Order of Melchizedek

Do you like a good mystery? One of the most mysterious people in the Bible is the King of Salem, Melchizedek. He appeared one day in the life of Patriarch Abraham (Abram) and was never heard from again.

What happened that day, however, was to be remembered throughout history and eventually became a subject of the New Testament “Epistle to the Hebrews”; “Letter to the Hebrews” or in the Greek manuscripts, simply “To the Hebrews”.

This meeting between Abram and Melchizedek (Melchisedech, Melkisetek, or Malki Tzedek) the King of Salem (Psalm 76:2) and (Genesis 14:17) further confirms his identification also as Priest of “El Elyon” a name of Canaanite origin, designating the high God of their Pantheon.

He appears as a person only in an interpolated vignette (Genesis 14:18–20) of the story of Abram rescuing his kidnapped nephew, Lot, by defeating a coalition of Mesopotamian Kings under Chedorlaomer.

In the episode, Melchizedek meets Abram on his return from battle, gives him bread and wine (which has been interpreted by some Christian scholars as a precursor of the Eucharist, so that Melchizedek’s name entered the canon of the Roman mass), and blesses Abraham in the name of “God Most High” (in Hebrew El ?Elyon), “praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand” (Genesis 14:20). Abram recognized that this man worshiped the same God he did. So Abram gave him a tenth of the plunder! (Hebrews 7:1-4)

Melchizedek is an old Canaanite name meaning “My King Is (God) Sedek” or “My King Is Righteousness” (the meaning of the similar Hebrew cognate), and Salem as “peace”.

Melchizedek was one of a small group of God-honoring people throughout the Old Testament who came in contact with the Israelites but were not Israelites themselves.

The author of Hebrews says that Melchizedek was "without father or mother, without genealogy, and without beginning of days or end of life." Taken literally, this would mean that Melchizedek is an eternal being. He is not from a particular tribe or lineage but is identified as being a “Priest of the God Most High.”

It is easy to see why many people think that Melchizedek is a sort of Christophany. His story is told in (Genesis 14:17-20); mentioned in (Psalm 110:4); and also (Hebrews 5:10–7:1).

The story of Melchizedek in (Genesis 14) is very different from other theophanies. In virtually all other theophanies, the person who is meeting with God has some awareness that they have been in the presence of the divine.

But in the story of Melchizedek, there is no moment where Abram acknowledges that he has been in the presence of God. True, Melchizedek abruptly appears and disappears from the narrative, but there is nothing in (Genesis 14) that explicitly leads us to see that God himself has been present.

The name of the authorship of the “Epistle to the Hebrews” was lost early in its story. Tracking down every clue, and developing a convincing line of reasoning, Ruth Hoppin, a parishioner, contributor to the InterVarsity Press Women's Bible Commentary, and the author of “Priscilla's Letter”, contends that Priscilla, who was the Christian wife of a Jewish freedman, and a fellow of Paul, is ultimately the only suspect who meets all the qualifications for authorship.

Finding the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was secretly taken out of print after only a short period after circulation. Circumstances suggest deliberate suppression, due to the influence of religious conservatives who regarded the concept of female authorship of the Epistle intolerable.

Scholarly examinations of a long-debated New Testament mystery argues convincingly that a woman could have been the author of Hebrews.

To this day, the Order of Melchizedek is an archaic Priesthood that continues to elude history. Its principles have permeated human cultures all over the globe, yet its origin remains unknown. It shaped Christianity and Gnosticism 2,000 years ago. It was present during the emergence of Judaism over 4,000 years ago. And there are even older parallels between Melchizedek and the ancient Egyptian God, Thoth which predate history. In fact, the priesthood of Melchizedek influenced the Knights Templar, the Freemasons. It’s even recognized by the Mormon Church…

Food for thought!