Sabbath Message 03/12/37/120

Dear Friends

I think that it is important that we look at the issue of Christ being High Priest of the order of Melchisedek

Melchisedek was a prototype priesthood that preceded the other two orders of Levi being of the priesthood of Aaron and the Levitical structure of Scribes and Cantors and of the Temple assistants. The Book of Hebrews shows that Jesus as our High Priest reverts back to an order of priesthood ordained by God that had nothing to do with bloodline. Melchisedek was before the age of Israel so it is interesting that the Father brought things back to where human lineage played no part in God’s selection of the priest. Despite some teachings, Jesus was not Melchisedek himself and that can be proven from Scripture, but Melchisedek was a prototype and the importance of that is stated in Hebrews.

 It also predates the Law of Moses! It is the highest order of Priesthood and the Priesthood that shall remain. The Levitical priesthood will be incorporated into Melchisedek and the Levitical priesthood will become only one of Twelve tribes under the order of Melchisedek. These are outlined in Revelation 7 by tribes.

To understand who Melchisedek was we have to study who it was that was alive at the time and to whom Abraham would have considered it obligatory to tithe to over his spoils of war. Read Melchisedek (No. 128) at http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p128.html

The name means My King is Righteousness (or Justice). The word zedek means the same in Hebrew as justice is righteousness.  Also Melchisedek was the ancestor of the Messiah and priest from the flood.  The priest alive at the time of Melchisedek that was superior to Abraham was the patriarch Shem and it is to him that Levi tithed in the loins of Abraham.

Levi by tithing to Melchisedek in the loins of Abraham showed that he was thus junior to the order of Melchisedek.

Christ is High Priest of the Order of Melchisedek which priesthood we are. Even though he was a product of the loins of Shem and by that fact tithed to him also in the loins of Abraham he was nevertheless not junior to Shem as Melchisedek.

Abraham went to Melchisedek to sacrifice and to tithe because he had just killed one of Shem’s offspring as we can see from the text.

In understanding that Christ fulfilled all of these roles we must see that he was of different lineages and that he was not simply son of David and son of Melchisedek. Christ was also of the House of Levi through Shimei and of David through Nathan. Elizabeth was a Levite and wife of the High Priest of Abijah. Mariam was Elizabeth's cousin and also a Levite. Zechariah tells us that Messiah was of Levi through Shimei as well as David through Nathan.

Also- the word law has been mistranslated and abused. The prime  word for Law is Torah, which means 'instructions', which is what God or Eloah gave to His people through Yahovah of Israel so as to walk in Righteousness.

There are a number of other words translated law in the Bible. The first is "choq" (SHD 2706) which is an enactment commanded by Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 47:26).

He was viceroy and enacted laws in that role.
The primary word as we see is SHD 8451 (Ex. 12:49; 13:9; 16:4). That is Towrah or Torah meaning a statute as a commandment or law.

The term Father etc in Law is SHD 2859 khawthan to contract or form affinity by  marriage. Daughter in law is 3618. These laws are not technical terms meaning law but as contractual obligations through marriage.

Leviticus uses the word Mishpat SHD 4941 at Lev. 24:22 where God directs that there shall be one manner of law for all. That means a judicial verdict and is the judicial interpretation of the law. Elsewhere the text of Leviticus uses 8451 Torah.

Deuteronomy uses 8451 except for Deut. 33:2 that uses SHD 1881 Dawth which is as a royal edict or decree.  (That forms the basis of Darth Vader as the lord of the Royal edicts hence the oracle or logos; See the paper The Other Side of Star Wars (No. 181).)


1Chronicles 16:17 uses SHD 2706 Choq from 2710.

1 Kings 2:3 refers to the Law of Moses using 8451.

Elsewhere Kings and Chronicles use Torah as the law in the House of the Lord and the Book of the Law.

Ezra uses Torah 8451 when referring to the Law of Moses from 3:2 to 7:10. However when the text of Ezra refers to the law of God (Eloah) from 4:12-7:26 which is the important section of the text regarding Eloah, the word SHD 1882 is used as the Law of Thy God. The Chaldean "Dath" or "Dawth" is used cf. 1881 meaning a command or decree. Ezra uses 8451 as law in Ezra10:3.

Nehemiah uses SHD 8451 for law. However, in Esther the Chaldean 1881 is used throughout. Job 22:22 uses 8451 for law from his mouth.

In the Psalms 8451 Torah is used usually but not always. In Ps. 81:4 SHD 4941 Mishpat is used. This word means as stated a judicial verdict according to law.

In Psalms 94:20 and 105:10 the word SHD 2706 is used which means Choq and is used as a law or decree by enactment. Ps. 94:2 refers to a law which is framed for mishchief. Ps. 105:10 refers to a law for Jacob.

Psalm 119 deals with 8541 Torah. So also does Proverbs except for 31:5 which uses SHD 2710. That is the prime root of Chaqaq or Kahawkah which is to engrave (cf. Judg. 5:14) and hence to be a scribe or to engrave the law. By implication it is to enact a law by engraving it on stone.

Isaiah and Jeremiah use 8451 except in Jeremiah 32:11 where SHD 4687 Mitsvah is used which is a command whether human or divine as a law, ordinance or precept.

So also Ezekiel uses 8451.

So much understanding is found in the details. Most never bother to even scratch the surface.

Daniel uses SHD 1882 "Dawth" which is the Chaldean for both the law of His God and the Law of the Medes and Persians. From Dan 9:11 he reverts to SHD 8451. So also the Twelve Prophets use Torah down to Malachi through whom God tells us to remember the law of our God given to Moses which we are to keep until the coming of Elijah at the end days.

The Greek words simply take these concepts of law onwards and it is the Law of God given to Moses that we are required to keep until the end of time.  The ceremonial aspects of the law were fulfilled in Christ as the sacrifice but the moral and calendrical aspects of the law were never removed.

SGD 3551 Nomos (to parcel out and hence also law as in prescriptive usage especially of Moses and the Gospel) is used for the Law as in the law and the prophets and which Christ stated he did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  SGD 3547 Nomodidaskalos (3551+ 1320) refers to teachers or doctors of the law (Lk. 5:17; Acts 5:34). Acts 19:38 uses SHD 60 (agoraios relating to the market place or agora, meaning forensic and by implication vulgar) when stating that the law is open. Acts 23:3 says he was smitten contrary to the law using SGD 3891 (paranomeo) (3551+ 3844) meaning to transgress contrary to law.

In Romans 2:12 Paul says he shall perish without the law using SGD 460 (anomos meaning without the law of God).  In Romans 9:4 Paul uses SGD 3548 Nomothesia which is specifically the giving of the law (to Moses), whereas until then he used 3551 on numerous occasions (after 2:12).

In 1 Corinthians 6:1 and 6 he uses SGD 2919 Krino (which is to sentence or go to law or decree or ordain) and in verse 7 he uses SGD 2917 krima which is the decision itself.
 
In 1 Corinthians 9;21 he used SGD 459 anomos or lawless twice but then uses SGD 1772 ennomos for being under the law to Christ. He then goes back to 459 anomos for those that are without law. Elsewhere in Corinthians he uses SGD 3551 and also in Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians.  In 1 Ti 1:7 he uses 3547 again for teachers of the law.

In Titus 3:9 he uses 3544 Nomikos (pertaining to or an expert in the Biblical law) for strivings about the law. In Hebrews 7:11 he uses 3549 (Nomotheteo being sanctions by or receiving the Bible law)   for the people receiving the law. From then on the texts use 3551 until 1Jn 3:4 when sin is transgression of the law using SGD 458 anomia which means violation of the law of God or iniquity.

There is no doubt whatsoever that anyone who violates the Biblical laws is a sinner and an Antinomian being against God’s laws. They cannot inherit the Kingdom of God

Wade Cox
Coordinator General