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. ~ Hebrews 7:1-3

The writer of Hebrews says that Melchisedec “abideth a priest continually.” This is said in contrast to the levitical priests who served under the law. The intent is not to draw our attention to Melchisedec, but to Jesus. 

Melchizedec’s priesthood serves as the perfect pattern after which the Messiah’s priesthood would be understood. Thus the writer of Hebrews says of 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

Before we proceed it is important to point out that Melchisedec (aka Melchizedek) appears in only 4 verses in the Old Testament (Genesis 14:18-20 & Psalm 110:4). There are 9 mentions of the name “Melchisedec” in the book of Hebrews. Each with the single purpose of teaching us about the Priesthood of Jesus.

It is also important that we notice that though Jesus’s priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec, the writer of Hebrews stresses that it was Melchisedec who was made like unto the Son of God, not the other way around.

It was by divine providence that Melchisedek entered the narrative, coming to Abram (Abraham) with bread and wine, and blessing him. The New Living Translation does a great job of encapsulating the truth expressed by the writer of Hebrews in 7:3.

There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. ~ Hebrews 7:3 TNLT 

The absence of any genealogical record does not mean that Melchizedec was a pre-incarnant Christ. Instead, the writer of Hebrews is telling us that Melchisedec’s priesthood had no affiliation with his physical lineage, nor his birth or death.

Genesis, which is heavy on genealogies, makes no mention of Melchisedec’s parents or children. This does not mean that he did not have parents or descendants. Nor does it mean that he was never born and never died. Instead, the absence of these serves as a witness within scripture of another priesthood apart from the law, a priesthood that would continue forever.

The absence of Melchesdec’s genealogy is brought to our attention by the writer of Hebrews, whose intent is to show us how superior the order or structure of Melchisedec’s priesthood is in contrast to the priests who served under the law.

The ministry of the priests who served under the law was entirely tied to their physical lineage. Melchisedec’s was not.

But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. ~ 6

In Psalm 110:4 we find the prophetic passage regarding the Priesthood of the Messiah which the writer of Hebrews appeals to multiple times: The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. ~ Psalm 110:4

Melchisedec was both a King and a priest. Under the law of Moses, the priests came from the tribe of Levi, and the Kings were descendants of David, from the tribe of Judah. No one under the law ever served as both King and Priest.

Though Christ is both King and priest, the scriptures do not teach us that Jesus is a King after the order of Melchisedec, only that he is a priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Jesus is a priest with a throne because he is also a King, and because he lives forever, he has no successors. The priesthood under the law had one successor after another because those priests eventually died, but Christ lives forever and therefore he has an everlasting priesthood. The law could not produce a priest who lives forever.

Though we can see that Melchisedec was both a King and a priest as Jesus is, Melchisedec’s role in the narrative of scriptures was to foreshadow the priesthood of Jesus as having no affiliation to his physical descendancy.

Under the law of Moses, only the descendants of Levi could minister as priests, and since Jesus did not come from the tribe of Levi, he could not serve as priest in the succession of the levitical priesthood. Therefore, a change in the priesthood would require a change in the law.

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? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. ~ Hebrews 7:11-12

Jesus’s priesthood is in no way tied to his physical lineage, but his throne is.
The prophecy of the scriptures regarding the throne of the Messiah was that he would come from the lineage of David to reign upon his throne forever.

In Acts 2, Peter interprets the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus at the right hand of God as the fulfillment of the scriptures concerning the Messiah reigning on throne of David.

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ~ Acts 2:30-36

In the verses above, Peter is quoting David from Psalm 110, the same Psalm which declared that Jesus would be a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek. The writer of Hebrews actually cites both of these:

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. ~ Psalm 110:1

The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. ~Psalm 110:4

In 1:13, the writer of Hebrews cites Psalms 110:1, saying, But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? ~ Hebrews 1:13.

He then appeals multiple times to Psalm 110:4, and as an inspired writer of scripture he brings both of these truths together into one glorious truth: the enthroned King- priest!

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens… ~ Hebrews 8:1

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. ~ Hebrews 10:12-13

The emphasis on Jesus being seated can easily be missed, but there are multiple insightful truths hidden in it. One of those truths is that the High Priest under the law stood ministering daily from the offering of the morning sacrifice (offered at 9 am), till the offering of the evening sacrifice (offered at 3 pm). He only sat down after the offering of the evening sacrifice was finished!

Being seated at the right hand of God means that the offering of sacrifice for sins is finished. Thus we read at the outset of the epistle, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high … ~ 1:3

He then bookends this in chapter 10, saying, And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. ~ Hebrews 10:11-14 

The epistle of Hebrews comes to us to show us the completed work of the cross in the person of our glorified King-priest.

The more we gaze upon him as our King and priest, the more we will be drawn into the glory of the resurrection. We have a King who is also our Priest, who has been raised from the dead, and because he lives forever, he has an unchangelable priesthood.

And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. ~ Hebrews 7:23-24

The NIV says,  Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 

The permanent priesthood of Jesus is what was being prophesied when the Psalmist declared, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. ~ Psalm 110:4

In Acts 2, which we referenced above, Peter quotes Psalm 110:1 in reference to David, as a prophet, knowing that God would raise up the Messiah as the descendant who would rise to sit on his throne.

As a prophet, David foresaw the enthronement of the Messiah, and said, “The Lord said unto my Lord, sit on my right hand.”

David foresaw by the Spirit of God that the promise of the Messiah reigning on his throne would not be an earthly enthronement, but a heavenly enthronement, at the right hand of God. This is abundantly clear in Peter’s sermon in Acts 2.

It is this same King David, who also said by the Spirit of the Lord, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. ~ Psalm 110:4

As a prophet, David spoke by the Spirit that the Messiah would reign as King at the right hand of God, where he would also minister forever as an High Priest for the people.  

In the gospels, Jesus says: “David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet”‘ (Mark 12:36, See also Matthew 22:41-45).

When Jesus said this he asked those to whom he was speaking, “If David then calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

If the throne of the Messiah is an earthly throne, then the Messiah would be but a son of David, as was Solomon who was David’s successor to the throne. But if it is a throne in the heavens, at the right hand of God, then the Messiah was more than David’s descendant, he is his Lord!

As we read through the book of Hebrews we see the intertwining of the enthronement and priesthood of Jesus, but never does the writer of Hebrews appeal to Melchisedec with regards to Jesus’s enthronement, only his priesthood. 

Conversely, the enthronement of Jesus is entirely tied to his lineage and Sonship. He took upon him the seed of Abraham (2:16) when he came into the world, and was declared to be the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead!