Probably there are not many who have heard of Melchizedek in the bible. And there would be still fewer who have ever studied about Melchizedek. Then why is it necessary to know about Melchizedek or the Order of Mechizedek? Who is Melchizedek? To understand the meaning of Melchizedek in the bible, let us think about some of the figures of the Old Testament.
Typological Figures in the Bible
To understand the spiritual connotation of Melchizedek, first we must understand a key feature in the bible which God gave us to teach us the Christ: Typology. Typology is defined like this in the Webster’s Dictionary:
typologies. 1 : a doctrine of theological types; especially : one holding that things in Christian belief are prefigured or symbolized by things in the Old Testament.
In Theopedia, it says:
Biblical Typology Typology is a method of biblical interpretation whereby an element found in the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. The initial one is called the type and the fulfillment is designated the antitype. Either type or antitype may be a person, thing, or event, but often the type is messianic and frequently related to the idea of salvation.
In Typology the bottom line is “a person, thing, or event in the Old Testament is working as type or copy to teach us the antitype or the reality which would be fulfilled in the New Testament.” This is a very important concept to understand the meaning of the bible. The Old and New Testament are related to each other. Otherwise there would be no need for us to study the Old Testament since it is over and finished.
But according to this concept the Old Testament is the key factor in understanding the peoples, things, and events in the New Testament because the former is working as prophecies to let us know about the latter.
Typology Explained By God’s Words
Even the bible teaches us the same thing and let us know the bible must be understood with the typological concept of the prophecies and fulfillments.
Hebrews 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.
“The law” means the Law of Moses in the Old Testament and it was given as copy and shadow to teach us the reality, or the New Testament.
Colossians 2:15 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These (or the Law of Moses) are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
We have to understand the meaning behind it. Does the bible says that we don’t have to know the Old Testament anymore since the reality that is the New Tesament in Christ is established? No. Let us think about the shadow and reality. They are inseparable like the head and tail of a coin. Where there is a shadow, there should be a reality; vice versa. And we can know the reality better by looking at the shadow. So when God gave the Old Testament, he intended to teach us what was to be fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. Therefore, we can say in this providence of God the Old Testament is essential to understand the New Testament.
Isaiah 46:8 “Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
God said that he already revealed what was to come through the things in the past. And therefore, if we want to know the end or the future, we must consult the beginning or the past. For example, if we want to know the Revelations the last book of the bible, we must look at the Genesis the first book of the bible. In this sense, we can say that the two books of the bible are like pieces of a puzzle that we must put together to see the whole picture of the puzzle.
Isa 34:16 Look in the scroll of the Lord and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together.
All the words of God has a mated verse and those verses are scattered all throughout the bible in the Old Testament and the New Testament, and we must find out the right piece to understand the meaning of certain verses of the bible by putting the mated verses together. And then, only then can we understand the true meaning of the bible.
Some Examples of Typology
I would like to give some examples of typology through some characters of the bible. Some figures of the Old Testament are working as types or prophecies to teach us the realities or the fulfillments in the New Testament. First, in the book of Genesis there is one figure Adam and this Adam was given to us to teach us the Christ who was to come as Adam.
Romans 5:14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
This verse clearly shows us that the first Adam was given as pattern or type to prefigure the Christ who was to come in the future and fulfill the prophecies of Adam. For this reason, to know the Christ first we should know the first Adam in the Old Testament which was a copy or shadow of Christ. Moses was the same. Moses was a great prophet of God who set the Israelites free from the slavery of Egypt and led them to the Promised Land Canaan. And this Moses in the Old Testament was given as type too.
Deuteronomy 18:17 17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.
God said that he would give “another prophet like Moses” in the future to teach God’s people. Through this verse we can see Moses also was working as type or pattern to teach us the one who was to come as spiritual Moses. And this was fulfilled by Christ by coming as another prophet like Moses and setting God’s people free from the slavery of sins and death and leading to the spiritual Promised Land, the kingdom of heaven.
Acts 3:20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.
Apostle Peter clearly says Jesus came as the prophetical Moses to fulfill the prophecy of the Old Testament. We can find many other figures who are working as types: David, Elijah, Melchizedek, etc.
Melchizedek as the Type of Christ
As we have already seen in another post, Melchizedek is also working as type to prefigure the Christ who would come as spiritual Melchizedek to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament.
Hebrews 7:15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears.
Then who is this “another priest like Melchizedek” who would appear in the future? It was fulfilled by Jesus Christ by coming as spiritual Mechizedek.
Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus came as “another priest like Melchizedek” and thus to understand Jesus fist we have to understand the Melchizedek in the Old Testament. By studying physical Melchizedek in the Law of Moses, actually we can understand the life and work of Jesus better who came to fulfill the prophecies of Melchizede. In the following posts I would like to explain more about the meaning of Melchizedek?
Conclusion
Therefore, people who says that we don’t need to know the Old Testaments are misguided. We MUST know the Old Testament. Without understand the types in the Old Testament given as prefiguration or simply prophecies to teach us the fulfillment or realities in the New Testament, we cannot say we know the bible or we know the Christ who fulfilled all the Law of Moses. (Matthew 5:17)
Christ Ahnsahnghong is the one who fulfilled all the prophecies of the bible and appeared to us for the second time to give us the salvation. And he let us know the source of the water of life, the last mystery of God in the bible, God the Mother (Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem). Let us accept Christ Ahnsahnghong and God the Mother.