Melchizedech? Type of Christ or Actual Theophany?

[Xavier]

Melchizedech has to be one of the most mysterious figures in the Bible. Every Catholic Priest knows the words of Psa 109:3 "The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.", spoken first of Christ. Melchizedech had offered a Sacrifice to God under the form of Bread and Wine and blessed the Patriarch Abraham. He therefore foreshadows and typifies the Christian Priesthood.

He seems to have come out of nowhere, and all of a sudden, without any recorded geneaology(the Prophet Moses gives us the genealogy of almost everybody going back to Adam in Genesis!), in Gen 14, has been ordained Priest and appointed King (genealogies were specifically required for Priests and Kings!), seemingly by God Himself! Abraham treats him with utmost reverence, highly unusual behavior toward an apparently non-Hebrew Priest and King. What can explain this?

Although both opinions are found in the commentaries, it seems "Melchizedek" was a Theophany of the pre-Incarnate Christ, and is a Messianic title, and a proof of His Pre-existence and Divinity (the Lord adduces the Psalm as proof of the Messiah's Divinity), and for that reason was as yet "without father, without mother", as the Apostle says. The other interpretation is relatively weaker. Also, by this interpretation, the Priesthood first came to the line of Abraham only through Christ.

St. Paul says in Hebrews 7:1 "For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him:
7:2  To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:
7:3  Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever."

St. Ambrose comments: "Melchisedech, who is introduced without father, without mother, having neither beginning of days, nor ending, but like the Son of God, of Whom Paul says to the Hebrews: "that He remaineth a priest for ever," Who in the Latin version is called King of righteousness and King of peace.
46. Do you recognize Who that is? Can a man be king of righteousness, when himself he can hardly be righteous? Can he be king of peace, when he can hardly be peaceable? He it is Who is without mother according to His Godhead, for He was begotten of God the Father, of one substance with the Father; without a father according to His Incarnation, for He was born of a Virgin; having neither beginning nor end, for He is the beginning and end of all things, the first and the last. The sacrament, then, which you received is the gift not of man but of God, brought forth by Him Who blessed Abraham the father of faith, whose grace and deeds we admire.
47. We have proved the sacraments of the Church to be the more ancient, now recognize that they are superior."

From: http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/210/2100283.htm

Thoughts?

[An aspiring Thomist]

I think many say he is Shem or something; that he was Abraham's great great... grandfather. I forget the evidence and name but Shem just comes to mind.

[Gardener]

I think many say he is Shem or something; that he was Abraham's great great... grandfather. I forget the evidence and name but Shem just comes to mind.

This is the Rabbinic understanding. St. Ephraim of Syria shared the belief. Some argue that it doesn't work with the Septuagint chronology, but only with the Masoretic.

[John Lamb]

I dislike the idea that Melchizedech was a theophany, because then he wouldn't be a true type, because (as I understand it) a type symbolises or foreshadows something which is greater than itself.

St. Paul talks about priests according to the "order of Melchizedech" are such according to spirit and not according to blood, meaning that they are priest "forever"; whereas the Levitical priesthood was passed on by blood inheritance and presumably has no lasting status beyond this life.

My guess is this. In the ancient world, there were those who kept alive the worship of the true God according to the primitive revelation given to mankind in the person of Adam. Abraham was only one such man, until he was given a special revelation by God and became the "father of all believers", the father of Abrahamic revelation/religion. I imagine that Melchizedech was also a man of this sort. He did not gain his priesthood through genealogy, but by the fact that he was a righteous man who worshiped the true God (in fact, every man who believes in God and offers Him suitable sacrifice can be called "priest" in the widest sense), and was king. It was common in the ancient world for emperors / kings to also function as the high priest of their society, which makes sense seeing as the priest's role is to act as intercessor between God and man, and the king as the father of the people would naturally take on a priestly role so as to draw down God's blessing on his people (in China, the emperor was expected every year to offer the "border sacrifice" to "Shangdi" [The Most High God], even up to modern times). The reason that Abraham payed him such respect was, (1) he recognised he was a righteous man and a worshiper of the true God like himself, (2) he was a king, (3) it was expected to pay respect to your host when received by them. Therefore, the specific identity of Melchezidech is not that important, though the Shem hypothesis is interesting - the essential thing is that Melchezidech represents the most ancient and primitive worship of Almighty God, he represents the righteous man in his natural state, prior to the special revelation given to Abraham and completed in Christ. Melchizedech is the natural man, the man who worships God according to natural reason and according to the most ancient tradition passed down from Adam through Noah. His priesthood is not some special & supernatural priesthood ordained by God like the Levictical priesthood or the Christian priesthood, but is the priesthood which belongs to all men in their natural state. In this sense he foreshadows Christ and the Christian priesthood, because what the Christian priesthood does is take this natural priesthood and raise it to a supernatural level in Christ. Both the natural priesthood of men and the Christian priesthood are states of being which are "forever", whereas the Levitical priesthood was merely a temporary ministry.

edit: "Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever." I do not think that St. Paul is saying that Melchizedech was literally without father or mother, but rather that in the Old Testament scripture he is introduced without any reference to his genealogy. This is because, I think, the scriptures are representing him not as a mere specific man (who had a specific father and mother), but as a type representing the (natural) Just Man in general. Abraham is a foreshadow of the Supernatural Man who would one day be conceived in Our Lady's womb; he goes to Melchizedech for a blessing, as in a way it represents Natural Mankind giving the nod and passing on the torch to Supernatural Mankind. You might ask why Melchizedech gave the blessing to Abraham and not Abraham to Melchizedech, seeing as the supernatural is greater than the natural - the answer is that Abraham is not yet the supernatural man (who is Christ) but is a mere prototype and precursor, whereas Melchizedech is the natural man in his full glory.

[Daniel]

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[Kreuzritter]

Men can be "naturally" righteous after the Fall? What?

[John Lamb]

Men can be "naturally" righteous after the Fall? What?

Natural virtues: prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude.
Yes, supernatural grace is needed to have these natural virtues after the fall, became man's nature was corrupted (healing grace). Still, a man with these natural virtues, even if obtained with the help of supernatural grace, is not a Supernatural Man (who has the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, charity).

[Xavier]

Interesting theory, John. Do you have any patristic witnesses to support it?

Just the other day, I came across another text in St. Proclus of Constantinople, saying the "without father, without mother" of the King of Righteousness, King of Peace is to be understood as "Without Father in His Humanity, without Mother in His Divinity" of Jesus Christ. If we read the later prophesies in Isaiah of the Prince of Peace, it is plain that King of Peace is a Messianic Title.

In the later Prophets, the fact of the Divinity of the Messiah to come also becomes more and more explicit. Yet, it is plain in some of the "theophanies" of old as well that the Lord God walked with the ancient Patriarchs under an Image, i.e. as Jesus Christ.

Why I love viewing this as more than a mere typology is not only because, against Judaism and Islamism, Arianism and JWism etc, it is a proof of the Divinity and Pre-Existence of the Messiah; but further and even more, it confirms what Christ Our Lord, Great High Priest, plainly told the Pharisees,

Jn 8: [56] "Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad. [57] The Jews therefore said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? [58] Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I AM"

The Pharisees cannot believe that whom they thought to be a Man - "not yet 50 years old" - walked and spoke with Abraham.

We know the Lord Himself cited Psa 109 which is the next place where Melchizedech is mentioned as proof of Christ's Divinity.

Finally, it is also an argument against Protestantism, as it shows all who offer sacrifice under the form of Bread and Wine are true Priests, of the order of Christ, which Protestants deny. Taken together with the prophesy in Malachias, that this sacrifice will be offered universally in Messianic times, from the rising of its sun to its setting, it is an argument for the Greek (and Syrian) Orthodox Church's non-universality. Fr. Lasance wrote an article on these two prophesies about a 100 years ago.

Thus, it is a very powerful text that, together with other Scriptures, makes for useful demonstrations against error.

There is also a pre-Christian Tradition that it is the ancient King of Righteousness that will judge the world in the latter days.

Aspiring Thomist, but Shem was not without father, without mother, was he? I believe that is a rabbinic theory. Was it after Christ that they first held to it? Also, for the argument that "without father" means "of unknown parentage" is it likely that the Prophet Moses, who almost saw God face to face as much as that was possible on earth before Christ, had things related to God "unknown" to him? Wouldn't God have made these things known to him, as He did so many others? And so much more does the same apply to St. Paul the Apostle, who after his blindness was lifted up to heaven to have a vision of glory, and heard things not uttered among men (2 Cor 12:4)? Certainly, St. Paul, to whom the Holy Spirit revealed all the mysteries of God, would have known the parentage if there had been any. So I think St. Ambrose's interpretation is well justified and solid.

[Philip G.]

Is the first reference to Jerusalem from the Salem of Melchizedech?  It appears to be.  What I couldn't help but notice is that this whole occasion involves not only the king of Salem, but also the king of Sodom.  And, that would be the same Sodom as Sodom and Gomorah, a wicked land/people.  Abraham's response to the king of Sodom would indicate that such land was wicked at that time.  So, it seems to me to be an occasion where Abraham, who is a representative of Gods people, it taking sides.  And, we should not be surprised.  Abraham has chosen the good, and the good is to be found in the king of Jeru(Salem).  And, it is only a few chapters later that God destroys Sodom and Gomorah.  So, I see it as a type of end times.  Abraham must choose between a type of heaven(Salem) for his descendants, or a type of hell(Sodom).

Also, the king of Sodom's response to Abraham saying, give me people/bodies, and keep/take the goods, reminds me a little bit of satan.  Satan wants to be the true owner of humanity like a slave driver, when humankind instead belongs to God, and only through God can we have access, similar to how we believe in the communion of saints. The king of Salem also wants people, but he wants it through God, manifested in the sacrifice of bread and wine.  When Christ is lifted up, he will draw all men unto himself.  By offering such sacrifice, Christ is being lifted up.  So, both of these kings want to increase their kingdoms.  One for evil(Sodom), one for good(Salem).  These are both kings(one a true king, the other a tyrant).  They are likely both priests(one in an evil sense, the other in a good sense).  But, they need a prophet.  Christ is priest, prophet, and king.  So, these two kings need Abraham, who was childless, to fill that office.  Abraham chooses the good, which we should not be surprised to find is located in the land of Salem, which is the ideal land, the holy land.  Figs are not gathered from thistles.  God has no desire for the barren desert land of Sodom, or for a wicked leader replacement to take over his role in the influencing of mankind. 

[Xavier]

Max posted a very interesting video in another thread that elaborates on what Gardener mentioned above. Only in the Masoretic text (corrupted in many very places, as shown there) is it even possible that Shem was alive in the time of Abraham, neither in the Septuagint nor in the Vulgate is it possible. And it is fascinating that the Jewish Masoretes, the scholars who revised the translation, seem to have made the change deliberately. The video argues this was done precisely to introduce the false idea that Shem=Melchizedech. Since Shem's genealogy is fully known, that cannot be the case.

But why go through such an elaborate deception and to what purpose? One possible answer is that they felt the Divinity of Christ, as well His Nature as Great High Priest Forever and King of All Ages shine out clearly in the text, and therefore felt they had to corrupt it somehow.

St. Ambrose and St. Proclus take for granted and repeat that "without father, without mother" means that Jesus was born without Mother in His Divinity, and without needing a Father in His Humanity. Therefore, it shows His Divinity, His Virgin Birth, His Royal Priesthood etc.

And thus, Christ is the Great High Priest of the order of Melchizedech, the King of Righteousness Who blessed Abraham. In the flesh, when the fullness of time had come, He descended of Judah, and His cousin (on His Mother's side, as St. Luke relates of the Blessed Mother's relation to St. Elizabeth) was St. John the Baptist of the tribe of Levi, whose father was the high Priest St. Zecharias.

In the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, handed down by the 12 sons of Jacob that pre-date the Incarnation by centuries, some of these things about Christ are further explained, "the Lord God, the Mighty One of Israel, shall appear upon earth as Man, and saved by Him Adam. Then shall all the spirits of deceit be given to be trampled under foot, and men shall rule over the wicked spirits. Then will I arise in joy, and will bless the Most High because of His marvellous works, because God has taken a body and eaten with men and saved men. 7. And now, my children, obey Levi, and in Judah shall you be redeemed: and be not lifted up against these two tribes, for from them shall arise to you the salvation of God. For the Lord shall raise up from Levi as it were a Priest, and from Judah as it were a King, God and man. So shall He save all the Gentiles and the race of Israel." (Testament of Simeon, p.6-7 see also Testament of Reuben, p.7 - "Therefore I command you to hearken to Levi, because he shall know the law of the Lord, and shall give ordinances for judgment and sacrifice for all Israel until the completion of the times of Christ, the High Priest whom the Lord has declared. I adjure you by the God of heaven to work truth each one with his neighbour; and draw near to Levi in humbleness of heart, that you may receive a blessing from his mouth. For he shall bless Israel; and specially Judah, because him has the Lord chosen to rule over all the peoples. And worship we his Seed, because He shall die for us in wars visible and invisible, and shall be among you an everlasting king." etc) http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0801.htm

[Josephine87]

What a fascinating discussion, especially from Xavier and John Lamb.  All I can say is, I can't wait to know the whole truth once I die! 

[Xavier]

Yes, Josephine. What amazing things we will learn in Heaven, no!

And this is from the Testament of the Patriarch Joseph (number 11 in the New Advent Link above) regarding Our Lord Jesus Christ.

"19. Hear also, my children, the visions which I saw. There were twelve deer feeding, and the nine were divided and scattered in the land, likewise also the three. And I saw that from Judah was born a virgin wearing a linen garment, and from her went forth a Lamb, without spot, and on His left hand there was as it were a lion; and all the beasts rushed against Him, and the lamb overcame them, and destroyed them, and trod them under foot. And because of Him the angels rejoiced, and men, and all the earth. And these things shall take place in their season, in the last days. Therefore, my children, observe the commandments of the Lord, and honour Judah and Levi; for from them shall arise unto you the Lamb of God, by grace saving all the Gentiles and Israel. For His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not be shaken; but my kingdom among you shall come to an end as a watcher's hammock, which after the summer will not appear.

20. I know that after my death the Egyptians will afflict you, but God will undertake your cause, and will bring you into that which He promised to your fathers. But carry up my bones with you; for when my bones are taken up, the Lord will be with you in light, and Beliar shall be in darkness with the Egyptians. And carry up Zilpah your mother, and lay her near Bilhah, by the hippodrome, by the side of Rachel. And when he had said these things, he stretched out his feet, and slept the long sleep. And all Israel bewailed him, and all Egypt, with a great lamentation. For he felt even for the Egyptians even as his own members, and showed them kindness, aiding them in every work, and counsel, and matter." http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0801.htm

The Patriarch Joseph himself is considered a type of Christ, because he was unjustly persecuted by his own brothers, left for dead, but then miraculously raised up by God, saved Egypt, then his own family, and forgave everybody. So we see in him a prefigurement of Christ.

And this is related by the Patriarch Benjamin as told by the Patriarch Jacob, or Israel, their father,

"3. Therefore, my children, love the Lord God of heaven, and keep His commandments, and be followers of the good and holy man Joseph; and let your mind be unto good, even as you know me. He that has his mind good sees all things rightly. Fear the Lord, and love your neighbour; and even though the spirits of Beliar allure you into all troublous wickedness, yet shall no troublous wickedness have dominion over you, even as it had not over Joseph my brother. How many men wished to slay him, and God shielded him! For he that fears God and loves his neighbour cannot be smitten by Beliar's spirit of the air, being shielded by the fear of God; nor can he be ruled over by the device of men or of beasts, for he is aided by the love of the Lord which he has towards his neighbour. For he even besought our father Jacob that he would pray for our brethren, that the Lord would not impute to them the evil that they devised concerning Joseph. And thus Jacob cried out, My child Joseph, you have prevailed over the bowels of your father Jacob. And he embraced him, and kissed him for two hours, saying, In you shall be fulfilled the prophecy of heaven concerning the Lamb of God, even the Saviour of the world, that spotless shall He be delivered up for transgressors, and sinless shall He be put to death for ungodly men in the blood of the covenant, for the salvation of the Gentiles and of Israel, and shall destroy Beliar, and them that serve him.

4. My children, do you know the end of the good man? Be followers of his compassion in a good mind, that you also may wear crowns of glory. The good man has not a dark eye; for he shows mercy to all men, even though they be sinners, even though they devise evil concerning him. So he that does good overcomes the evil, being shielded by Him that is good; and he loves the righteous as his own soul. If any one is glorified, he envies him not; if any one is enriched, he is not jealous; if any one is valiant, he praises him; he trusts and lauds him that is sober-minded; he shows mercy to the poor; he is kindly disposed toward the weak; he sings the praises of God; as for him who has the fear of God, he protects him as with a shield; him that loves God he aids; him that rejects the Most High he admonishes and turns back; and him that has the grace of a good spirit, he loves even as his own soul.

5. If you have a good mind, my children, then will both wicked men be at peace with you, and the profligate will reverence you and turn unto good; and the covetous shall not only cease from their inordinate desire, but shall even give the fruits of their covetousness to them that are afflicted. If you do well, even the unclean spirits shall flee from you; yea, the very beasts shall flee from you in dread. For where the reverence for good works is present unto the mind, darkness flees away from him. For if any one is injurious to a holy man, he repents; for the holy man shows pity on his reviler, and holds his peace. And if any one betray a righteous soul, and the righteous man, though praying, be humbled for a little while, yet not long after he appears far more glorious, even as was Joseph my brother."

All of Holy Scripture, right from the Prophetic Book of Genesis, under various types, signs and figures, speaks of Jesus Christ Our Lord.

[Xavier]

So let's review: (1) Melchizedek is the First Priest, and also King at the same time, mentioned in the Holy Bible; (2) The Priesthood itself first came to the line of Abraham and thus to the House of Aaron in the Tribe of Levi only through this Ancient King of Peace, this Glorious King of Righteousness (3) St. Ambrose says clearly it is not any more man but only the divine pre-existent Son of God Who walked with Abraham Who can be King of Peace, for man can hardly be peaceable; and King of Righteousness, for man can hardly be righteous, let alone King of it (4) Abraham tithes Melchizedek, something St. Paul says shows the great superiority of the latter and of the New Covenant Priesthood (5) St. Paul says Melchizedek had neither beginning of days nor end of life, but in the likeness of the Son of God, remains great High Priest forever.

This is Genesis 14:18  But Melchisedech, the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,
14:19  Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth.
14:20  And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection, the enemies are in thy hands. And he gave him the tithes of all.

After this, there are only 2 more mentions of this mysterious Priest-King. One is in the Messianic Psalm of King David, where David calls Jesus Christ the Lord and says of Him that He is a Priest forever according to this ancient order of Melchizedek. Then, in the epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul reiterates Melchizedek had no genealogy nor mother nor father.

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him:
7:2  To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:
7:3  Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever."