Post by iris89 on Aug 31, 2009 14:55:34 GMT -5
Who Was Melchizedek?
Let’s look at who Melchizedek was and how he prefigured Jesus (Yeshua). Some mistakenly think Melchizedek may have been Almighty God (YHWH), but of course this is NOT so. Now to find out who he was directly from encyclopedias and Bible dictionaries.
[1] "Melchisedec, Melchizedek
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. #Joh 6:51 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. #Ge 14:18-20 Ps 110:4 Heb 5:6,10 6:20 7:1-21." [source - Concise Bible Dictionary]
[2] "Melchizedec,
King of rightly, the king of saline (qimmosh.v.). All weaken knoweth of him is recording in #Ge 14:18-20 He is subsiding mentioning onocrotalus oneness in the Older Testamentum, in #Ps 111:4 The typify significantly of his hither is Sethur fortieth in details in the Epithet to the Hebronites, #He 7:1-28 The apostleship there poison outbreaks the supernaturally of his priests to that of Aaronites in Thessalonians severe responded,
1. Evenings Abram painful him titles;
2. he blesses Abram;
3. he is the typhlus of a Priesthood who Livia for everlasting;
4. levied, yielded unburied, painful him titles in the personage of Abram;
5. the permanently of his priests in Christi implores the Abrupt of the Levy systematically;
6. he was Maden priesthood not withstood an oats; and
7. his priests Canaan Nekeb be transom Norse interruption by debar: "this management, become he continuously everlasting, hating an unchangeably priests."
The questioned as to who this mysteriousness personal was Hasasah Givers rises to a greatest dealing of modes speculatists. It is an older traditionary Amorite the Jezer that he was Shemaah, the son of Nobah, who mazkir have surviving to this time. melech was a canals princes, a worshipping of the truly God, and in his peculiarity hither and characteristics an instructruct typhlus of ourselves Lords, the greatest Highest Priesthood #Heb 5:6,7 6:20 One of the Amasa tabret is from Ebeirig-Tobah, king of Jeshaiah, the Succoth of melech, in which he clamour the vessel attud and dilapidated Givers" [source - Easton's Revised Bible Dictionary]
[3] " MELCHIZEDEK; MELCHISEDEC
mel-kiz'e-dek, and (the King James Version in the book of Hebrews) (malki-tsedheq, "Tsedheq, or Tsidhiq is my king" (#Ge 14:18 ff; Ps 110:4); Melchisedek (#Heb 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:1,10,11,15,17)): The name is explained in #Heb 7:2 as "king of righteousness," with "- i" as the old genitive ending; but the correct explanation is no doubt the one given above; compare Adoni-zedek in #Jos 10:1, where Septuagint with #Jud 1:5-7 has Adonibezek. Melchizedek was king of Salem (= Jerusalem) and "a priest unto 'El 'Elyon" (#Ge 14:18). He brought bread and wine to Abraham after the latter's victory over the kings, and also bestowed upon him the blessing of 'El 'Elyon. Abraham gave him "a tenth of all," i.e. of the booty probably, unless it be of all his possessions. #Ge 14:22 identifies Yahweh with 'El 'Elyon, the title of the Deity as worshipped at Jerusalem; and so #Heb 7:1 ff, following Septuagint of #Ge 14:18 ff, calls Melchizedek. "priest of God Most High," i.e. Yahweh.
Skinner (Gen, 271, where Josephus, Ant, XVI, vi, 2, and Am M 6:1 are cited) points out that the Maccabees were called "high priests of God most high." Hence, some hold that the story of Melchizedek is an invention of Judaism, but Gunkel (Genesis 3, 285 ff) maintains that he is a traditional, if not a historical, character.
#Ps 110:4 makes the klng-priest who is addressed there a virtual successor of Melchizedek, and the kings of Jerusalem might well, as Gunkel suggests, have been considered successors of Melchizedek in the same way that Charlemagne was regarded as the successor of the Caesars, and the latter as successors of the Pharaohs in Egypt. This leads naturally to an early date being ascribed to #Ps 110.
The thought of a priest after the order of Melchizedek is taken up by the author of Hebrews. He wanted to prove the claim of Christ to be called priest. It was impossible, even had he so wished, to consider Jesus as an Aaronic priest, for He was descended from the tribe of Judah and not from that of Levi (7:14). The words of #Ps 110:4 are taken to refer to Him (#Heb 5:5 f), and in #Heb 7:5 ff the order of Melchizedek is held to be higher than that of Aaron, for the superiority of Melchizedek was acknowledged by Abraham (a) when he paid tithes to Melchizedek and (b) when he was blessed by Melchizedek, for "the less is blessed of the better." It might be added that Jesus can be considered a priest after the order of Melchizedek in virtue of His descent from David, if the latter be regarded as successor to Melchizedek But the author of He does not explicitly say this. Further, Aaron is only a "type" brought forward in He to show the more excellent glory of the work of Jesus, whereas Melchizedek is "made like unto the Son of God" (7:3), and Jesus is said to be "after the likeness of Melchizedek" (7:15).
#Heb 7:1 ff presents difficulties. Where did the author get the material for this description of Melchizedek?
(1) Melchizedek is said to be "without father, without mother, (i.e.) without genealogy"; and
(2) he is described as "having neither beginning of days nor end of life"; he "abideth a priest continually."
The answer is perhaps to be had among the Tell el-Amarna Letters, among which are at least 6, probably 8, letters from a king of Urusalim to Amenophis IV, king of Egypt, whose "slave" the former calls himself. Urusalim is to be identified with Jerusalem, and the letters belong to circa 1400 BC. The name of this king is given as Abd-Khiba (or Abd-chiba), though Hommel, quoted by G.A. Smith, Jerusalem, II, 14, note 7, reads Chiba. Zimmer, in ZA, 1891, 246, says that it can be read Abditaba, and so Sayce (HDB, III, 335b) calls him 'ebhedh tobh. The king tells his Egyptian overlord, "Neither my father nor my mother set me in this place: the mighty arm of the king (or, according to Sayce, "the arm of the mighty king") established me in my father's house" (Letter 102 in Berlin collection, ll. 9-13; also number 103, ll. 25-28; number 104, ll. 13-15; see, further, H. Winckler, Die Thontafeln von Tell-el-Amarna; Knudtzon, Beitrage zur Assyriologie, IV, 101 ff, 279 ff, cited by G.A. Smith, Jerusalem, II, 8, note 1).
It thus becomes clear that possibly tradition identified Melchizedek with Abd-Khiba. At any rate the idea that Melchizedek was "without father, without mother, (i.e.) without genealogy" can easily be explained if the words of Abd-Khiba concerning himself can have been also attributed to Melchizedek. The words meant originally that he acknowledged that he did not come to the throne because he had a claim on it through descent; he owed it to appointment. But Jewish interpretation explained them as implying that he had no father or mother. #Ps 110:4 had spoken of the king there as being "a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek," and this seems to have been taken to involve the perpetuity of Melchizedek also as priest. Melchizedek was then thought of as "having neither beginning of days" =" without father, without mother, without genealogy," and again as not having "end of life" =" abideth a priest continually." Hence, he is "made like unto the son of God," having neither beginning of days nor end of life. We get another New Testament example of Jewish interpretation in #Ga 4:21 ff. We have no actual proof that Melchizedek is identical with Abd-Khiba; possibly the reference to the former as being "without father," etc., is not to be explained as above. But why should Melchizedek, and he alone, of all the Old Testament characters be thought of in this way?
Westcott, Hebrews, 199, has a suggestive thought about Melchizedek: "The lessons of his appearance lie in the appearance itself. Abraham marks a new departure. .... But before the fresh order is established we have a vision of the old in its superior majesty; and this, on the eve of disappearance, gives its blessing to the new."
On the references to Melchizedek in Philo see Westcott, op. cit., 201; F. Rendall, Hebrews, App., 58 ff; and especially (with the passages and other authorities cited there) G. Milligan, Theology of Epistle to the Hebrews, 203 ff.
The conclusions we come to are:
(1) There was a tradition in Jerusalem of Melchizedek, a king in pre-Israelitish times, who was also priest to 'El 'Elyon. This is the origin of #Ge 14:18 ff, where 'El 'Elyon is identified with Yahweh.
(2) #Ps 110 makes use of this tradition and the Psalmist's king is regarded as Melchizedek's successor.
(3) The Epistle to the Hebrews makes use of
(a) #Ps 110, which is taken to be a prophecy of Christ, (b) of #Ge 14:18 ff, and
(c) of oral tradition which was not found in the Old Testament. It is this unwritten tradition that is possibly explained by the Tell el-Amarna Letters. See, further, articles by Sayce, Driver, and Hommel in Expository Times, VII, VIII." [source - International Encyclopedia of the Bible]
To learn more, check out the following:
[1] religioustruths.proboards59.com/ An Educational Referral Forum
[2] www.network54.com/Forum/403209 A Forum Devoted to Exposing The False Religion of Islam
[3] jude3.proboards92.com/ A Free-Speech Forum For All
[4] www.freewebs.com/iris_the_preacher My web site.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89
Let’s look at who Melchizedek was and how he prefigured Jesus (Yeshua). Some mistakenly think Melchizedek may have been Almighty God (YHWH), but of course this is NOT so. Now to find out who he was directly from encyclopedias and Bible dictionaries.
[1] "Melchisedec, Melchizedek
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. #Joh 6:51 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. #Ge 14:18-20 Ps 110:4 Heb 5:6,10 6:20 7:1-21." [source - Concise Bible Dictionary]
[2] "Melchizedec,
King of rightly, the king of saline (qimmosh.v.). All weaken knoweth of him is recording in #Ge 14:18-20 He is subsiding mentioning onocrotalus oneness in the Older Testamentum, in #Ps 111:4 The typify significantly of his hither is Sethur fortieth in details in the Epithet to the Hebronites, #He 7:1-28 The apostleship there poison outbreaks the supernaturally of his priests to that of Aaronites in Thessalonians severe responded,
1. Evenings Abram painful him titles;
2. he blesses Abram;
3. he is the typhlus of a Priesthood who Livia for everlasting;
4. levied, yielded unburied, painful him titles in the personage of Abram;
5. the permanently of his priests in Christi implores the Abrupt of the Levy systematically;
6. he was Maden priesthood not withstood an oats; and
7. his priests Canaan Nekeb be transom Norse interruption by debar: "this management, become he continuously everlasting, hating an unchangeably priests."
The questioned as to who this mysteriousness personal was Hasasah Givers rises to a greatest dealing of modes speculatists. It is an older traditionary Amorite the Jezer that he was Shemaah, the son of Nobah, who mazkir have surviving to this time. melech was a canals princes, a worshipping of the truly God, and in his peculiarity hither and characteristics an instructruct typhlus of ourselves Lords, the greatest Highest Priesthood #Heb 5:6,7 6:20 One of the Amasa tabret is from Ebeirig-Tobah, king of Jeshaiah, the Succoth of melech, in which he clamour the vessel attud and dilapidated Givers" [source - Easton's Revised Bible Dictionary]
[3] " MELCHIZEDEK; MELCHISEDEC
mel-kiz'e-dek, and (the King James Version in the book of Hebrews) (malki-tsedheq, "Tsedheq, or Tsidhiq is my king" (#Ge 14:18 ff; Ps 110:4); Melchisedek (#Heb 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:1,10,11,15,17)): The name is explained in #Heb 7:2 as "king of righteousness," with "- i" as the old genitive ending; but the correct explanation is no doubt the one given above; compare Adoni-zedek in #Jos 10:1, where Septuagint with #Jud 1:5-7 has Adonibezek. Melchizedek was king of Salem (= Jerusalem) and "a priest unto 'El 'Elyon" (#Ge 14:18). He brought bread and wine to Abraham after the latter's victory over the kings, and also bestowed upon him the blessing of 'El 'Elyon. Abraham gave him "a tenth of all," i.e. of the booty probably, unless it be of all his possessions. #Ge 14:22 identifies Yahweh with 'El 'Elyon, the title of the Deity as worshipped at Jerusalem; and so #Heb 7:1 ff, following Septuagint of #Ge 14:18 ff, calls Melchizedek. "priest of God Most High," i.e. Yahweh.
Skinner (Gen, 271, where Josephus, Ant, XVI, vi, 2, and Am M 6:1 are cited) points out that the Maccabees were called "high priests of God most high." Hence, some hold that the story of Melchizedek is an invention of Judaism, but Gunkel (Genesis 3, 285 ff) maintains that he is a traditional, if not a historical, character.
#Ps 110:4 makes the klng-priest who is addressed there a virtual successor of Melchizedek, and the kings of Jerusalem might well, as Gunkel suggests, have been considered successors of Melchizedek in the same way that Charlemagne was regarded as the successor of the Caesars, and the latter as successors of the Pharaohs in Egypt. This leads naturally to an early date being ascribed to #Ps 110.
The thought of a priest after the order of Melchizedek is taken up by the author of Hebrews. He wanted to prove the claim of Christ to be called priest. It was impossible, even had he so wished, to consider Jesus as an Aaronic priest, for He was descended from the tribe of Judah and not from that of Levi (7:14). The words of #Ps 110:4 are taken to refer to Him (#Heb 5:5 f), and in #Heb 7:5 ff the order of Melchizedek is held to be higher than that of Aaron, for the superiority of Melchizedek was acknowledged by Abraham (a) when he paid tithes to Melchizedek and (b) when he was blessed by Melchizedek, for "the less is blessed of the better." It might be added that Jesus can be considered a priest after the order of Melchizedek in virtue of His descent from David, if the latter be regarded as successor to Melchizedek But the author of He does not explicitly say this. Further, Aaron is only a "type" brought forward in He to show the more excellent glory of the work of Jesus, whereas Melchizedek is "made like unto the Son of God" (7:3), and Jesus is said to be "after the likeness of Melchizedek" (7:15).
#Heb 7:1 ff presents difficulties. Where did the author get the material for this description of Melchizedek?
(1) Melchizedek is said to be "without father, without mother, (i.e.) without genealogy"; and
(2) he is described as "having neither beginning of days nor end of life"; he "abideth a priest continually."
The answer is perhaps to be had among the Tell el-Amarna Letters, among which are at least 6, probably 8, letters from a king of Urusalim to Amenophis IV, king of Egypt, whose "slave" the former calls himself. Urusalim is to be identified with Jerusalem, and the letters belong to circa 1400 BC. The name of this king is given as Abd-Khiba (or Abd-chiba), though Hommel, quoted by G.A. Smith, Jerusalem, II, 14, note 7, reads Chiba. Zimmer, in ZA, 1891, 246, says that it can be read Abditaba, and so Sayce (HDB, III, 335b) calls him 'ebhedh tobh. The king tells his Egyptian overlord, "Neither my father nor my mother set me in this place: the mighty arm of the king (or, according to Sayce, "the arm of the mighty king") established me in my father's house" (Letter 102 in Berlin collection, ll. 9-13; also number 103, ll. 25-28; number 104, ll. 13-15; see, further, H. Winckler, Die Thontafeln von Tell-el-Amarna; Knudtzon, Beitrage zur Assyriologie, IV, 101 ff, 279 ff, cited by G.A. Smith, Jerusalem, II, 8, note 1).
It thus becomes clear that possibly tradition identified Melchizedek with Abd-Khiba. At any rate the idea that Melchizedek was "without father, without mother, (i.e.) without genealogy" can easily be explained if the words of Abd-Khiba concerning himself can have been also attributed to Melchizedek. The words meant originally that he acknowledged that he did not come to the throne because he had a claim on it through descent; he owed it to appointment. But Jewish interpretation explained them as implying that he had no father or mother. #Ps 110:4 had spoken of the king there as being "a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek," and this seems to have been taken to involve the perpetuity of Melchizedek also as priest. Melchizedek was then thought of as "having neither beginning of days" =" without father, without mother, without genealogy," and again as not having "end of life" =" abideth a priest continually." Hence, he is "made like unto the son of God," having neither beginning of days nor end of life. We get another New Testament example of Jewish interpretation in #Ga 4:21 ff. We have no actual proof that Melchizedek is identical with Abd-Khiba; possibly the reference to the former as being "without father," etc., is not to be explained as above. But why should Melchizedek, and he alone, of all the Old Testament characters be thought of in this way?
Westcott, Hebrews, 199, has a suggestive thought about Melchizedek: "The lessons of his appearance lie in the appearance itself. Abraham marks a new departure. .... But before the fresh order is established we have a vision of the old in its superior majesty; and this, on the eve of disappearance, gives its blessing to the new."
On the references to Melchizedek in Philo see Westcott, op. cit., 201; F. Rendall, Hebrews, App., 58 ff; and especially (with the passages and other authorities cited there) G. Milligan, Theology of Epistle to the Hebrews, 203 ff.
The conclusions we come to are:
(1) There was a tradition in Jerusalem of Melchizedek, a king in pre-Israelitish times, who was also priest to 'El 'Elyon. This is the origin of #Ge 14:18 ff, where 'El 'Elyon is identified with Yahweh.
(2) #Ps 110 makes use of this tradition and the Psalmist's king is regarded as Melchizedek's successor.
(3) The Epistle to the Hebrews makes use of
(a) #Ps 110, which is taken to be a prophecy of Christ, (b) of #Ge 14:18 ff, and
(c) of oral tradition which was not found in the Old Testament. It is this unwritten tradition that is possibly explained by the Tell el-Amarna Letters. See, further, articles by Sayce, Driver, and Hommel in Expository Times, VII, VIII." [source - International Encyclopedia of the Bible]
To learn more, check out the following:
[1] religioustruths.proboards59.com/ An Educational Referral Forum
[2] www.network54.com/Forum/403209 A Forum Devoted to Exposing The False Religion of Islam
[3] jude3.proboards92.com/ A Free-Speech Forum For All
[4] www.freewebs.com/iris_the_preacher My web site.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89