Question: Who was Melchizedek? One scripture suggests he was a man, another an angel, or even Jesus himself. Can you please explain and give the scriptures you are using as reference?

Thank you!

Lynn

Answer: Dear Lynn,

Those who believe that Melchizedek was an angel who took on human form must explain that the priesthood was a human function, not angelic – see Hebrews 5:1. For those who believe Melchizedek was a re-incarnate appearance of Christ, they must explain Hebrews 7:3, which says that Melchizedek is "like" the son of God, not that Melchizedek was, in fact, the Eternal Son of God (this is a good verse to consider for those who hold this view for it also is the verse that gives rise to the view that Melchizedek was Christ, as it says "without father and mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life….." but the verse continues – "like the Son of God…" Most Bible scholars believe that Melchizedek was a human being who was a type of Christ.

It appears that the writer of Hebrews talks of the human Melchizedek as a type of Christ because he was a priest, and because the biblical record itself gives little background, other than a mention in Genesis 14. So, says the book of Hebrews, Melchizedek was "like" Christ in that the Bible gives no evidence of where he came from, his existence is cloaked in obscurity – and that is very much like the incarnation of Christ, who had a human genealogy through Mary, but no paternal human genealogy. Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit – thus to the human mind Jesus came out of nowhere – and as the Gospels give indication, the circumstances of his birth were held against him by proper, "religious" people of the day.

Melchizedek was the king of Salem – Salem means peace – and the prophets said that Jesus would be the Prince of Peace.

Hope this helps.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht