What is the Melchizedek priesthood?

King of Salem and priest of the most high God. He came forth to meet Abraham after he had rescued Lot and those taken with him. Melchisedec brought forth bread and wine, and blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave to him tithes of all. He was a type of Christ as a royal-priest: "King of righteousness and king of peace," as He will be in the Millennium. Melchisedec was a priest of an entirely different order from that of Aaron, which passed from father to son. There is no mention of his progenitors, nor of any descendant: "without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days nor end of life:" being thus a beautiful type of the Son of God, who has been called by God to be "a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Nothing is said of any sacrifice being offered by Melchisedec to God: he rather brought forth from God that which symbolises life and joy (cf. John 6:51; John 2:1-10), and blessed him that had the promises. So when Christ comes it will not be to put away sin by sacrifice; but to refresh and bless His people. Blessing characterises the Melchisedec priesthood of Christ. Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10; Heb. 6:20; Heb. 7:1-21.

While Melchizedek is confessedly a mysterious personage, his typical significance is clear from the inspired explanation in the epistle to the Hebrews. In Genesis we learn that he was king of Salem (undoubtedly Jerusalem, see Psalm 76) and priest of the most High God, and that, bringing forth bread and wine, he blessed Abraham on returning from the slaughter of the kings. This is all the information the history affords. When we come to the Hebrews, the apostle tells us how, and in what manner, he was a figure of the priesthood of Christ. First, his name, Melchizedek, means king of righteousness, and then king of Salem, which is, king of peace. Now these are the two characters in which Christ will reign in the kingdom; first as David, and then as Solomon, though He will ever combine the two; for He will reign throughout the thousand years in righteousness, and the effect of this will be peace, according to that word, "The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness." (Psalm 72:3; compare Isaiah 32:17.) But Melchizedek was also a priest, and it is of Christ, as the royal priest, that he is specially the shadow, even as we read in the Psalm, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4.) It is this of which the apostle writes in Heb. 7, where he is showing the superiority of the priesthood of our Lord to that of Aaron; and in doing this he tells us that Melchizedek was "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." Some, pressing the literal meaning of these expressions, have raised difficulties; but the term "without descent," or without genealogy, makes all plain. It simply means that Melchizedek has no recorded genealogy in the Scriptures; that in this sense he is without father or mother, and that his birth and death are left unnoticed, to the end that he might be a type of the everlasting priesthood of Christ. In this way he is "made like the Son of God," he appears on the scene as God's priest, and, inasmuch as there is no account of his having ever passed away, he is regarded as being a priest continually, and he is so regarded that he might be a more perfect type of the glorious and unchangeable priesthood of our Lord and Saviour. He was not, as some have ventured to assert, the Son of God, but only a figure of Him in the character of His priesthood. It may be added, that the present service of Christ as the Priest is after the pattern of that of Aaron; but when He comes forth in His robes of glory and beauty, He will assume the Melchizedek character; for He will then be a Priest on His throne. But if He is king and priest, all believers, through virtue of association with Him in the grace of God, will also be kings and priests (See Rev. 1:5-6); and hence the twenty-four elders are seen seated on thrones, robed with priestly garments, and with crowns of gold on their heads." (Rev. 4.)

And He is not merely there on the throne of God, but acknowledged to be priest. "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." He is a priest like Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron: a truth of all-importance to rightly understand the Epistle to the Hebrews. I purposely dwell a little on this, because it is so extremely momentous that we should have simple faith in it, and due understanding of what is meant by it. The meaning is clearly this: — in Aaron's case there was a succession, for his was a priesthood of dying men following each other; the clean opposite of what is said of Melchizedek, (viz. "that he liveth,") not a word being said in Genesis or elsewhere of his death. The apostle uses this as a type of One that ever lives in the fullest sense. Hence Melchizedek is brought before us as a suited type of Christ, who is for ever after that order, instead of dying like Aaron and his sons. Christ stands alone an undying Melchizedek and so needs no successor, the sole and sufficient priest, as the Christian knows.

How blessed it is to think of God's call of His Son to the priesthood! It is not an external appointment, as Aaron's was. He is not selected in divine sovereignty merely because of God's absolute will. He is marked out, He is appointed, to be sure but it is because of what He is, the Son of God, that He is declared to be the Priest of God. So, as we think of our great High Priest, we think of one who was called of God by virtue of what He is as you read in Leviticus, the garment of the priest was never to be laid aside. He was always to wear his priestly garment. So with Christ He can never cease to be a priest, because He can never cease to be the Son of God. He is priest because of what He is. Emphasizing that further, the next quotation is, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec." Melchisedec priesthood will engage us again. We have these foreshadowings of truths which will be clustered together and gathered up in all their fulness by the Spirit later on. The thought of the Melchisedec priesthood is its eternal and royal character. He abides a king continually, and a priest continually, in type. Our Lord was not only the Son of God, and so abiding and called a priest, but He is a Melchisedec priest, in resurrection. When He rose from the dead He was put upon the throne, and there "death hath no more dominion over Him" — He abides forever.

But Israel will require a King who is also Priest, and a priest of Aaron's line would be totally unacceptable, for all in that line ended in death. Therefore, God has not only declared, but sworn that Christ is "a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 7 furnishes a striking commentary on this Melchizedek priesthood of Christ. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest (Gen. 14:18), as was never the case with priests of the line of Aaron, nor were any kings of Israel allowed to be priests. This honor was reserved for the Lord Jesus, and that, not before His death, but after His resurrection, thus never to be ended.

The all-important truth to grasp is that the Epistle reasons solely on "the order" of Melchizedek in contrast with that of Aaron. When it speaks of the exercise of priesthood, Aaron is the type and not Melchizedek; and then we hear of sacrifice and intercession, of blood-shedding and a sanctuary, with the Levitical ritual in general. Self-evidently all this has no relation to Melchizedek, only to Aaron as typifying the Lord's present action above grounded on His atoning work for sin.

It is important to distinguish between the order of the priesthood and the exercise of the priestly functions. When it is a question of the order or rank of priesthood, Melchisedec is the fitting type of the priesthood of Christ. When it is a question of the exercise of His work as Priest on behalf of Christians, Aaron is the type that very largely prefigures the work of Christ. The Aaronic priesthood introduces sacrifice, intercession and the sanctuary furniture, of which we have no mention in connection with Melchisedec. Thus we are reminded that no single person can, even typically, set forth the glories of Christ.

(Vv. 1, 2). The Apostle refers to the striking episode in the history of Abraham when, for a brief moment, the patriarch is met by Melchisedec, a greater person than himself. This man is purposely surrounded with an air of mystery in order that, being in certain respects “made like to the Son of God”, he may fittingly prefigure our great High Priest, the Son Of God. The passage in Genesis 14:17-24, in which this scene is described, is typical of the Millennium. After the slaughter of the kings, by whom the people of God had been taken captive, Melchisedec comes forth to meet Abraham. His name and that of his country signify that he was King of righteousness and King of peace. Further, he was the “priest of the Most High God”, the God who, by the slaughter of the kings, had shown that He can deliver His people from their enemies and overthrow every rival power.

He is of the order of Melchisedec; saluted as such in resurrection; made priest after this order by the oath of God (chap. 8). But while He is, after the order of Melchisedec, a Priest upon the throne, that priesthood is exercised after the order of Aaron. The priesthood of Melchisedec does not take in intercession; that of Aaron does. He has made propitiation for the sins of the people by His death on the cross; He has passed through the heavens, He appears in the presence of God for us.

Thus, in the person of their father Abraham, the priests after the Aaronic order paid tithes and received the blessing, instead of receiving tithes and dispensing blessing. Moreover, as dying men they paid tithes to one of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Clearly, then, the rank of the Melchisedec priesthood is far above that of Aaron.

(V. 11). If, however, the Melchisedec priesthood is superior to the Aaronic, it is clear proof of the imperfection of the Aaronic priesthood. It was transitory in its character and imperfect in its work. Later in the Epistle we learn that it gave no permanent relief to the conscience and did not enable the offerer to draw nigh to God. This very imperfection proved the need of another Priest to rise after the order of Melchisedec. This Priest is found in Christ in whom alone is perfection.

(Vv. 12-14). This change of the order of the priesthood necessitates a change of the law, for it is evident that Christ belonged to the tribe of Judah from which no man is called to priestly service under the law of Moses.

224 In a second tract, which I had not seen when I began this, I find what follows. In pages 20, 21 of that tract he quotes a series of passages, nine in number, closing with, "it [the Melchisedec priesthood] is not that which Christ the Lord now exercises;" and adds, "with all this I fully agree." So page 23. It is admitted there that Christ does not exercise Melchisedec priesthood now. Is there none exercised in Hebrews? Let the reader now read chapter 2:17-18; 3:1, "of our profession," "whose house are we;" chapter 4:14-16, "let us hold fast our profession;" chapter 5:5-10; 3:19-20; 7:14, 24-27; 8:1-2, 4 (this is now, and not Melchisedec, for if on earth He would not be a priest; but He is a priest now, set down on the right hand of God: the Lord as Melchisedec will be on earth and a priest upon His throne); 10:19-22, and what follows. Let my reader, I say, now go through these passages and say if a priesthood is not now in exercise, when the Melchisedec, it is admitted, cannot be. It is in vain to say, that if the priest is after the order of Melchisedec, the present exercise of the priesthood must be. That is just the question which is to be answered by the Hebrews, not by "must be." The writer says that scripture speaks of two priesthoods — Aaronic and Melchisedec. As regards the Hebrews, at any rate, it is a mistake, it is more exact than the author is aware. It never speaks of Melchisedec priesthood, and on our present question this is of all importance. At least I have found no passage, and I have searched too in the "Englishman's Greek Concordance." It speaks of a priest after the order of Melchisedec, that is, of Christ personally, as after the order of Melchisedec, but never of a Melchisedec priesthood. That would bring the idea of its exercise as such — has brought it to our brother. The priest is after his order, but there is absolutely no Melchisedec priesthood in the Hebrews. Whether priestly service is spoken of, every one must judge after looking at the passages I have referred to, which treat of our profession, of holding it fast, of our Lord, of not drawing back to perdition, of a heavenly calling, of which those addressed were partakers.