Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
First Page - Now launched! All the stories are true, or based on real events. Unlimited reading for $4.99 / month. No downloads. Read on your phone, tablet or computer.
La verdad puede ser más extraña que la ficción.
First Page - ¡Ya está en marcha! Todas las historias son verídicas, o están basadas en hechos reales. Lectura ilimitada por $4.99 / mes. No hay que descargar nada. Lea en su teléfono, tableta u ordenador.
Manna Minutes Podcast: Eye-opening Bible study in less than five minutes! Access all episodes here.
Manna Minutes en español:
Estudio bíblico que nos hace abrir los ojos en menos de cinco minutos! Acceda a todos los episodios aquí.
Manna Minutes Podcast auf Deutsch:
Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.
Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!
View Content By Specific Category
¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
Melchizedek Was an Epiphany of Jesus: The Biblical Proof
What Is an Epiphany?
One of the definitions of "epiphany" is: a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being. The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and that the Word is God. It also teaches us that the Word, or God, was made flesh, and lived among mankind on Earth (St. John 1:1; 1:14). This truth is clearly telling us that Christ, being God, was a divine or supernatural being. Now if Melchizedek was an epiphany of Jesus, He has to be divine just like Christ. And indeed He is. This is not speculation. Let us prove through biblical Scripture that the mystery of Melchizedek's identity was first presented in the Old Testament, and then corroborated in the New Testament by the Lord Himself.
Yes, Melchizedek Was an Epiphany of Jesus
We're going to look at the first time the mysterious Melchizedek appears in biblical Scripture. We read, "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14:18).
We see that Melchizedek is king of Salem, believed to be the name of the ancient city of Jerusalem (JeruSALEM). Nothing sounds mysterious about him until we read, "he was the priest of the most high God." The God of Israel had not yet ordained a priesthood on earth. In fact, the twelve tribes of Israel do not exist at this early point in Genesis. So how was Melchizedek priest? There are no priests yet at all. Remember, we are quickly coming to understand how Melchizedek was an epiphany of Jesus, who is also priest of the most high God.
When we turn to the New Testament, we read something very interesting that God said to Jesus. He says to him, "Thou art an priest FOREVER after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:6, 9). "After the order of" means "with the same rank". In other words, God is plainly revealing to us that Melchizedek and Jesus are equal in rank. At the beginning of this article we saw that the Bible tells us Jesus is God. Now then, if Jesus is God, Melchizedek must also be God, because only God can have the same rank as God. But there's much more to the story of Melchizedek...facts that cannot be true of any mere mortal who ever lived, including Adam, the first man God created.
We read, "For Melchizedek, 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. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils" (Hebrews 7:1-4).
The fact that Scripture calls Melchizedek a man does not annul his divinity. Again, remember that at the beginning of this article we give Scripture teaching that divinity, called the "Word", was made flesh. The Word, which is God, became flesh and dwelled among mankind. So, Melchizedek was a man. But this man was also God. Look at what the Scripture of Hebrews we just read says about him:
He is King of righteousness. Note the capital "K" used to denote divinity. Also keep in mind that God said no man has any righteousness of his own, not even the great apostle Paul (Philippians 3:9). Paul even tells us in the Philippians passage that Christ is the only one through whom anyone can have righteousness. Therefore, whose righteousness did Melchizedek have? The answer is clear. His own. That makes Him God. And because Christ is the only one through whom anyone can have righteousness, Christ must be Melchizedek; and Melchizedek must be Christ. They are one and the same. This is how and why Melchizedek was an epiphany of Jesus.
The Hebrews passages we just read also tell us that Melchizedek has no father and no mother. While it's true that Adam and Eve didn't have parents, we can't say they had no beginning or end of days. But of Melchizedek it's said that He has no beginning and no end. In other words, He is nothing less than Alpha and Omega...the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. Do we not know that though Jesus the man was born, died, and rose again; Jesus the Lord says in the book of Revelation that He has no beginning or ending...that He lives forever. We read that He says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" (Revelation 1:11). This is exactly what is said of Melchizedek. Finally, we are told that he is a priest forever. This is the same thing we read that was said to Christ. All the mortal priests of the children of Israel in the Old Testament died, because they have an end, just as they had a beginning. Melchizedek and Jesus are the only "two" who can be priest forever, because they have no beginning and no end.
Jesus Christ Reveals Himself as Melchizedek
In the New Testament book of St. John, Christ, in no uncertain terms, reveals that He is Melchizedek and that Melchizedek is He. He said to the Jews who sought to kill Him, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. AND HE SAW IT, and was glad. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" (St. John 8:56, 58).
Remember that we read in Genesis that Abraham saw Melchizedek. And we learned that Melchizedek and Jesus are one and the same. In the plain language of the Lord Himself, we learn that Abraham saw Jesus in the person of Melchizedek way back in the Old Testament. Note also that Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am." That means that He existed before Abraham did. Now we know that Jesus the man did not exist before Abraham. There are thousands of years between their births. Therefore, we understand that Christ is saying that the Lord part of Him was before Abraham came into existence. In fact, He says, "Before Abraham was, I AM." He does not say I "was", because "was" denotes there was a beginning, and there is an end. This is why Jesus the Lord is the great I AM. Although Jesus the man does not have an ending, because He is risen to eternal existence, He did have a beginning. And this is why the Bible will never truly make sense to us if we try to make Jesus be nothing but a man, or if we try to make Him be God only. He was God in the flesh of a man. Man has a beginning, and dies, though he rises to eternal life if he is righteous. God, on the other hand, has no beginning and never dies, so there is no such thing for Him as rising to eternal life. It might be difficult to grasp this vital truth. Nevertheless, the truths God reveals to us must be accepted, however amazing they sound...and truly are. Yes, Melchizedek was an epiphany of Jesus, according to the Lord Jesus Himself.
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
Copyright notice: This website and its content is copyright of © Heavenly Manna (HeavenlyManna.net) 2002-2016.
Comments/Comentarios:
Your conclusion was affirming of one I came to several years ago while teaching the Book of Hebrews. My question: Why is it so important that some scholars go out of their way, play with the veracity of the texts, to prove that Melchizedek was merely a man? To me, the whole point of of Hebrews is the exaltation of Jesus as superior, everlasting!
by: Jim Maust
Posted on 2023-04-25 14:19:20
Mr. Maust:
Thank you for taking the time to let us know the article affirmed your conclusion regarding Melchizidek. Yes, he is Lord!
by: Heavenly Manna
Posted on 2023-04-26 03:02:22
Send Comments or a Private Message about One of Our Services / Envíe Comentarios o un Mensaje Privado acerca de nuestros servicios
Once comments reach 10, they close. IF YOU USE PROFANITY, WE WILL REJECT YOUR COMMENT AUTOMATICALLY.
We're a small team, please be patient as we review comments.
©2003 - 2013 Heavenly Manna Ministries
Images: courtesy of Free Digital Photos, openstockphotography.org, FreeFoto.com, Wikimedia Commons. Multiple crosses image - Wikimedia Commons - C.G.P Grey - Animation by Heavenly Manna