A Better Melchizedek Presentation to OPA
“A Better Melchizedek Presentation To OPA” this is what I would have liked to have presented to the Old Paths Assembly in Lucerne Valley, California if I ever have the chance to “do it all over again”! Unfortunately I can’t do this now because some of the main people in that group are deceased. So I will do my best to put myself in their shoes and give you their perspective in the first part of this article. Then I will present my current views along with Biblical support.
Another Resource: Melchizedek
What Happened?
Some time between 2002 and 2010 I had a meeting with David Gipson and Yakov Rice. In that meeting we discussed primarily the Bible passage of Jeremiah 31:31-33.
31 Behold, the days come, saith YaH, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jeremiah 31: 31-33 KJV
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake [Ex.32], although I was an husband unto them, saith YaH:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After ‘those days’ [Birth, Death, Resurrection of YaHoשUvaH] , saith YaH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts [Ezk.36:25-27]; and will be their Elohi, and they shall be My people. (Ezk.36:25-27)!
Some folks prefer to rely on the Levitical Priesthood for every detail of Biblical interpretation. But this view ignores the fact that YaHoשUvaH was not part of the tribe of Levi, but rather the tribe of Judah[Heb.7:14]. And in Hebrews chapters 4, 5 and 6/Ps.110:4 it is abundantly clear that YaHoשUvaH is a priest forever of the order of Melchizedek. And has entered into the “Most Holy Place” of the Heavenly Sanctuary to “make intercession for us”.
- The whole reason for the change of “priesthood” [Heb.7:12] the “Melchizedek Priesthood” was to reinstate the Ex.19:5-6 offer lost at Ex.25 to the Levitical priesthood back to the original Melchizedek Priesthood offered at Ex.19:5 & :6. That actually began with Adam, after they had sinned and a Savior was promised [Gen.2:3]. It was the Melchizedek Priesthood that continued up until the Israelite/Jewish nation broke the covenant [Ex.32] with God at Mt. Sinai and God instituted the [Plan “B’] Levitical Priesthood to take its place. But the Levitical Priesthood was always considered by God to be a temporary measure until YaHoשUvaH Himself could re-instate the Melchizedek Priesthood by His own earthly life, death, and resurrection! And because of what YaHoשUvaH accomplished, His followers can now participate as priests and priestesses of the order of Melchizedek, with YaHoשUvaH as their High Priest, Brother & King!
So, we see in all of this that it was the Melchizedek Priesthood that began with Adam and continued until Mt. Sinai. Then God changed the “covenant” to include the Levitical Priesthood as “plan B”. When YaHoשUvaH came to this Earth He restored the Melchizedek Priesthood by living a perfect life, dying in our place, and being resurrected! And in 1 Peter 2 we are invited to become members of the new Melchizedek Priesthood with YaHoשUvaH High Priest MasshiYaH as the “High Priest” of that Royal Order! [Heb.4,5,6,7/Ps.110:4,1Ptr.2:9, …]
Their position was that the Levitical Priesthood was a permanent priesthood and that all Bible interpretations should be based upon the foundation of the Levitical priesthood and the resulting perspectives.
Their perspective was very restrictive & narrow minded to include only Levitically minded Jews! However I since have found a truly Acts 17:11 fair- minded group! @ www.jewsforyeshua.org ask for Hezekiah; very personable & quite knowledgeable! Tell him I sent you! The Bible directs all of us to ‘put on the mind of ‘MasshiYaH’! Well that is the mind of our ‘High Priest MasshiYaH’; is it not? Well If we think on a balanced trim; on an even keel that all inclusive ‘mind of ‘MasshiYaH/High Priest MasshiYaH’ would include a MalkiTzadiq mind-set! Psalms 110:4, 1 Peter 2:9! Would it not? Handily YES! Without a shadow of one doubt! Shalom! Tah**
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