Knock, knock! Who's there? Melchizedek! Melchizedek who?

 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:7-10, RSVCE)

Jesus is our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. I think most people know who Jesus is, but Melchizedek is still widely unknown among the general population. First, where and when can we see who Melchizedek is? The answer is the Old Testament. In Genesis, the author has the following to say:

After his return from the defeat of Ched-or-lao′mer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:17-18,20b, RSVCE)

If you know who Abram (later Abraham) is, you know that this has significance. As the father of all the Abrahamitic religions--namely Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc.--he is bowing down to Melchizedek, even giving ten percent of his possessions. This means that Melchizedek must be someone impressive. Indeed, he is a person who is a leader in a religious sense, as well as a secular sense. Secularly, he is the king of the city of Salem, known later as Jerusalem (JeruSALEM). Religiously, he is the High Priest of God Most High, the God that would later reveal Himself as YHWH, known today as Jehova or Yahweh. 

In Hebrew, names have a meaning. Well, they do in other languages too, but in the Hebrew scripture (the Old Testament), the name of a person tells us something about their character or purpose in God's plan. In Melchizedek's case, his name can be translated as follows: Melchi from malach meaning "king", and Zedek from zadok meaning "righteous/righteousness". So we know that Melchizedek is a righteous king, or a king of righteousness. This means that the order of priesthood he belongs to has something to do with this righteousness. 

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4, RSVCE)

 We can see that the concept of Melchizedek and his priesthood is a theme that goes from the beginning (Genesis) throughout the time of the Old Testament (Psalms) until the grand final in the New Testament (Hebrews). Another interesting connection can be seen when we take a look at what Melchizedek is bringing with him out of Salem for the ritual: bread and wine.

Remember how Jesus is compared to Melchizedek in the Letter to the Hebrews? Both are / have been high priests, Melchizedek in the past, and Jesus still today at the Father's celestial altar. For their divine services, bread and wine are elementary. While Melchizedek's bread and wine foreshadow the future, Jesus himself is the bread and wine, the eternal sacrifice to atone for our sins.

One last thing. The symbol you see above is called the seal of Melchizedek. It appears mainly in Byzantine Christian art and in Latterday-Saint temple symbology. While it is not fully understood what exactly it means, numerical and symbolical parallels from the Levantine culture can help us to get a rough idea. The number 8 from the outer corners, for example, can be understood as the first day of the new week (after the seventh day). This symbolizes a new era, meaning a new life or the resurrection. This would be a direct reference to Jesus' death and resurrection. The squares themselves could represent the four corners of the world, symbolizing that God rules over all the world through His priests and the priesthood power. The circle in the middle can be read as a symbol for eternity or for God. So, you see, there is plenty of symbolism just in that one seal. But no matter what the seal stands for, Melchizedek teaches us an important message: Jesus is the promised messiah that has come to save humanity from the consequences of sin. In the sacramental elements that we can partake from every Sunday, we can be reminded of this loving sacrifice.

Media Sources:

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