PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

            Let’s divide this section into two parts: 1) What We Know; 2) What Other Speculate

Melchizedek – What We Know

• Originally mentioned in Genesis 14:18-20 as a priest of El Elyon (God Most High).
• Mentioned in only three books (Gen. 14:18-20 [History & Typology]; Ps. 110:4 [Prophecy]; Heb. 5:6-11; 6:20-7:28 [Fulfillment])

Melchizedek – What Others Speculate

Various guesses and hypotheses have been put forth on the identity of Melchizedek.  These come in two categories:

1)                  Human

1. A) A historical man, nothing more and nothing less;

                                                                           i.      Josephus refers to him as “a potent man among the Canaanites” who was “the first priest of God [i.e. Yahweh” [Wars of the Jews, 6.10.1 via Marty Pickup, “According to the Order of Melchizedek,” A Tribute to Melvin D. Curry, Jr., p.120].  He also mentions him as the founder of Jerusalem and the builder of the first temple to Yahweh (ibid., p.122)

                                                                         ii.      Originally mentioned in Genesis 14:18-20 as a priest of El Elyon (God Most High).  This divine name appears as the name of a deity in Phoenician records. Some liberal scholars consider Melchizedek a henotheistic priest of a pagan god during the second millennium B.C., and Abraham’s respect an ecumenical gesture, most understand Melchizedek to be among the group called, “the righteous Gentiles.”

1. “Melchizedek and Abraham use the same term, el Elyon, but they attach different meanings to it.  Each refers to his own God – the pagan king to his pagan deity and Abraham to ‘God Most High.’  They worship together, each respecting the faith of the other.  Thus, they set an example of ancient ‘interfaith worship’: They use formulations, wholly acceptable to each other, and thereby make common prayer possible.” (The Torah, Ed. W. Gunther Plaut, p.107)

                                                                           i.       

 

1. B) Shem (of his son), the son of Noah, which would give Melchizedek a racial connection to the Jews since he is an ancestor of Abraham.  It would also explain Abraham’s honoring him.  This is the identity found in all the Targums, “with the exception of the Onkelos Targum (Ibid., Pickup, p.122.)

                                                                           i.      In the Midrash, the Rabbis identified Melchizedek with Shem son of Noah. (E.g., B. Talmud Nedarim 32b; Genesis Rabbah 46:7; Genesis Rabbah 56:10; Leviticus Rabbah 25:6; Numbers Rabbah 4:8.)

 

2)                  Non-human

1. An Angel; the Holy Spirit; or a Pre-incarnate Jesus. 

                                                                           i.      A collection of early Gnostic scripts found in 1945, known as the Nag Hammadi Library, contains a tractate pertaining to Melchizedek. Here it is revealed that Melchizedek is Jesus Christ (Robinson et al, 1978, “The Nag Hammadi Library”). Melchizedek , as Jesus Christ, lives, preaches, dies and is resurrected.

1. While denying that Jesus was Melchizedek, some Jews did equate him to be the Messiah as evidenced above.  Also, “One rabbinic writing speaks of Melchizedek as an eschatological figure accompanying the Messiah: ‘It is written in Zechariah (2,3): ‘The eternal showed me four workmen.’ …These four workmen are: the Messiah son of David, the Messiah son of Joseph, Elijah, and Melchizedek” (Treaty of Sukka 52b, via ibid., Pickup, p.123.  Psalm 110 might be the basis for this expectation.
2. The Essenes considered him to be the Messiah and divine as is evident from this document: as translated by M. de Jonge and A. S. Van der Woude, although some doubt the validity of their work.  It is the only Jewish source which equates Melchizedek as supernatural.

                                                                           i.      “The caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found yielded a series of thirteen fragments on Melchizedek. From these, it appears the belief that Melchizedek was the Messiah was a strongly held conviction among the Qumran community, as well as among some other Jewish and Gnostic sects in the first century A.D.  Entitled, The Coming of Melchizedek , from the Dead Sea Scrolls (11Q13; Col.2):

”(…) And concerning what Scripture says, “In this year of Jubilee you shall return, everyone of you, to your property” (Lev. 25;13) And what is also written; “And this is the manner of the remission; every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because God’s remission has been proclaimed” (Deut.15;2) the interpretation is that it applies to the Last Days and concerns the captives, just
as Isaiah said: “To proclaim the Jubilee to the captives” (Isa. 61;1) (…) just as (…) and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, for (… Melchizedek), who will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the Jubilee, thereby releasing them from the debt of all their sins.
He shall proclaim this decree in the first week of the jubilee period that follows nine jubilee periods. Then the “Day of Atonement” shall follow after the tenth jubilee period, when he shall atone for all the Sons of Light, and the people who are predestined to Melchizedek. (…) upon them (…) For this is the time decreed for the  “Year of Melchizedek`s favour”, and by his might he will judge God’s holy ones and so establish a righteous kingdom, as it is written about him in the Songs of David ; “A godlike being has taken his place in the council of God; in the midst of divine beings he holds judgement”(ps. 82;1). Scripture also says about him; “Over it take your seat in the highest heaven; A divine being will judge the peoples” (Ps. 7;7-8) Concerning what scripture says ; “ How long will you judge unjustly , and show partiality with the wicked? Selah” (Ps. 82:2) ,the interpretation applies to Belial and the spirits predestined  to him, because all of them have rebelled, turning from God’s precepts and so becoming utterly wicked. Therefore Melchizedek will thoroughly prosecute the vengeance required by God’s statutes. Also, he will deliver all the captives from the power of Belial, and from the power of all  the spirits destined to him. Allied with him will be all the  “righteous divine beings“(Isa. 61:3). (The …) is that whi(ch …all) the divine beings.

”The visitation is the Day of Salvation that He has decreed through Isaiah the prophet concerning all the captives, inasmuch as Scripture says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion “Your divine being reigns”.” (Isa. 52:7) This scriptures interpretation : “the mountains” are the prophets, they who were sent to proclaim God’s truth and to prophesy to all Israel. “The messengers” is the Anointed of the spirit, of whom Daniel spoke; “After the sixty-two weeks, an Anointed shall be cut off” (Dan. 9:26) The “messenger who brings good news, who announces Salvation” is the one of whom it is written; “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour , the day of the vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn” (Isa. 61:2) This scripture’s  interpretation: he is to instruct them about all the periods of history for eternity (… and in the statutes) of the truth. (…) (…. dominion) that passes from Belial and returns to the Sons of Light (….) (…) by the judgment of God, just as t is written concerning him; “who says to Zion “Your divine being reigns” (Isa. 52:7) “Zion” is the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, who uphold the covenant and turn from walking in the way of the people. “Your divine being” is Melchizedek, who will deliver them from the power of Belial. Concerning what scripture says, “Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; in the seventh month . . . ” (Lev. 25;9)

                                                                         ii.      Concerning this similarity to Jesus, David Stern, a Messianic Jew comments, “Joseph Shulam has shown that among the Dead Sea Scrolls the one-page document known as 1Q Melch is unique in early Jewish literature in presenting a picture of Malki-Tzedek very similar to that of the author of the New Testament book of Messianic Jews (Hebrews).  This fact strengthens the contention made by some scholars that the author of Messianic Jews, whoever he was, was familiar with the Qumran Community and its ideas.” (David Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, p.934)

 

 

• When dealing with Hebrews 7, and the “mysterious” comments concerning Melchizedek, we are forced to ask these hermeneutical questions:
  • Is the text to be understood according to its plain, straightforward language and meaning?
  • Is the text to be understood according to Rabbinic hermeneutics?
  • Is the text to be understood according to idiomatic vernacular?
  • Is the text to be understood with a combination of any or all of the above?

Tags: Commentary

This entry was posted by PHall on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 3:12 am and is filed under Hebrews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.