Was Melchizedek a man or a type of Mashiak?
Was Melchizedek actually Yahushua in a pre-incarnate state?
Melchizedek shows up in just three books of the Bible: Genesis, Psalms and Hebrews, and nowhere else.
Melchizedek In Genesis
The first one, Genesis 14:18-20, tells us that Melchizedek was a Sovereign and a Priest.
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek Sovereign of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the Priest of the most high Elohim.
19 And he baruched him, and said, Baruched be Abram of the most high Elohim, possessor of shamayim and erets:
20 And baruched be the most high Elohim, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And Abram gave him tithes of all.
He and Yahushua are the only individuals the Bible says were both a Sovereign (Gen. 14:18; Matt. 27:11)
Mat 27:11 And Yahushua stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the Sovereign of the Yahudi (pagan:Jews)? And Yahushua said unto him, Thou sayest.
And a Priest (Gen. 14:18; Heb. 2:17).
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be chesed and a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to YHUH, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Genesis 14:18-20 tells us that the Sovereign of Salem, Melchizedek, was a priest of the Most High Elohim. He was not a pagan priest, but a priest of the one and only YHUH. Melchizedek must have enjoyed the name Sovereign of Salem since the name of Salem means “Shalom.” It is the old name for Jerusalem (Ps. 76:2). If we only read Genesis, we would assume he was a man.
Melchizedek In Hebrews
But the book of Hebrews creates a question about him when it says the following:
Heb 7:1 For this Melchisedec, Sovereign of Salem, priest of the most high Elohim, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and baruched him;
Heb 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation Sovereign of righteousness, and after that also Sovereign of Salem, which is, Sovereign of shalom;
Heb 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of Elohim; abideth a priest continually.
We must ask ourselves, what does scripture mean by “Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of Elohim, he abides a priest perpetually?” At a first reading it sounds like Melchizedek is not human but supernatural. But the Greek language helps us unscramble this passage. The Greek word for “made like” is APHOMOIOO. It is a rare Greek word and occurs in the Bible only here in Hebrews 7:3. The word means “to copy or model.” The word was used to refer to a woodcarver who made a piece of wood to look “like” an ordinary animal. The wood was not made into an animal but looked like the animal. In the same way, Melchizedek was not Yahushua but he is like Yahushua. He is a type or picture of Yahushua.
The book of Hebrews was written to show its readers that Yahushua became our High Priest. In order to be a Yahudi (pagan:Jewish) High Priest, a male had to first be a Yahudi Priest. YHUH said that a Priest had to be born of parents who were Levites.
Num 18:6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for YHUH, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 18:7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your Priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
This was the first requirement. A Yahudi priest had to be a Levite. Therefore, the Ruach HaKodesh needed to show that YHUH recognized someone else in the Torah whose family were not Levite, someone whose family history did not go back to Aaron. Melchizedek was a high priest and he had no family history. Scripture did not record Melchizedek’s family history or genealogy. From an official viewpoint – from scripture – Melchizedek did not have a father or a mother. He did not have a family history. He was not a Levite. This is the point!
Heb 7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and baruched him that had the promises.
He was a Priest without a Levitical family history.
YHUH had recognized him as a real High Priest and the readers could see that Psalm 110:4 agreed with Genesis.
Psa 110:4 YHUH hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever (after the order of) like Melchizedek.
If these Yahudi readers really believed the scriptures this was a powerful statement. Yahushua could be a High Priest and not be a Levite. Yahushuah's genealogy via his adoptive father Yosef was traced back to King David.
Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Yahushua, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Mat 1:6 And Jesse begat David the Sovereign; and David the Sovereign begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Mat 1:16 And Jacob begat Yosef the husband of Miriam, of whom was born Yahushua, who is called Mashiak.
Rom 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the set apart scriptures,)
Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Yahushua our Mashiak, which was assembled (adopted) with the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of YHUH with power, according to the spirit of purity, by the resurrection from the dead:
Rom 1:5 By whom we have received chesed and apostleship, for obedience to the emunah among all nations, for his name:
Heb 7:14 For it is evident that Yahushua sprang out of Judah (through Yosef's adoption); of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
Interestingly, however, Yahushua's mother, Miriam (pagan:Mary), is referred to here being related to Elisabeth, descendent of Aaron:
Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
It just happens that in Scripture more emphasis was put on the Patriarchal line than on the mother - but this would explain why Yahushua was quite at home in the Heykal (pagan:Temple) amongst the Pharisees and Priests of the time!
Luk 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the Heykal, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Luk 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Luk 2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
Luk 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
Luk 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Luk 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
Luk 2:52 And Yahushua increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with YHUH and man.
Heb 7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedek there ariseth another Priest,
Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
At the end of Hebrews 7:3 we read that Melchizedek was “a priest perpetually” and in Hebrews 7:23-24 we see that Yahushua is a priest “forever.”
What is the difference?
The answer is in the Greek again. The root Greek word for “perpetually” is DIENEKES and the root Greek word for “forever” is AION. DIENEKES means “continually” or “without interruption” and AION means “eternal.” AION is a stronger word than DIENEKES. This means that Melchizedek is not Yahushua. Yahushua will live forever but Melchizedek will only be a priest “without interruption” – no recorded death! There cannot be two High Priests which assures us that at some point Melchizedek dies a natural death as a man.
Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Hebrews 7:24 also tells us that Yahushua is a high priest “permanently” or APARABATOS. APARABATOS means that Yahushua’s high priesthood is “immutable.” This is never said of Melchizedek. Melchizedek will be superseded but not Yahushua. They are not identical – they are only like one another.
Hebrews 7:4 also says that Melchizedek was a man:
Now observe how great this MAN was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.
Not to mention, it even mentions he dies as do all other earthly Priests except Yahushua:
Heb 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
Not only was he a man, but he was great. Melchizedek had a great reputation. He was a righteous Priest-Sovereign. How often does scripture talk about a man being great? Abraham recognized him and submitted to him. He was a sovereign of a city with people who followed him. This is not a previous appearance of Yahushau since He did not live here on earth as a man until His birth thousands of years later. But Melchizedek is an example to us, an example that we are to be righteous even as Yahushua is righteous. Melchizedek knew of the bread of life to come according to YHUH's will (Yahushua) - therefore he brings to Abraham bread and wine and Yahushua later breaks bread and gives the wine to drink in remembrance of His broken body and shed blood for remission of sins. And Yahushua has made righteousness attainable by washing us in His blood and sending us the Comforter to guide us, with an added incentive to attain everlasting life as He did when He conquered death. YHUH wants this as our goal in our life – to follow in Yahushua's footsteps.
1 Thess 4:3 For this is the will of YHUH, even your purification...
1 Pet 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye set apart; for I am set apart.
Conclusion:
Who was Melchizedek? He was a man whom YHUH used as a type of Mashiak. He appeared on the pages of scripture to show us thousands of years later that Yahushua is our High Priest, but even more special due to his suffering as a man:
Heb 4:15 For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Torah transgression).
