"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him." (Hebrews 7:1–10)
In biblical study, a “type” refers to an Old Testament person, practice, or ceremony that has a counterpart, an antitype, in the New Testament. In that sense types are predictive. The type pictures, or prefigures, the antitype. The type, though it is historical, real, and of God, is nonetheless imperfect and temporary. The antitype, on the other hand, is perfect and eternal. The study of types and antitypes is called, as one might expect, typology.
The bronze serpent that God commanded Moses to set on a standard (Num. 21:8), for example, was a type of Christ’s being lifted up on the cross (John 3:14). The sacrificial lamb was a type of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for the sins of the world (John 1:29; Rev. 5:6, 8; etc.).
Melchizedek is also a type of Christ. The Bible gives very little historical information about Melchizedek. All that we know is located in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5–7. The most detailed information is in Hebrews 7:1–3.
Types are frail illustrations at best. They are analogies, and, like all analogies, they correspond to the person or thing to which they are compared only in certain ways—perhaps only in one way. The bronze serpent typified Christ in that it was lifted up for all the people to see and in that looking upon it brought them deliverance. The sacrificial lamb typifies Christ in that it is very meek (innocent) and that it was sacrificed on behalf of the sins of another. Similarly, though Melchizedek is in no way the equal of Christ, his unique priesthood, and even his name, typify Jesus Christ and His work in a number of significant ways.
Hebrews chapter 7 is the focal point of Hebrews. It concerns the central, the most important, part of Judaism—the priesthood. No sacrifices could be made except by the priest and no forgiveness of sins could be had apart from the sacrifices. Obedience to the law was exceedingly important, but the offering of sacrifices was even more important. And the priesthood was essential for offering them. Consequently, the priesthood was exalted in Judaism.
The law God gave Israel was holy and good, but because the Israelites, as all men, were sinful by nature, they could not keep the law perfectly. When they broke the law, fellowship with God was also broken. The only way of restoring fellowship was to remove the sin that was committed, and the only way to do that was through a blood sacrifice. When a person repented and made a proper offering through the priest, his sacrifice was meant to show the genuineness of his penitence by obedience to God’s requirement. God accepted that faithful act and granted forgiveness.
Understanding Melchizedek Is for the Mature
The writer first introduced Melchizedek in Hebrews chapter 5, but before he could explain the significance of this ancient priest-king, he gave the warning to the immature Jews who could not bring themselves to accept Christ as their Savior (Heb. 5:11–6:20). At the end of the beautiful encouragement to believers about the security of their salvation which follows that warning, Jesus again is said to be “a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:20). The subject thus returns to that very unique priest.
There is much conjecture about Melchizedek. Some insist he is an angel who took human form for a while during the time of Abraham. But the priesthood was a human, not angelic, function (Heb. 5:1). Others suggest that He is actually, not just typically, Jesus Christ Himself, who took a preincarnate form during Abraham’s time. But Melchizedek is described as made like the Son of God (7:3), not as being the Son of God. I believe that Melchizedek was a historical human being, whose priestly ministry typifies that of Christ, a man whom God designed to use as a picture of Jesus Christ. But we cannot be sure of the details of his identity. Those remain among the secret things that belong only to the Lord.
The accounts of Melchizedek in sacred history are one of the most remarkable proofs of the divine inspiration and unity of Scripture. The whole concept of Melchizedek is an amazing insight into the fact that God wrote the Bible. In Genesis we have only three verses about Melchizedek. Some thousand years later David makes a briefer mention of him in Psalm 110:4, declaring for the first time that the Messiah’s priesthood would be like Melchizedek’s. After another thousand years, the writer of Hebrews tells us even more of Melchizedek’s significance. He reveals things about Melchizedek that even Melchizedek, or his contemporary, Abraham, did not know—and of which David had only a glimpse. So we reason that the God who wrote the book of Hebrews wrote the book of Genesis and Psalm 110—and all the rest of Scripture.
Hebrews 7:1–10 first presents, then proves, the superiorities of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of the Levitical-Aaronic. Let's look at the text:
"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually." (Hebrews 7:1–3)
Verses 1–2 are essentially a summary of the Genesis 14 account. They remind us that Melchizedek was the king of Salem (an ancient name for Jerusalem), that he was a priest of the Most High God, that he blessed Abraham after the patriarch had defeated the oppressive King Chedorlaomer and his three allies, and that Abraham, in turn, offered Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils. The writer also points out that the literal meaning of Melchizedek’s title is king of peace (‘Salem” is from the same Hebrew root as shālom, “peace”). Before we look into Melchizedek’s priesthood, we should review the Levitical, with which his is compared.
The Levitical Priesthood
First, as mentioned above, the entire tribe of Levi was dedicated by God for religious service. Although all priests were Levites, not all Levites were priests. All priests, in fact, not only had to be descended from Levi but also from Aaron, Moses’ brother. The nonpriestly Levites served as helpers to the priests, and probably as singers, instrumentalists, and the like. The priesthood was strictly national, strictly Jewish. Second, the Levites were subject to the king just as much as were the other tribes. Their priestly functions were not under the control of the king, but in all other matters they were ordinary subjects. They were in no way a ruling class. A Levite, in fact, could not be king. They were set aside as a first fruit to God for special priestly service (Num. 8:14–16). Third, the priestly sacrifices, including the one by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, were not permanent. They had to be repeated and repeated and repeated—continually. They had no permanence. They provided no permanent forgiveness, no permanent righteousness, no permanent peace. Fourth, the Levitical priesthood was hereditary. A man who served as a priest did so because he was born into the right family, not because he lived a right life. Fifth, just as the effects of the sacrifices were temporary, so was the time of priestly service. A priest served from the age of 25 until the age of 50, after which his ministry was over (Num. 8:24–25).
Melchizedek’s Superior Priesthood
Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the Levitical in every way, but five specific ones are given in Hebrews 7:1–3.
Melchizedek’s Priesthood Was Universal, Not National
In relation to Israel, God took the name of Jehovah, or Yahweh. But no Jew would utter this name of God. It was too holy to pronounce. And because ancient Hebrew had no vowels, even the oldest of manuscripts do not help us to know exactly how the name would have been pronounced (although probably it was Yahweh, rather than Jehovah). When the Scriptures were read aloud, the title Lord (Hebrew, ˒ădōnāy) was substituted for this name of God. In most English translations of the Bible, the name is given as Lord (capital and small capitals), and occasionally as Jehovah. This name was uniquely related to God’s covenant with Israel. It was His covenant name.
The Levitical priests, therefore, were priests of Jehovah. The Israelites were Jehovah’s people and the Levites were Jehovah’s priests. The Levitical priests could minister only to Israel and only for Jehovah.
Melchizedek, however, was priest of the Most High God (˓Ēl ˓Elyôn, a more universal name for God). It represents God as possessor of heaven and earth, God above all national or dispensational distinctions. The Most High God is over both Jew and Gentile, and is first mentioned in Scripture in relation to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18).
The significance is this: Jesus is not just the Messiah of Israel, but of the world. His priesthood is universal, just as Melchizedek’s. This was an extremely important truth for Jews who had come to Christ, as well as those who were considering putting their trust in Christ. To them, there was no other priesthood established by the true God but the Levitical, which was restricted to Israel. Here they are reminded that their father Abraham, the first Jew, offered tithes to another type of priest. This priest served the one true God, but he lived hundreds of years before the Levitical priesthood came into existence. It is significant that, immediately after his encounter with Melchizedek, Abraham spoke to the king of Sodom about “the Lord God Most High” (Gen. 14:22), a combination of the covenant and universal names.
The indecisive Jews were told, in effect, “Even your own Scriptures recognize a priesthood not only that is completely apart from that of Aaron, but that existed long before Aaron’s.” This was a powerful argument.
Melchizedek’s Priesthood Was Royal
Melchizedek was himself a king. Four times in two verses (Heb. 7:1–2) he is referred to as a king. As already mentioned, rulership of any sort was totally foreign to the Levitical priesthood. Melchizedek’s universal priesthood and his royal office beautifully typify Jesus’ saviorhood and lordship, as perfect Priest and perfect King. Though never known in Israel, the dual role of priest-king was predicted by her prophets. Speaking of the Messiah, Zechariah writes, “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices” (Zech. 6:13). In his psalm that mentions Melchizedek, David also looks forward to the Messiah who will be both Priest and King (Psalm 110:1, 4).
Because Salem was an ancient name for Jerusalem, Melchizedek ruled over God’s special city, His holy city that was always close to His heart. “For the Lord has chosen Zion [Jerusalem]; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it” (Ps. 132:13–14). We are not told when God first considered Jerusalem to be His holy city, but He had a faithful king who was a faithful priest there even in the time of Abraham—many centuries before Israel’s priests ministered there or Israel’s kings ruled there.
No truth of Scripture is more definite than that God chose the Jews as His special people, His very unique and cherished people. But Scripture is equally clear that Israel continually misunderstood and presumed upon her unique relation to God. They, for example, recognized Him as absolute Creator of heaven and earth and as sovereign over His world. But they had a very difficult time understanding Him as Redeemer of the world. As Creator and Sustainer, He was the world’s; but as Savior and Lord, He was theirs alone. (Jonah’s reluctance to preach to Gentiles illustrates this.) They could hardly conceive of another divine covenant and another divine priesthood, especially one that was royal and superior to their own. Yet they are told that the covenant in Christ, though called new, not only has superseded theirs but, in type, actually preceded theirs.
Melchizedek’s Priesthood Was Righteous and Peaceful
There was no permanent righteousness or peace related to Aaron’s priesthood. Melchizedek, however, was king both of righteousness and of peace. His very name means “king of righteousness.” Although we have no historical record of his monarchy, we are told that he ruled righteously and peacefully.
The purpose of the Aaronic priesthood was to obtain righteousness for the people. The sacrifices were made to restore the people to a right relationship to God. But they never succeeded, in any deep and lasting way. God honored the sacrifice that was properly made. He had, after all, prescribed them. But they were never meant to remove sin. They were only a prefigurement, a type, of the one perfect sacrifice that could and did remove sin. They symbolized the sacrifice that makes men righteous—and thereby brings men peace—but they themselves could not make men righteous or give men peace. As a temporary ritual they accomplished their God-ordained purpose. But they could not bring men to God. They were never meant to.
Melchizedek, though king of righteousness and of peace, could not make men righteous or give them peace. His priesthood was a better type of Christ’s than was the Levitical, but it was still a type. Only the Divine Priest could give righteousness and peace. “Therefore having been justified [counted righteous] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). That is the necessary order: righteousness and then peace. Christ gives us peace by giving us righteousness. “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever” (Isa. 32:17).
What the blood of bulls and goats could not do, the blood of Jesus Christ did. The Levitical sacrifices lasted only until a person sinned again. Jesus’ sacrifice lasts through all eternity. Once reconciled to God through Christ, we will never be counted as sinful again, but always as righteous. Christ is the true King of Righteousness.
As the psalmist says so beautifully, in the Lord “righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Ps. 85:10). The two things that men have longed for are a sense of righteousness before God and of being at peace with Him. These blessings have “kissed” each other and become a reality in the Messiah. Christ came to give us His righteousness that we might be at peace with God. Melchizedek pictured that.
Melchizedek’s Priesthood Was Personal, Not Hereditary
The Levitical priesthood was entirely hereditary, through Aaron. Melchizedek’s was personal. From the beginning of the Aaronic priesthood, genealogy determined everything, personal qualification nothing. If you descended from Aaron, you could serve; if you did not, you could not. Consequently, the priests often were more concerned about their pedigrees than their holiness.
That Melchizedek is said to have been without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life does not mean that he came from nowhere. It simply means that in the Old Testament record nothing is said of his parents or origin.
It is interesting that the single Greek word (agenealogētos) translated without genealogy is found nowhere else in Scripture—in fact nowhere else in Greek literature. The reason, no doubt, is that it would have had no use because it would have made no sense. Everyone has a genealogy, whether he can trace it or not.
The point in Hebrews is that Melchizedek’s parentage and origin are irrelevant to his priesthood. Whereas to the Aaronic priesthood genealogy was everything, to the Melchizedek priesthood it was nothing.
In this, Melchizedek was a type of Christ, not because Jesus had no genealogy but because Jesus’s genealogy was not significant in regard to His priesthood. To be sure, Jesus’ royal genealogy is important. It is given in some detail by both Matthew (1:1–17) and Luke (3:23–38). Matthew’s gospel, in fact, begins as “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (1:1). But His lineage is not traced to Aaron or Levi, but to Judah. Jesus Christ, though God’s own Son, was not qualified for the Levitical priesthood. Like Melchizedek, as far as his priesthood was concerned, He had no priestly genealogy and He needed none.
Jesus Christ was chosen as a priest because of His personal worth, His quality. He was chosen because of who He was, not because of where He came from genealogically. Jesus “has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life” (Heb. 7:16). Like Melchizedek’s, Jesus’ qualifications were personal, not hereditary.
Melchizedek’s Priesthood is Eternal, Not Temporary
Individually, a priest served only from the time he was 25 until he was 50. No priest, no matter how faithful, could serve more than 25 years. Collectively, the priesthood was also temporary. It began in the wilderness, when the covenant with Moses was made and the law was given. It ended when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in a.d. 70. The Levitical priesthood was for the Old Covenant and only for the Old Covenant, the covenant of law.
Melchizedek’s priesthood, however, had no such time or dispensational bounds. He abides a priest perpetually. It is not that he lived forever, but that the order of priesthood in which he ministered was forever. If he had lived forever, he would not be a type but a part of the reality. The picture of a landscape is not the landscape, but only a suggestion, a representation, of it. The fact that we have no biblical or other record of the beginning or end of Melchizedek’s personal priesthood simply symbolizes the eternality of his priestly order. It is a type of Christ’s truly eternal priesthood. Christ, “because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:24–25).
Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek. His priesthood is universal, royal, righteous and peaceful, personal, and eternal.
Melchizedeck’s Superiorities Proved
Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. (Hebrews 7:4–10)
In these verses we are given three reasons, or proofs, as to how and why Melchizedek’s priesthood is superior to the Levitical.
Abraham Gave a Tithe to Melchizedek
Abraham, father of the Jewish people, gave tithes (a tenth) of his war spoils—his choicest spoils—to Melchizedek. Though Melchizedek was a king, he had not fought with Abraham against Chedorlaomer. Nor do we have any record, or reason to believe, that Melchizedek had ever performed any priestly service for Abraham. Abraham simply recognized Melchizedek as a deserving and faithful priest of God Most High and consequently gave him a tithe from the best of the spoils. It was a voluntary act revealing thanks to God.
The Holy Spirit demonstrates that Melchizedek is greater than Levi and Aaron, progenitors of the Levitical priesthood, by showing that this priest-king is better than Abraham, the progenitor of both Levi and Aaron.
Abraham was under no obligation, no law or commandment, to give Melchizedek anything. He gave freely and generously, and he gave the best that he had, not his leftovers. He gave the choicest spoils to the Lord, through His servant Melchizedek.
Under grace we are free of the demands of the law. The New Testament specifies no definite amount or proportion of our money that we are to give to God. But this does not mean that our giving is optional, or that it should depend on our whim or personal feeling. It means that the basis of our giving should be our love and devotion to God, in gratitude for His inestimable gift to us. Just as Melchizedek’s priesthood is a type of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, so Abraham’s giving to Melchizedek is a type of what our giving to the Lord should be. It is not a type in its being a tenth, but in its being from his choicest possessions and being given freely, not because of legal requirement.
The Levites, as the priestly tribe, received no inheritance of land, as did all the other tribes. They were to be supported by a tithe from their brother Israelites. All the tribes, of course, were descendants of Abraham through Jacob. Under the Old Covenant, therefore, one group of Abraham’s descendants tithed to another. The point of Hebrews 7:4–10 is that because Abraham, their common and supreme ancestor, had paid tithes to Melchizedek, even the Levites, “in advance,” so to speak, also paid tithes to Melchizedek. Even before they existed, those to whom tithes were paid had themselves paid a tithe to another priesthood, proving that this priesthood was superior to theirs.
Melchizedek Blessed Abraham
One of the first things we learn in Scripture about Abraham, and that Abraham learned about himself from God, is that through him and his descendants all the world was to be blessed. It was a staggering, awesome, and marvelous promise, especially because it was made before Abraham had any descendants and when it seemed impossible that he ever would.
Just as we have no idea how much Abraham knew about Melchizedek, we have no idea how much Melchizedek knew about Abraham. We are told only of the brief encounter described in three verses of Genesis 14. Yet, just as Abraham knew he should tithe to Melchizedek, Melchizedek knew he should bless Abraham. In so doing, without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. As the blesser, Melchizedek indisputably was superior to Abraham. If Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, then he must also be superior to the Levites, Abraham’s descendants. Consequently, his priesthood is superior to theirs.
Directly or indirectly from Genesis 12 through Malachi, all of the Old Testament is the story of Abraham’s descendants, God’s chosen people. Yet this priest-king that both testaments together mention in only a handful of verses, was greater than Abraham, because he blessed Abraham. God operated in Melchizedek’s life on the basis of personal qualification, and he was higher than Abraham in those qualifications. Therefore, he was chosen to bless Abraham. And if he was greater than Abraham, he was greater than anything that came from Abraham.
In the church God also works on the basis of personal qualifications. The standards for teaching shepherds, for ruling elders, for evangelists, and for all other offices are based on personal spiritual qualifications, not on heredity or class (cf. 1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9). God calls certain people in this economy of grace on the basis of special personal qualifications. If a person is faithful over a little, he will be made lord over much. If we meet the qualifications, God will lift us to the ministry. He worked with Melchizedek in the same way. He was personally qualified to be what he was. His lineage had nothing to do with God’s choosing him and sending him to bless Abraham. He was superior, and therefore he blessed Abraham.
Melchizedek’s Priesthood is Eternal
The writer again points up the permanence of Melchizedek’s priesthood.
And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. (Hebrews 7:8)
Even if the Levitical priests had not been required to quit ministering when they reached 50 years of age, they would have ceased ministering when they died. That priesthood was temporary and those priests were temporary. The Jews paid tithes to priests who all died. Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, in type, lives on. Since no death is recorded of Melchizedek, his priesthood typically is eternal. In this his priesthood is clearly superior to that of Aaron.
Jesus Christ, of course, is the reality, the true Priest who is eternal, of whom Melchizedek is but a picture. Jesus Christ is a priest, the only Priest, who is alive forevermore. He is a greater priest because He is a living priest, not a dying one. Christ is Priest of a better priesthood than Aaron’s. He is Priest of a better priesthood even than Melchizedek’s. He is the only Priest of the only priesthood that can bring God to men and men to God. This was a great word of assurance to those Jews who had come to Jesus Christ.
