Who is Melchizedek? 

“Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec”

Hebrews 7:17

Introduction: The Mystery of Melchizedek

Few figures in Scripture have generated as much theological discussion as Melchizedek. He appears suddenly in Genesis 14, blesses Abraham, receives tithes from the patriarch, and then vanishes from the historical narrative. Centuries later, he is referenced in Psalm 110, and finally, the book of Hebrews devotes an entire chapter to explaining his significance as a type of Christ’s eternal priesthood.

The questions surrounding Melchizedek are substantial: Was he a mere man? Was he a theophany; a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ Himself? Was he an angel? Or was he something else entirely?

This treatise will examine the scriptural evidence to establish a clear doctrinal position on Melchizedek’s identity, his role in redemptive history, and his relationship to the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Part One: What Scripture Declares About Melchizedek

The Genesis Account: King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God

The first appearance of Melchizedek is found in Genesis 14, immediately following Abraham’s victory over the coalition of kings who had captured Lot:

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: 

and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, 

and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of 

heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, 

which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. 

And he gave him tithes of all.” 

(Genesis 14:18-20)

From this brief account, several facts are established:

1. Melchizedek was the King of Salem- Salem is identified with Jerusalem (Psalm 76:2). He was a literal, historical king ruling over a literal, geographical location that became the city of David and the capital of Israel.

2. Melchizedek was the Priest of the Most High God- This title, “priest of the most high God”, identifies him as a true mediator of the one true God, not a pagan priest, not a false priest, but a genuine priest of Jehovah before the Levitical priesthood was established.

3. Melchizedek blessed Abraham- He pronounced a blessing upon the patriarch in the name of “the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.” This blessing was prophetic, powerful, and divinely authorized. It was in accordance to the proclamation made by God in establishing the Abrahamic covenant.

4. Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes- Abraham, the father of the faithful and the covenant bearer to whom the land was promised, gave tithes to Melchizedek before the Law was ever given. This act was not performed under Mosaic commandment, for there is no Scripture stating that God had commanded Abraham to tithe. Therefore, his tithe was given by faith, as an act of honor and recognition toward the priest of the most high God. The tithe in this context was a tenth portion of the spoils, voluntarily given, not a legal requirement imposed under the Law. This act demonstrates Melchizedek’s superiority in the priestly order. It establishes a doctrinal pattern: faith in God secures life, while the Abrahamic covenant includes the promise of the land to his physical seed. Therefore, the passage reveals both the spiritual promise to all who believe and the distinct covenantal inheritance granted to Israel.

5. Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine- This act is deliberate and prophetic. The bread and wine prefigure the Lord’s Supper, representing the body and blood of Christ. Melchizedek’s ministry therefore anticipates the redemptive sacrifice to come. In receiving tithes from Abraham, he functions within a higher spiritual order, foreshadowing the faith through which men would be brought to God and the sacrifice of the Son of God on their behalf.

Every Word of God is Pure

         Introduction: The Foundation of the Work

True biblical Christianity cannot be separated from the question of final authority. Every doctrine, every command, every promise, every warning, and every hope received by the believer comes through words. God did not leave mankind with an undefined spiritual impression or “ways that seemeth right unto a man” (Proverbs 14:12), that eventually lead to death. He spoke words to spiritual men, for “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). He then caused His words to be written. He commanded that those words be received, remembered, taught, preached, obeyed, and preserved. Therefore, the first issue in every theological discussion is not the intelligence of the teacher, the antiquity of a tradition, the popularity of a religious movement, or the conclusions of a scholarly committee. The first issue is this: What hath God said? Where are they perfectly written?

I state emphatically and without reservation that the Authorized Bible, known as the King James Bible, is the perfectly preserved word of God and the final authority for the English-speaking world. If a faithful translation in another language were received with that same conviction, God could likewise use it; yet throughout the nations, the missionary labours following the Reformation established the Authorized Bible as the standard by which other translations were judged.

Even in China, provinces evangelized more than 150 years ago continue to value the King James Bible, with seventy-five copies being delivered to underground churches last year by brethren “who hazard their lives” (Acts 15:26) to its precious words to teach our Chinese brethren. I therefore write to declare and defend the divine authority of the Holy King James Bible, for “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), and its power rests not in “enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4), for there are many that corrupt the word of God (2 Corinthians 2:17).

After more than forty-six years of Christian life, Bible reading, preaching, teaching, evangelism, and ministry, I have become fully persuaded that every false doctrine is strengthened wherever the question of final authority remains unsettled or presuppositions corrupt the truth. A man may profess to believe the Bible while reserving to himself the right to correct it, revise it, replace its words, or place another authority above it. In that condition, he is not actually standing under the judgment of Scripture; he is sitting in judgment upon Scripture. The difference is not small. It determines whether God’s words govern the man or whether the man governs the words.

 “This know also, that in the last days 

perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves…

having a form of godliness,

but denying the power thereof:

from such turn away.”

(2 Timothy 3:1-2, 5)

The peril of being “lovers of their own selves” is not limited to obvious moral corruption. It is also manifested whenever men trust their own judgment more than the settled words of God. Many of these are men who “run to the Greek and Hebrew lexicons,” although they can neither read nor comprehend either language. Their dependence upon such tools is itself evidence of the very behaviour being described. Self-love or ignorance enthrones human reason. It allows a man to say that God inspired words in the past but did not preserve them with certainty in the present. It permits him to speak confidently about what the original text supposedly said while admitting that no one possesses those original manuscripts. It then places the ordinary believer in permanent dependence upon an ever-changing class of textual critics rather than the authorized text. Such a system may speak the language of humility, but its practical effect is to make the textual critic the final court of appeal.