One of the most mysterious bible characters is the one who
seems to have appeared ‘out of the blue’, conferring a blessing upon
Abram. Some say that it was Yeshua,
others Shem or Noah. “Then
Melchizedek king of Salem
His name, translated “King of Righteousness”, and his
title, “Priest of God Most High”, imply a two-fold position of king and priest.
He was therefore designated as a (righteous) king-priest. The first time we run into such an office is
in the first chapter of the bible, where Adam is given dominion over all living
things (constituting a kingly position), while also “walking with” his Creator
(which would imply a priestly role). At
that time this position belonged to both male and female, as sin had not yet
separated them from one another: "Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness; let them [male/female] have dominion”
(Gen 1:26). After the fall of man into
the realm of sin, this coveted position was passed on as a birthright and was
given to the firstborn just before the death of his father (that is if the
firstborn qualified to receive it).
When YHVH gave dominion to Adam He actually established
His kingdom, along with its order, here on earth. In Psalm 145 it says that YHVH’s kingdom “is
an everlasting kingdom,” and that His “dominion endures throughout
all generations” (verse 13). But
although YHVH maintained His sovereignty and held the title "Melchizedek" throughout all generations,
it could not be fully manifest because man was under the dominion of another spiritual
kingdom with another law (the “law of sin and death”). However, as mentioned in the above
scripture, YHVH’s kingdom order was still in effect in the form of the law of
redemption, being the only means out of man’s fallen condition, and depended on
a redeemer and on the laws that govern the loss of inheritance.
But the question still remains, who was the one who
blessed Abram? Since Noah was still
alive at the time, it most likely was the latter (while Shem and Eber were princes
in line to take the position that Noah would impart when the time came). The Scriptures also indicate that Noah was a
righteous man according to faith: “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of
things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of
his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb 11:7). What was Noah an heir of? His obedience to the divine directives
qualified him to bear the title of the firstborn (king of righteousness), and
because he walked with YHVH by faith, the priestly office belonged to him as
well. Thus, being alive at the time of Abram he could have very well passed on
this office to Abram as part of the covenant that YHVH was making with the
latter, who was a prince and a firstborn in the genealogy of firstborn; a man
of faith whom YHVH declared righteous through the obedience of faith.
At the time of Abram YHVH decided to make a covenantal
change that would affect the firstborn position. Instead of a single father, from the
generations of the first/born, holding the office of king-priest, YHVH chose a
nation to fill that role in humanity.
Thus in the twentieth generation of these princes (firstborn of the
Melchizedek line of Firstborn) YHVH, by means of Noah, blessed Abram and established the
promise of a nation that would come out of his loins through Sarah (Isaac) and
give rise to the chosen nation (Jacob) (see Romans 9:6-13). This chosen nation would hold the birthrights
of the Melchizedek office. Because this
is an irrevocable anointing, Yeshua had to come to this seed as a kinsman
redeemer and fulfill all obligations, according to law, as its King and High
priest. He would in effect be King of
the kings and High Priest of the priesthood.
Yeshua could then be in a position to restore the kingdom
of YHVH to the nation of Israel . This is
what the disciples of Yeshua understood when they inquired of Him before his
departure, “Is it at this time you are going to restore the Kingdom to Israel ?” (Acts 1:6). They did not understand at that time that it
would come into them by the Spirit. “The
Kingdom of YHVH
Now that YHVH has reconciled His people through His Son,
Yeshua, and the blood of His cross, we may enjoy the fullness of the promises
that were laid up in heaven and have now come into us through the indwelling of
the Spirit of Holiness, as stated in Scripture: “….because of the hope which
was laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world,
and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard
and knew the grace of Elohim in truth;… that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge
of Elohim; strengthened with all might,
according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with
joy; giving thanks to the Father who has
qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the
light. He has delivered us from the
power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in
whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col
1:5-6, 9-14). “For it pleased the
Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all
things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having
made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col 1:19-20).
This hope that was laid up in heaven is now in you through
the Spirit of Holiness, “… the mystery which has been hidden from ages and
from generations, but now has been revealed to His chosen. To them God willed to make known what are the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations: which is Messiah
[the anointing of Yeshua] in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:26-27).
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God”
(2 Corinthians 7:1).
However, the apostle attached the following condition to
this message of the “covenant of faith”: “And you, who once were alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body
of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above
reproach in His sight - if
indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved
away from the hope of the gospel which you heard” (Col. 1:21-23).
Ephraim
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