What do the following words have in common?
TIME
MELCHIZEDEK
JESUS CHRIST
TIME
When did time begin? On the fourth day of Creation, God brought “time” into existence as He created the sun and the moon. A calendar year is completed as the earth goes around the sun. (Genesis 1:14-19)
Time is a created thing and exists only on earth.
In Heaven, in the spiritual realm, there is no time. Adam/man was created to have dominion over all the earth, including time. Example: During a fierce battle with Israel’s enemies, Joshua spoke and the “sun stood still, and the moon stopped,” for a whole day! (Joshua 10:12-14) Also, Hezekiah saw the LORD move the shadow on the sundial backward ten degrees…about 40 minutes. (2 Kings 20:9-11)
God dwells in eternity.
God is always in the present where there is no future, no past. Didn’t the LORD re-name Abram to Abraham, Father of Many Nations when he was unable to conceive? (Romans 4:17) God calls things that be not as though they were because He sees the results before they are visible in the natural realm. God declares the end at the beginning. (Isaiah 46:10)
The Apostle Peter revealed, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8)
Jesus taught His disciples to “believe you receive, when you pray, and you will have it.” (Mark 11:24) Faith reaches up into heaven to bring forth what is already done. Faith does not comprehend the limits of time, space, or matter. Faith overrides time and earthly circumstances. Faith operates on what God has spoken and is written. Examples: John 5:1-5, Matthew 9:28-29, and Luke 13:10-17 to name a few.
God’s spiritual realm does not operate according to the five-sense realm we are so familiar with, but functions in the higher realm of faith. This is how you received Jesus into your heart and became a new creation in Him.
Therefore, “the just shall live by faith.”
MELCHIZEDEK
Who is Melchizedek?
Only two Old Testament scriptures and a few in the Book of Hebrews give us information about Melchizedek. Here is a list of what we know of Melchizedek.
After Abram’s victory over four evil armies, he retrieved his nephew Lot and all his possessions. (See Genesis 14:18-24)
- Melchizedek is the King of Salem (Jerusalem,) which means peace.
- Melchizedek came out to meet Abram with bread and wine.
- Melchizedek is the priest of the Most High God.
- The King pronounced "the blessing" upon Abram.
- Abram gave the King a tithe of all he had conquered to the King.
David writes of Messiah’s reign in Psalm 110.
“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
’You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’”
Melchizedek lived before the Levitical priesthood was established, before Moses and The Law.
JESUS CHRIST
There are only a few scriptures in the New Testament that give us more understanding on this Holy Priesthood.
Let the scripture reveal Jesus’ calling as High Priest.
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” (Hebrews 4:14)
“As He also says in another place: ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek…’” (Hebrews 5:6)
“… (Jesus) called by God as High Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek,’ of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.”(Hebrews 5:10-11)
“… where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20)
As the Old Testament was pointing forward to Jesus Christ—God made flesh—Hebrews is looking back in time to get the fullness of the revelation of His assignment as eternal High Priest.
Hebrews 7:21-22
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, 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 translated ‘king of righteousness,’ and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
“Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
“For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’”
“For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: ‘The Lord has sworn, and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’”), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.”
TIME—MELCHIZEDEK—JESUS CHRIST
What do they have in common?
Was our Savior Jesus Christ the One who met Abram after his victory over the four kings? It is interesting to think about. We will know the answer for sure when we are with the LORD.
One thing is known right now, Jesus has made His body of Believers on earth right now, “kings and priests.” (Revelation 1:5-6)
This is that…which speaks of the Glorious Church.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9)