Posted on 11/27/2005 1:36:14 PM PST by NYer
|
Melchizedek is mentioned again in Psalm 110: “The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (110:4). This psalm is considered one of the most important of the Messianic psalms, identifying the forthcoming Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, as King, Priest, and Conqueror.
Perhaps St. Paul, the traditional author of the Letter to the Hebrews, was the greatest promoter of Melchizedek. (See Chapters 5-9.) St. Paul used the person of Melchizedek to illustrate the doctrine of the sacrificial priesthood as established by Christ. St. Paul begins, “Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1). Despite human weakness, a man is called by God to be a priest.
St. Paul then compares and contrasts the priesthood of Melchizedek with that of Aaron, the Levitical Priesthood: The priesthood of Aaron was based on his ancestry from Abraham. The priests following Aaron were of his family, the House of Levi, and appointed priests because of their heredity. Also, these priests offered the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.
In contrast to the Levitical Priesthood is the Priesthood of our Lord, which Melchizedek foreshadows. First, Melchizedek has no genealogy in the Old Testament, and his priesthood is not based on heredity. Christ, like Melchizedek, is a priest by divine appointment and His priesthood does not depend upon hereditary ties.
Second, Abraham recognized the priest-king Melchizedek by receiving his blessing and offering him tithes. An act of such humility signified that the priesthood which would descend from Abraham is of lesser stature than that of Melchizedek. This act also foretold that the Levitical Priesthood would be replaced by the greater, perfect, and royal priesthood of Christ.
Third, Melchizedek offered bread and wine in thanksgiving to God, prefiguring what our Lord did at the Last Supper.
Fourth, Melchizedek was a “member of the nations.” Christ came to save not just the House of Israel, but the people of all nations. Moreover, Melchizedek’s very name and title mean “king of Justice, King of Peace” ; Jesus entered the world to bring justice and peace.
Finally, Melchizedek was not a priest of the Old Covenant. Christ as a priest offered the perfect sacrifice for sin and made the new, perfect, and everlasting covenant with His own blood. In all, the Letter to the Hebrews elaborates upon the historical Melchizedek and weaves an image which foreshadows our Lord, who would fulfill the Old Testament covenant and priesthood.
The early Church Fathers clearly understood and accepted this imagery. St. Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258) in his Letter to Cecil, taught, “Also in the priest Melchizedek we see the Sacrament of the Sacrifice of the Lord prefigured, in accord with that to which the Divine Scriptures testify, where it says: ‘And Melchizedek, the King of Salem, brought out bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most High God; and he blessed Abraham.’” That Melchizedek is in fact a type of Christ is declared in the psalms by the Holy Spirit, saying to the Son, as it were from the Father: “Before the daystar I begot You. You are a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” The order certainly is that which comes from his sacrifice and which comes down from it: “because Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God; because he offered bread; and because he blessed Abraham. And who is more a priest of the Most High God than our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when He offered sacrifice to God the Father, offered the very same which Melchizedek had offered, namely bread and wine, which is in fact His Body and Blood.”
St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his Catechetical Lectures (Mystagogia 5) also referenced Melchizedek’s sacrifice as a “type” which prefigured the Holy Eucharist.
The Church honors this image of Melchizedek. The Catechism teaches, “the Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, ‘priest of God Most High,’ as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique ‘high priest after the order of Melchizedek’; holy, blameless, unstained, by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified, that is, by the unique sacrifice of the cross” (#1544, cf. 50). Moreover, “the Church sees in the gesture of the king-priest Melchizedek, who brought out bread and wine,’ a prefiguring of her own offering” (#1333). For this reason, the priest in Eucharistic Prayer I, prays after the consecration, “look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchisedech.”
And now you know.
bump
Some translations are "King of Righteousness."
These are the major points. Melchizedek was a foreshadowing of, and a type of, Christ.
Very interesting - thanks!
Not to put too fine a point on the essay; but until Genesis 17:5 Abraham is known as Abram. When Abram meets Melchizedek, he, Abram does not have the the Ruach haKodesh in the form of the Heh added to his name.
b'shem Y'shua
I have always heard that Melchizedek is Shem... Noah's first born son, and I also heard that the early Church also believed this... interesting read, but I don't think the good father is correct...
I like the theory of Shem much better.
Whoa NYer!
Good article. Biblically sound. Something that most Evangelicals could agree with you on. Very nice pick. A+
Isn't the Bible grand and glorious!
Very informative. Thank you.
Found this in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia:
The Rabbins identified Melchisedech with Sem, son of Noe, rather for polemic than historic reasons, since they wished to set themselves against what is said of him as a type of Christ "without father, without mother, without genealogy" (Hebrews 7:3).
Theophany alert. Most Jewish traditions says it was Shem. I'll believe them and their 4,000 years of rich tradition before I'll believe the Johnny come lately re-writers.
Got link?
It COULD be Shem, but whoever it is, it's irrelevant.
The theological points are not "re-writes". And frankly, 4,000 years of rich Jewish tradition failed to see the Messiah walking among them. Of all the "re-writers", Jesus was the greatest. Actually, He wasn't rewriting anything, but the Pharisees and Scribes (who were married to the then-2000-year Jewish tradition) were happy to call Him a blasphemer anyway. Yes. Jesus, Himself, was nothing more than a Johnny come lately in the eyes of the establishment. Maccabees indicates that there were more than a few false prophets leading up to Christ's appearance.
There are Christian exegetes who endorse this view as well.
13 posted on 11/28/2005 9:23:05 AM MST by Invincibly Ignorant
Shem the son of Noah or HaShem the name of the name of G-d?
b'shem Y'shua
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.