The Order of Melchizedek
Melchizedek was the first priest mentioned in the Bible. (Genesis 14:18-20) Melchizedek pre-dates the Levite priesthood---Levi wasn't even born yet. Melchizedek is a mysterious dude who shows up and gives communion/mass to Abraham. Bread and wine. He's the first one to make the use of bread and wine sacred. He is mentioned as having no parents, no origins, he just came out of nowhere. Melchi-tsedek means King of Right-ness, and Genesis says his other title was King of Peace, as in the father of the Prince of Peace.
"Yeshua has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming High Priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6:20
Melchizedek, a Type of Christ
| This Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings and blessed him, And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. His name (Melchizedek) first means righteous king, and he was also king of Salem, that is king of peace. Without father, mother, or any ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. See how great he is to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils. Hebrews 7:1-4 |
Melchizedek was the first priest mentioned in the Bible. (Genesis 14:18-20) Melchizedek pre-dates the Levite priesthood---Levi wasn't even born yet. Melchizedek is a mysterious dude who shows up and gives communion/mass to Abraham. Bread and wine. He's the first one to make the use of bread and wine sacred. He is mentioned as having no parents, no origins, he just came out of nowhere. Melchi-tsedek means King of Right-ness, and Genesis says his other title was King of Peace, as in the father of the Prince of Peace.
We also find mention of Melchizedek in Psalms:"Your people shall be willing in the day of your power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: you have the dew of your youth. The LORD has sworn, and will not relent, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Ps. 110:3-4)
Melchizedek is mentioned again in the New Testament book of Hebrews as the oldest priest of a higher order, more ancient and direct from God, than the Children of Israel (Levite) priesthood. In the Book of Hebrews, Jesus is repeatedly referred to as a High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek. So there was a pre-historic priestly order, founded by this mysterious pre-Israelite Jerusalem King. (I say pre-Israelite because he was long before Moses, Solomon, the Temple, etc. He existed in Father Abraham's time, showing up as mentioned in Genesis, then disappearing again.)
The Gnostic scriptures refer to him as Melchizedek the Supreme Paralemptor, which means Light-Bringer or Light-Maker. The Gnostic library on line has some texts that mention him, one is even named Melchizedek. It's real vague writing, as if they're trying to hide secrets--- speaking in a code. Pain in the neck to read! But mysterious as hell....
Edgar Cayce believed and taught that Melchizedek was one of the Lives of the Master and explains his theory in a book of that title. Cayce believed Melchizedek was an earlier incarnation of Jesus who came to introduce the Eucharist of bread and wine. Personally, I am not certain of that theory because I have always had trouble with believing in re-incarnation. I do believe in Genetic memory, however. The theory of genetic memory is becoming widely accepted and puts forth the possibility that when we have flashbacks to another life, we are really tapping some memory of one of our ancestors.
On the other hand, mythology and the religions of the world teach that God and Goddess often like to be born among us, so if anyone could have previous life-times, if anyone could be a "victim" of re-incarnation, it would be them. Maybe Melchizedek was indeed Jesus making an advanced appearance---or maybe he was God-the-Father. Our Order believes he was God's High Priest and still is.
In the Hebrew Bible Melchizedek is called the High Priest of El Elyon, YHVH, the Most High One.
Our Order of Melchizedek, founded in 1996, attempts to accurately reconstruct the priestly system, rites and practices of this pre-Old Testament order. The members of this ancient priesthood were the first to use the bread and wine to represent the body and blood of the earth---they never did animal sacrifices like the later priesthoods.
The Melchizedek rites are powerful. Some of the rituals and prayers beautifully express the connection between heaven (sky-god Yahweh) and Earth (earth-Mother). Melchizedek Clergy dress in black and white (balance, cosmic origins) and use a white cutout cross from a black field, with a gold Jerusalem seal at the intersection of the cross. These priests and priestesses of YHVH use an ancient, simple but powerful Eucharist ceremony either daily or at least once a week. Members greet each other with "Hail Melchizedek!" in Hebrew or English. The second one answers, "Melchizedek Hail!"
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