Who was Melchizedek / Melchisedec ?

The intention of this article is to determine who or what Melchisedec was. The only reasons that we have a desire to address this question, is because #1) it is eating up the time and attention of God’s people that should be spent studying and sharing more important things, #2) speculative conclusions have been come to concerning it, and #3) it will help expand our website library making it a more exhaustive research tool. Thank you for your time and attention.

Let us read the Scripture:

“For this Melchisedec, 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.” Hebrews 7:1-4.

When seeking to understand who Melchizedek was, many have come to the conclusion that he was a part of the Godhead on account of the fact that he was “without father, without mother,” “having neither beginning of days, nor end of life,” and though not the Son of God, he was “made like unto the Son of God.” This conclusion makes lots of sense.

Says Ellen White:

“It was Christ that spoke through Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God. Melchisedec was not Christ, but he was the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father.” {Review and Herald, February 18, 1890 par. 10}

So Ellen White says that Melchisedec was not Christ, but was a representative of the Father. From here it is reasoned thus: If Melchisedec was one of the Godhead, and was not Christ, and was not the Father, but only a representative of the Father, then Melchisedec simply must have been the Holy Spirit.

Again, this makes lots of sense and all that so desire are free to believe it. However, we want to examine a few things.

First, let us read again concerning Melchisedec:

“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.” Hebrews 7:3.

The key word in this verse is “descent.” This word means “unregistered as to birth.” When one goes to research concerning Melchisedec, he will soon find that there is almost nothing recorded concerning him. Most godly Bible characters have their whole family tree spelled out all the way back to Adam. But not so with Melchisedec. He simply appears in Genesis chapter 14, blesses Abraham and God, and Abraham gives him tithes of all.

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” Genesis 14:18-20.

Now, in which way was Melchisedec “made like unto the Son of God”? Surely, it must have been in the sense that he was without father or mother having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Jesus had no beginning of days nor end of life. He is from eternity, to eternity (Micah 5:2, 1 Timothy 6:16). And Melchisedec, though he had a beginning of days and end of life on the account that he was a man and was therefore born and did die, he did not have a beginning of days or end of life so far as Scriptural genealogy recorded. There is no Scriptural record of his “descent,” his “beginning of days,” nor his, “end of life.” In this way Melchisedec was “made like unto the Son of God.”

Let us keep reading in Hebrews to further show that it was a genealogical descent that was being referred to.

“Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” Hebrews 7:4-11.

So Melchisedec had a genealogical record that made him “like” unto the son of God in the sense that while Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting, even so Melchisedec had “neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.

Those who teach that Melchizedek is the Holy Spirit, might also refer to this verse as evidence:

“And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” Hebrews 7:8.

So it is claimed that Melchizedek still receives tithes, thus he must be the Holy Spirit. The reason that we cannot agree with this, is because it may also just evidence that Melchizedek was taken to heaven (translated as Elijah or taken to heaven after he died as was Moses) and was given the charge of keeping the account of the Lord’s tithe.

So based on the above information, we claim that Melchisedec was a man with no genealogical record which in a sense made him “like unto the Son of God.” While it has been claimed by many that Melchisedec is the Holy Spirit, there is no word from the Lord that says this. We are open to correction, but as yet, there has been no Inspired evidence to substantiate this.