A Scholarly Comparison between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek.pdf

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1 Liberty University From the SelectedWorks of Charles Sabo Spring March, 2018 A Scholarly Comparison between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek.pdf Charles Sabo, Liberty University Available at:

2 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY A Scholarly Comparison between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek Submitted to Dr. Mark Rathel in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of Spring 2018 NBST 621-B02 LUO Hebrews by Charles Sabo February 26, 2018 i

3 Contents I. Introduction..1 II. The History of Melchizedek.1 a. Identity of Melchizedek..1 b. Melchizedek before Abraham 2 c. Melchizedek after Abraham...3 III. The History of Melchizedek s Kingdom..3 a. Identity of Salem...3 b. History of Salem Salem of Melchizedek 4 2. Salem of the Canaanites.5 3. Salem (Jerusalem) of Israel 6 IV. The Kingly Priesthood 6 a. The Kingly Priesthood of Melchizedek...6 b. The Kingly Priesthood after Melchizedek..7 c. The Kingly Priesthood of Jesus Christ as Compared in Book of Hebrews..8 V. Conclusion 11 VI. Bibliography.14 ii

4 A Scholarly Comparison between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek I. Introduction In order to properly compare Jesus Christ to the Biblical Melchizedek, one needs to first investigate the historical person of Melchizedek. Because theologians only want to rely on the Bible for their theological perspectives, they fail to perform a proper exegesis of the biblical text, by not referring to the historical data available to them from reliable sources outside of the Bible. There are ancient history books available to review, in order to bring a more contextualized perspective; this can provide the proper hermeneutics for a more thorough and accurate interpretation of the Scriptures. My thesis compares and presents evidence which one can conclude that God manifested His initial example of a kingly priest, through Melchizedek, then provided His Son as the only possibility for an eternal Kingly Priest. I will first present historical evidence of the original kingly priest (Melchizedek), then present what transpired after his life, within his kingdom which he passed down; I will expose the requirements of a priest and king, where the kingly priesthood has failed; finally, I will present how the eternal Kingly Priesthood will never fail through God s Son, Jesus Christ. II. The History of Melchizedek Identity of Melchizedek Melchizedek was involved within three verses in Genesis 14: One can gather that he was the king of Salem, as well as priest of the Most High God (vv. 18). He took bread and wine and traveled to meet the returning Abraham from the battle written of in chapter 14. He blessed Abraham in verse 19, then praised the Most High God for delivering the victory to Abraham (vv. 1

5 20). There was a tithe offering (assumed to be by Abraham) to Melchizedek (vv. 20). There is no indication why he favored the victory of Abraham within the text; this is all that is mentioned within the three verses; he quickly disappears from the story. Dr. Ken Johnson, TH. D. has come forth with the modern publication of the Ancient Book of Jasher, which was derived from the first English translation completed in A.D Sidrus, an officer of Titus, was a believer in the Hebrew God and made it out of Jerusalem with several sacred texts in A.D. 70; He made it into the Spanish city of Sevilia, where the Sephardic rabbinate kept the sacred texts safe. 2 The Ancient Book of Jasher was first printed in Hebrew in A.D in Venice, Italy. This book is not to be considered the word of God, but merely an accurate account of ancient history. The Bible makes two specific references to the Book of Jasher, in order to confirm the accuracy of the events mentioned within the context of the passage being mentioned. The two references are found in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. The importance of the Book of Jasher, within this study, is that it reveals and solves the long time mystery of who Melchizedek really was. The Book of Jasher accounts for the same meeting from Genesis 14:18-20 between Abraham and Mechizedek in Jasher 16:11. And Adonizedek king of Salem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the Valley of Melech. 3 The Book of Jasher calls Shem Adonizedek. The word adon, which is post-fixed by the letter i, creates a possessive form: adoni, meaning my lord, or lord of, depending on the context. The second part of the name Adoni-zedek comes from the root sadek, meaning to be just or righteous. One can then 1 Ken Johnson, Ancient Book of Jasher (United States: Bible Artifacts Ministries, 2008), 5. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid., 35. 2

6 see that malchi is translated my king which would translate Melchizedek as my king of righteousness. Shem is referred to being lord of righteousness as he was the oldest living priest of God since the Flood of Noah, as well as the king of Salem. 4 In Jasher 16:11-12, one will find the same information provided from Genesis 14:18-20, but with more details. As I have already disclosed, the Book of Jasher reveals that the identity of Melchizedek is Shem; it also reveals that the place that this event happened was in the Valley of Melech. Verse 12 reveals that it was Abraham who tithed to Shem and that it was one tenth of the spoils of Abraham s enemies; just like in Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek disappears from the story at that point. Because Genesis was brief and vague, the Hebrews author exercises his argument from silence, while capitalizing on Genesis 14 s lack of reference to Melchizedek s ancestry, birth and death. 5 He uses this as his advantage in his comparison of Melchizedek s priesthood, while still being a king. 6 Melchizedek before Abraham Dr. Johnson implies that Shem, son of Noah, rebuilt the ancient pre-flood city of Jerusalem and maintained a school, which he had taught the people about God. In Jasher 11:13, Abram left the house of Noah, after being protected from infancy until age fifteen by the house of Noah. It is revealed later in Jasher 12:63-69 that both Shem and Noah were advising Abram and his father Terah concerning Nimrod, who was determined to kill Abram. Melchizedek after Abraham 4 Ken Johnson, Ancient Post-Flood History ( Xulon Press, 2006), George H. Guthrie, The Hebrews NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), Ibid. 3

7 Both Isaac and Jacob were schooled by Shem on the truth of God. 7 Dr. Johnson states that Shem had attempted to change the hearts of the sons of Canaan towards the Lord, but many rejected the Lord and turned to idolatry and magic. 8 Jasher 28:24 proclaims the death of Shem at age six hundred (1846 B.C.), when Isaac was one hundred ten years old and Jacob was fifty. Jacob had been in the household of Shem for thirty-two years and learned the instruction of the Lord from Shem and his son, Eber. 9 Upon the death of Shem, Jacob returned back to his father s house, where the encounters with his brother Esau had occurred from Genesis III. The History of Melchizedek s Kingdom Identity of Salem According to Dr. Johnson, Shem (Melchizedek/Adonizedek) had ruled over 14 nations in relative peace. 11 He states that Jerusalem was God s choice during the pre-flood era, but was corrupted by paganism and then destroyed in the flood. Shem had gone back to Jerusalem (Salem) to re-establish God s city and teach the inhabitants of the land the instructions of the Lord. 12 From an early Nineveh tablet from the land of Canaan, a cuneiform document provides that Salim means peace, which represents the God of Peace, who was the patron deity of 7 Ibid., Ibid. 9 Johnson, Book of Jasher, Ibid Johnson, Ancient Post-Flood History, Ibid., 47. 4

8 Jerusalem. In this pre-semitic language of Babylonia, uru means city, thus uru-salim presents us with the original name for the city of peace. 13 History of Salem Salem of Melchizedek 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (Genesis 9:25-27 [KJV]) The curse spoken upon Canaan by his grandfather Noah was a prophecy which was to come to pass during Shem s lifetime. Canaan and his offspring were to be ruled over by Shem. The sons of Canaan can be found in Genesis 10:15-18 (Sidon, Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite); verse 19 declares where they had inhabited. The kingdom of Shem can be associated with the borders mentioned within Genesis 10:19, because he ruled over the Canaanites. Verse 27 does indicate that Japheth was to rule over Canaan, but as Japheth had multiplied, they scattered and ruled their own lands outside of the land of Canaan. 14 Shem, however, migrated over to the original Uru-salim to teach the Canaanites about the instruction of the Lord. He built the city of Jerusalem in the mountains of Moriah; the root word of Moriah is morah, which is Hebrew for teacher. 15 According to Dr. Johnson, Shem opened up a school there and taught the instruction of the Lord; of his students, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had all 13 Edwin S. Wallace, Jerusalem the Holy (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1898), Johnson, Jasher, Johnson, Ancient Post-Flood History, 47. 5

9 attended this school, as can be found in the Ancient Book of Jasher. 16 The God of peace had placed His kingly priest in the midst of a cursed people, in order to provide them with instruction about Him; but as one reads in Genesis 15:16, the Amorites of Canaan were filling God s cup of wrath in their rejection of God. Salem of the Canaanites After Shem had died in 1846 B.C., peace had left the land. The event of the slaughter of Shechem by the sons of Jacob (Genesis 34) caused a war with the kings of the Canaanites and the Amorites, who surrounded the city of Shechem, because the sons of Jacob had returned back 5-10 years later. 17 The school which Shem had taught in was corrupted after Shem s death, and the pagan idolatry took over the Canaanite region. 18 It is believed that the inhabitants of Uru-salim were the Hitites, Jebusites and the Amorites who dwelled in the mountains (Num. 13:29). 19 Joshua 10:5 states that there were five kings of the Amorites, with the king of Jerusalem being one of the five kings. Salem (Jerusalem) of Israel Joshua led Israel in a campaign to drive out and destroy all Canaanites from the Promised Land, however they failed to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem (Josh. 15:63). The Benjamites also failed to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem years later (Judges 1:21). The Jebusites changed the name of Jerusalem to Jebus during this time of their inhabitation. 20 It was not until 16 Ibid. 17 Johnson, Jasher, Johnson, Ancient Post-Flood History, Wallace, Jerusalem the Holy, Ibid. 6

10 King David took his men to Jebus (Jerusalem) and they defeated the Jebusites (1 Chron. 11:6). And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. 8 And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. (1 Chron. 11:7-8 [KJV]) God had His people build Him the Temple where they could worship Him in His city of choice, Jerusalem (1 Kings 5-9). IV. The Kingly Priesthood The Kingly Priesthood of Melchizedek The connection between Melchizedek (Shem) and the inclusion of him in Psalm 110 is that Melchizedek provides history of a priest king, which opposes what was taboo in Israel (1 Sam. 13:8-15, 2 Kings 15:3-5). 21 It had been a concern for kings of Israel to not assume the role of priest, as it was the job of the Levites. In 2 Chronicles 26:19, a righteous King Uzziah attempted to light the candles within the temple and the Lord struck Him with leprosy, until the day he died. God had made it into an abomination to Him, if a king attempted to assume the role of a priest. The significance of Psalm 110 can be understood to be unusual, since God had not approved of priest kings ruling over His people. Shem was the only other priest king which God has approved or used within the Scriptures. Shem was not performing sacrifices for blood atonement in behalf of his citizens, as required of the Levitical priesthood (Lev. 5:13; 15:30; 16:30), but used his experiences from God to teach people about God, to prevent them from falling into idolatry. He fulfilled a prophecy set forth by his father, Noah (Genesis 9:25-27) and ruled over the Canaanites, only to teach those who would listen to him. He was the oldest man on earth, a witness to the Flood of Noah and the outcome of 21 Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns, Dictionary of the Old Testament Wisdom, Poetry and Writings (Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, 2008),

11 the Tower of Babel; he assisted Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in properly understanding God, who was speaking to each of them. The Kingly Priesthood after Melchizedek With it common knowledge of the Canaanites history of idolatry, it can be understood that if a priest king without Shem s faith were to take over to rule the land of Canaan, the priest king would fall into the same idolatry. Joshua 10:1-5 indicates that Adonizedec king of Jerusalem was one of five kings who feared the Gibeonites, because they had made allies with Israel. This event occurred in B.C. 22, which was 332 years after Shem had died. Yet this priest king maintained the same title (Adonizedec king of Jerusalem) that Shem had during his encounter with Abraham (Jasher 16:11). Somewhere between the death of Shem and the encounter in Joshua 10, the priestly kings fell into idolatry and brought God s wrath upon them. Deborah W. Rooke connects the same priestly kingship to the historical model found in the Canaanite city-states and links it to Melchizedek s appearance within the Genesis encounter. 23 Found among the Tel-el-Amarna tablets are letters written by a king of Jerusalem to Egyptian Pharaoh Amenophis (ruled Egypt until he died in 1504 B.C.). 24 The king s name was Ebed-Tob and he wrote to the Egyptian Pharaoh stating that his kingdom was not by human appointment, nor succession, but of appointment by a mighty king. Edwin Sherman Wallace associates this appointment to be divine, but is it really? 25 If the priest kingship of the Canaanites had fallen into idolatry, then God was not in their realm of worship, but instead a pagan god is 22 Johnson, Jasher, Deborah W. Rooke, Zadok's Heirs: The Role and Development of the High Priesthood in Ancient Israel (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2000), Wallace, Jerusalem the Holy, Ibid. 8

12 supposed instead. The key point in this association is that this Ebed-Tob was being hard pressed by enemies and was writing to the Pharaoh to send him help. Unfortunately, a later tablet informs that Ebed-Tob s fears came true and Jerusalem was assaulted and he was taken captive. 26 Was this the same priest king from Joshua 10, or maybe a previous king to him? Adonizedec king of Jerusalem was killed by Joshua and the Israelites in B.C., which was ten years before Pharaoh Amenophis had died, who had received the letters from the king of Jerusalem Ebed-Tob. In the case in Joshua 10, the five kings were captive in the cave for some time before they were eventually killed (Joshua 10:22-28). From the encounter in Joshua 10, it seems to be the last of the priest kings of Canaan named Adonizedek. The Kingly Priesthood of Jesus Christ as Compared in Book of Hebrews The positional High Priest of Christ has interesting contrasts compared to the roles of the Levitical priesthood. In Hebrews 1:3, one can first view the connection of the High Priesthood of Christ: when He had by Himself purged our sins. 27 The Levitical priesthood was designated, within the Mosaic Covenant, to be the ones who could purge one s sins (Lev. 5:13; 15:30; 16:30). The Book of Hebrews points out Christ presenting Himself a little lower than the angels (vv. 2:9), so that He could be made perfect through suffering (vv. 2:10). He became one with those whom He sanctified (vv. 2:11), so He could call them brethren, as with those who partake flesh and blood, he took part in the same (2:14). Instead of taking the nature of angels, He took on the seed of Abraham, so that He could be a merciful and faithful High Priest (2:15-16) Ibid., J. D. Douglas, Merrill C. Tenney, and Moises Silva, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987), Eric F. Mason, 'You Are a Priest Forever' : Second Temple Jewish Messianism and the Priestly Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2008), 21. 9

13 Hebrews lists three qualifications for such high priesthood: every high priest is [1] taken from among human beings and [2] appointed on behalf of human beings with respect to the matters pertaining to God, [3] in order to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin (5: 1). In other words, a high priest is (1) chosen from among human beings, and so (2) not self-appointed but called by God to represent them (3) in the sacrifices he offers before God (in particular, for the expiation of sins). 29 Christ s eternal divine status would not qualify Him as High Priest, but when He shared in the human condition, growth, suffering and death, He met the requirement (5:7-9). 30 He did not take the honor of High Priest for Himself, but was called by God the Father in Psalm 110:1-4. Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee (5:5b), the Psalmist (David) quotes the Father again with Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (5:6b). Thus, He was called by His Father to be High Priest. 31 The context of after the order of Melchizedek should be considered when qualifying according to the Mosaic System. Jesus was not a Levite, but of the tribe of Judah. The Melchizedek qualification is looked back to before the Laws of Moses, when Abraham honored Melchizedek as his priest and tithed one tenth of his spoil to him. As I have pointed out, Shem (Melchizedek) was the king of Jerusalem and priest over his kingdom. God wants to associate Jesus to the same titles of Shem (Melchizedek), without having to abide in the Mosaic Levitical requirement. Shem was priest over all people during his era (priest of the most high God), while Jesus is High Priest over the entire human race (not just Israel); this is a major correlation between them (neither were Levites). Within Hebrews 8:5, one can read that the Aaronic priesthood was just a shadow of the heavenly things. Christ s ministry is more excellent, because sin is forgotten. His sacrifice is more 29 Gerald O'Collins and Michael Keenan Jones. Jesus Our Priest : A Christian Approach to the Priesthood of Christ (New York: OUP Oxford, 2010), Ibid. 31 Ibid. 10

14 perfect than the sacrifice of bulls and goats, because the blood of Christ sanctifies, through the Spirit, the conscience of each believer to serve God (vv. 9:14). The Old Covenantal sacrifices by the priest, were being made daily, but never really took away the sin problem (vv. 10:11). Because the sacrifice had to be done year to year, it revealed that there was still a sin problem which existed (vv. 10:4). 32 The remembrance of the people s sins were never fully erased with the continual sacrifices; the healing of their memories, through a deep cleansing, could not be accomplished through the Mosaic sacrificial system. 33 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Heb. 10:12 [KJV]) The priest s work was never done, they stood continuously atoning for the people s sins; Christ sacrificed Himself once, and now sits down at the right hand of His Father; His work is complete. Hebrews 10:19-20 illustrates the tearing of the veil which happened upon the death of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:51); boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus (vv. 10:19), entering through the veil (vv. 10:20), thus having a High Priest over the House of God (10:21). The royalty of Christ is seen throughout the Scriptures, but the one place that links His royalty with His priesthood is written in Psalm 110:1-4. It presents the Son, who is told by His Father (LORD) to sit down at His right hand, while He makes His enemies His (Son s) footstool. By Him sitting down, He has finished His priestly atonement and no longer needs to be standing (as a Levite priest would). The perfect Priest King is after the order of Melchizedek (not a Levite), who rules as King and as the Priest of the people, while He provides them eternal life. V. Conclusion 32 N. T. Wright, Hebrews For Everyone (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), Ibid.,

15 The theological perspective, concerning the priesthood of Christ, is first introduced by King David in the 110 th Psalm. Knowing that the priesthood was restricted to Levites only per the Mosaic Covenant, David compared the priesthood of his Lord (110:1) to that of Melchizedek of Genesis 14: Having not much information within Genesis 14 about who Melchizedek was, the writer of Hebrews took advantage of the ambiguity and compared him to the kingly priesthood of Christ. Looking back to written history in the Ancient Book of Jasher, one can find information which has eluded men s fingertips, when they have contemplated the mystery of this man who Christ is compared to. The Book of Jasher implies this man to be Shem, the son of Noah, who was king and priest of ancient Uru-salim (city of peace). Jasher also says his name was Adonizedek, which is only different in the first root word malchi is translated my king verses adoni, meaning my lord. Shem was the oldest man on earth, who had witnessed the flood, the effects of the Tower of Babel and the Curse of Canaan (Gen. 9:25-27). He rebuilt the city of Uru-salim (Jerusalem) and build a school where he ruled over and taught the Canaanites the words of God. He fulfilled the Curse of Canaan, which Noah had proclaimed (Gen. 9:25-27). When Shem (Melchizedek/Adonizedek) died, he passed down his kingly priesthood. History reveals that the same title Adonizedek (which was 332 years after Shem had died) was passed down throughout the generations of the Canaanites (Joshua 10:15), who eventually became pagan kingly priests of idolatry and worship of false gods. Shem was the only kingly priest to exist that did not fail in his roles as priest of the Most High God and king of Jerusalem. With God forbidding kings to be priests in the Mosaic Covenant, He foreknew what was destined to happen within the depravity of man; the kingly priest would 12

16 become idolatrous and teach their flocks to worship idols, as they commanded it within their royal power. The ultimate priesthood was put in place, as Christ came and lived a sinless life and died a one-time self-sacrifice, which proved to be a much better covenant than the Mosaic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant was temporary and did not permanently remove sin, nor did it heal the conscience of man. The perfect sacrifice of Christ was a far better covenant which permanently removed the guilt and shame of sin, so one can better serve God. The High Priest named Jesus Christ, was not a Levite, but of the tribe of Judah, which keeps the Davidic Covenant fulfilled and to be fulfilled. Thus as David proclaims, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4 [KJV]) 13

17 Bibliography Douglas, J.D., Merrill C. Tenney, and Moises Silva. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Enns, Tremper Longman III and Peter. Dictionary of the Old Testament Wisdom, Poetry and Writings. Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, Guthrie, George H. The Hebrews NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Johnson, Ken. Ancient Book of Jasher. United States: Bible Artifacts Ministries, Ancient Post-Flood History. Xulon Press, Mason, Eric F. 'You Are a Priest Forever' : Second Temple Jewish Messianism and the Priestly Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV,, O'Collins, Gerald, and Michael Keenan Jones. Jesus Our Priest : A Christian Approach to the Priesthood of Christ. New York: OUP Oxford, Rooke, Deborah W. Zadok's Heirs: The Role and Development of the High Priesthood in Ancient Israel. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., Wallace, Edwin S. Jerusalem the Holy. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, Wright, N. T. Hebrews For Everyone. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press,