Re: Naked Bible 168: Melchizedek Part 2
During the Second Temple Period (AKA, Intertestamental Period), the messianic expectations began to arise. Along with this was a lot of speculation about the role of Melchizedek in light of passages like Psalm 110 and connecting him with David’s final heir. Over a couple of centuries Melchizedek morphed into a semi-divine figure. This is not because the OT portrayed him that way; not at all. Rather, it’s the connections with Abraham, David and the promises that God’s people would some day rule in Eternity. It was the speculation of the times and the expectation of the Messiah coming sometime soon.
Once more, let’s remind ourselves that the dual role of priest and king was the standard from Adam to Moses. Only the whining of Moses provoked God to split the roles, which still holds until Christ returns. But the older ideal was last recognized in Melchizedek before Moses comes along. Thus, the image of him becomes far greater than the man himself ever was.
Josephus in Wars of the Jews mentions Melchizedek as an ordinary man who built the first temple to Jehovah in the city of Jerusalem itself. Philo starts applying abstractions to the figure of Melchizedek. Then we come to the Qumran literature. In the Genesis Apochryphon, Melchizedek is simply a straightforward historical character.
However, as you continue along in that text, we see Melchizedek tied to the Jubilee and the restoration of Exiles. This hints at a Messiah getting ride of Roman imperial oppression. It echoes what we saw in the study in Ezekiel 40-48, where the prophet keeps talking about Jubilee, the Day of Atonement and being set free. This then is echoed in Jesus’ first message in Nazareth, reading from Isaiah 61. Jesus talks about Jubilee in light of restoration of the nation. If not the literature itself, Jesus was certainly familiar with this teaching that circulated among rabbis.
This same passage in the Qumran stuff blends together the image of Melchizedek as a possible candidate for the Second Jehovah figure – the Two Powers in Heaven doctrine of Psalm 110 with the image of Melchizedek as God standing in the Divine Council in Psalm 82. There is talk of Melchizedek leading an army of God’s people. Notice that it’s Melchizedek as a role, not the historical person.
So it’s no surprise that Christians later place Jesus in that role as the one who judges the Divine Council, leads an army as the Second Jehovah, and will bring release to those who languish under the mismanagement of the rebel elohim. The targum within that Qumran passage insists that a major figure targeted by the armies of God’s people will be Satan. It also echoes the famous Qumranic War Scroll with images of Melchizedek leading God’s armies, with the support of some elohim who remained faithful, at war in both Heaven and earth for the final outcome of the End Times.
The passage in the Genesis Apochryphon goes on to link Isaiah 57 (“beautiful feet”) and Daniel 9:25 with this imagery. One study of Qumran fragments notes how Melchizedek is linked to Michael as portrayed in Daniel. In this context we find the notion that, since Melchizedek has no human pedigree in the text of Genesis, then he can be seen as an eternal figure who takes his place on God’s staff. This war is associated with the ten Jubilees of Daniel’s prophecy (490 years, AKA, seventy sevens), taking place in the tenth Jubilee.
Of course, we don’t consider Michael the Angel of the Lord (Exodus 3 and Joshua 5) or Second Jehovah. The Messiah is an entirely different figure from Michael. However, it was common speculation among Second Temple rabbis and others. We need to understand how they came to that idea because of Daniel’s use of the term “Prince of Israel”.
This is also why it would be so hard for them to swallow the Messiah coming to suffer and die. Paul said they weren’t supposed to understand it; it was cryptic enough that Jesus had to explain it at length repeatedly. We need to focus here on how the Jews viewed all this before Jesus came along. In their minds, the next big thing on God’s agenda was Michael/Melchizedek/Messiah coming to vanquish all their human enemies and take down Belial/Gog/Satan along with all his allies. Notice how the role of Belial merges the Devil with the leader of the fallen Watchers (AKA, Semihaza or Mastema).
Notice that Jubilee is very critical to all of this. And if you agree with Heiser’s estimate that Jesus was born 11 September 3 BC, then the day He stood in the synagogue in Nazareth to begin His preaching ministry with Isaiah 61 was the commencement of a Jubilee. “Today are these things fulfilled…” He knew what day it was; He knew He was about to engage in a Jubilee restoration with His miracles. He knew what was in their minds about all of this. He knew precisely what kind of reaction it would draw when He read the part about Jubilee but left out the part about the Day of Judgment and the destruction of Judah’s enemies.
Jesus was quite focused and intentional about fulfilling all the prophecies about Himself.
