We will take another look at these prophecies later on in
this series. You might also want to read such articles as
"Is God A Racist?" where I provide a preponderance of
Scriptural evidence to further confirm this truth. Returning
to the book of Hebrews, it is in the third chapter that Paul
introduces us to Jesus as the eternal High Priest of God
after the order of Melchizedek, not by His own doing, but
rather by His Father's command:

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession,
Christ Jesus; . . . Seeing then that we have a great high
priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession . . . So also Christ
glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that
said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchisedec . . . And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of
Melchisedec . . . Whither the forerunner is for us entered,
even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec . . . "
(Hebrews 3:1, 4:14, 5:5-6, 9-10, 6:20, KJV)

What is particularly interesting about this topic is that
over a thousand years before the Apostle Paul wrote the
above words, King David wrote another Psalm, similar to
Psalm Two, in which he not only described the coming Battle
of Armageddon, and the Millennium in which Jesus would rule
with a rod of iron, but he also described the Lord as a High
Priest after the order of Melchizedek:

"[A Psalm of David.] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou
at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion:
rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness
from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy
youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a
priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at
thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his
wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the
places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over
many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way:
therefore shall he lift up the head."
(Psalms 110:1-7, KJV)

As I mentioned earlier, Paul was somewhat hesitant to share
these deep truths with those to whom he ministered, because
he knew that they were not capable of understanding them
just yet. Following then is the full context of what he
wrote:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered,
seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye
ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again
which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are
become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth
to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil."
(Hebrews 5:11-14, KJV)

Paul then continues his discourse by stating that it is time
to leave behind the well-established elements of the Faith,
in order to explore the deeper truths of the Spirit, God
permitting:

"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of
hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment. And this will we do, if God permit."
(Hebrews 6:1-3, KJV)

It is later in chapter seven that Paul reveals more to us
concerning this mysterious priestly order referred to as
Melchizedek, of which Jesus Christ is the High Priest. In
fact, from the following verses, it seems rather clear that
Paul is saying that Jesus is Melchizedek; and that He is the
very one who appeared to Abraham thousands of years before,
following the Patriarch's victory over the Babylonian kings
when he freed his nephew Lot:

"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; To whom also Abraham gave a
tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of
righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is,
King of peace; Without father, without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;
but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest
continually."
(Hebrews 7:1-3, KJV)

There are a number of interesting points I would like to
emphasize regarding the previous verses. As Paul states
above, the name "Melchizedek" means "King of Righteousness".
It is derived from the Hebrew phrase 'Malkiy-Tsedeq' which
means "my king is Sedek". The Hebrew word for 'king' is
"melek". In the New Testament, in the Gospel of John, we are
told that the name of the servant of the high priest, whose
ear Peter cut off during Jesus' arrest, was called Malchus:

"Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high
priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's
name was Malchus."
(John 18:10, KJV)

This name is derived from the Greek word "malchos", which
also means "king" or "kingdom". The challenge then is to
discover how we derive the word "Righteousness" from the
Hebrew word "Sedek". The answer is rather simple. During the
reign of King David, there was a priest by the name of
Zadok. This is the very same priest who anointed Solomon as
the new king of Israel at Gihon just prior to the death of
his father, King David:

"So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the
Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king
David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest
took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed
Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said,
God save king Solomon."
(1 Kings 1:38-39, KJV)

You will notice the similarities between "Sedek" and
"Zadok". The name "Zadok" is derived from the Hebrew
"tsadowq" which means "righteous". Additionally,
"tsadowq"
is derived from another Hebrew word, "tsadaq", which means
righteous, just, justice, or righteousness. Thus it is that
Melchizedek, or "Malkiy-Tsedeq", means "my king is Sedek",
"my king is righteous", or "King of Righteousness"; exactly
as Paul has stated in his Epistle.

Regarding the fact that Paul also calls Melchizedek the
"King of Salem" and the "King of Peace", there is also a
very simple explanation. The Greek word "Salem" is derived
from the Hebrew "shalem", or "shalam", which means
"peace".
However, there is more to this mystery that what at first is
apparent. Salem is also believed my most Jewish commentators
to be one of the ancient names of Jerusalem. The name
"Jerusalem" is derived from the Hebrew "Yeruwshalaim", or
"Yeruwshalayim", which means "teaching of peace"; the word
"teaching" being derived from the Hebrew "yarah", or
"yara".
I personally believe that when Paul calls Jesus, (that is,
Melchizedek), "King of Salem", he isn't referring to the
Earthly Jerusalem in Israel whatsoever, but rather to the
Heavenly City from which Melchizedek originated. After all,
it is from there, from the Holy Mount Zion of God, the
golden pyramid-shaped New Jerusalem, that we are told by the
Prophet Micah, that the law, or the teaching, shall go forth
in the last days:

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the
mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in
the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the
hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall
come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the
LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will
teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the
law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem."
(Micah 4:1-2, KJV)

You will also find 'the mountain of the house of the LORD'
discussed in some of my Endtime articles as well. The rest
of Paul's description of the High Priest Melchizedek makes
it even more clear that he is telling us that Melchizedek is
none other than Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God. Notice
that Paul states 'Without father, without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;
but made like unto the Son of God'. If we turn to the Book
of Genesis and read the actual story of Abraham's encounter
with the mysterious Melchizedek, we discover some very
interesting similarities between the actions of this ancient
High Priest, and the events which occurred during the 'Last
Supper':

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:
and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed
him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God,
possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high
God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And
he gave him tithes of all."
(Genesis 14:18-20, KJV)

Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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