Tuesday, August 01, 2006

The New View Over "Melchizedek"

Those who study the Christian Bible, the Zohar, the Talmud, and the Nag Hammadi scripts will recognize the name "Melchizedek". This mysterious "priest-king" of "Salem" (now known as Jerusalem") has been a pivotal figure in the annals of Freemasonry as well; however, many in the Blue Lodge has forgotten the real signifigance of the Master Mason Degree and it's links to Melchizedek...the Canaanite link to the Hiram Abiff story...and the inexorable link to the Messianic legacy of Jesus Christ. I've included some different angles on Melchizedek, taken from different texts and viewpoints. Perhaps, when the real story comes to light about this shadowy figure from the distant past... History will look very different, indeed.

Melchizedek in Rabbinic Lore & the Zohar

Melchizedek is a character in the Old Testament who appeared in Genesis to the patriarch Abraham. He is called "king of Salem" (believed to be ancient Jerusalem) and "priest of the most high God" in Genesis 14:18.

In the Tanakh, Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham (then called Abram) after Abraham's victory over the four kings who had besieged Sodom and Gomorrah and had taken his nephew Lot prisoner (described in Genesis 14). (Gen. 14:18.) Melchizedek blessed Abraham in the name of ³God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.² (Gen. 14:19.) In return, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, a tithe, of the spoils gained from the battle. (Gen. 14:20.)

In some translations, Psalm 110:4 names Melchizedek as representative of the priestly line through which a future king of Israel's Davidic line was ordained. Alternatively, the term in Psalm 110:4 can be read ³rightful king.² (E.g., New JPS Tanakh.)

In Rabbinic interpretationIn the Midrash, the Rabbis identified Melchizedek with Shem son of Noah. (E.g., B. Talmud Nedarim 32b; Genesis Rabbah 46:7; Genesis Rabbah 56:10; Leviticus Rabbah 25:6; Numbers Rabbah 4:8.) Rabbi Isaac the Babylonian said that Melchizedek was born circumcised.

(Genesis Rabbah 43:6.) Melchizedek called Jerusalem 'Salem.' (Genesis Rabbah 56:10.)


The Rabbis said that Melchizedek instructed Abraham in the Torah. (Genesis Rabbah 43:6.)

Rabbi Eleazar said that Melchizedek's school was one of three places where the Holy Spirit manifested itself. (B. Talmud Makkot 23b.)


The Rabbis taught that Melchizedek acted as a priest and handed down Adam¹s robes to Abraham. (Numbers Rabbah 4:8.)

Rabbi Zechariah said on Rabbi Ishmael's authority that God intended to bring forth the priesthood through Melchizedek¹s descendants, but because Melchizedek blessed Abraham before he blessed God (in Gen. 14:19-20), God brought the priesthood forth from Abraham¹s descendants. (B. Talmud Nedarim 32b.)

Rabbi Judah said in Rabbi Nehorai's name that Melchizedek¹s blessing yielded prosperity for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Genesis Rabbah 43:8.) Ephraim Miksha'ah the disciple of Rabbi Meir said in the latter's name that Tamar descended from Melchizedek. (Genesis Rabbah 85:10.)Rabbi Hana bar Bizna citing Rabbi Simeon Hasida identified Melchizedek as one of the four craftsmen of whom Zechariah wrote in Zechariah 2:3. (B. Talmud Sukkah 52b; see also Song of Songs Rabbah 2:33 (crediting Rabbi Berekiah in the name of Rabbi Isaac).

The Talmud teaches that David wrote the Book of Psalms, including in it the work of the elders, including Melchizedek (in Psalm 110). (B. Talmud Baba Batra 14b-15a.)

The Zohar finds in 'Melchizedek king of Salem' a reference to 'the King Who rules with complete sovereignty,' or according to another explanation, that 'Melchizedek' alludes to the lower world and 'king of Salem' to the upper world. (Zohar, Bereshit, 1:86b-87a)

(Source:http://www.crystalinks.com/melchizedek.html)

Jesus Christ as Melchizedek Reincarnated

Another incarnation of Jesus is the Old Testament figure known as Melchizedek, the High Priest and King of Salem. It is clear from the Book of Hebrews that Melchizedek was not an ordinary man, assuming he even was a man. A careful examination of the evidence concerning the existence of Melchizedek reveals him to be a previous reincarnation of Jesus. There are strong parallels between Melchizedek and Jesus: both are the Son of God, priest of the Order of Melchizedek, King of Righteous, King of Pea
ce, the Messiah, appointed by God, eternal priesthood, and preexistent. Besides the Biblical evidence, there exists evidence from the discoveries of early Christian texts in 1945 and the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. There is also extra-Biblical revelations that support this Melchizedek-Jesus connection.

Identical Characteristics of Melchizedek and Jesus
Both are:
(1) Sons of God
(2) High Priests of God
(3) Kings of Righteousness
(4) Appointed by God
(5) Kings of Peace
(6) Eternal ones

(7) Priests (8) Pre-existent ones
(9) Association with Abraham
(10) Rituals of bread and wine
(11) Anointed ones

Identical Sonship: "Son of God"


(A) In the Bible, the only individuals who have the title of the "Son of God" are Jesus, Adam and Melchizedek.
Adam: "the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God." (Luke 3:38)


Melchizedek: "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever." (Heb. 7:3)
Jesus: "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1)

(B) The Bible also states that Melchizedek was made in the image or likeness of the Son of God. This could be taken as the image of the son of God (the second in the trinity) or as the image of the begotten son of God, when the Lord took on a fleshly body. But they are one and the same.
Jesus: "the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Cor. 4:4)
Jesus: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Heb. 5:6)

Definition of "order": Greek "aphomoioo" (a) A facsimile (b) An exact copy or exact reproduction (c) A duplicate

Jesus: "And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears." (Heb. 7:15)

Definition of "another priest like": Greek "kata ten homoiotet
a" (a) in every respect (b) after the similitude of (c) according to the likeness of (d) a thing so like another as to be indistinguishable from it.

Identical Order of Priesthood: Priest of the God Most High of the Order of Melchizedek

(A) Melchizedek and Jesus have identical priesthoods.
Melchizedek: "He was priest of God Most High." (Gen 14:18)
Messiah: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)
Jesus: "You are a priest forever, in the order [facsimile] of Melchizedek." (Heb. 5:6)
Definition of "facsimile": (a) an exact copy or exact reproduction (b) duplicate

(B) Notice also that Paul has a mystery concerning Jesus and Melchizedek but is reluctant to tell the uninitiated:

"[Jesus] was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Heb. 5:10-14)

(C) Paul indicates the Priest(s) of order of Melchizedek were to last forever and that the system of priests through the tribe of Levi would eventually come to an end. These men were chosen by God for the office. They would give sacrifice to God which symbolically atoned, or paid for the people's sins. We see this principle at work very early in the story of Job:
"After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite:

"I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."

So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job's prayer." (Job 42:7-9)

Identical Symbol of Rule: "King of Righteousness"

(A) Melchizedek as the King of Righteousness:


"To whom Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation “King of Righteousness“ and after that also King of Salem, which is “King of Peace.” (Heb. 7:2)

(B) Jesus as the King of Righteousness:

"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land." (Jer. 23:5)

(C) Melchizedek, as the King of Righteousness, fulfilled this scepter promise:

"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." (Gen. 49:10)

(D) Jesus, as the King of Righteousness, fulfilled this scepter promise:


"But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom." (Heb. 1:8)


Identical Right to Rule: Appointed by God

(A) Jesus and Melchizedek's priesthoods are similar because they did not depend upon genealogy as the Aaronic priesthood did. The human lineage of Jesus was from Judah - a tribe that Moses did not associate with the priesthood.


"For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests." (Heb. 7:14)

(B) Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not because he came from the right line, but because he comes as one who has indestructible life - the only one who can be an eternal priest! The priesthood of both is a royal priesthood. The priesthood of both is based on person
ality, not legality. Both are universal priesthoods for Gentile and Jew because the priesthood of Melchizedek was before the Law was given. Melchizedek illustrates an eternal priesthood of which the Jesus is the reality.

Identical Title: "King of Peace"


(A) Melchizedek and Jesus are the Kings of Peace.

Melchizedek: "First, his name means "King of Righteousness"; then also, "King of Salem" means "King of Peace." (Heb. 7:2)

Jesus: "And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

(B) Melchizedek is the "King of Peace" and Jesus is the "P
rince of Peace". Who could be King of Peace over Jesus?

Identical Term of Priesthood: Eternal

(A) Melchizedek and Jesus are eternal priests.
Melchizedek: "like the Son of God he remains a priest forever." (Heb. 7:3)

Jesus: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Heb. 5:6)

(B) Melchizedek and Jesus are priests forever with an unchangeable priesthood. This indicates they are the same priest - just different times.


Identical in Likeness: Priest

(A) Melchizedek and Jesus are priests of God.
Melchizedek: "He was priest of God Most High." (Gen 14:18)

Jesus: "And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come." (Heb 7:15-16)
The word "likeness" is translated homoios: (a) "after the
similitude of"

Note: Heb. 7:15-16 does not mean Jesus is "similar to Melchizedek." In context, it means "Jesus is Melchizedek."
Proof: Another Biblical example of "homoios" meaning "likeness."

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Phil. 2:6-7)
Point 1: Jesus was human: The Word became flesh (John 1:14)

Point 2:

And Jesus had a human nature: "The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David." (Rom. 1:2-4)

Conclusion: Jesus was more than just the likeness of Melchizedek.

Jesus was Melchizedek.

(B) Why would Jesus be compared to Melchizedek if his status was not equal to or greater than Jesus? He certainly would not be compared to anyone lesser than himself. This suggests that both Melchizedek and Jesus were of the same nature and of similar purpose and, therefore, the sam
e person.

Identical Age: Pre-existent

(A) Both Melchizedek and Jesus are pre-existent (i.e. they existed before birth).

Melchizedek: "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever." (Heb. 7:3)

Jesus: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of ol
d, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2)

Jesus: "The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water ... Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind." (Prov. 8:22-31)

Identical Association with: Abraham

(A) Both Melchizedek and Jesus were both associated with Abraham:

Melchizedek: "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abraham, saying, "Blessed be Abraham by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth." (Gen. 14:18-19)

Jesus: "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.

"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham?"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:56-59)

(B) Melchizedek and Jesus are one spirit who incarnated many times and who transcended death. They could enter and leave the world at will without having to go through birth and death.

"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood." (Heb. 7:23)

Identical Use of Ritualistic Symbols: Bread and Wine

(A) Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine to Abraham is the first incidence where bread and wine appear in the Scripture. Melchizedek provided a priesthood which gave the symbols of bread and wine. Jesus also provided a priesthood which gave the symbols of bread and wine.

Melchizedek: "And Melchizedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine..." (Gen. 14:18)

Jesus: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matt. 26:26-29)

Jesus: "I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the m
anna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

"Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

"Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Yo
ur forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." (John 6:48-59)

Identical Title: Anointed One, the "Messiah"

(A) Melchizedek is the "anointed one":

Melchizedek: "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." (Heb. 1:9)

(B) Jesus is the "anointed one":


Jesus: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples p
lot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his anointed one." (Acts 4:25-26)

Note: The word translated "anointed" is the Greek chrio which refers to contact between the one being anointed and the one doing the anointing. The Greek word "Christos", translated "Christ" is derived from "chrio".

Christian Gnostic Scriptures Discovered in 1945 Affirm Melchizedek and Jesus to be Different Incarnations of the Same Soul

On December, 1945, in Upper Egypt, ancient texts revealing that the early Christians and Jews believed that Melchizedek was a previous reincarnation of Jesus t
he Messiah.

These long lost texts were discovered by an Arab peasant was digging in the ground in search of fertilizer when he discovered large jars containing books which have been buried since around 390 A.D. These books where hidden by monks from a nearby monastery to escape destruction under the order of the emerging orthodox Church in its violent expunging of all heresy. These texts were one of the greatest archeological discovery ever discovered. It was only eclipsed by the Dead Sea Scroll discovery in Israel two years later in 1947. It is a strange coincidence that these ancient discoveries containing valuable information of early Jewish and Christian theology and history should appear around the same time.

This immensely important discovery in Egypt includes a large number of Christian Gnostic scriptures -- texts once thought to have been entirely destroyed. Some of the scriptures discovered were the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Truth.

One of the Christian Gnostic texts discovered is entitled "Melchizedek". The following quote is from this text. [...] indicates missing fragments or illegible wording.

"And you crucified me from the third hour of the Sabbath - eve until the ninth hour. And after these things I arose from the dead. My body came out of the tomb to me. [...] They did not find anyone greeted me [...] They said to me, Be strong, Melchizedek, great High Priest of God Most High"

There is little doubt that this quote attributed to Melchizedek refers to him being crucified and resurrected. Commenting on the above text, noted authority Birger A. Pearson states:

"Furthermore, the tractate's apparent identification of Melchizedek with Jesus Christ ... is also documented elsewhere in early Christianity, particularly in Egypt. We are drawn to the conclusion that, in the revelation which the priest Melchizedek has received, he has seen that he himself will have a redemptive role to play as the suffering, dying, resurrected and triumphant Savior, Jesus Christ! ... From what we read ... it seems that the victory of Jesus Christ is the victory of Melchizedek and that, in fact, they are one and the same."

"I did and do understand the text of the first tractate to imply that Melchizedek was prophesied to return again, as Jesus."

Dead Sea Scroll Discovery of 1947 Revealed the Messiah to be a Reincarnation of Melchizedek

In 1947, scrolls from the Jewish Essenes were discovered which affirmed that they believed Melchizedek would reincarnate as the Messiah.

These ancient scrolls of profound importance were discovered by young Bedouin shepherds, searching for a stray goat around the Dead Sea in Israel entered an undiscovered cave and found jars filled with ancient scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls were scrolls from a monastic group known as the Essenes, dated to be about two thousand years old. The Essenes were an apocalyptic Jewish sect who withdrew from society and established a monastery on the shores of the Dead Sea. It is believed that sometime during the Roman-Jewish war of 66-70 A.D. the Essenes hid their sacred writings.

The Essenes believed in the doctrine of pre-existence and reincarnation and appeared to have been influenced by Gnosticism. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove that the Jewish mystical tradition of divine union went back to the first, perhaps even the third, century B.C.

Biblical scholars were not disturbed by what they found in the Dead Sea Scrolls because they had known all along that the origin of Christianity was not what was commonly supposed to have been.

The first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus stated that the Pharisees were believers in reincarnation. Josephus has several long passages dealing with the reincarnation beliefs of both the Essenes and the Pharisees. Josephus writes that the Jews in their secret or esoteric doctrines called the Kabbalah taught reincarnation openly.

The caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found yielded a series of thirteen fragments on Melchizedek which identifies Melchizedek as the one who will carry out the vengeance of God's judgments and the one who delivers the people from the hand of Belial and the spirits of his lot.


The belief that Melchizedek was the Messiah was a strongly held conviction among the Qumran community, as well as among some other Jewish and Gnostic sects in the first century A.D. This becomes apparent in the text entitled "The Last Jubilee" (Dead Sea Scroll: 11Q13, Column 2) about the coming of Melchizedek as the Messiah.

"The Last Jubilee" is a sermon within the "Melchizedek Texts" (also known as "I IQ Melchizedek Text" or " I I Q Melchizedek"). The following is a summary of this sermon:

The Last Jubilee text refers in messianic terms to a fu
ture King of Righteousness. In the text, this King of Righteousness is described as passing judgment on Belial [Satan] and his followers. After the judgment in heaven comes the destruction of those who have followed Belial rather than God. The text states that "the one designed, by God's favor, for the King of Righteousness (which is what, by his very name, Melchizedek prefigures) will come into his dominion." The time of his coming "into his dominion" is identified as the period which Isaiah termed the year of favor or "acceptable year of the Lord"

The Biblical reference for this can be found in Isaiah 61:1-2:

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn ..." (Isaiah 61:1-2)


Jesus made his first appearance in Nazareth and spoke at the synagogue there, and the book of Isaiah was handed to him. Luke 4:17-19 records that he then found and read the two verses quoted above but stopped after the phrase "acceptable year of the Lord." Bible scholars concluded that by suspending reading without referring to God's day of vengeance, Jesus was distinguishing between his present ministry of grace and the second advent when he would carry out God's judgments. On the other hand, his stopping after that phrase may have been for the purpose of emphasis, for it truly was the "year of the Lord."

After Jesus had concluded his reading, verse 21 adds:


"And he began to say unto them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:21)

Thus in Luke 4:21, Jesus seems to identify himself as the one promised by Isaiah "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" when he said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." And the Melchizedek Texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls identify Melchizedek as the person who will fulfill that prophecy.

In the text "Commentary on the Book of Habakkuk," the "Teacher of Righteousness" is referred to as one "to whom God has made known all the mysteries of His servants the prophets." This Teacher of Righteousness was expected to return and usher in the Messianic Age and according to Jewish tradition to be Elijah or Phinehas or Melchizedek.

At least one respected Dead Sea Scroll authority state
d that Jesus in these documents "appears in many respects as an astonishing reincarnation of the Teacher of Righteousness."

The Qumran "Melchizedek Texts" contain several comments which seem clearly to identify the so-called "King of Righteousness," a title referring to Melchizedek, as the promised Messiah. They discuss the role of this future King in overthrowing Belial and executing God's avenging judgment and clearly state that this King will be "Melchizedek redivivus" (reincarnated). One scholar has summarized the document thusly:

"In this fragment, written in Hebrew, Melchizedek appears as an eschatological savior who has a heritage. His mission is to bring back at the end of days the exiles to announce to them their liberation ... and the expiation of their sins."

Near-Death Experience Revelations of Edgar Cayce Reveals Melchizedek and Jesus to be Different Incarnations of the Same Soul

Edgar Cayce received volumes of information from his near-death experiences from a heavenly so-called "Hall of Records." Much of the revelations he received concerned Jesus and his many incarnations including Adam and Melchizedek. Cayce received these revelations years before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian Gnostic find. These discoveries agree with the Cayce revelations concerning Adam, Melchizedek and Jesus.

This parallel between Melchizedek and other incarnations from the ancient Christian Gnostic texts also supports the Cayce revelations that Enoch and Melchizedek were the same spirit. Cayce also provided the interesting revelation that the Dead Sea Essenes grew out of the teachings of Melchizedek as propagated by prophets, such as Elijah, Elisha, and Samuel. Cayce also identified Melchizedek as a previous incarnation of Jesus.

According to Cayce, it was necessary that the very advanced spirit of Melchizedek reincarnate in order to reach Christhood as Jesus. The Cayce revelations show us why the Master spirit again incarnated after the experience as Melchizedek:

The Christ spirit incarnated as Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, then took on flesh to teach and lead. After several more incarnations such as Joseph (prince of Egypt), the Christ spirit realized it was necessary to set a pattern for humanity and to show the way back to God. Thus, the Master spirit assumed the mission of through his final incarnation as Jesus. By resurrecting his body, he made the Jesus-Melchizedek priesthood eternal.

This priesthood, according to the Encyclopedia Judaica's interpretation of Hebrews, "is excellent, superior to that of Abraham's descent, and transcends all human, imperfect orders."

In view of such evidence found in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Christian Gnostic texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls and extra-Biblical sources such as Cayce, the early Christian veneration of Melchizedek and the rich Messianic tradition about him, Christians should in no way find it demeaning to link the soul of Melchizedek with that of Jesus. Certainly both individuals were important instrume
nts of God, and each life marks an historic step in the spiritual evolution of humanity.


"His followers said to him, 'When will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new world come?'

"He said to them, 'What you look for has come, but you do n
ot know it.'" - Jesus, the Gospel of Thomas, saying 51

The Nag Hammadi Texts Concerning Melchizedek
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Melchizedek In the Urantia Book

PAPER 95 THE MELCHIZEDEK TEACHINGS IN THE LEVANT

95:0.1 AS INDIA gave rise to many of the religions and philosophies of eastern Asia, so the Levant was the homeland of the faiths of the Occidental world. The Salem missionaries spread out all over southwestern Asia, through Palestine, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Iran, and Arabia, everywhere proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Machiventa Melchizedek. In some of these lands their teachings bore fruit; in others they met with varying success. Sometimes their failures were due to lack of wisdom, sometimes to circumstances beyond their control
...

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5 Comments:

At 4:47 AM, August 02, 2006, Blogger Tubulcain420 said...

THE MYSTERY OF MELCHISEDEC
Among all the characters mentioned in the Bible none is more mysterious than Melchisedec; said to be without father, mother, or earthly kin, and holding the dual office of king and priest. Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews gives us most information showing the connection between Christ and Melchisedec, both of them Kings and High Priests, but of different dispensations.

"God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds. * * * No man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made a High Priest, but He that said unto Him 'Thou art my Son, today have I begotten Thee.' As He saith also in another place, Thou art a Priest for The Age after the order of Melchisedec, who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that He feared though He were a son, yet learned He obedience by the things He suffered; and being made perfect, He became author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him; called of God a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered. * * * For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of kings and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace; without father, without mother, without ancestors, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually. * * * And here men that die (the Levites) receive tithes, but there he receiveth them of whom it is witnessed the He liveth. * * * If, therefore, perfection were by the law and its priesthood what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron? * * * For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. And it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest who is made not after the law of carnal commandments but after the power of an endless life, for he testifies 'Thou are a priest for The Age, after the order of Melchisedec.' * * * By so much was Jesus made the surety of a better testament; * * * because He continueth ever and has an Age lasting priesthood; * * * for the law maketh men High Priests who have infirmities, but the Word of God which was since the law, maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum; we have such a high Priest who is yet on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord made and not man. * * * Almost all things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves were better sacrifices than these, for Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; * * * and now has He obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also He is mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises; for if the first covenant had been perfect then there should be no place for a second. But finding fault with the old He saith 'Behold the days come when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, 'saith the Lord. * * * For this is the covenant that I will make to the House of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. 'I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS AND WRITE THEM IN THEIR HEARTS, and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people and THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERY MAN HIS NEIGHBOR and every man his brother saying, Know the Lord, for ALL SHALL KNOW ME FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST.'"

The foregoing quotations from Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews are not found there consecutively as here arranged. It is necessary to intelligently piece the Bible narrative together so that we may obtain an outline of the future development which has been sketched out by the divine Hierarchs to constitute our evolution. Comprehension of this plan is essential to the correct understanding of the Cosmic relationship of Freemasonry and Catholicism; it is also necessary to fully appreciate the purpose of the Molten Sea and to learn how to intelligently make this wonderful alloy. As Paul says, these things are hard to say, but we shall make an attempt to present the mysteries of Melchisedec and the Molten Sea in plain language so that we may aid in the expressed purpose of the Bible to enlighten all men, that all shall know from the least to the greatest what is the purpose of evolution, and thus give them a chance to align themselves with the trend of Cosmic events.

To understand the mystery of Melchisedec we must revert to the earlier epochs of man's stay upon the earth during the age called the Hyperborean Epoch. The earth was then in an extremely heated condition. Man in the making was then double sexed, male-female, like so many of our present plants, and he also resembled the plants in being inert and lacking in desire and aspirations. At that time man was the tractable ward of the Divine Hierarchs who guided him physically, these being darkly referred to in the Bible as "Kings of Edom." Later, during the Lemurian Epoch, when the body of man had crystallized and condensed somewhat more, mankind was divided into sexes physically. But as the consciousness of man was still focused in the spiritual world they were unconscious of the physical act of generation, as we are now of digestion; neither did they know birth or death and were in fact totally unaware of the possession of a physical vehicle until in time they sensed it during the generative process; it was then said that "Adam KNEW Eve." At that time Lucifer Spirits, fallen Angels and inhabitants of the warlike planet Mars, taught them how to eat of the TREE OF KNOWLEDGE, which is the symbolical name for the generative act. Thus by degrees their eyes were opened and they became aware of the physical world, but lost touch with the spiritual and the Guardian Angels who had previously been their benevolent guides. Only a few of the most spiritual among them retained their higher vision and communion with the Divine Hierarchs. These were then known as prophets, who acted as messengers between the invisible divine leaders and their respective peoples. But in time mankind desired to select its own leaders and demanded visible kings; at least we know that the Israelites repudiated the divine ruler ship and demanded a king, and thus Saul was appointed. Then the dual office of Ruler and Priest, including temporal and spiritual leadership, was also divided, for no man sufficiently versed in worldly matters to fill the office of king efficiently, had been found holy enough to also undertake the spiritual leadership of his brethren, and vice versa. A true priest, able to lead his flock spiritually, cannot also beneficently dominate their physical fortunes as ruler of a temporal domain. For as STATECRAFT, in its highest phase, aims to rule the masses with an eye single to their physical welfare, and PRIESTCRAFT, benevolently exercised, seeks to guide them solely for the soul's progress, so conflict must of necessity follow this separation, even though both the spiritual and temporal rulers be actuated by the highest and most unselfish motives. Melchisedec was the symbolical name of the divine Hierarchs who filled the dual office of king and priest; in the guidance of their double-sexed charges and while they reigned there was peace on earth, but as soon as the offices of king and priest were divorced and the sexes divided, it is not surprising for the reasons given above that the peaceful reign of Melchisedec has been followed by an age of war and strife, such strife as has been experienced during the present dispensation. Formerly the unifying factors of a dual office in the ruler and the double sex of his people precluded the clashing of interests which now obtains, and which will continue until another divine ruler shall present himself to embody within in his own person the qualifications of the dual office of king and priest after the order of Melchisedec, and until sex generation be abolished. In this connection it is significant that the Bible narrative begins in the Garden of Eden, where mankind were male-female and innocent; then in the next chapter we are told of the division of sexes, the transgression of the command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge, and the infliction of the penalty--painful parturition and swift death. From then on the Old Testament tells of war, struggle and strife and in the last chapter makes the prophecy that there shall a Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. Then the New Testament opens with an account of the birth of Christ, who proclaimed a kingdom of heaven which is to be established. He is later called King and Priest after the order of Melchisedec, uniting within himself THE DUAL OFFICE. It is also said that in heaven there will be neither marrying nor giving in marriage, for the SOMA PSUCHICON, or soul-body, which Paul tells us is the vehicle we shall use in the kingdom of heaven (First Corinthians, fifteenth chapter), is not liable to death and decay. Thus there will be no death, and birth of bodies like those generated in wedlock would be superfluous, for Paul tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Hence marriage will be unnecessary, the clashing of interests due to the lust of sex and the love of power will then disappear and the love of souls will be hallowed by the spirit of peace.

Thus it is plain that the Sons of Cain with their followers, the CRAFTSMEN, and the Sons of Seth with their retinue, the CHURCHMEN, must finally merge and be unified in the Kingdom of Christ. We have already seen how Hiram Abiff, the Widow's Son, left his father, the Lucifer Spirit Samael, after the BAPTISM OF FIRE in the Molten Sea, and how he received the mission to prepare the way for the kingdom among the Sons of Cain, his brethren, by developing their arts and crafts as temple builders--Masons-- and teaching them the preparation of the Philosopher's Stone or Molten Sea. Thus also the physically negative Sons of Seth must learn to leave their father, Jehovah, and naturally the first to take the step must be a great soul.

As the superlative skill of the Sons of Cain was focused in Hiram Abiff at the time of his baptism of fire, so the sublime spirituality of the Sons of Seth was centered in Jesus at the time of His BAPTISM IN THE WATERS of Jordan. When He arose from this water He was in the same position as Hiram emerging from the fire; each had left his father respectively, Jehovah and Samael, and each was ready to serve the Christ. Therefore the Christ Spirit was seen at the Baptism to descend upon Jesus' body, which was inhabited and used by Christ during His ministry. Jesus himself, the spirit, left that body and was given a mission to serve the churches while his body was being used for direct teaching by the Christ, and his blood was being prepared as an OPEN SESAME to the Kingdom of God, a Panacea to be used by His brethren, the Sons of Seth, in the same manner that the Molten Sea serves the Sons of Cain.

In the Epistle of the Hebrews where Paul gives us a few hints concerning the Mystery of Melchisedec in the character of High Priest, he emphasized the absolute necessity of blood as an adjunct to the Temple Service; he show how the High Priest was required to offer blood for his own sins before he was qualified to give sacrifice also for sins of the people, and that this double sacrifice must be performed year after year. He points to the sacrifice upon Golgotha as having been made ONCE AND FOR ALL, providing a way of atonement through the blood of Jesus. During the regime of Jehovah, the blood of humanity had become impregnated with egotism, which is the separative factor in this age. From this sin it must be cleansed before mankind can be united and enter the Kingdom of Christ. This was a gigantic task, for humanity had become so impregnated with selfishness that scarcely anyone would do another a favor. Hence the post-mortem panorama, of life at the time of Christ contained nothing that would give a life in the First Heaven or make for spiritual progress. Almost all the post-mortem existence of the people was spent in the purgatorial expiration of their wrong-doings, and even their Second Heaven life, where man learns to do creative work was almost barren. Then Solomon, the King, was again called into the arena of life to perform a mission for the benefit and welfare of his brethren, the Sons of Seth; he was peculiarly fitted for this work because at heart he was unselfish as shown by the request which he made at the time when Jehovah appeared to him in a dream and asked what he would have as a gift when he ascended the throne. Solomon then said unto God "Thou hast shown great mercy unto David my father and hath made me to reign in his stead now; now, O Lord, let thy promise unto David my father be established, for Thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. GIVE ME NOW WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge Thy people that is so great?" And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in thine heart and thou hast not asked riches, wealth or honor, nor the life of thine enemies, neither hast ye asked long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself that thou mayest judge my people over whom I have made thee king, wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee riches and wealth and honor such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like."

It was this characteristic of unselfishness developed in former lives that fitted the spirit of Solomon which inhabited the body of Jesus for the high mission it was destined to fulfill; to serve as a vehicle for the unifying unselfish Christ Spirit, for the purpose of bringing to an end the division between the Sons of Seth and the Sons of Cain and uniting them in the Brotherhood forming the kingdom of heaven.

When Faust made the pact with Mephistopheles, as recorded in the ancient soul-myth of that name, he was about to sign it in ink but Mephisto says: "No, sign it in blood." For this request Faust asks the reason and Mephistopheles says knowingly and cunningly "BLOOD IS A MOST PECULIAR ESSENCE!" It is said in the Bible that the blood of bulls and calves will not take away sins and that is reasonable, but how then about the blood of Jesus, which is extolled as a panacea? To understand this great mystery of Golgotha it is necessary to study the composition and the function of the flood from the occult point of view.

When blood is placed under a microscope, it appears as a number of minute globules or discs, but when seen by the trained clairvoyant as it courses through the living body blood is found to be a gas, a spiritual essence. The heat is caused by the Ego which is within that blood, for as the Bible says, the LIFE is in the blood. Mephisto was right when he said that it is a most peculiar essence, for it contains the Ego, and whoever wants to obtain a power over the Ego must have his blood.

The human Ego is more powerful than the group spirit of the animal, as we can see when we apply the scientific test known as haemolysis. Strange blood of a higher animal will kill, if inoculated into the veins of a lower species; if we take human blood and inject it into an animal, the animal will be unable to endure the high vibration that is in the blood of the human being and it will die. On the other hand a human being may be inoculated with the blood of a lower animal without injury. In ancient times it was strictly forbidden anyone belonging to one tribe to marry into another tribe because it was known then by the leaders of humanity that the strange blood would kill something; it always does. We read that Adam and Methuselah lived so many centuries; at that time it was the custom to marry in the family, marry as closely as possible, so that the tie of blood might be as strong as it could be made. Then the blood that coursed through the veins of the people in that family contained the pictures of all that had happened to the different ancestor; these were stored in the mind which is now subconscious. Then they were consciously and constantly before the inner vision of all people, and each family was united by this common blood wherein the pictures of their ancestors lived. The sons saw the life of their fathers, and thus the fathers lived in the sons; and since the consciousness of Adam and Methuselah and the other Patriarchs lived for centuries in their descendants, they were said to live personally.

It was then as great a crime to marry OUTSIDE the family as it now is to marry within. Even among the early Norsemen, we learn that if anyone wanted to marry within a strange family, he was first obliged to mix blood; it must first be tested to see whether his blood would mix with that of the family into which he desired to marry. And thus haemolysis was known to many in some of its phases at least. If the blood did not mix, it would bring about "CONFUSION OF CASTE," as the Hindu says; a straight line of descent must be kept, for otherwise those pictures in the inner vision would become mixed and would be confused. This marrying in the family or tribe was what engendered the selfishness, the clannishness, and the struggle and strife of the world. To break these up, the practice must be discontinued; thus when Christ came He advocated the discontinuance of the practice when He said: "Before Abraham was, I AM." In effect He said: I do not care for the race father, but I glory in the I Am, the Ego that was long before he was. And He also said: "Who does not leave father and mother cannot follow Me." As long as you are tied to the family, the nation, the tribe, you are siding with the old blood, the old ways, and cannot amalgamate into a universal brotherhood. That can only come when people marry internationally because when there are so many nations the way to unite them is through marriage. Let Abraham, the race and tribe father, die; let the "I AM" LIVE. Christ knew the occult fact that the mixture of blood in international marriage always kills something; if it does not kill the body, it kills something else. If we mate a horse and a donkey, the outcome is a HYBRID, the mule; in that mule something is missing on account of the mixture of strange blood, namely, the faculty of propagation which is lacking in all hybrids. Similarly when we marry internationally something else is destroyed and that is the pictures in the inner vision. The different pictures of different families clash. And so the clairvoyance, the touch with the spiritual world, with the memory of Nature, has waned since the practice of marrying in the tribe was broken up. The Highland Scot who marries in the clan and the gypsies alone retain this second sight in a measure. Thus we see that the blood is now differently constituted from what it was in the earlier ages of human evolution. The body of Jesus was a pioneer vehicle of superlative purity at the time when the Christ Spirit entered it, as a means of ingress to the center of the earth by the identical path which he jumped into the Molten Sea and was conducted along the path of Initiation to the center of the earth where Cain, his ancestor, dwelt.

This journey of Christ is recorded in I Peter 3:18-19 after Christ had been freed from the flesh by the violent death on Golgotha. When anyone is killed, the venous blood with its impurities clings closely to the flesh, and therefore the arterial blood which flows is distinctly cleaner than it would otherwise be; it is more free from passion and desire. And being etherealized by the great Christ Spirit, THE CLEANSED BLOOD OF JESUS OVERFLOWED THE WORLD, PURIFIED THE ETHERIC REGION OF SELFISHNESS TO A GREAT EXTENT, and gave man a better chance to draw to himself materials which will allow him to form altruistic purposes and desires. Thus the age of altruism was there inaugurated. By faith in this blood, and by imitation of the Christ Life the Sons of Seth are therefore provided with a means of purging from themselves the curse of selfishness; while the Sons of Cain were given the emblem of the ROSE AND THE CROSS to teach them to work faithfully to make the Molten Sea, the Philosopher's Stone, and to find the NEW WORD which shall admit them to the kingdom, for they believe more in works than in faith.
(1) THE FIRST AGE, when each human being was a complete creative unit, male-female, double sexed, and ruled by one Hierarch, Melchisedec, who filled a dual office as King and Priest.

(2) THE SECOND AGE, when the division of the race into men and women, and the division of the rulership into State and Church caused war and strife.

THE STATE espouses the cause of FATHERHOOD AND MAN and upholds the male ideal of Arts, Crafts and Industry, embodied in Hiram Abiff.

THE CHURCH espouses the cause of MOTHERHOOD AND WOMAN and holds aloft the female ideal of love, and hearth and home embodied in the Madonna and her child.

It is the conflicting interests of the man and the woman, the home and the shop, the Church and the State, which cause the economic struggle, the war and the strife with which mankind is cursed and which make all long and pray for the reign of peace.

(3) THE THIRD AGE, when a divine Christ, who, like Melchisedec, shall fill the dual office of King and Priest, and shall rule over a urged and glorified humanity, which has risen from sex-love to soul-love.

 
At 7:57 AM, August 02, 2006, Blogger Darren Simpson said...

My God man! Took a lot of time on that one didn't ya?! GREAT COMMENT!!!

Darren

 
At 4:48 AM, August 03, 2006, Blogger Tubulcain420 said...

love it!
one chapter of a great story.

 
At 7:51 AM, August 03, 2006, Blogger Darren Simpson said...

A lot of fundamentalists lose sleep over this "problematic" character. Lomas & Knight have raised some interesting points about Melchisedek in their book, "The Book of Hiram".

Thanks for the kind comment!

Darren

 
At 4:07 PM, August 03, 2006, Blogger Tubulcain420 said...

http://www.rosicrucian.com/frc/frceng01.htm


check it out

 

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