Who was Melchizedek?  Was he a priesthood to be handed down and transferred to other men?  How was Melchizedek (King of Salem) a representation of the coming Messiah?  We are about to find our answers.   Chapter 7 is the focal point of the epistle to the Hebrews because of its detailed comparison of the priesthood of Christ and the Levitical high priesthood.  Last week at the end of Chapter 6, the writer of Hebrews ended by saying that Christ was made “after the order of Melchizedek.” Now Hebrews 7:1-2 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem (Jeru-salem), priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the (maraudering band of) kings, and blessed him;  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all (a tenth of the spoils of war); first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;”  So, who was this Melchizedek?  He was another TYPE of Jesus Christ – not of a priesthood to be handed down like the Levitical priesthood.  There is no mention of any Melchizedek priesthood – just a figure named Melchizedek who was such an imposing high priest even Abraham, the father of our faith, paid him respect and homage.  Prior to Sinai, the patriarchs – or fathers of each family – were established priests of the land.   Then at Sinai, God established a priesthood based on the heritage of Aaron.  Melchizedek was a great high priest prior to the establishment of the priesthood based on heritage.  And, he was a figure for our final high priest – Jesus Christ.  In Genesis, it says that Melchizedek – king of righteousness and priest of the most high God – brought to Abraham “bread and wine.”  The very same elements Jesus established communion upon in the upper room.  Melchizedek predated and typified Christ in his priestly duties of approaching the throne of God on our behalf.  Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek as an indication that Jesus’ position of authority and power were far above even Father Abraham.  This story is NOT about Abraham paying a tenth or tithing – it is about a freewill offering in which Abraham gave – as a sign of being subservient to a High Priest who was greater than himself.  Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils.  It wasn’t a tenth of all his personal possessions or income.  It was a one-time offering following war.  Then in Verse 3 speaking of Melchizedek – that he was “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.”  Now, we’re really getting the picture about this character Melchizedek as a type of Jesus.  Did the pre-incarnate Word of God have a Father?  No!  There was not a father of Jesus as there was no Jesus preincarnate – but the Word of God (see John 1:1) – and the Word of God had no father, nor mother!   And then the writer says that He was without descent.  The Greek word for “without descent” is “agenealogetos.”  Without genealogy!  “having neither beginning of days nor end of life” meaning existing eternally in the past and eternally into the future.  “but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.”  David gives us some insight in Psalm 110:4 “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”  Where other priests (of the Levitical order were merely high priests while alive), Christ would perform His sacred duties beyond this life and into the eternities (see Hebrews 7:22-27).  The object of the writer of Hebrews is to show that Jesus is a better – or superior – High Priest than the Jewish high priest – by likening Him to Melchizedek.  Whether Melchizedek was a real mortal man, or He was a pre-incarnate Christophany of the Messiah to come – we don’t know for sure.  The important thing is that we understand the parallels between this Old Testament character and Jesus.