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Question 591

Hi, Father. Was the person of Melchizedek a pre incarnate appearance of Christ?  Since Melchizedek was presented as been without parents or beginning or end and only God is eternal.       

 

Answer to Question 591

Chapter 14 of Genesis tells us of a war between many kings of the surrounding areas of Canaan including Sodom and Gomorra. Both these cities were captured and prisoners were taken among whom also was Lot and his family and belongings. When Abram was informed that Lot was taken captive, he set out with 318 of his servants and came by night and slaughtered the perpetrators, rescuing Lot and everyone else taken from Sodom. On returning the king of Sodom who had been in hiding came out to meet the triumphant Abram. Another king who was not mentioned among the other kings who were at war is also mentioned. His name is Melchizedek king of Salem. This king brought forth bread loaves and wine; and he was priest of the Most High God. Some say that Melchizedek offered the bread and wine to strengthen Abram's exhausted army, while others, meaning the fathers of the church, taking the words that he was a priest of the most high God, say that his offering of bread and wine was a sacrifice for Abram's victory. Thus the bread and wine is a pre-figuration of Christ's bloodless sacrifice of the divine Eucharist. Melchizedek then blesses Abram saying: "Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, which made the heaven and the earth, and blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered up thine enemies under thy hands to thee. And Abram gave him the tithe of all. So who is this Melchizedek, who ordained him a priest of the most high God, when as yet no priesthood had been established? Where did he come from, he appears out of nowhere and Abram gives him a tenth of everything he had? St. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews says this of Melchizedek: “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 by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” (Heb. 7: 1-4) Melchizedek is therefore an image and type of Christ the true high priest. The Levitical or Jewish priesthood was given to Aaron and his descendants and is termed the order of Aaron. Christ’s priesthood is called according to the order of Melchizedek because it is a priesthood without a beginning or end. It is usual for the greater to bless the lesser so Abram must have seen in Melchizedek someone far greater than himself. Now Salem means the city of Peace. This could mean Jerusalem or even the heavenly Jerusalem. Did Abraham recognize in Melchizedek the king of heaven, the Son of God? There is indeed a similarity in the two persons and the offering of bread and wine by Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18) is a resemblance of the bread and wine of the Eucharistic offering made by Christ.