Who was Melchizedek? An historical character or something other? He is referred to as “the strange mysterious figure”. The name Melchizedek comes from two Hebrew words, “Melek”, which means “king” and “Zedek”, which means “righteousness”. Therefore “Melchizedek” means “King of Righteousness”.
Melchizedek was the King of Salem and Salem was Jerusalem. Salem comes from Hebrew meaning “peace”. Therefore, Melchizedek was the “King of Peace”. David mentions the same person in Psalm 110:4; speaking prophetically of Christ, David said: “The Eternal hath sworn and will not repeat, Thou are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”.
Herbert W. Armstrong indicated that Abraham and the King of Sodom knew who Melchizedek was and that “this mystery figure is a mystery only to us”. Melchizedek could not have been a Canaanite because Canaan was a “descendant of Ham” and God chose Shem’s descendants to carry out His work.
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary refers to Melchizedek as “one of the few native princes, if not the only one, who knew and worshipped, ‘the Most-High God’, whom Abram served”. The commentary goes on to say that in Hebrews 7:1 this king was a type of “Savior” who “came to bless God for the victory which had been won, and in the name of God to bless Abram”.
Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., Herbert W. Armstrong, and the Matthew Henry Whole Bible Commentary comment on the lack of facts surrounding Melchizedek’s family and ancestry. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson writes: “And this strange, fantastic person is introduced here in Genesis chapter 14 without any reference to his genealogy”. Melchizedek does not have a father, he does not have a mother, he does not have beginning of days, and he does not have end of life (Hebrews 7:3). He had no father or mother or family tree. Herbert W. Armstrong suggests Melchizedek was not born “as human beings are” and since Melchizedek has no genealogy, “he must not have been an ordinary mortal”. The Matthew Henry Whole Bible Commentary shares: “It is witnessed of Melchizedek that he liveth, and that he abideth a priest continually (Hebrews 7:3; 8).
Hebrews 7:4-10 gives another clue to Melchizedek’s identity. It reads as follows: “Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he received them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.”
Melchizedek was the priest of the “Most-High God”, yet Melchizedek cannot be God the Father. The Scripture indicates that no man has ever seen the Father (John 1:18; 5:37). Abraham saw Melchizedek therefore Melchizedek cannot be God the Father. Melchizedek “made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3).
Melchizedek was not the Son of God in the days of Abraham because He had not yet been born of Mary. Melchizedek was the High Priest then “even while Jesus Christ is High Priest”. Jesus was High Priest then, today, and forever. Are there two High Priests? No, of course not. Melchizedek and Christ are one and the same. That is the conclusion of all three of my references and is my conclusion as well. The story of Melchizedek is but one area in Scripture which, in my opinion, points to Jesus walking the earth before He was born of the Virgin Mary. I am in awe each and every time the super-natural power of our Father is revealed through Scripture or through life experiences. I can hardly wait until the day we walk with Christ and He answers all of our questions. In that day the things we learn will amaze us more than we ever could imagine. Blessings.
Bibliographies:
Genesis 14:18. Parallel Commentaries. http://biblecommenter.com/genesis/14-18.htm
The Mystery of Melchizedek Solved! By Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) http://egg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Liberty.sr/CT/hwa/k/745/printer/friendly
Uncompromising Faith: Genesis 14:1-24 The SLJ Institute Featuring the Teachings of Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.