When it occurs and we do not pick up on it, we often miss the importance of the event. When has an anti-type preceded a type? When has the spiritual been shown before the physical? Such was and is the case in Christ and Melchizedek, Melchizedek is introduced to man before his anti-type. Search all the records of scripture and no where will you find this to be.
The great High Priest of God is Christ. Unlike any other, He defied comparison. Any office in which He would participate would have to be the same. The first time man knew of such a thing as a high priest, the type shows the significance of his office. Before the mentioning of Melchizedek, Christ held this position as promised Him by God, the Ancient of Days during the council meeting mentioned in Isaiah 9:6. Being the “messenger of the council,” it was left up to the covenant of Christ to explain this most sophisticated office.
Before the explanation of the High Priest of God, the high priest of men must be noticed, Aaron. Who he was, his stature and position in the government of Israel, and power an authority was unquestioned. Unlike the “messenger of the covenant,” Aaron was held is such high esteem he was worshiped. The apostle Paul defined this understanding of this man when in Acts 23. Even though Ananias was wrong, Paul was smitten. Just what position priest held is the beginning of our understanding of the high priesthood. Never before the law of Moses were priest mentioned. The only mention was of Melchizedek. This new development of Mosaic instruction brought light to a new position children of God would attain in the New Testament Covenant.
Who was Melchizedek? The Jewish community believe it was Seth, the second son of Noah and father of the Semitic lineage. The apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit differ with this. Paul writes in Hebrews 7, “And verily they that are of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham. But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. Watch this again: but he (Melchizedek) whose descent is not counted from them (the Jews) received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.” Hebrews 7:5-6 Melchizedek’s ancestry did not come from the Semites, it came from the oldest son of Noah, Japheth the elder, Genesis 10:21 Melchizedek, like Christ, had “no father or mother nor beginning or ending of days.” This tells us that they had no predecessors nor successors in the priestly lineage-they neither came from a priestly line nor did a priestly line follow their existence on this earth. Again, the high priest of the world had to have all who are of that world subject to himself. Japheth, the oldest son of Noah, was kin to every existing on the earth because he, like Shem and Ham, were from the Ark of their father, Noah. This is that in which he was like Christ!! Every child of God is family to our Lord. He has bought with His blood. Our ancestral lineage is traced to Him. He originated, has sustained, and will “present us faultless before the Father.” As is the case with the priest of men (who minister to their brethren), the high priest ministers to God, not man. So, with Christ, who is at the right hand of the Father, He is there serving (ministering) to the constraints of the Father, not man. For those who think they can pray to Jesus, this will mess up their party. The High Priest (who serves us totally for the wishes of the Father to save all who will obey) has we, the priesthood of Christ on the earth to serve our brethren (not the purchased)
Melchizedek’s example as high priest over the entire population of the world shows the greatness of the plan of the ages. Christ arose to minister unto God for the things of His brethren. The last week of His life here on this earth was to make sure the plan was going through as Deity had planned. Every event of this last week on earth proved this to be true, even to the colt on which He was to ride victoriously into Jerusalem. Prepared to fulfill the plan of God, Christ is so far removed from not dieing on the cross that for anyone to teach that untruth is to preach atheism. Death was the vehicle to fulfill this plan. Christ was the king that God anointed and death was that anointing!! Now, forever, the Church of Christ has “our man in Heaven.”
