Hebrews 7

1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 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.

     All we know about Melchisedec is found in three verses of the Old Testament. He lived in the time of Abraham and was known as the king of Salem and the priest of the most high God (Gen 14:18-20). Salem was apparently ancient Jerusalem, which is called by that name in Psalms 76:2. Some however, think it was a different Salem (see John 3:23). Abraham’s encounter with Melchisedec took place before he was blessed by God, when he was still known as Abram.

     The backstory is that Abram’s nephew Lot had been carried away as a war-captive, along with all his family and possessions, after the 4-king Canaanite alliance fell to the 5-king alliance from the east. When Abram heard of his nephew’s plight, he pursued the army of the victorious kings and in a surprise night battle rescued Lot and his family and returned to Canaan with much spoils of war which the 5-king confederation had taken. Upon arriving in Canaan, Abram was met by several kings. He gave back all the spoils of war that belonged to the king of Sodom, refusing to keep even one item. However, when Melchisedec the king of Salem came out to meet him, Abram gave him a tenth of the spoils. In return, Melchisedek gave Abram gifts of bread and wine – the emblems of communion – and blessed him by the God of heaven.

     Many years later Joshua met a different confederation of five Canaanite kings on the field of battle, organized by Adonizedek king of Jerusalem (Josh 10:1). The name Adonizedek strongly suggests a connection to Melchizedek, for kings commonly named themselves after a famous predecessor. Joshua defeated the Canaanite army during the famous battle when the Sun and Moon stood still for an entire day. He captured Adonizedek and the other four kings alive and then hung them upon five trees. This agrees with God waiting to give the land of Canaan to Abraham until the iniquity of its inhabitants had fully come (Gen 15:16).

     Melchisedek was probably one of many who worshiped the Creator-God in the time of Abram. According to Job, who lived in the same era as Melchisedek, mankind in general had a deep knowledge of God in those days. Shem also lived during that pre-Law era, when the head of the family was the de facto spiritual leader of the home. Melchisedec, as a righteous God-seeker, was held in high respect by his countrymen and ultimately became the king of Salem and priest of the most high God. Melchisedec’s other titles are equally impressive – King of righteousness and King of peace (v2). The name Melchisedec in Hebrew means, “King of Righteousness,” (malkiy – “king”, tsdaqah – “righteousness”) and the name Salem means “peace.” The latter title is particularly appropriate, for Melchisedec was somehow able to avoid being drawn into that large war of nine kings.

      It is my belief that the historical Melchizedek was not Christ pre-incarnate, but a righteous man of faith that the Spirit has placed in the Holy Scriptures to be a type of Jesus the Messiah. Melchisedek was made like unto the Son of God. Life details of the historical Melchisedec were designed by God so that he would pre-figure the Christ. Thus, while Melchisedek did have a physical father and mother, his entire genealogy is a complete mystery – his parentage and offspring, family name and ancestry, even his birth and death are unknown. This would be a calamitous fact for any Jew and would disqualify a person from being a priest. 

     Without father, without mother, without descent. Clarke shows that the Jews used these terms to describe those who could not prove their Jewishness by the genealogies. A person with a Jewish mother but a Gentile father for example, was said to be without father, and so was excluded from the holy genealogy of Abraham. Melchisedec, although priest of the most high God, had neither father nor mother – he was outside of the Aaronic lineage and so ineligible to be priest. The Apostle establishes this point in verses 5-6, saying, “Melchisedec, whose descent is not counted from (Levi) received tithes of Abraham.”

     Some think Melchisedek was actually the Holy Spirit, others say that he was Enoch, Shem, the Divine Word or an angelic being. The facts are against those ideas. While Shem did live unto the fiftieth year of Isaac (about a century after the war of the kings), both he and Enoch had fathers and lineage. And there is neither precedent nor reason for Melchisedek being a supernatural being. In the physical realm, God has always used men to accomplish His purposes with the occasional help of angelic beings, not vice versa.   

     The Spirit recorded these facts in Genesis so that we might understand why He moved David to prophesy, The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek (Ps 110:4), and how that is uniquely fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of God (who) abideth a priest continually (v3). The book of Hebrews masterfully portrays this Old Testament typology of Jesus Christ as God’s ever-abiding High Priest who intercedes for us in the heavenly tabernacle (Heb 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 6:20; 8:1; 9:11).

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

     The Apostle shows that the priesthood of Christ is superior to the Aaronic priesthood by examining their lineages. Abraham, the great founder and patriarch of the Jewish religion, gave tithes to Melchizedek – thereby confessing that Melchizedek was superior to him. Moreover, the tribe of Levi and its Aaronic priesthood must be inferior to the priesthood of Melchisedec also, for in Abraham they both paid tithes after the fact (v9-10). This puts Melchisedec in rare company. He apparently was the greatest man of his era and highly respected by all.

     Three other details show the superiority of Christ’s priesthood. First, the Aaronic priesthood suffered through vacant eras where there were no priests, and then the priesthood completely ended at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Christ, on the other hand, abides continually and forever as God’s High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec (Ps 110:4). Second, while the Aaronic priesthood collected tithes from their own flesh and kin (v5), the priesthood of Melchisedek was greater; he received tithes from outside his own family like Jesus Christ (v6). Abraham did not give the tenth to Melchisedec on account of some informal rule, but because it was prudent to show respect to this high personage. Third, the superiority of Melchisedek is shown in that he pronounced a blessing upon Abraham (Gen 14:20). And everyone knows that the lesser is blessed by the greater. The blessings of that great Priest according to the order of Melchisedek are rich unto all that call upon Him (Rom 10:12).

8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

     There is no record that Melchisedek died, so typologically speaking, he liveth still and receives tithes forever. Of course, the anti-type is Jesus Christ who lives forever in heaven and who receives our spiritual tithes and blesse(s) us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Eph 1:3). The priests of the Law were mortal men who received tithes of the people only a few years. But Christ abideth a priest continually (Heb 7:3).

     Levi also. Employing a synecdoche, the Apostle writes the name of the patriarch instead of the name of the priesthood which sprang from him. In a sense, he says, the Aaronic priesthood paid tithes to the priesthood of Melchisedec by his great-grandfather, Abraham. Thinking literally this seems to stretch the bounds of logic, but when we recognize that blood lineage is the crucial point here, it suddenly makes good sense. The whole priestly order of Aaron is traced back to Abraham who by paying tithes to the priest of Salem affirmed the superiority of the order of Melchisedec.

11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

     We arrive at the crux of the matter. Why did David predict that the Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchisedec instead of a priest after the order of Aaron? This must have been a great puzzle for the blood Jews, who put great confidence in their fleshly lineage and Law (Php 3:3). Jehovah however, has sworn that the Messiah will be a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4), who was very likely of Gentile blood. Saying that Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchisedek implies that His authority is outside of the Old Covenant. And this parallels Paul’s argument for “salvation by faith”, seeing that it pre-dates the Law by four full centuries (Rom 4).

     The Holy Spirit designed the Old Testament Scriptures so that certain famous persons appear as unique types of Christ. These beautiful portraits reveal the finger of God writing the history of the world according to His own divine purpose and will. Interestingly, not one of these character-types are perfectly complete. Instead, each person illustrates a particular aspect of Christ and not His actual divine being. Consider the following examples:

     Although the Scriptures give just a few details about the life of Melchisedek, they contain quite a few types and similarities to the life, ministry and true identity of Jesus Christ. Here is a list of some of these.

12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

     This is a prelude to the subject of chapter 8 and makes a crucial point to Jewish Christians: if the Messiah has not come under the order of Aaron to be priest, then a new priesthood has been created. And that means new laws, new order of worship, new commandments. This was very difficult for the history-loving Jews.

     Melchisedec pertained to another tribe, one that the Law has not sanctioned to serve at the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem. This is another detail in the typology, for Christ did not pertain to a sanctioned tribe of priests either. He came from the kingly tribe of Judah, not the priestly tribe of Levi.

15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

     Instead of “for” in verse 15, read, “if” (which is in the Greek). There is also a play on the word evident in verse 14 (pro-delos) and verse 15 (kata-delos). The reason that Jesus was not born into the tribe of Levi is yet far more evident when we understand that Christ’s priesthood is not based on the order of Aaron but on the order of Melchisedec, whose priesthood is not founded upon a carnal commandment, but…an endless life. Meaning this: Jesus is High Priest not according to the Law’s commandments concerning the Levitical priests (such as blood lineage and rules of clothing, rituals and conduct), but according to the power of an endless life. For unlike priests of the Levites, the order of Melchisedec continues for ever.

18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

     A change in the priesthood necessitates a change in the law of the priesthood (v15), meaning that the Law of the Old Covenant itself was set aside and superseded by the new Law of Christ (Heb 8:13). The former was weak through the flesh (see note at Rom 8:3) and could not make the comers thereunto perfect (Heb 10:1). That’s because the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins (Heb 10:4). The law of the new priesthood under Jesus Christ brings to us a better hope, for it is based on a better covenant established upon better promises (Heb 8:6). The Law was but a shadow of good things to come – He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second (Heb 10:9). See how Jesus explained this change in Matthew 5.

     Seventh-Day Adventists and like-minded groups refuse to grasp the strength of these verses – the Law made nothing perfect. Why then, would we go back to following it’s dietary rules and doctrines concerning uncleanness? Elsewhere Paul says, If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law (Gal 3:21).

20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

     This detail from their own Scriptures should have been particularly compelling for the Jews. David, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost while the Law was still in effect (Heb 7:28), predicted that the Messiah would be made a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. The Levitical priesthood, on the other hand, was not founded upon an oath of God. Jesus was made High Priest by God’s oath.

     The facts and predictions surrounding Melchisedek continue to provide convincing proof to the Jews that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, King of kings and High Priest of the New Covenant. Nevertheless, it is rare to find a Jew who confesses Christ. Just as disturbing, many Christians have been deceived by the false doctrine of Dispensationalism into actively supporting the Jews in their vain efforts to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and establish them in the land of Palestine. The true hope of Israel is not this, but that they confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

     In the time of the Exodus, God gave to Aaron the priesthood, a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him (Ex 28:43), but there were hiccups in the line. For example, God cut off the family of Eli from being priests (1Sam 2:30) and by the time of Jesus, the Jewish High Priest had become a political position that was virtually sold to the highest bidder.

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

     Bible commentators and translators do not agree on the Apostle’s intention with the Greek word egguos, which is translated in the KJV as surety. The NIV, meanwhile, has “guarantee,” and the old Coverdale Bible has “establisher.” Egguos is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but frequently appears in adverb (eggus) and verb (eggizo) form. These words are typically translated “near” or “nigh” (i.e. Heb 7:19; James 4:8; Rom 10:8; Eph 2:13; Heb 6:8). Clarke makes a very strong case that this is the correct translation of egguos here, instead of “surety, or guarantee” in the contemporary sense of the word. And in truth, while the word surety is found about a dozen times in the Greek Scriptures, it very rarely (if ever) derives from egguos. For example, Judah offered himself as surety (ekdechomai) for the safe return of Benjamin (Gen 43:9).

     Using the definition proposed above, the verse would read, By so much was Jesus made intermediary(someone who makes two parties to draw nigh) of a better (covenant). This idea fits the context perfectly, for verse 19 says, “we are able to draw nigh (eggizo) unto God because of Jesus Christ,” and verse 25 remarks, He ever liveth to make intercession for them that come unto God. Thus, the word egguos in v22 should be read in connection with eggizo in v19, instead of interposing a new concept (surety). Indeed, in the next chapter the Apostle enlarges upon the role of Christ in helping Man to draw nigh to God: He is the mediator of a better covenant (Heb 8:6).

     The idea of Jesus being a “surety” is outside the theme of this chapter, but Jesus as the “mediator” of a better covenant is on-topic. For obviously, the High Priest of the weaker covenant served as a mediator not a surety. Indeed, to be a mediator was the very role of any priest. Some commentators try to rescue the concept of Jesus being a “surety” by citing the fact of His death on our behalf, but while that might be made to superficially correspond, it is not even a secondary topic in the present context.          

     A second controversy of translation concerns the word diatheke, which the KJV inconsistently translates throughout the New Testament. In the present verse it is translated “testament”, but the more common translation is “covenant.” Advancing a few verses for instance, we encounter the word diatheke five times, where it is always translated “covenant” (Heb 8:6-10). By what criteria is it translated “testament” here? A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, while a testament is a legal statement (like a last will and testament). The word diatheke is found hundreds of times in the Septuagint, where it is never translated “testament.” See also my notes for Heb 9:15-17.

23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

     Since God has sworn that Jesus Christ will be a Priest forever, it follows that He has an unchangeable priesthood. The statutes and laws of His Covenant are everlasting and unchanging (Heb 13:8), being evidenced by the power of an endless life, which means that Christ can forgive perpetually all those that come unto God by Him. He died in the flesh to ransom the many and He rose to live forevermore to make intercession for them before the Throne of God. The word intercession (entugchanein) means “to entreat on behalf of another, to defend or commend another, and to assist or help another.”

26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

     Jesus Christ is the ultimate and perfect High Priest. It is impossible to even imagine a better one. The priests of the Aaronic order were men of infirmity that needed to daily offer atonement sacrifices, first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people (Lev 9:7, see note Heb 5:3). However, the Priest that God appointed by the word of the oath according to the order of Melchisedec has always been perfectly holy and undefiled. There was never a need of sin offerings for Him. Nor must He daily offer up sacrifices for the sins of the people; the vicarious death of a sinless God avails to infinite depths and to everlasting years because God is infinite and everlasting.

     This underpins the force of the Apostle’s words in verse 25, that Christ is therefore able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him. For the God who died has risen again and has been made higher than the heavens. He is alive forevermore and He intercedes for the saints in the heavenly tabernacle (Rev 8:1-6).