type of Christ who is to come, or that the high priest was indeed a theophany of Jesus Christ coming to bless Abraham, we ought not to make it a topic of dispute. We know that Christ came in the flesh to purge our sins and purchase Himself a people, sanctified unto good works. With Jesus our Lord in common we have all things in common.