The Strand Study Bible

GENESIS GENESIS who typified CHRIST and that the description given him in Hebrews 7:1-7 is but a mystical one. Charles Ryrie in The Ryrie Study Bible notes: Melchizedek king of Salem . An historical person, king of Jerusalem (cf. Psalm 76:2), who typified Christ. 1 Elmer Towns in Tithing is Christian adds: 98

As Abraham returned from the victory over Chedorlaomer, he was met by Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Later, in the book of Hebrews, Melchizedek is a type of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Inasmuch as a priest had a ministry to and for individuals, Melchizedek gave Abraham bread and wine. In return for his ministry, Abraham “gave him tithes of all.” 2

The other school of thought believes that Melchizedek was a theophany –a preincarnate appearance of CHRIST . According to the Essene authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls (roughly 870 documents), which were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran (the northwest shore of the Dead Sea), Melchizedek here was God in flesh (a preincarnate appearance of CHRIST ) and will play a role in end time events. Found in cave eleven, the Melchizedek Scroll (11QMelchizedek) implies that the Essenes ( Lk 1:80 ) believed that Melchizedek was both Divine and human; a heavenly Divine being who came down to earth as a man to rule in Salem. According to the scroll, the Essenes believed that the nature of God (God’s unity) was so complex that it could and did encompass a multiplicity of Persons functioning together as a unit. The Dead Sea Scroll authors tie Melchizedek to Psalm 7:6-8 & 82:1, Isaiah 52:7 & 61:1-2 and Dan 9:25. Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr. & Edward Cook in Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation notes: …For our author Melchizedek is an enormously exalted divine being, to whom are applied names that are generally reserved for God alone, the Hebrew names el and elohim . In the author’s citation of Isaiah 61:2, which speaks of “the year of the LORD’s favor, “Melchizedek” is substituted even for the most holy name of Israel’s God, Yahweh . Yet more remarkably, Melchizedek is said to atone for the sins of the righteous and to execute judgment upon the wicked – actions usually associated with God himself. By the power of Melchizedek, dominion on earth shall pass from Satan (here called Belial) to the righteous Sons of Light. 3 A careful analysis of the scroll provides numerous indications that the Dead Sea Scroll author(s) pictured Melchizedek as being both Divine and human, a kind of God-man. NOTE – Melchizedek , who’s name means “king of righteousness” is referred to 13 times in the NT (Heb 5:6,10 & 6:20 & 7:1- 4,6,10,11,15,17,21). 14:18b “ Salem ” is one of 70 different names used for “Jerusalem” in Scripture (Psa 76:2 & Heb 7:1-2). This is the first time the city is mentioned in the Bible. It is mentioned 880 more times after this. Jerusalem is paradoxical by nature. It’s name means “city of peace,” yet rarely does it ever experience any. Jerusalem has been leveled and rebuilt 18 different times, been conquered 37 times, and has changed hands 86 times. One day in the near future the PRINCE OF PEACE (Isa 9:6) will return, and when He does Jerusalem will finally become the “city of peace” she was meant to be. NOTE - Three great religions collide at Jerusalem: Christianity , Judaism and Islam . 14:18c This word ( God ) is the Hebrew word “ EL .” EL is seldom found in the OT except as an element in compound names (Isa 7:14). This is the very first time EL is used in the Scriptures. The name means “The Strong One, i.e., The Almighty God” and is used in reference to the: FATHER - Hos 11:9 (Isa 47:4) SON - Gen 16:7-13 & 31:11-13, Isa 7:14 (Mt 1:23) & 9:6 (Rev 1:8) & 45:21-23 (Rom 14:10-12) and Psa 102:24-27 (Heb 1:10-12) SPIRIT - Job 33:4 (Gen 1:26) 14:20 Not only did Abram “tithe” to Melchizedek (Heb 7:4), but according to John 8:56, Abram looked forward to the day when Melchizedek (the preincarnate CHRIST ) would come as the LAMB OF GOD and save the world through his blood (Gen 22:8 and Jn 1:29). Amazingly, some Christians fight the idea that Old Testament figures (like Abraham) seemed to know little about a coming MESSIAH . The New Testament affirms that the Old Testament folks knew a lot more about Christ than we give them credit for ( I Pet 1:10a,b,12a ). Henrietta C. Mears in What the Bible Is All About notes: Remember, Jesus Christ is the center of the Bible. He is somewhere on every page. 4 NOTE - The following is a list of Old Testament people who knew about the pre-existing LIGHT (Titus 1:2, Rev 13:8), and whom that LIGHT represented: Pre-Jewish MESSIANIC movement (c. 4000 - 1487 BC) (Gen, Job and Exo 1-13): Adam and Eve (c. 4000 BC) Gen 3:15 ( her SEED , i.e., Mary’s SEED ) (Gal 3:16 and Lk 2:7,11) ( See - Gen 13:15-16 & 15:5 & 17:7- 8,19 & 21:12 & 22:17-18 & 26:4,24 & 28:13-14 & 32:12 & 35:12, II Sam 7:11-12, Psa 89:3-4,29,36 & 132:11 and Jere 33:22) Gen 3:21 ( COATS OF SKINS , i.e., the righteousness of CHRIST ) (Rom 5:19 & 10:1-4, II Cor 5:21, Mt 22:11-12, Isa 61:10 and Zech 3:3-5) Abel (c. 4000 BC) Gen 4:1-4 ( his OFFERING - Heb 10:5-14 ) (Acts 7:52, Lk 11:49-51, Mt 23:34-35, Heb 11:4 & 12:24 and I Jn 3:12) Enoch (c. 3300 BC) Gen 5:22-24 ( Enoch walked with God ) (Jude 14 - Enoch...prophesied...Behold, the LORD cometh with tens of thousands of his saints and Heb 11:5-6 - Enoch pleased God)