What does it mean that
we have Christ
as a Chief Priest
of the Melchizedek Order?
By Jonathan Mitchell
That the Messiah of Israel would be associated with Melchizedek was first mentioned in Ps. 110:4, in a Psalm which the LXX states as "Pertaining to David," and which the NT interprets as speaking about Christ, the Messiah. We find in Heb. 4:14,
"Continuously having, then, a great Chief Priest having passed through the atmospheres (or: heavens) [note: a figure of the holy place and the holy of holies, in the Tabernacle], thus being arrived, and present, at the objective: the conclusion of His journey [cf Heb. 9:2-28; 10:7-23] - Jesus, the Son of God..."
Then Heb. 5 quotes Ps. 110:6, speaking of Christ:
"Just as also in a different place He is saying,'You [are] a Priest on into the midst of the Age [of Messiah], down from (or: in accord and in line with; in the sphere of, and to the degree of) Melchizedek's station (order; lineup; alignment; placement; appointment; succession),'"
This is stated again, in Heb. 6:20, in the context of Jesus performing as the Chief Priest, having entered into the Holy of Holies, passing through the inner veil as "a Forerunner" into that realm. We are informed that He did not do this as a Levitical priest, of the order of Aaron, nor did He enter into the physical temple, in Jerusalem. He entered into,
"the true, genuine and real Tabernacle (or: tent; = God's home among His people) which the LORD [= Yahweh] at one point suddenly pitched (erected and made firm), not man (or: a person; humanity)" (Heb. 8:2b).
Now Heb. 8:1 instructs us that He is,
"a Chief and Ruling Priest, Who sat down (or: is settled in the sphere) at the right of the Throne of the Greatness (or: in union with the place of power in Majesty's seat of authority [to both rest, and rule]), centered within the midst of the atmospheres (or: in union with and participating in the heavens)."
So the real, true, genuine Tabernacle - which corresponds to the later, historical figure and type, which was the "temple" - is "within the midst of the atmospheres." But of what are these structures types and representations? By definition, a temple is "the home of a deity." God's temple is God's home. He had Israel build that tent for Him so that He could dwell among them. The twelve tribes camped in tents on the north, south, east and west of Yahweh's tent (tabernacle).
Now what does this all have to do with us? Well, Paul informs us that Christ's called-out communities are
"temples of God" (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16).
Consider what he says, in that second reference:
"For you see, we ourselves [other MSS: you folks] continuously exist being (indeed we/you are) a temple of [the] living God, just as God said,"I will proceed to make My home and will continue walking about within and among them (or: I will habitually reside {dwell}, as in a house, and live My life within and among them), and I will continue existing being their God, and they will continue existing being My people." [Lev. 26:12; Rev. 21:3]
Do we really believe this? Do we live as if this is true? Is this our spiritual "world view" - our reality?
Ephesians 2:6 presents another startling reality to us:
"He jointly roused and raised (or: suddenly awakens and raises) [us] up together, and caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]; = enthroned [us]) together in union with, and among, the heavenly people, and within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens within, in union with, and in the sphere of, Christ Jesus."
Well, let's connect the dots: Jesus entered into the "heavenly/atmospheric" temple and sat down (the only place to sit, in the temple, is on the Mercy Seat), and now we are "seated" in this same place, with Him. Need more proof?
"To (or: In; For) the person who is habitually conquering (repeatedly overcoming; normally victorious) I will continue granting [him or her] to sit (or: be seated) with Me within My throne, in he same way as I also conquer (or: conquered; overcome; overcame and was victorious) and sit (or: sat down) with My Father within His throne" (Rev. 2:20).
Abiding in the Vine (Jn. 15:1ff), Who IS the Overcomer, is our means of overcoming. Putting all this together, we can better understand what Paul meant by our being "in Christ," and of our being the body of Christ. He has sprinkled our hearts with His Life (blood - the Life is in the blood; Lev. 17:11), as we read in Heb. 10:22, because the Chief Priest of the order of Melchizedek has entered into us. Consider Heb. 10:19-22,
"Therefore, having freedom, openness and boldness of speech which comes from being citizens, brothers (= fellow members), with a view to the Entrance of the set-apart places
(or: into the Pathway-into the midst, pertaining to the Holiest Place, which is the separated ones, and which pertains to the sacred folks) - within, and in union with, the blood of Jesus; a Way (Path; Road) which was done anew
(or: which He innovates and makes new in species, character or mode, within and in the midst) for us, and in us, recently slain and yet living, through the veil which is His flesh
(or: which way through the veil He did anew for us - that is, His flesh [= His body]: recently slain, and now living) - [cf Jn. 14:6; Rev. 5:6] along with a Great Priest [enthroned; established] upon God's House
(or: the house from God) - we can be continuously and progressively approaching with a true heart in union with full-assurance from the completed act of Faithfulness
(or: centered within [the] full-carrying from [His] loyalty and fidelity), the hearts having been sprinkled from a misery-gushed consciousness of what is evil or unserviceable
(or: a joint-knowledge full of annoying labor; a conscience in a bad condition; [cf 1 Pet. 1:2]), and then the body having been bathed in, and by, clean water."
So, with this understanding, let us go a little deeper. Did Jesus take His physical blood into us, and sprinkle it on our hearts? The procedures on the physical Day of Atonement were a type for the spiritual procedures described in Heb. 9:1-10:22. All of this, including what is said of Christ being a Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, presents us with metaphors to aid us in understanding the reality of the work and Life of Christ - a spiritual work and Life.
In the OT economy, on the Day of Atonement, the blood that was taken into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the heart of the tabernacle represented the life of the people of Israel. In contrast, but following the OT pattern, Heb. 9:14 explains:
"to how much greater an extent will the blood of the Christ (or: this blood, which is the Anointed One [= Messiah]) - Who, through means of a spirit
(or: attitude; [the] Breath-effect) pertaining to that Age, brought Himself forward and presented Himself, face to face
(or: offered Himself), without blemish, in, by, and with, God
(or: to and for God) - continue cleansing and pruning our [other MSS: your] conscience and shared consciousness from works of death
(or: away from dead procedures, observances and activities; deeds of dead folks) [leading] into [the situation] to be continuously rendering sacred service - as well as habitually doing the business and duties of life - for, in, by, to and with the living, as well as true and real, God?"
Now it is recorded, in Gen. 14:18, that Melchizedek fed Abram bread and wine. Jesus acted out a parable for His disciples on the evening in which He was transferred (as a Lamb) to the chief priests and elders of Judea. Before going to the Garden, He served His disciples "bread and wine," telling them that the bread represented His body, and the wine, His blood. We suggest that this was an allusion to Melchizedek, and was, perhaps prophetic of His imminent Melchizedek priesthood. Recall what Jesus proclaimed, in Jn. 6:53 and 55,
"Then Jesus said to them, 'Most truly (Amen, amen) I am now laying out the arrangement for (or: saying to) you people: unless you folks should at some point eat the flesh of the Son of the Human (the Son of man; = the eschatological messianic figure), and then would drink His blood
(or: since you would not eat the flesh which is the Human Being, and further, drink His blood), you are continuing not holding
(or: habitually having or presently possessing) Life within yourselves!... You see, My flesh is (or: constantly exists being) true (real; genuine) food, and My blood is (or: continuously exists being) true (real; genuine) drink.'"
The Gospels provide us with no descriptions of Jesus performing as the new Chief Priest. All of His priestly activities happened after His death and, we assume, after His resurrection - and we see that the called out communities did not exist as His Temple until it was raised with Him and then filled with His Spirit (a real, but spiritual experience - as recorded in Acts 2). In Heb. 10 we encounter some seminal verses. Verses 5 and 6 begin a quote from Ps. 40,
"You did not will (purpose; intend) sacrifice and offering, but You, at one point, completely equipped (thoroughly adjusted down; put in order; knit together) in, and for [middle voice: = God acting on Himself, or for His own purpose], Yourself a body for (or: in; with; by) Me. And the results and effects of whole burnt offerings about sin (concerning failure to hit the target) You do not approve, or think well of (or: have a good opinion about)."
It is striking that in the midst of a passage describing Christ's fulfillment of the Day of Atonement (a part of the old covenant) our author inserts these statements about God's will, intent and purpose, and about what He thinks of "whole burnt offerings." His will does not include "sacrifices and offering." He does not approve of "burnt offerings." His will and intent are about "a body" - Christ's body, both individually and corporately. But now let's observe vs. 7,
"Then I said, 'Consider! I am arriving to do (make; form; create; produce; perform) Your will (purpose; intent; resolve), O God!'"
Can we conclude that Jesus did not come to be a sacrificial offering? Ps. 40 states that this was not God's will or intent. Rather, His intent was to have "a body" - a living Temple in which to dwell. That body, God's true Temple, would receive His Life, which is metaphorically represented by "His blood."
Keeping in mind Heb. 10:22, and the location of where Christ entered to sprinkle His Life-blood, where was it that 9:14 intends us to understand that He
"brought Himself forward and presented Himself, face to face (or: offered Himself)"?
We suggest that this was a picture of His entering into the core of our being - into our hearts. Notice the expanded conflation of the functions of the dative case in which the word "God" is given. This spiritual act by Jesus was, and is,
"in, by, and with, God (or: to and for God)."
Heb. 10:9 affirms, again,
"Consider! I am arriving to do (form; make; create; perform) Your will (purpose; intent; resolve), O God!" - He is habitually (or: progressively; or: presently) taking back up the first, so that He could make the second to stand (or: that He may place and establish the second [arrangement])."
Verse 10 goes on, speaking of an
"offering," "within which will (or: in union with which intent and purpose; [note: expressed in vss.7-9, above]), we are folks having been made set-apart ones (sanctified folks; sacred, holy people) through means of this bringing forward, pertaining to the body of Jesus Christ
(or: through the course of the bearing near, face to face, from this body which is Jesus, Anointed;
or: through the offering, of, and which was, the body belonging to Jesus Christ), once-for-all [time] (just-once, in completion)."
Obviously, the physical giving of Himself to us, via His cross and resurrection, is the founding understanding of the work of Christ, presented in this verse. However, considering the spiritual results of His death and resurrection, written about in this letter - decades later - can we discern a spiritual thread coming to us in this passage?
The text now continues with further explanations.
12. Yet, on the other hand, this One, after at one point bringing forward, face to face, and then offering one sacrifice - stretched for the whole length - over [the situation of] sins (or: on behalf of failures and errors), sat within the right [part or side] of God (or: at the right [hand] of God; centered in God's [place of power, honor and acceptance]) on into the whole length (or: extended into the unbroken continuance),
Jesus did, indeed, offer Himself as a sacrifice to Israel, for their cleansing and the removal of sin from the people, thus fulfilling the final Day of Atonement. He spoke indirectly about this in Jn. 10:
15. "just as the Father has continuous, intimate knowledge of Me, and I Myself have continuous, intimate knowledge of the Father - and so I am constantly placing My soul-life over the sheep.
16. "And I constantly have (hold; possess) other sheep which do not exist (or: are not) from out of this fold (or: sheep pen), and it is binding (or: necessary) for Me to progressively lead those also, and they will continue listening to (will habitually hear and pay attention to [implying: obey]) My voice, and they [other MSS: it; there] will progressively become One Flock, One Shepherd. [Eph. 2:15]
17. "On this account the Father continuously loves (or: fully gives Himself to) Me, because I Myself am constantly placing (or: repeatedly setting) My soul-life (or: progressively laying My inner self, being and consciousness [over them]), so that I may take it in My hand (or: would receive it) again.
18. "No one at any point lifts it [with other MSS: Not one person is presently lifting it] up and carries it away (or: proceeds to remove it) from Me; on the contrary, I Myself continue putting (keep on placing; am repeatedly setting; am progressively laying) it away from (or: off) Myself. I constantly hold authority (continuously have the right and hold the 'position'; or: continue possessing privilege from out of the midst of Being) to place it (put it; lay it), and I constantly hold authority from out of being (continuously possess the right, forth from [My] existence; = am in the authoritative position) to take it (or: receive it; resume it) again. This implanted goal (purposed impartation of the finished product within; inward directive and destiny) I received from (or: at) My Father's side."
It was His Father's will for Jesus to give His Life to us. The sacrificial cultus was for the People of Israel, not for God. We read, in Lev. 17:11,
"For the life (soul) of the flesh is in the blood, and I have GIVEN it to YOU, upon the altar, to make an atonement (a covering) for your souls - for it [is] the blood [that] makes an atonement (a covering) for your souls." [cf Prov. 10:12; 1 Pet. 4:8]
Jesus gives His Life to us, on the altar of our hearts. And now, continuing on in Heb. 10, we get another glimpse of the purpose of Jesus giving Himself over the human predicament:
14. For you see, by and in one bringing forward, face to face, and then presenting and offering, He has perfected (brought to the goal; matured; completed; finished; brought to their purposed destiny) - and so they remain perfect and complete, in their destiny, on into the whole length
(or: extended or stretched into the unbroken continuance) - those folks being one after another set-apart(separated; made sacred and holy; [p46 reads: restored back up again into the original state and condition; rescued back and delivered again; made healthy and whole again]).
What a magnificent plan. The offering which He presents (vs. 14) is that of Himself, to us. His presence within us is what makes us perfect and complete, and fulfills our destiny.
Jonathan
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