2016-Sermon 5 - Hebrews 6

2016-Sermon 5 - Hebrews 6 This chapter of Hebrews takes a backward step into the subject of Karma, from whose perspective we will approach some larger issues. By “a step backward”, I mean an historical reversion from the advent of Grace, through Jesus Christ, to the era of the Law. The Karmic law is from the rational past, the past of the Tree of Knowledge and the Ten Commandments, while the shedding of Jesus’ blood on Calvary ushered in the current era of Grace, Anno Domini. An important message is here enclosed: although Jesus brought us free salvation through grace, it is not to be supposed that the law of Karma just ceased in its operation, at least on mundane levels of existence. The resultant interplay of the Law and Grace is the very stuff of our humanity—it is certainly the stuff of art. Perhaps life is an art—perhaps art is real life? Chapter 6 of Hebrews begins by exhorting us to get away from elementary teachings and move into more advanced knowledge: like laying on of hands, raising the dead, and so forth. Moving on to the subject of reward for good deeds, this chapter includes the parable of the good field, and the bad field; the good field, showered with water, brings forth fruit, while the field of thistles brings forth nothing, and must eventually be burned. The idea of Karmic reward for good deeds is mentioned as God's Promise; and in God's promise, we find, once again, Jesus the mediator standing between God and us— standing inside the Holy of Holies, transmitting spiritual knowledge backward toward us. It is interesting to note the levels of commerce, in Karmic coins, between one dimension and another; by that I refer to the idea that, ultimately, God's promise exists only in the realm of unchangeable things, things which can only be apprehended through faith, and which are therefore of no Karmic worth whatever. Now Hebrews 5: 1-3: “1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.” [Sidebar: Thus, the mature knowledge of enlightenment is a gift of Grace, God’s permission is granted through faith, through knowledge of the Rest of Christ. The next section touches on the issue of backsliding. In involved language, this what it says is: if you have once tasted the heavenly food, but have turned away, it will be impossible to ever be reclaimed, because such backsliding crucifies Jesus all over again.] Going on with Hebrews 5:4-6: “4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Of course, this edict goes against the idea of an infinitely forgiving God, but it confirms the idea that there is, in the cosmic design, a border, a frontier, a point of no return; and perhaps, rather than preaching vengeance, the author is merely telling it like it is? Next comes the parable of the two fields, Hebrews 5:7-8: “7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.” The unproductive field will be burned. An inexorable truth of life—you get what you pay for, and you pay for what you get. So be careful about what you produce, or you might get burned! But after this fearful warning, the author’s tone softens and he/she offers this disclaimer: but, hey, dear friends, you’re not going to be one of THOSE, now are you? You are definitely in line for salvation, because you have earned it, you are not lazy, and God is not unjust. Hebrews 5:9-12: “9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” And now the section on The Certainty of God’s Promise, Hebrews 6:13: “13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,” [I love this bit, “He swore by Himself”, the great I AM.] “13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Note the expression “inner sanctuary”. When I was first preparing for this sermon, when I was listening to Hebrews in the car, I heard the expression “inner sanctuary” as “inert” sanctuary; I thought that was a very interesting expression, until I realized that I was projecting it myself. Nevertheless, the idea of an “inert” sanctuary is very appealing, because it suggests peace, rest, bliss, removal from the articulate confusions the lower dimensions always seem to burden us with. Thank you Doctor Freud, for that tantalizing insight. Projection aside, an INNER SANCTUARY is just the haven of rest to which we may need to retreat, when the cards of Karma seem to be stacked against us. Faith is, was, and forever must be, an operation of the INNER, sometimes called HIGHER, self. It must also be noted, in passing, that the order of Melchizedek is a TRADITION, including time-honored articles of eternal value which never change, and historical articles which evolve like every other dynamic system. Thus, when there is a change in the priesthood, there must also be a change in the law. Jesus’ law was a radical departure from the law of Moses, and yet was a natural outgrowth of the TRADITION of Melchizedek. That will be the theme of the next sermon. In conclusion, I want to mention that I’ve been wanting to do a sermon on satisfaction. I've been wanting to write a sermon for my son, a brilliant though frustrated man. Fate has not been particularly kind to him, but I think his frustrations stem more from his perfectionist inability to be satisfied with anything that comes his way, rather than just plain bad luck. The horizon consistently presents situations one after the other, in which he is enthusiastically interested at first, but with which he later becomes dissatisfied; what, even just a few weeks ago, was his primary joy, becomes dross. This personality trait has appeared all through my son’s life, and goes all the way back to one Easter morning when he was five years old:  The entire town of Pullman (maybe 100-150 kids with their parents) was poised on this hill, ready, on cue, to plunge down into a field littered profusely with variously decorated, colored Easter eggs. We had our eye on this one beautiful egg not too far from us, but, when the signal went off, all the kids crowded forward leaving my son behind. Being shy, he held back, and some other more aggressive kid got the egg. Therefore, none of the eggs were any good, and he wouldn’t pick up a single one.  It may be that this discussion of Karma and the reward of good works, bears on the idea of being able to be satisfied by the gifts that come to us from the Promise of God. A humorous example of Karma/Satisfaction found on the internet goes like this: “There is a great deal of satisfaction from watching someone get what was coming to them.” But the wise author goes on to say: “But nothing is more pleasing than when it happens because of their own actions.” There is confusion here, because the phrase “gets what’s coming to them” usually has a negative connotation, whereas, “happens because of their own actions” implies a positive. In fact, both Karmic outcomes, the negative and the positive are the result of “their own actions”, thus yielding no difference between the two in terms of cosmic mechanics. What we have coming to us and what we WANT to have coming to us are two different things—thus Karma works sometimes in harmony with our desires, sometimes contrary to our desires, but always as a consequence of our actions. Another Internet page suggested this: Is there a word for satisfaction in others receiving justice? Is there a word for satisfaction of hearing about justice that does not affect you? e.g. you hear on the news that a diet foods company has been ordered to compensate customers for deliberately misleading customers into buying their products by making false claims about its benefits. This makes you pleased as justice has been served however ·         you have never bought or attempted to buy any of the diet products ·         you will not receive any compensation ·         no-one you know has been affected I suppose this is a mix of satisfaction, a restoring of faith in karma and a sense of the world being "put to rights" and better as a result..?” The website for ScienceDaily featured this short article: “If you believe in karma, you're more likely to have higher expectations, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. Some consumers strategically lower their expectations in order to try to increase their satisfaction with a product or experience, write authors Praveen K. Kopalle (Dartmouth College), Donald R. Lehmann (Columbia University), and John U. Farley (Dartmouth College). But people who believe in karma tend to have a more long-term orientation, which decreases the importance of momentary happiness. The authors describe the doctrine of karma as having three main tenets.  First, is the notion of rebirth where actions in a particular life may bear fruit either in the current life or in the next.  Second, actions can be broadly classified into appropriate (good) or inappropriate (bad).  Finally, good actions in the present lead to good outcomes in the future. " The doctrine of karma links current conduct to future consequences either in this life or the next," write the authors. "Thus, a belief in karma entails, among other things, a focus on long-run consequences." "Individuals with a long-term orientation are likely to be less inclined to lower expectations in the hope of temporarily feeling better," write the authors. "With a long-term orientation, even those individuals who are most unhappy when a product fails to live up to their expectations of it have a limited incentive to artificially lower their expectations and hence have higher (and more accurate/realistic) expectations." The authors compared results in China with those in India and found that a significantly higher percentage of people in India believed in karma (64 percent versus 10.5 percent). It is important for companies to understand these types of cultural differences if they wish to reach consumers in a globalized marketplace, the authors write. "Perhaps most importantly, the findings are also encouraging concerning the feasibility of explicitly measuring cultural factors and assessing their impact on consumer behavior." One interesting sentence in the preceding article is: "Thus, a belief in karma entails, among other things, a focus on long-run consequences." Is the author of Hebrews suggesting any long-term consequences of virtuous action? He/She says in Hebrews 6:10-11: “10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.” The phrases “God will not forget,” and “in order to make your hope sure”, both imply a FUTURE consequence. Remember, Hebrews is written to a group of people who are being persecuted—the letter’s purpose is to bolster these peoples’ courage in the face of adversity, by assuring them that their virtuous actions will be rewarded SOMEDAY. However, there is another aspect of belief in Karma that must not be overlooked: C.S. Lewis would say that a focus on the future is the most time-oriented, therefore the most worldly, perspective—as Screwtape reports: “It is far better to make them live in the future. Biological necessity makes all their passions point in that direction already, so that thought about the Future inflames hope and fear. Also, it is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them think of unrealities. In a word, The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most temporal part of time--for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays. Hence the encouragement we have given to all those schemes of thought such as Creative Evolution, Scientific Humanism, or Communism, which fix men’s affections on the Future, on the very core of temporality.”  So the future (a basic article in the Law of Karma) is unseen, and therefore, sort of non-existent. But remember that belief in ANYTHING unseen requires FAITH, and it is FAITH which the author of Hebrews wants to encourage in his/her readers. So the rational component of Faith, in the form of Hope, resides in the future—perhaps our comfort in times of tribulation lies in this. The idea of obedience learned through suffering plays into this. If part of our experience of virtuous living in exchange for rewards is grounded in the future, so also must be the idea of obedience. Adam obeyed God, by staying away from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, because he did not want to be punished. Perhaps our punishments are tests of faith, and are put there to develop the exercise of faithful attitudes? It is easy to have a positive outlook on life when everything is going your way, but it is a lot harder to have faith when your life is falling apart. We wonder if our life is falling apart because of something we have done, or because of something we did, or because of something are going to do. There is no way of knowing for sure, but through Faith we can see our sufferings in a Karmic context, and see that there is a point to them. I suggest that FAITH, faith in the goodness of life, faith in the infinitude of the cosmos, faith in the eternal now that puts us in touch with God, might be the single most powerful index of success in life, and satisfaction with what we have. Here are some Karma quotes that are pretty fun: Steve Jobs: “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”  [Sidebar: This is Kierkegaard, mind you.] “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.  So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” The following plays into the discussions we have been having about predestination and the transcendence of time: Yehuda Berg: “On one hand, we know that everything happens for a reason, and there are no mistakes or coincidences. On the other hand, we learn that we can never give up, knowing that with the right tools and energy, we can reverse any decree or karma. So, which is it? Let the Light decide, or never give up? The answer is: both.” [Sidebar: Do-be-do-be-do. The following remarks by Deepak Chopra link Consciousness, a certain level of consciousness, called HUMAN Consciousness, to Time, by virtue of its manifestation through Karma:] “Karma, when properly understood, is just the mechanics through which consciousness manifests.”  Chopra goes on to say: “Karma, memory, and desire are just the software of the soul. It's conditioning that the soul undergoes in order to create experience. And it's a cycle. In most people, the cycle is a conditioned response. They do the same things over and over again. “Situations seem to happen to people, but in reality, they unfold from deeper karmic causes. The universe unfolds to itself, bringing to bear any cause that needs to be included. Don’t take this process personally. The working out of cause and effect is eternal. You are part of this rising and falling that never ends, and only by riding the wave can you ensure that the waves don’t drown you. The ego takes everything personally, leaving no room for higher guidance or purpose. If you can, realize that a cosmic plan is unfolding and appreciate the incredibly woven tapestry for what it is, a design of unparalleled marvel.” ― Wayne W. Dyer “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” ― Eckhart Tolle “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment.”  [Sidebar: This is predestination again. The “best of all possible worlds” always seemed to me to be an empty slogan; and I hate it when people tell me they did the best they could. But if all these events were planned out before time began, and all effort of will takes place in a dimension OUTSIDE TIME, then it seems more plausible that the experience we are having at the moment is the best experience we could be having—in the eternal now it is the ONLY experience.] Paramahansa Yogananda, known as a hindu yogi, therefore associated with the whole idea of the karmic wheel of reincarnation makes this surprising statement in his The Second Coming Of Christ: “… That is why it is emphasized “he that heareth my word…hath everlasting life”; that is, he who listens to the Cosmic Vibration and intuitively feels Christ-wisdom flowing into him not only knows and believes in God and Christ, but becomes one with the imperishable life emanating from Them.  Such souls who are one with Cosmic Vibration and the Christ Intelligence in it, and with God’s Intelligence beyond creation, are free from condemnation; that is, from the law of action [karma] and its inscrutable judgement that governs man’s life.” [Sidebar: Note that “Such souls who are one with Cosmic Vibration and the Christ Intelligence …. are free from condemnation.” Immersion in the Christ Consciousness frees us from the penalties of original sin, and raises us out of the cycle of action and retribution.] ― G.I. Gurdjieff “Now everything that you do is written in red or black in Angel Gabriel's book. Not for everyone is this record kept, but only for those who have taken a position of responsibility. There is a Law of Sins, and if you do not fulfil all your obligations, you will pay.” The following quote of Daisaku Ikeda returns to the idea of ART. It links the operation of Karma on Human Concsiousness: “Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.”  This whole idea of conscious reality being created by language plays into the whimsical notion, mentioned above, that art is REAL LIFE. It is not such an outrageous a stretch to say that much of our everyday experience is conditioned by experiences we have in the world of fiction. I just said the other day, of a foggy morning, “That looks likes Ives’ Housatonic at Stockbridge.” And which of us has not looked out on a field of flowers and not seen Monet? Clearly, the somewhat simplistic conclusion that virtue is rewarded, and sin is punished “17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,” does not take into account all the subtle nuances of Karma, Faith, Hope, and Time; nevertheless, the Promise of God is a comfort and an encouragement as much to us today as it was to the persecuted Jew of Jerusalem in the first century Anno Domini. The 5th chapter of Hebrews ends with the words once again that Jesus “has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek,” thereby leading us into yet another chapter concerning Melchizedek, which we will deal with next week. Let us pray: Jesus, you know we are wheeler-dealers; you know we always try to get what we deserve, and that we hope others “get what’s coming to them.” Forgive us our debt, in the pence of Karma, in favor of the guineas of Faith. Amen.

2016 Sermon 4--Hebrews 5

2016 Sermon 4--Hebrews 5

Hebrews 5 is concerned almost exclusively with the priesthood of Jesus, in particular His relationship to the priesthood of Melchizedek. This message will dwell heavily on the person of Melchizedek as a prototype of the Christ, and the tradition of Hebrew priesthood. Moreover, to be emphasized is the idea that the priest is CHOSEN by God from among the people, so as to be qualified as a sympathetic mediator between God and Man.

Hebrews 5:1-6

1 Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 

2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 

3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 

4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 

5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." 

6 And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." 

Of particular interest in this first section is the statement:

“So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father."

There may be perceived a confusion on this point, because we are used to thinking of Jesus as the Word of God who “before Abraham was I AM”, and yet this scripture suggests that Jesus was CHOSEN. How do we reconcile this apparent contradiction? Perhaps the secret is in how a human takes on the Christ Consciousness—a moment in time becomes a timeless moment, and the confines of human consciousness are expanded into infinite consciousness.

And what about the Melchizedek connection? Melchizedek has proven both a figure of mystery and fascination both to establishment theologians and to new age mystics. For a person about whom there is so little ancient scripture written, there is a vast amount of speculative material about him, based primarily on reports discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

From Wikipedia we read:

“Melchizedek, Melkisetek, or Malki Tzedek (/mɛl.ˈkɪz.ə.dɪk/Hebrew: מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶֿק malkī-ṣeḏeq; Amharic: መልከ ጼዴቅ malkī-ṣeḏeq; Armenian: Մելքիսեդեք, Melkisetek), is the king of Salem (the forerunner of Jerusalem) and priest of El Elyon ("God most high") mentioned in the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis. He brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram and El Elyon.

In Christianity, according to the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus Christ is identified as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek", and so Jesus assumes the role of High Priest once and for all. Melchizedek is venerated as a saint both in Latin and in Eastern Orthodox tradition.

The name is composed from the two elements melek(h) "king" and ṣedeq "righteous(ness)". With the addition of the enclitic possessive pronoun (-ī), malk-ī means "my king", so that the name literally translates to "my king is righteousness" (or "my king is Ṣedeq"). By the Hellenistic era it appears the name came to be associated with the messiah and paraphrased as "king of righteousness".

"My King is Righteousness" is interpreted as a theophoric name associating Melchizedek's god, El Elyon with the epithet Ṣedeq ("Righteousness"), which is otherwise attested as the name of Canaanite deities. Thus, Ṣedeq and El Elyon ("God most high") may have been two epithets of the same Jebusite god, identified as an astral deity, perhaps another name of Salem itself: Salim or Shalem (שלם) is attested as a god, presumably identified with the evening star, in Ugaritic mythology; Šalim in this case would be the city of Salim, the Jebusite astral deity. The theonym is also preserved in Phoenician (ṣdq; Philo: Συδυκ), a deity identified with Roman Jupiter.

The name is formed in parallel with Adoni-ṣedeq אדני־צדק, also a king of Salem, mentioned in the Book of Joshua (10:1-3), where the element malik "king" is replaced by adon "lord". Parallel theophoric names, with Sedeq replaced by Yahu, are those of Malchijah and Adonijah, both biblical characters placed in the time of David.

Psalm 110 alludes to Melchizedek as a prototype of the messiah. This led to the re-interpretation of the name as "king of righteousness" in Hellenistic Judaism.

Psalm 110 Of David

^“1 The Lord says to my lord:

“Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”

² The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
    “Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
³ Your troops will be willing
    on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,
    your young men will come to you
    like dew from the morning’s womb.

⁴ The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵ The Lord is at your right hand;
    he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
⁶ He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
    and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
⁷ He will drink from a brook along the way,
    and so he will lift his head high.”

Based on evidence found in the Qumran Scrolls (Dead Sea Scrolls), it was also used as a name of the Archangel Michael, interpreted as a heavenly priest; Michael as Melchi-zedek contrast with Belial, who is given the name of Melchi-resha "king of wickedness". The text of the Epistle to the Hebrews follows this interpretation in stating explicitly that the name in Greek translation (ἑρμηνευόμενος) means βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ("king of righteousness"), omitting translation of the possessive suffix; the same passage interprets Melchizedek's title of king of Salem as translating to βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης "king of peace", the context being the presentation of Melchizedek's as an eternal priesthood associated with Jesus Christ (ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές "made like unto the Son of God abideth a priest continually").

In Judaism

Hellenistic Judaism

Josephus refers to Melchizedek as a "Canaanite chief" in War of the Jews, but as a priest in Antiquities of the Jews.

Philo identifies Melchizedek with the Logos as priest of God, and honoured as an untutored priesthood.

The Second Book of Enoch (also called "Slavonic Enoch") is apparently a Jewish sectarian work of the 1st century AD. The last section of the work, the Exaltation of Melchizedek, tells how Melchizedek was born of a virgin, Sofonim (or Sopanima), the wife of Nir, a brother of Noah. The child came out from his mother after she had died and sat on the bed beside her corpse, already physically developed, clothed, speaking and blessing the Lord, and marked with the badge of priesthood. Forty days later, Melchizedek was taken by the archangel Gabriel (Michael in some manuscripts) to the Garden of Eden and was thus preserved from the Deluge without having to be in Noah's Ark.

Dead Sea Scrolls

11Q13 (11QMelch) is a fragment (that can be dated to the end of the 2nd or start of the 1st century BC) of a text about Melchizedek found in Cave 11 at Qumran in the Israeli Dead Sea area and which comprises part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In this eschatological text, Melchizedek is seen as a divine being and Hebrew titles as Elohim are applied to him. According to this text Melchizedek will proclaim the "Day of Atonement" and he will atone for the people who are predestined to him. He also will judge the peoples.

In Christianity

In the New Testament, references to Melchizedek appear only in the Epistle to the Hebrews (later 1st century AD), though these are extensive (Hebrews 5: 6, 10; 6: 20; 7: 1, 10, 11, 15, 17, 21). Jesus Christ is there identified as a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek quoting from Psalm 110:4.

In Heb. 7:3 , Melchizedek is described as an extraordinary person in ways that are unique in the biblical narrative. In Heb. 7:3, Melchizedek is depicted as being "Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life"; thus giving him an almost godlike status.

Association with the Messiah

The association or identification of Melchizedek with the Messiah predates Christianity, developing in Jewish messianism of the Second Temple period.

A collection of early Gnostic scripts dating on or before the 4th century, discovered in 1945 and known as the Nag Hammadi library, contains a tractate pertaining to Melchizedek. Here it is proposed that Melchizedek is Jesus Christ. Melchizedek, as Jesus Christ, lives, preaches, dies and is resurrected, in a gnostic perspective. The Coming of the Son of God Melchizedek speaks of his return to bring peace, supported by the gods, and he is a priest-king who dispenses justice.

The association with Christ is made explicit by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, where Melchizedek the "king of righteousness" and "king of peace" is explicitly associated with the "eternal priesthood" of the Son of God. The Christological interpretation of this Old Testament character being a prefiguration or prototype of the Christ has varied between Christian denominations. The Pelagians saw in Melchizedek merely a man who lived a perfect life.

Typological association of Jesus Christ with Old Testament characters occurs frequently in the New Testament; thus, Jesus Christ is also associated with Adam (as the "New Adam") and with Abraham.”

[Sidebar: Regarding the issue of reincarnation, it must be mentioned at this point that several new age philosophies maintain that Jesus, as the first incarnation of Man, was the first Adam; as Adam, it was His original sin, committed in the Garden of Eden, that made it necessary for Him to be chosen as the redeemer of Mankind—to face the punitive consequences of His ancient sin. In the Bibilical literature there are several references to reincarnation, especially in the New Testament, including this story that appears in both Mathew and  Luke:

Mathew 16:13-14: 

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

or Luke 9:18-19:

“18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

This reference (“one of the prophets of long ago”) could almost certainly be associated with Melchizedek. 

The issue of reincarnation is still uncertain in my mind—I refuse to adhere, strictly, to any but the most basic Christian doctrines (the ulitmate authority of Jesus being the primary article) while keeping an open mind about the many bones of contention between New Age Christianity and Fundamentalist Christianity. Remember the virtue of uncertainty—the only way we can be certain of anything is if we un-wave it and particlize it—in other words if we take the dynamic life out of it so we can study it, then we can be certain—but life begets uncertainty, by transcending certainty. Remember that uncertainty is one of the prime components of faith. 

Therefore, the following parallels between Jesus and Melchizedek, detailed below, do NOT prove the existence of reincarnation; however, in a state of uncertainty, they can challenge the mind, and instance examples of the inscrutable wonder of life’s inarticulate mysteries.

Back to Wikipedia:]

“Liturgical commemoration

Melchizedek is mentioned in the Roman Canon, the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Roman rite of the Catholic Church, and also figures in the current Roman Martyrology as a commemoration on August 26.

He is commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox Church on May 22, and on the "Sunday of the Forefathers" (two Sundays before Christmas). In the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church Melkisetek (Armenian: Մելքիսեդեք, Melkisetek) is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers on July 26.

Protestantism

Traditional Protestant Christian denominations, following Luther, teach that Melchizedek was a historical figure and an archetype of Christ.

Tremper Longman notes that a popular understanding of the relationship between Melchizedek and Jesus is that Melchizedek is an Old Testament Christophany - in other words, that Melchizedek is Jesus.

In an online article by Kevin Williams it is stated in no uncertain terms that Jesus was a reincarnation of Melchizedek; Williams gives a long list of "proofs" of this idea, a list that we will attempt to abbreviate while retaining the main points. Thus, we begin in the middle of a thought:

“Another incarnation of Jesus is the Old Testament figure known as Melchizedek, the High Priest and King of Salem. It is clear from the Book of Hebrews that Melchizedek was not an ordinary man, assuming he even was a man. A careful examination of the evidence concerning the existence of Melchizedek reveals him to be a previous reincarnation of Jesus. There are strong parallels between Melchizedek and Jesus: both are the Son of God, priest of the Order of Melchizedek, King of Righteous, King of Peace, the Messiah, appointed by God, eternal priesthood, and preexistent. Besides the Biblical evidence, there exists evidence from the discoveries of early Christian texts in 1945 and the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. There is also extra-Biblical revelations that support this Melchizedek-Jesus connection. 

1. Identical Characteristics of Melchizedek and Jesus

a. Identical Sonship: Son of God

MELCHIZEDEK: "He was priest of God Most High." (Genesis 14:18)
MESSIAH: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)
JESUS: "You are a priest forever, in the order [facsimile] of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:6)

Note: The word "facsimile" translated into Greek means: (a) an exact copy or exact reproduction, (b) duplicate.

2. Melchizedek as the King of Righteousness:

MELCHIZEDEK: "To whom 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. (Hebrews 7:2)

MELCHIZEDEK: "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." (Genesis 49:10)

3. Jesus, as the King of Righteousness, fulfilled this scepter promise:

JESUS: "But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8)

4. Identical Right to Rule: Appointed by God

Jesus and Melchizedek's priesthoods are similar because they did not depend upon genealogy as the Aaronic priesthood did. The human lineage of Jesus was from Judah - a tribe that Moses did not associate with the priesthood.

JESUS: "For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests." (Hebrews 7:14)

Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not because he came from the right line, but because he comes as one who has indestructible life - the only one who can be an eternal priest! The priesthood of both is a royal priesthood. The priesthood of both is based on personality, not legality. Both are universal priesthoods for Gentile and Jew because the priesthood of Melchizedek was before the Law was given. Melchizedek illustrates an eternal priesthood of which the Jesus is the reality.

5. Identical Title: King of Peace

Melchizedek and Jesus are the Kings of Peace.

MELCHIZEDEK: "First, his name means "King of Righteousness"; then also, "King of Salem" means "King of Peace." (Hebrews 7:2)

JESUS: "And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Melchizedek is the "King of Peace" and Jesus is the "Prince of Peace." Who could be King of Peace over Jesus?

6. Identical Term of Priesthood: Eternal

Melchizedek and Jesus are eternal priests.

MELCHIZEDEK and JESUS: "...like the Son of God he remains a priest forever." (Hebrews 7:3)

MELCHIZEDEK and JESUS: "You [Jesus] are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:6)

Melchizedek and Jesus are priests forever with an unchangeable priesthood. This indicates they are the same priest - just different times.

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:6-7)

Point #1: Jesus was a human being:

"The Word became flesh." (John 1:14)

Point #2: Jesus had a human nature:

"The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David." (Romans 1:2-4)

Conclusion: 

Jesus was more than just the likeness of Melchizedek.

Jesus was Melchizedek.”

[Sidebar: Going on, Williams describes the appearance of Melchizedek in the Gnostic Gospels:]

“Christian Gnosticism Affirms Jesus to be Melchizedek Reincarnated

On December, 1945, in Upper Egypt, ancient texts revealing that the early Christians and Jews believed that Melchizedek was a previous reincarnation of Jesus the Messiah.

This immensely important discovery in Egypt includes a large number of Christian Gnostic scriptures -- texts once thought to have been entirely destroyed. Some of the scriptures discovered were the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Truth.

One of the Christian Gnostic texts discovered is entitled Melchizedek. The following quote is from this text. [...] indicates missing fragments or illegible wording.

"And you crucified me from the third hour of the Sabbath - eve until the ninth hour. And after these things I arose from the dead. My body came out of the tomb to me. [...] They did not find anyone greeted me [...] They said to me, Be strong, Melchizedek, great High Priest of God Most High" (Melchizedek)”

There is little doubt that this quote attributed to Melchizedek refers to him being crucified and resurrected. Commenting on the above text, noted authority Birger A. Pearson states:

"Furthermore, the tractate's apparent identification of Melchizedek with Jesus Christ ... is also documented elsewhere in early Christianity, particularly in Egypt. We are drawn to the conclusion that, in the revelation which the priest Melchizedek has received, he has seen that he himself will have a redemptive role to play as the suffering, dying, resurrected and triumphant Savior, Jesus Christ! ... From what we read ... it seems that the victory of Jesus Christ is the victory of Melchizedek and that, in fact, they are one and the same."

"I did and do understand the text of the first tractate to imply that Melchizedek was prophesied to return again, as Jesus."

The Essenes believed in the doctrine of pre-existence and reincarnation and appeared to have been influenced by Gnosticism. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove that the Jewish mystical tradition of divine union went back to the first, perhaps even the third, century B.C.

Biblical scholars were not disturbed by what they found in the Dead Sea Scrolls because they had known all along that the origin of Christianity was not what it was commonly supposed to have been.

The first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus stated that the Pharisees were believers in reincarnation. Josephus has several long passages dealing with the reincarnation beliefs of both the Essenes and the Pharisees. Josephus writes that the Jews in their secret or esoteric doctrines called the Kabbalah taught reincarnation openly.

The caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found yielded a series of thirteen fragments on Melchizedek which identifies Melchizedek as the one who will carry out the vengeance of God's judgments and the one who delivers the people from the hand of Belial and the spirits of his lot.

The belief that Melchizedek was the Messiah was a strongly held conviction among the Qumran community, as well as among some other Jewish and Gnostic sects in the first century A.D. This becomes apparent in the text entitled "The Last Jubilee" (Dead Sea Scroll: 11Q13, Column 2) about the coming of Melchizedek as the Messiah.

"The Last Jubilee" is a sermon within the "Melchizedek Texts" (also known as "I IQ Melchizedek Text" or " I I Q Melchizedek"). The following is a summary of this sermon:

DEAD SEA SCROLLS TEXTS

The Coming of Melchizedek 

“ (...) And concerning what Scripture says, "In this year of Jubilee you shall return, everyone of you, to your property" (Lev. 25;13) And what is also written; "And this is the manner of the remission; every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because God's remission has been proclaimed" (Deut.15;2) the interpretation is that it applies to the Last Days and concerns the captives, just as Isaiah said: "To proclaim the Jubilee to the captives" (Isa. 61;1) for Melchizedek will return to them what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the Jubilee, thereby releasing them from the debt of all their sins. He shall proclaim this decree in the first week of the jubilee period that follows nine jubilee periods.

Then the "Day of Atonement" shall follow after the tenth jubilee period, when he shall atone for all the Sons of Light, and the people who are predestined to Melchizedek. For this is the time decreed for the "Year of Melchizedek`s favor", and by his might he will judge God's holy ones and so establish a righteous kingdom, as it is written about him in the Songs of David ; "A godlike being has taken his place in  the council of God; in the midst of divine beings he holds judgment".

Also, he will deliver all the captives from the power of Belial, and from the power of all the spirits destined to him. Allied with him will be all the "righteous divine beings"(Isa. 61:3). 

The visitation is the Day of Salvation that He has decreed through Isaiah the prophet concerning all the captives, inasmuch as Scripture says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion "Your divine being reigns"." (Isa. 52;7) This scripture’s interpretation: "the mountains" are the prophets, they who were sent to proclaim God's truth and to prophesy to all Israel. "The messengers" is the Anointed of the spirit, of whom Daniel spoke; "After the sixty-two weeks, an Anointed shall be cut off" (Dan. 9;26) The "messenger who brings good news, who announces Salvation" is the one of whom it is written; "to proclaim the year of the LORD`s favor, the day of the vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn" (Isa. 61;2) 

This scripture's interpretation: he is to instruct them about all the periods of history for eternity of the truth that passes from Belial and returns to the Sons of Light, just as it is written concerning him; "who says to Zion "Your divine being reigns" (Isa. 52;7) "Zion" is the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, who uphold the covenant and turn from walking in the way of the people. "Your divine being" is Melchizedek, who will deliver them from the  power of Belial. Concerning what scripture says, "Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; in the seventh month . . . " (Lev. 25;9) 

[Sidebar: This stirring description of the Apocalyptic Melchezedek sounds just like a description of the Apocalyptic Jesus.

Back to Williams:]

“In view of such evidence found in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Christian Gnostic texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls and extra-Biblical sources such as Cayce, the early Christian veneration of Melchizedek and the rich Messianic tradition about him, Christians should in no way find it demeaning to link the soul of Melchizedek with that of Jesus. Certainly both individuals were important instruments of God, and each life marks an historic step in the spiritual evolution of humanity.”

Williams so-called "proofs" consist entirely of circumstantial and anecdotal evidence, and depend on the reader’s belief in certain new age principles, like reincarnation; however I find this sentence to be a very level-headed and slippery disclaimer : 

“Christians should in no way find it demeaning to link the soul of Melchizedek with that of Jesus.”

He is saying that the mystery of the relationship of souls to each other in the cosmic design is an enigma that reveals itself only in flashes and pregnant moments which we can never understand in any stable literal way. Clearly the question of personality, in the vast cosmic design, can only be perceived as a complex jigsaw puzzle of inter-leaving, interweaving components, the design of which we will never understand until later.

Going on, a more objective or speculative accounting of Melchizedek's divinity appears in gotQuestions.org:

“Question: "Who was Melchizedek?"
Answer: Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness,” was a king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6–11; 6:20—7:28). Melchizedek’s sudden appearance and disappearance in the book of Genesis is somewhat mysterious. Melchizedek and Abraham first met after Abraham’s defeat of Chedorlaomer and his three allies. Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abraham and his weary men, demonstrating friendship. He bestowed a blessing on Abraham in the name of El Elyon (“God Most High”) and praised God for giving Abraham a victory in battle (Genesis 14:18–20).

Abraham presented Melchizedek with a tithe (a tenth) of all the items he had gathered. By this act Abraham indicated that he recognized Melchizedek as a priest who ranked higher spiritually than he.”

[Sidebar: Going on with GotQuestions.org; here the idea of Jesus’s priesthood is developed:]

“The author of Hebrews is the only New Testament writer to cite Ps 110:4, here and in Heb 7:17, 21, to show that Jesus has been called by God to his role as priest. Heb 5:7–8 deal with his ability to sympathize with sinners, because of his own experience of the trials and weakness of human nature, especially fear of death. In his present exalted state, weakness is foreign to him, but he understands what we suffer because of his previous earthly experience.

The central section of Hebrews (5:11–10:39) opens with a reprimand and an appeal. Those to whom the author directs his teaching about Jesus’ priesthood, which is difficult to explain, have become sluggish in hearing and forgetful of even the basic elements (Heb 5:12). But rather than treating of basic teachings, the author apparently believes that the challenge of more advanced ones may shake them out of their inertia (therefore, Heb 6:1). The six examples of basic teaching in Heb 6:1–3 are probably derived from a traditional catechetical list. 

No effort is made to address apostates, for their very hostility to the Christian message cuts them off completely from Christ (Heb 6:4–8). This harsh statement seems to rule out repentance after apostasy, but perhaps the author deliberately uses hyperbole in order to stress the seriousness of abandoning Christ. With Heb 6:9 a milder tone is introduced, and the criticism of the community (Heb 6:1–3, 9) is now balanced by an expression of confidence that its members are living truly Christian lives, and that God will justly reward their efforts (Heb 6:10). The author is concerned especially about their persevering (Heb 6:11–12), citing in this regard the achievement of Abraham, who relied on God’s promise and on God’s oath (Heb 6:13–18; cf. Gn 22:16), and proposes to them as a firm anchor of Christian hope the high priesthood of Christ, who is now living with God (Heb 6:19–20).”

Other new age material comments on Melchizidek:

“For example, Edgar Cayce received volumes of information from his near-death experiences from a heavenly so-called "Hall of Records." Much of the revelations he received concerned Jesus and his many incarnations including Adam and Melchizedek. Cayce received these revelations years before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian Gnostic find. These discoveries agree with the Cayce revelations concerning Adam, Melchizedek and Jesus.

This parallel between Melchizedek and other incarnations from the ancient Christian Gnostic texts also supports the Cayce revelations that Enoch and Melchizedek were the same spirit. Cayce also provided the interesting revelation that the Dead Sea Essenes grew out of the teachings of Melchizedek as propagated by prophets, such as Elijah, Elisha, and Samuel. Cayce also identified Melchizedek as a previous incarnation of Jesus.

According to Cayce, it was necessary that the very advanced spirit of Melchizedek reincarnate in order to reach Christhood as Jesus. The Cayce revelations show us why the Master spirit again incarnated after the experience as Melchizedek:

"The Christ spirit incarnated as Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, then took on flesh to teach and lead. After several more incarnations such as Joseph (prince of Egypt), the Christ spirit realized it was necessary to set a pattern for humanity and to show the way back to God. Thus, the Master spirit assumed the mission of his final incarnation as Jesus. By resurrecting his body, he made the Jesus-Melchizedek priesthood eternal." (Edgar Cayce)

[Sidebar: Of particular interest is the sentence, 

“Thus, the Master spirit assumed the mission of his final incarnation as Jesus.”

It is the notion of a FINAL REINCARNATION that attracts me; So far, most of the parallels between Jesus and Melchizedek indicate a kind of equality between the two, as if they were one and the same—for instance, in terms of their twin identities as the Messiah. Cayce’s remark that the personality of Melchizedek achieves Christhood as Jesus, affirms, one more time, the superiority of Jesus over all previous emanations of this spirit. Cayce also mentions how the various incarnations of Melchizedek mark historical periods. There have been cultural and religious revolutions all through history, but clearly the most revolutionary and cataclysmic alteration of human consciousness, for all time, was initiated by the career of Jesus the Christ.

Having now devoted an inordinate amount of space to Melchizedek, let us continue with the rest of Chapter Five of the Book of Hebrews. The high order of Melchizedek is mentioned again, and is given a lofty position in the doctrine; it is suggested that not all devotees are capable of understanding even the most elementary spiritual teachings:

Hebrews 5:7-10

“7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 

8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 

9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 

10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”

[Sidebar: Once again I am attracted to the idea of achieving perfection through suffering. In this scripture we learn OBEDIENCE through suffering. This is slightly different from achieving PERFECTION through suffering, but perhaps this obedience comes from giving up the petty human will in favor of the Father's Will, where, as in Heaven, so is his Will done on Earth.]

Hebrews 5:11-14

“11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 

13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 

14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

The idea that the some of the Jews in Jerusalem needed milk instead of solid food reminds me of Jesus’ use of parables to teach the folk. The ‘FOLK’ present a problem in the study of religion, just as they do in the study of art. How much can the Common Man really take in? Is a parable inferior to the REAL TRUTH, or is it just one more level of consciousness of which our la-dee-da REAL TRUTH may be thought of as the flimsiest of parables, to a consciousness of a higher dimension. Contrariwise, is the greatest piece of music ever written any more endowed with spiritual energy than the simplest children’s tune? I’m sure the answer is yes and no—do-be-do-be-do.

The Fifth Chapter of Hebrews cuts off abruptly with that solid food remark. It appears the author is winding up for a new whammy—“So grow up why don’tcha!” But we will see about that next week.

For now, we must return to the message of the very first chapter of Hebrews: that faith in Jesus will fill any void, and lift you above any adversity.

Let us pray: Jesus, thank you for giving us this doctrine to instruct us in our literal understanding, complementary to our faithful understanding. We apologize for trying to put You into a pigeonhole; we know that the ways of the Holy Ghost are inscrutable, and all thy ways can only be a vague shadow of a thought to our puny brains—that is, until we meet You face to face and all is made clear. Amen.