American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio
>> Alex McFarland: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.
Alex McFarland: Was Melchizedek an appearance of Jesus Christ
Welcome to Exploring the Word. Then Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought out bread and wine and he was the priest of God the Most High. And he blessed him and said, blessed be Abraham of God most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God most High who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Genesis 14, 18, 20. And we welcome you to today's edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here with Bert Harper. And today on the program, we're going to talk about a very famous name from out of the pages of Scripture, Melchizedek. And specifically we want to ask the question, was Melchizedek of the Old Testament? Was Melchizedek an appearance of Jesus Christ? And, you know, we get a lot of questions on the show, Bert. we enjoy people's questions and we just feel so privileged to interact with people and to together, I mean together we're learning and studying the pages of God's Word, trying to interact and get the truth about a lot of these Bible questions. And I would say that one of the questions we get on a somewhat rare regular basis, out of the book of Genesis we get questions and one of them is about Melchizedek. And so I felt like it would be important because there's a lot of other doctrines and biblical truths that, that run on parallel tracks with this. But how about we take a, as thorough as we can do in this time space, we'll take a look at Melchizedek.
>> Bert Harper: I'm glad we're doing this. This is a, one of the issues that we'll say is a mystery, but evidence of. And so I think people can reach different conclusions on this. Does it really matter? Well, I'm not going to say it doesn't matter, but it does not, you know, confuse any kind of a doctrine if you come across one way or the other. He was a real person. Now that's the issue. Now, was he a pre incarnate appearance of Christ or was he a man that was born of a man and woman unknown? it doesn't cause us any doctrinal error, Alex, but it is something that if it's a pre incarnate Christ, I think it just enriches and I lean that way. I've gone back and forth on this. You know, there's two or three things that's in the Bible. You'll read it and you'll hear someone, you know make this argument, or when I say argument, I don't mean arguing, but they'll make their case. You say that makes more sense. And, with Melchizedek, he's one of those that, I have to admit, I have fluctuated on. And at this point in time in my life, I'm going to go and I'll let the cat out of the bag before we get to the end. I believe he is a pre incarnate appearance of Christ. But let's go in and dig it and lead us through this, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Sure. Well, you know, it's very interesting and we're going to get to this, later on that in the Old Testament we read about God appearing to different people. And you know, Bert, as I was kind of doing a little bit of research for this, I thought about, of course, you know, God appeared to Abraham, you know, obviously, and God appeared to Hagar. And I was going and I thought, there's probably half dozen times in the Old Testament where God literally appeared to people. And then I thought, well, there's Moses. But then I went back and I thought, well, there's Adam and Eve and we'll go through some of these. I came up with 23 different people in the Old Testament that God appeared to. And so, you know, that's a lot. And scholars have a big word for this. And the word when, before his ministry here on earth, a pre incarnate appearance of Jesus is called a christophany. A christophany. And you know, God would come into the world to like talking to Abraham or talking to Jacob. But ultimately we know in the life of Jesus Christ, God took on a human body and came into this world, to be the Savior. But even before, before the time of the NewSong Testament, God appeared to people. And maybe some people wonder if Melchizedek was one of those. So, let's go back to Genesis and talk about this thing that happened in the region that would later become Jerusalem. And we're going to talk about what that name means. But the very famous capital of Israel, unquestionably the most significant city in world history, Jerusalem. And by the way, I know you've been to the Holy Land, Bert. Did you ever think about that when you were over there in Jerusalem? you know, on this mountain range called Moriah. The mountains of Moriah is the city of the great God Jerusalem. And. And somewhere in that region. You've walked there. I've walked there. Melchizedek met with Abraham. I mean, doesn't it just, stagger your mind to think about all the history and all the significance of the things that took place in that blessed land?
>> Bert Harper: It does, Alex. And let me just share with you, if you can go, if you can go, it is well worth your time. I'd studied the Scriptures for years, and a few years ago, Jan and I went and we got to walk those streets, and you'll hear them advertise. It comes alive, it really does, when you get a visual, sense, as we use our senses, we read it from the word of God, we hear it preached, we know it and we see the words. But going there and seeing the places where it took place, never will forget seeing Jerusalem, from afar. We came from Jericho, and you come up and go over the mountains, and then on top of the mountains, you look down and you see Jerusalem spread out before you. it was a truly. It was worshipful. We worshiped the Lord there on that bus, Alex.
>> Alex McFarland: Us, too.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah. So it is a great place.
Bert: One possibility is that Jesus was called King of Salem
And Salem, is that a, earlier, name for the area of Jerusalem?
>> Alex McFarland: Well, it is, it is. And, you know, there's the Jewish word shalom, peace. But, you know, the word. And we're going to get to this later on, it really connotes completeness and perfection. And, it is. And, it is the. The city of God. And So in Genesis 14, we read about Melchizedek, who is this, this. This king of Salem. Now, God is the king and Jerusalem is his city. So one of the arguments that people might set forth that Melchizedek was a pre incarnate appearance of Christ is because he's called the King of Salem. Now, is he, a local leader that has emerged as the leader of this region, or is he God coming into what would become ultimately his city in the future? just don't know at this point yet. But it says he was priest of the most High God. Now, what had happened there had been a battle in this region, and we're going to talk about that. But, there's this interaction where, he pronounces a blessing on Abraham or Abram at this point. And he blessed the most, says, be blessed of the most high God who's delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. Am I right? On that.
>> Bert Harper: That's exactly right. And that's one of the other issues that brings us. I know of a priest, but again, that's if you're listening.
>> Alex McFarland: but God.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah. Make note of the evidence. King of Salem is one evidence that it could be. I know it could be just the regional, but it could be Jesus gave him tithes. That's another possibility. And also the blessing. The blessing seems more than just a normal blessing. It has a ring of deity to it. I'll put it that way. Alex. Go ahead, brother.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, in the Old Testament, you know, we've got the Genesis 14 passage. Then we've got Psalm 110, especially in verse four. Psalm 110 very famously says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Now, this is talking about Jesus, who ultimately would come. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of, thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning, Thou hast the dew of thy youth. Now, verse 4. The Lord has sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever. And after the order of Melchizedek, speaking of Jesus, and, Hebrews 5 is going to reiterate this word. and Psalm 110 speaks of Melchizedek. Now, the Old Testament references him, you know, quite a few times in the book of Hebrews, in Hebrews chapter five and Hebrews chapter seven. Now, Hebrews, and we've talked through it, but it's making a number of arguments setting forth that Jesus is our high priest, our Savior. And it says in Hebrews 5, 5, 11, that Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest. See, Jesus didn't have to grope and grasp and make himself a high priest. Philippians 2 says, you know, that his deity was not something he had to struggle to hang onto, but he was willing to, be made lower than the angels, humble himself, even go to the cross. And so, Hebrews 5, I think, reiterates that, Bert, that Jesus didn't have to glorify himself. He had this glory. And in another place, Hebrews 5, 6, it says that Jesus is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared Though he were a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Being made perfect became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. And Hebrews 7 talks about this as well. Now let's get into Hebrews 7:1:4 a little bit. Do you want to read that, Bert?
>> Bert Harper: I, sure will. Hebrews 7:1:4. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, prince, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, 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, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of man, abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. Hebrews 7:1:4.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, there was a battle, and Abraham's men fought some local kings and prevailed. Now, again, I want to say, wherever we come down on this, whether Melchizedek was or was not a pre incarnate appearance of Christ. I like what you said. It doesn't really matter. I mean, it's significant, but it's not heresy either way. we just don't know. But here is something to think about. Genesis 14 calls him King of Salem, or King of peace, and priest of the most High God. Now, Hebrews 7:3 says that Melchizedek had no recorded genealogy. It, says, without father, without mother, without descent. So, Bert, here's one hinge point I guess you'd say, was he without father and mother, as in eternal, uncreated? Or is it just that his father, mother, and genealogy isn't recorded or known to us that we just don't know at this point, do we?
>> Bert Harper: We do not. And when you read that the first time you read it, and honestly, I hate to use this word, reading the word of God casually should not be. Those two words shouldn't go together. But reading it, and not really in depth, you come to the place, oh, man. Without father or mother. You don't think about the recording of it, Alex. You just think, okay, man, and, that's who you come up with. And that's one of the evidence and hinge points, as you said. And so we're going to study more about Melchizedek as we continue in, this pre incarnation of Christ. Or is he a person that Jesus, lifted up as a great man? We'll be back with more Right after the break.
America celebrates its 250th birthday this year with patriotic apparel
>> Alex McFarland: America's 250th birthday. It's a great excuse to have some extra cake and ice cream, but we can help your celebration go well beyond that. Show your patriotism with America 250 apparel that will become a memento of this special year. We also have special episodes on AFA Stream to help underscore that America is a Christian nation and help you find God in the Constitution. Find all of this and more in one place. Afa.net topics250 welcome back to Exploring the Word on American Family Radio. What will I say when I'm held to the flame like I am right now? I know you're able and I know you can sa through the fire with your mighty hand, but, even if you don't, my hope is you alone.
American Family Radio Network podcasts go all over the world
Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here with Bert Harper. You are listening to the American Family Radio Network. And we're kind of hopping around some scriptures, Genesis, psalms, and of course, the Book of Hebrews. And by the way, I want to say that this broadcast is available to be heard over and over again. A lot of our shows are up on the website afr.net and you just in the search bar put in Exploring the Word. And we like it when you listen to the archived shows or forward them on. And Bert, I'm just going to be really honest with you. I've got a little bit of competition in me and there's so many great shows, today's issues and, and the Hamilton Corner and all these shows. And when, when our Exploring the Word shows get a lot of listens and people forward them on and the podcasts are downloaded. I like that because I like our, our numbers to be up there. yes, because people are hearing the Word of God and we're doing our best to teach the word of God. But also the competitor in me wants us to have a.
>> Bert Harper: Don't want to come in last, do we? We want to come up in the upper tier and
>> Alex McFarland: surf afr.net regularly and tell, your friends about Exploring the Word. That would make us happy.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah, it does. And I would say this, those podcasts, and that's what really makes it a worldwide ministry rather than, just in the United States. That's why so many times I'm mindful of that, especially when we're talking about missional points and, and the, degrade degradation of the United States and the revival. There are places where revival has taken place in Africa and a few places in South America, even in Asia. We're seeing God do some great stuff. And so these podcasts, they go all over the world. Yes, it's English speaking. We don't translate it into a different, language. But yet it is reaching those people and we praise the Lord for it. And a lot of people use this the way they did when Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the London papers would be there with stenographers and they would take down every word that Charles Spurgeon preached that morning and they would put it in the evening edition of their paper and they would be preachers lined up to get that paper so they could re preach Spurgeon's sermons. And, not that you would necessarily re preach what Bird and Alex say here, but we hope it does help Sunday school teachers and chaplains and people that go into small groups and even pastors, Alex. And we've got a few that are seminary students and college students. And they've called and have written and said, man, we appreciate you. I'm going through the book of Hebrews right now. And what you've said in Hebrews or any other book is really helpful. So, Alex, that's the reason we want, exploring the word, to be listened to.
There are some points about salvation that New Testament Christianity and Mormonism disagree on
>> Alex McFarland: Well, exactly. And you know, let's talk about this a little bit. This really is important. and initially the basis of the show is because we've had listeners email or write to us and say, you know, who was Melchizedek? So the name Melchizedek is a combination of two Hebrew words for king and for righteousness. So, he either was the King of righteousness or represented God, the King of righteousness. And it's funny, in Matthew 22, when Jesus is defending himself in front of the accusations of the Pharisees, Jesus quotes Psalm 110. Now Psalm 110 references, Melchizedek. And, you know, Jesus appropriates this to himself. And Psalm 110:4 contains the phrase, this coming Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, or like Melchizedek. So it's interesting. If this is a pre incarnate appearance of Christ, one thing in its favor is Psalm 110 which references Melchizedek Jesus attributes to himself in defending his ministry and identity to the Pharisees. Do you see what I'm saying?
>> Bert Harper: Yes. Right.
>> Alex McFarland: Now let me just throw a red flag up here. As you're researching Melchizedek, be careful. And I'm going to tell you why. Because Mormonism and I know we have some Mormon listeners And, Mormon listeners, we love you and we care about you. I, we agree on some things like marriage and the sacredness of life. We disagree on some of the fine points of salvation because it's vitally important to accurately get who Jesus is and how what he did on the cross is appropriated to us by repentance and faith. And so while we're grateful that we do have Mormon listeners, I want to be very clear and I want to say it in love. There's some absolutely vital things about salvation that NewSong Testament Christianity and Mormonism disagree on. But in Mormonism, they talk about the Melchizedek priesthood. And I believe Joseph Smith taught wrongly about the Melchizedek priesthood ending and then getting reinstituted in the LDS Church. And, and if you Google much about Melchizedek, there's a fair chance you're going to land on some type of, Mormon sponsored website. So I want to say be careful because Mormonism, their position is that people today can be ordained into the Melchizedek priesthood. And I would disagree. The only person that could ever be a priest after the order of Melchizedek was Jesus. So while we appreciate many Mormons listening, I want to be very clear there are some points of disagreement that really shouldn't be overlooked. Would you agree?
>> Bert Harper: I agree. And what this does, it's Christ and Christ alone and, by faith alone. And you get down to it, when you read scriptures, whether you're a Baptist, Catholic, Mormon, whatever you are, the centerpiece of all of it is Jesus Christ and who he is and what he has done. And the book of Hebrews makes it plain that after he had completed his work, he sat down on the right hand of the Father on high. That shows that work was completed. The priest never sat down. There was no chair in the temple. Alex, you know, wow. He was always up and always working. But Jesus completed that and it's in Christ. And so Jesus is our, priest. There's no longer that need. And to elevate that into an individual. Yes, there's pastors, I just want to share with you, I think you go, what the meaning of the Old Testament priesthood is and the NewSong Testament concept of that. Jesus Christ is the great high priest. He's truly the highest, our only priest at this point in time that connects us with God.
People have tried to theorize who the mysterious figure in Genesis 14 was
>> Alex McFarland: Well, who is this, this mysterious figure that walks onto the stage there, just kind of appears out of Nowhere in Genesis 14, you know, we don't know a whole lot more about him now. He was definitely. This was historical. This really happened in Genesis 14. But there's kind of an air of mystery about him. If he was an appearance of God incarnate before Jesus came into the world, or if he was a local priest. let's talk about the options. People have tried to theorize who he was. Some say that Melchizedek was Shem. And Hebrew scribes and historians have. Have assumed this. Some commentaries on the Old Testament. Jewish writers have assumed that Melchizedek was Shem. I don't think so. I don't think so. If he was at that time, he would have been around 600 years old, one of, if not the world's oldest living persons. Now, as stated, some have said it's Jesus. Hebrews 7:3 is really the prime scriptural support for this. The Hebrews 7:3 that says without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, a priest that abideth continually. Okay, that's rather compelling.
>> Bert Harper: It is. And again, when you read that, and you're just reading it, not trying to, let me see. Look, at it in, a way of saying what is it not saying, you know, when it says that, it leads you to believe that. And the writer of Hebrews, if you look at the writer of Hebrews, Alex, I'm making this case. I admit this. He is very precise in what he does. The writer of Hebrews, if it was Paul, if it was not, may have been Appelo. You know, we don't know who exactly it was, but whoever it was using the language they did in the book of Hebrews, the Greek language, and very precise. And the way he describes everything else, I, don't think he was just throwing those words around in that realm. That's, that's my thoughts on it. And it's based upon the rest of how he wrote the book of Hebrews. I believe he'd have said, not having a record of, you know, but he just, he lays it out there like that. That's my heart right? Now, again, this is one of those areas that Bert Harper admits He, goes back and forth on every so often.
Alex: I think interactions between Abraham and Melchizedek are significant
>> Alex McFarland: Well, and, you know, later on in the program, we're going to get to some very significant firsts associated with Melchizedek. And in a way, I think these firsts, these things initiated that we first learn about in the Scripture through the interaction between Abraham and Melchizedek, those things might be significant. Some things that get initiated but the third position. Was he Shem? Was he really Jesus or some. You know, was he merely the first known king of Jerusalem? And because his name means king of righteousness or king of Salem. So, Melchizedek comes from out of Salem. And let me give a little of the historical backstory. There was an alliance of four kings, and they made war against five kings. And Abraham's nephew Lot gets abducted in this conflict. Abraham goes out with a small army to rescue him, and they do rescue lots of. And they loot his abductors, and they bring back spoils of war. And the local people of that region are grateful for this victory. And the king of Salem, Melchizedek, is there. And Melchizedek's town, known as Salem, becomes Jerusalem. Psalm 776, verse 2 says that God's tabernacle is in Salem, Jerusalem. Now, it's interesting, Bert. The name salem only appears two times in the NewSong Testament. Both mentions Hebrews 7:1. Hebrews 7:2 are in conjunction with Melchizedek and Salem, known also as Shalem or shalom, means peace and righteousness, but it also means unbroken and complete, perfect. So God. And God's domain is righteousness, completion, perfection, unbrokenness. And after this small war, Melchizedek comes out and brings Abraham bread and wine and blesses him.
>> Bert Harper: M. Alex, this is a unique part of Abraham. I don't want to get us off track, but I think it's worth mentioning. We know Abraham is a man of peace, a man that would follow God, but here, a man, ready to war, peace. And I, think it demonstrates, this kind of man. Abraham was, he was a righteous man. He was a good man. Not. Yes, with flaws, but this warrior side of him, when we discuss him, kind of puts it in the backward part of our biography of him. But he was a great warrior.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, amen. that's right. And let me say this. While, God is, the. The Prince of peace, and Melchizedek was the king of peace and righteousness and representative of the most high God, let me just say this. The eternal reign of peace, of Jesus being physically here on earth, when he comes at the end of time and, ushers in the millennium, we're not there yet. I like what Chuck Colson said. There was. I'm sorry, Chuck Swindoll. years ago, there was a book that I recommend called Rise and Shine. Do you remember that book?
>> Bert Harper: I do. I've got it in my library. I've got just about everything, Chuck. Swindoll wrote. I have to admit that.
>> Alex McFarland: Oh, yeah, same here. But he said, don't get too comfortable here in this life. We're not home yet. The journey of life for the Christian is the crossing of raw pagan soil. In other words, we're in a battle right now. The battle for, you know, I think about, the very famous book, you know, Pilgrim's, Progress. Well, there was the other one, the Battle for Mansoul that, Jon Bunyan also wrote. The Battle for Mansoul. There's the city, the soul of man, and it's, in the crossfires of an intense battle that rages. And so, yeah, Abraham had to fight battles, and, there were wars in the Old Testament. Bert, we often get the question, you know, why is there so much violence in the Old Testament? My goodness, you know, kill the Canaanites, slaughter the Philistines. Well, because Satan, who comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. Satan has fought against the human race. And here's all of history boiled down to, really, a nutshell. Satan couldn't kill off God, so he's tried to harm and kill the. The ones made in God's image. And, you know, the Bible says the kingdom has suffered violence. Yes, Satan has launched violence against the kingdom of God. But the good news is God's kingdom will be brought in. And you can be a part of it through Jesus.
>> Bert Harper: Exactly. And when we see that again, these first. That you've mentioned, the first mention of bread and wine and Jesus being the bread, you know, the water of life, the new wine, communion that we have at the Lord's table, the priest. The first time the word priest is used is here in Genesis 14. And the first instance of tithing. That's the reason, say. Well, do you still believe in tithing? It was under the law. No, it was before the law ever came about. Amen. And so, Alex, these first, they commend themselves either way. And again, it would be commended if it was a pre. Inarticular, preincarnate Christ or if this was just a great king, the King of Salem. Either way, Jesus is that person. in the priestly, order of Melchizedek. He wasn't from the Aaron's, order, but from Melchizedek's order. He is our high priest, and he gave himself as a sacrifice on the cross. We'll come back right after the break with with more on Melchizedek.
Preborn Network offers free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies
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>> Alex McFarland: It was like the beginning of my healing journey. They do an ultrasound. And that's when everything changed. Because when I saw my baby and when I heard her heartbeat, that was it.
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>> Alex McFarland: Bert Harper word of God Speak welcome back. You're listening to Exploring the Word on American Family Radio. I'm finding myself in the midst of you. Beyond the music, beyond the noise. All that I need is to be with you and in the quiet, hear your voice.
Alex McFarland talks with Bert Harper about God's self disclosure
Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here with Bert Harper. And we're talking about a fascinating topic. This is just one of those, things that I think is, is fascinating to talk about because, you're going to, you're going to be on good solid ground either way. We're talking about Jesus. And maybe an Old Testament account references Jesus, but again, the beautiful thing, the word christophany, meaning that even before he came into this world through the Bethlehem manger, the incarnation, God in fleshed himself, came into the world, fulfilled all the prophecies about him, did the miracles, went the cross, paid our sin, the atonement, paid our sin with his own blood and rose from the dead. Even before that, God could at will when he wanted to, when he needed to, when he had something to accomplish. God could appear to his creatures. And you know Bert, we talk about the revelation of scripture, the last book of the Bible, revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the unveiling or the disclosure. Throughout history we've seen that God is a revelatory God. He can show himself to his creatures. Or theologians talk about God's self disclosure. To disclose something means to reveal it or unveil it. And dear listener, maybe right now God is through this show disclosing himself to you. Maybe God is revealing himself to you and speaking and knocking at the door of Your heart. And you know the beautiful thing. Bert, let me say this. That God can show himself to us, but that God is willing to.
>> Bert Harper: Oh, me.
>> Alex McFarland: I mean, that's the thing that stirs my heart.
>> Bert Harper: That God.
>> Alex McFarland: That he would want to make Himself known to us.
>> Bert Harper: Yeah. People talk about, you know, how could God let someone go to hell? The amazing thing is, to me, that God doesn't let all of us spend eternity in hell. There's none good. No, not one. we're undeserving. And as I've quoted a great friend of mine who just, last year went to be with the Lord. Bill Stafford. anything above hell is grace. And when we realize what salvation is and what Christ has done for us. Alex. every person out there who's been saved, it should. People talk about how can you believe that you're saved and God keeps you saved. Listen, how in the world, once you have been enlightened by this great, great grace, how in the world could you turn your back and walk away? And, it is his grace. And I, praise God, and I agree with you, man, that God demonstrates His love toward us while we were yet sinners. Christ would die for us. that's who he is. And that he would make Himself known unto us. Alex, it just. It does boggle the mind, doesn't it?
Bertrand Russell: Jesus was a king and a priest simultaneously
>> Alex McFarland: Well, it does. And, you know, we've talked about this from Jon, chapter six, the words of Peter. I mean, it's one of my favorite statements in the NewSong Testament where you. You know, people were walking away. This is a hard saying. This Jesus, he preaches hard things. And Jesus. You know, I can just picture it. There are some of the disciples sitting around, and Jesus says, well, are y' all going to go away, too? And maybe there was an awkward moment of silence. But Peter says what I believe. Peter says, lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. Thou hast the words of eternal life. And, friend, we would say that. Look, if it's not Jesus, what is life even worth living for? I mean, hey, you buy some stuff. I mean, surely, surely life is more than just buying some stuff. I mean, if Jesus isn't the Savior, we really have no hope, and life has no meaning. And so God has revealed himself to the human race. Was Melchizedek one of those revelations? Or was Melchizedek a servant of God? Now, Hebrews 5, 6, and 10. Hebrews, 7, 11 says that Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. And it's interesting the word order there is really a Greek word taxis, T A X, I s not a taxi that you ride in but like taxonomy, taxidermy, you know, to, to preserve something, to put an order. And it's really the word arrangement. So just as Melchizedek was a king and a priest at the same time, you know, Jesus is prophet, priest and king. I searched, Bert, I want to say this. The threefold ministry of Christ, prophet, priest and king. I did not see that Melchizedek prophesied. Did you now? He was a king and a priest simultaneously. So is Jesus simultaneously. Zechariah 6 and Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is a king and a priest. So after the order or the, the taxonomy of Melchizedek, the arrangement, Melchizedek was a king and a priest, Jesus is a king and a priest. so those are some similarities. without father, without mother. Hebrews 7:3. So the genealogy of Melchizedek is not known. Now I think about Micah 5:2 that Jesus's coming and going has been from old, from everlasting. So those are some things where people try to point out similarities. Now let's point out maybe some differences, that maybe Melchizedek was not a priest. You know, I'm not going to go as far as Marcus, Ermita, who was a theologian about 400 who said that it was heretical to believe that Melchizedek was God, the Word before he took flesh, because I don't see that it's heresy because it's not denying the deity of Christ. there was a bishop of Milan who died around 397, Ambrose, who says, Melchizedek was a holy man, a type of Christ, significant, but not a pre incarnation appearance of Christ. You know, I don't think it's heresy to say that he was or that he wasn't.
>> Bert Harper: I can't see how that would be. We got to go back to the purpose of the writing of these chapters in the book of Hebrews. you start off with Hebrews about Jesus being a better, he's a better prophet, he's better than the angels, he's better than the law. And here we get him to be a better priesthood and his priesthood is better after the order of Melchizedek. Now that's the purpose of its writing. The purpose of Hebrews is not to let us know who all Melchizedek was. That wasn't the purpose. That wasn't the purpose. Over in Genesis 14 and so what we're doing here, we're looking at it from a perspective. Could it be or could it not be? It does not change the doctrine of. And, so. But the purpose of the writer was to let us know he wasn't. And I've restated this again, not an order of Eryn's priesthood, but the order of Melchizedek's priesthood. And that made him qualified to be the one to offer the sacrifice. When he would go to the Father and he would offer himself as the sacrifice, he was not just the sacrifice, he was the priest offering the sacrifice. And it was. If you weren't a priest, Alex, it would not have sufficed. And so the argument was, Jesus wasn't the completion. He was from the tribe of Judah, the house of David. No, but his order of priesthood was Melchizedek. And so, this really ties in the Old Testament, NewSong Testament, and see how God completes the story. That's the real story, regardless of which side you come in on.
Alex: Aaron really was the first Levitical priest
>> Alex McFarland: And you know, let me talk about the priesthood of Eryn for just a second. the Aaronic priesthood, not ironic, you know, that's good. But, you know, Eryn served in the temple there. And you know, shortly after Mount Sinai and you know, Moses was up on Mount Sinai, Eryn was given some duties. And really, Eryn himself was designated to be the first high priest there in the temple. And then after Eryn died, Eleazar, his son, you know, came along after him. And so am I right on this, Bert, that Eryn really was the first of the Levitical priests?
>> Bert Harper: He was. And again, it was in the tabernacle and later on the temple would be built and his seed would accomplish this and be a part of that. Alex. That's exactly right. But this is what's interesting. Melchizedek precedes all of that. And the tithing precedes and the priest precedes. That boggles my mind, you know, in other words, Jesus, if it was Melchizedek, was a pre incarnate. He is previewing the NewSong Testament and the Old Testament at the same time with his priestly and him being that priest and the tithes and what was taking place. So it's a beautiful.
The Bible says Jesus was after the order of Melchizedek
Regardless of anything, it's a beautiful picture that the writer of Hebrews brings to our attention concerning the ministry of Jesus after, the order of Melchizedek.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, it's beautiful. And let me just say this. So much of the gospel flows in twos. There's the holiness of God and the wrath of God. But there's the mercy of God. There's law and there's grace. There's repentance and faith. Okay, in Hebrews 7, 11 and 12 it says, if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, why was there still need for another priest to come, one after the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Eryn. For when there was a change of priesthood, there must be a change of law. Now here's the thing. The argument of Hebrews, is that Jesus was better than Abraham, better than Moses, better than the temple sacrifices. Jesus is the full expression of God. And as the songwriter said, Jesus pays it all, paid it all on the cross. It's interesting, it doesn't say that he was a priest after the order of Eryn. All right, Eryn represents, the Levites, the Levitical law. And and here's the thing. It wasn't not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by his blood he saved us. I think about this. Jesus is after the order of Melchizedek because it wasn't about law, but it was about grace. It wasn't about our efforts to try to achieve merit in the eyes of God, but it was about his righteousness. Jesus merit. We go to heaven on the merits of another, as Adrian Rogers said. So, Jesus was a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not after the order of Eryn, which really represents law. But let's go on here. Melchizedek was king of a city and performed a religious ceremony. Genesis 14, 18, 20. one distinction. If Melchizedek was a christophany, all other of the appearances of God, just for God to appear in general, that's a theophany for it specifically to be a pre incarnate appearance of Jesus, that's a christophany. They're very brief, they're very fleeting. No, other of the Christophanies seem to attach the manifestation of God to a city, to a temporal earthly time or place. The Christophanies didn't really associate God with any permanent way of life on earth. and so this would be different if it was. If Melchizedek was Christ. if not, then he was a righteous man, but part of this region. Now, the argument of Hebrews, and let me argue for a minute against Melchizedek being a pre incarnate appearance of Christ. Hebrews 7:3, very strikingly, you know, interestingly says Melchizedek had no recorded genealogy. The question is, does this mean eternality of being? many would say, okay, this doesn't necessarily mean that he was eternal. Means we just don't know. Hebrews 7:6 indicates that Melchizedek maybe had an earthly genealogy. It just wasn't traced through Abraham. Hebrews says Jesus was better, higher, more powerful, more permanent than the angels. Hebrews 1:4, more powerful and more permanent than Moses 3:3, and even better than Melchizedek. So here's a question, big question. How could Jesus be better than Melchizedek, Hebrews 7:22, if he was Melchizedek? Do you see? So, that's a big question there. And it would mitigate against Melchizedek's role as being a symbol of Jesus. Hebrews 7:3 says Melchizedek was made like unto the Son of God. It doesn't say he was the Son of God. He was like. And the. The word there in the part of speech, it's a simile or a comparison, something expressed in or through a model. So, I've got one more thought here. But this is why some would say he wasn't Jesus, because he was made like unto. It's a. It's a picture of. Not the same article as I would
>> Bert Harper: to one of those, better than. If you read that it was a better covenant. In other words, what had happened there? The reason it was better is he had completed the task. Now, in other words, this priest completed. Had completed that. That's what it says in Hebrews. When he sat down, it was a work completed. When he was, there before Abraham, it was a work coming. And, the work completed makes it a better covenant, you know. So either way, you have those, looking at it. But either way. And I want you to take us out, Alex, either way, it does show that Jesus did the work that was necessary as our high priest, so that the sacrifice would be given and accepted by God.
>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, Hebrews 7:3 says Melchizedek remains a priest forever. And so regardless, Jesus appearances are absolutely real. But the place that we want him to appear most is in your heart and life. And we hope you know him. Hey, what a joy to look at these scriptures. And we thank you for listening to it, exploring the Word. We thank you for your support of the American Family Radio Network, and we hope you'll tell somebody about exploring the Word. But most of all, Bert, what do
>> Bert Harper: we hope people do? We want you to tell somebody, maybe everybody that you see about Jesus.
>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast do not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American family radio. M.
