Who
is this Melchisedec #137
“Who is This Melchisedec? It is God!”
WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 160 That Melchisedec was flesh, represented Himself
in a human body; and then later He was made flesh. And now, tonight He's the
same, yesterday, today, and forever. (Let’s
stop here for a moment and ask the question, what does Brother Branham mean by
that?) He is telling us that One that acted out the role of Melchisedec,
and later came into the Flesh of His Son and acted out again, is the same One
who is here in a body iof flesh doing again what he
already has done for he is the Same, Yesterday, Today, and forever.
Now, the real question is this. Either Brother Branham was a
very bold person, to say this or to lay out this question to the people, or it was God saying it to us. Then if it was
Brother Branham we could not expect God to back it up, but if it was God
declaring Himself through this man William Branham, then we would expect God to
back up this declaration and vindicate this to be
True. And that is precisely what God did. He stood right behind this man and
vindicated this message by showing that very same sign He performed with Sarah
and Abraham discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart showing He still
is the same Word and He has not changed. Then, Brother Branham asks the question, …
Do you believe it? Who is this Melchisedec then, that's the same yesterday... Never had no father, never had
no mother; He never had no beginning of days; He never had any end to life.
Now, remember, Jesus
had both father and mother, Jesus had a beginning of days and an ending of
life, but God didn’t.
GENESIS
All this scripture tells us is that a man showed up, Who
is called "The King of Peace", and we Are told that he is a
"Priest of the One True God". Now, there is only One "King of
Peace" and that is God Himself. He is called by the Name Jehovah Shalom
which is "God of Peace". Also, we must understand that a priest is a
Mediator and intercessor between God and man. Therefore, this King Priest came
forth from the Presence of God. He came to administer to Abraham God's
Blessings. He came to Abraham to present a Message of Peace. He came to
vindicate the Promise of a son that He had already made to Abraham.
In PSALMS
110:1 we read, ¶ The LORD (Jehovah {a-do-nahee'}
= "the existing One") said unto my Lord, (adown = my lord, my master) Sit thou at my right hand, until I
make thine enemies thy footstool. Now, before we go further we must ask ourselves who this
Lord and Master that David is speaking of? It certainly is not the Lord God,
because David is telling us it is another, other than the Lord God. He says,
"The Lord
said unto my Lord". Therefore, One is speaking to the
other. And the One Who is Speaking is the Lord God,
Jehovah, and He is speaking to one that David calls master or Lord. Then we
find out what God speaks to this other Lord. He says, 2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy
strength out of
Therefore we see in this scripture that this one who is called Lord
and Master will also be called a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek. It does not tell us that He is Melchizedek,
but he will be a priest after the Order, which word AFTER comes from the Hebrew word,
'al' and it means, 1) upon, on the grounds of, according to, on account of, on
behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with,… Therefore this one that is spoken of here will come and
enter into a Priestly order which was founded by this Melchizedek. This then tells us that This Melchizedek laid
the groundwork for this priestly order. He set the pattern, in which this other
Lord will follow.
We will next go to the New Testament to find the next time a
reference to Melchisedec is used. Notice in Hebrews
chapter 5 Paul tells us that the purpose of a Priest is to offer sacrifice to
God on the behalf of man.
HEBREWS 5:1 ¶ For
every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things
[pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
2 Who can have compassion on the
ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed
with infirmity. 3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for
himself, to offer for sins. Then Paul tells us that no man can
take this honor unto himself, but that he must be called by God to do so.
Therefore, this office of High Priest is one which God must select out and
place. God must anoint the man to the office.
HEBREWS 5:4 And no man taketh
this honour unto himself, but he that is called of
God, as [was] Aaron. 5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son,
to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another [place],
Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Now, notice
that Paul is making reference to Psalms 110: 1-4 here. He says, Thou art my Son, to day have I
begotten thee which
refers to the Father speaking to the Son. Then Paul says, that God said in
another Place, referring to Psalm110:1-4, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Now, remember this, the one that Paul is referring to here
from Psalms 110:1-4 which was called the Lord, or master by David. But if you
will notice, David never called this one God.
He said that Jehovah God said unto this Lord and Master, Sit thou at my right hand, until I
make thine enemies thy footstool.
Now, we know that the Son of God ascended up on High after God
raised Him from the dead. In fact there are 18 times in the New Testament which
specifically speaks of God raising up His Son. And it
is this Son which is allowed to set down at the right hand of the majesty on
High. Paul quotes this in 1 Corinthians
15.
I CORINTHIANS
Again we see in HEBREWS 1:13 But to which of the angels said he (God) at any time, Sit on my (God’s) right hand, until I (God) make thine enemies thy footstool?
We read in HEBREWS
Now, Jesus knew the people would have a problem with understanding
the relationship He had with His Father, so he asked the following question in
reference to what David said while in the Spirit.
MATTHEW
It is no wonder that the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus. He was
preaching two Lords, and He didn't even explain it to them.
Now in getting back to HEBREWS 5, we read in verse 7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had
offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though
he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto
all them that obey him; 10 ¶ Called of God an high priest after the
order of Melchisedec. 11 Of whom we have many
things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are
dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need
that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God;
and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every
one that useth milk [is] unskillful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by
reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Now, Paul tells us here that this teaching on Melchisedec
is strong meat and is not for children. Children should not be given strong
meat because they will choke on it. Therefore, any who can’t receive the
teaching on Melchisedec is not fully grown in the
faith. Another thing we see here is that God is the One Who
called Jesus to this Order. We are told in the same breath that Jesus had to
learn obedience to this calling. Therefore we can see that God played out the
role of Melchisedec in the Old Testament for the
purpose of giving instruction to His Son that when Jesus came to the place of
maturity, He would take over this role of High Priest and follow in the example
of His own Father. That is why Jesus always said in ….
JOHN 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the Father do: for what things so
ever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20
For the Father loveth the Son,
and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he
will shew him greater works than these, that ye may
marvel.
And in JOHN 5:30 we hear Jesus say, I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear,
I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the
will of the Father which hath sent me.
And again in JOHN 8:28 we hear Jesus say, Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of
man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but
as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Therefore I believe the importance of the Melchisedec
ministry in the old testament was that the Father set forth the pattern and
example for His Son to come forth AFTER the order, or in the same order or
manner as the Father acted out His own role as High-Priest and King in the old
testament to Abraham. Then, in like manner, so has Jesus come forth to act out
the role of High Priest during the church ages, and then as King during the
Millennium. The following quotes by
William Branham, Vindicated Prophet of God will bear out this understanding of Melchisedec.
Another thing we must understand is that Jesus was not born with
the title Lord. It did not come until God made Him both Lord and Christ, as we
see in ACTS
2:36 Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same
Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 ¶ Now when they
heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the
rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Notice, God made Him both to be Lord and Christ.
Therefore the Lordship of Jesus was a title that God placed upon His son. It
also tell us that God made His Son Christ which means
the anointed One. Yes, God anointed
Jesus. The Scripture plainly tells us
that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost. Then if God anointed Jesus with
the Holy Ghost, He did not have this anointing when He was born.
ACTS 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of
282
PARADOX -- 64-0206.1M,
And this little Boy, twelve-year-old Child, no wisdom at all,
why, but just a twelve-year-old Boy. The Father didn't dwell in Him at that
time; because He came on the day when He baptized Him, "He saw the Spirit
of God coming down, see, and went in Him."
But, look, this little twelve-year-old Boy, being the Word; He was born the
anointed One, see, to be the anointed. And here He
was. "Know ye not that I must be about My Father's business?"
Notice Brother Branham
tells us that the Father did not yet indwell Jesus at this time. He tells us
that God entered the Son at the river
In the Message, ELISHA
THE PROPHET 56-1002.2E E-21,
brother Branham said, "And Jesus, the baptism
He had was the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which was in Him, that come on Him
at the river
And in the message, MANIFESTED
SONS OF GOD 60-0518 88 He said, "In the
Also from, THE
RISING OF THE SUN 65-0418 He said, "
When God looked down upon the body... (The Spirit left Him in the Garden of
E-40
TESTIMONY WILLIAM BRANHAM 60-0210 Brethren
and sisters, we're men and women, got to die, but the Spirit of God that's
among us, is the same God that met Moses in the wilderness, was in Jesus Christ
on earth, because the life of It proves It's the same Spirit. It's doing
the same thing. It's a promise of Christ. Oh, how... There's just no place to
stop.
E-37 FUNDAMENTAL
FOUNDATION FOR FAITH 55-0113 Now,
when He was here on earth, He was a perfect example of everything of the
godhead. He was the fullness of the godhead bodily. In Christ dwelt God. The
body of Jesus was only the tabernacle of God. It's where Almighty God Himself
lived and dwelt in a human being. You believe that, don't you?
You have to, to be saved. You have to believe that.
25
HEBREWS Chapter 7, Part 1HEB 292-25 -- 57-0915.2E Now, the reason that there's a difference between God and
Jesus: Jesus had a beginning, God had no beginning; Melchisedec
had no beginning, and Jesus had a beginning. But Jesus was made
liken unto Him.
HEBREWS CHAPTER 7, PT. 1 57-0915E 291-20 Now, I think Paul
gives the right interpretation. For this Melchisedec,
king of
291-22 Now, let's see, get His genealogy a little further, to see
where we're going. Without father, (Now, Jesus had a Father. You believe that?
Sure He was)…without mother,... (Jesus had a mother,
but this Fellow had neither father nor mother.)... without
descent,... (He never had anyone that He come off of,
any descent. He always was.)... without descent,
having neither beginning of days,... (He never had any time He ever
started.)... nor the end of life;... (It could been
nothing else but God.
292-23 Now, now if you'll notice, as we read the
next verse. See? First, being by interpretation, King of righteousness...
(That's not where I want to do. The--the 3rd verse.)
... nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of
God;... (Now, He was not the Son of God. For if He was the Son, He had a beginning, and this Man had no beginning. If He was a
Son, He had to have both father and mother. And this Man had neither father nor
mother, but He was made like unto the Son of God.)... abideth a priest continually. Now,
Dr. Scofield tries to say that it was a priesthood, called the Melchisedec
priesthood. But I just want to take you on that just for a few minutes. If it
was a priesthood, then it had to have a beginning, and
it had to have an end. But This had no beginning or
had any end. And he did not say he met a priesthood;
he met a Man, and called His Name Melchisedec. He
was a Person, not a denomination, not a priesthood or fatherhood; He
was absolutely a Man by the Name of Melchisedec,
Who was the King of
292-25 Now, notice. ... He abideth
for ever... (He has a testimony here that He liveth,
He never dies. He never did... He never was nothing
else but alive.)... He abideth for ever... Now, Jesus
was made liken unto Him. Now, the reason that there's a difference between God and Jesus, Jesus had a beginning; God had
no beginning; Melchisedec had no beginning; and Jesus
had a beginning. But Jesus was made likened unto Him. ... a priest abideth forever.
HEBREWS CHAPTER 7 PT.1
57-0915E 305-93 Now, we want to notice here now again, as we
go on with this lesson of this Melchisedec, this
great Priest of
From HEBREWS
CHAPTER 7, PT. 1 57-0915E
309-118 that same Melchisedec that met Abraham coming from the slaughter of
the kings. Certainly. The God of heaven, the Elohim, the Great I AM, not the I
was, the I AM (present tense). "And He blessed him." Listen here just a little further, so we can
get the lesson a little closer together. Now, the 4th verse... Now consider how
great this man was,... (I just think that too.)... consider how great this man was,... He's beyond the Son of
God. The Son of God had father and mother; He didn't. The Son of God had a
beginning of time and an ending of time; He didn't. Who was that? That was
the Father of the Son. That's Who it was.
HEBREWS CHAPTER 7, PT. 2 57-0922 341-306 And this Melchisedec was not Jesus, for He was God. And what made
Jesus and God different, that... Jesus was the Tabernacle that God dwelt in.
See? Now, Melchisedec... Jesus had both father and mother, and this Man never had father or mother. Jesus had a
beginning of life and He had a end of life. This Man
had no father, no mother, no beginning of days, or ending of life. But It was
the self same Person; it was Melchisedec and Jesus
was One; but Jesus was the earthly body, borne and fashioned after sin: God's
own body, His own Son, borne and fashioned after sin to take the sting out of
death, to pay the ransom, and to receive sons and daughters unto Himself. You
get it? That's the reason that He had a beginning; He had an ending.
WHY CRY SPEAK 59-1004E E-48 Now, how many
knows that Christ is the Spirit of God? We all know that. He's the anointed
One. Jesus was the anointed. There's where people who believe that there's
three or four different Gods, get all mixed up. See? God is a Spirit. Jesus
was the body that the Spirit of God dwelled in, made Him Emmanuel, God, tabernacled on earth. He was God. Jesus Christ was God,
yet He was the Son of God. His flesh was the Son of God 'cause God created it,
but inside He was God. "It's not Me," said
Jesus, "does the works, it's My Father that dwelleth
in Me. And that day you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father in Me, I in
you, and you in Me." There you are.
SHALOM 64-0112 75 When Melchisedec
met Abraham from the slaughter of the kings, he was the King of
TRIAL THE 64-0419 74 Jesus said, "As it was in the days of
WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 55 Notice now His attribute.
Then the attribute was first God, the thought, the attribute itself all in one,
without being expressed. Then when He expressed, secondarily, He became then
the Word. And then the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us,
WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E
64 Now, God in this stage of--at this
stage of His creation later formed into flesh Jesus. From
what? From the great beginning Spirit, then came down to be the Word,
bringing Itself out. The Word doesn't yet make Itself; it's just spoke out, "En morphe," later He
becomes flesh, Jesus, mortal to taste death for all of us sinners. When Abraham
met Him, He was Melchisedec. He unfolds here what all
the attributes will do in the final end, every son of Abraham. Every son of the
faith will absolutely do the same thing. But I want to watch how we have to
come. Also we see Him revealed here in Ruth and--and Boaz as a Kinsman
Redeemer, how He had to come to be flesh.
67 Now, we see the attribute
sons of His Spirit have not yet entered into the Word form body, but--a
theophany. This body is subject to the Word and earnest--waiting for the
earnest change of the body. Now, the different between Him and you as a son...
See, He was at the beginning the Word, an "En morphe" body. He came
in and lived in that in the Person of Melchisedec. Then later... We never heard no
more of Melchisedec, because He became Jesus
Christ. Melchisedec was the Priest, but
He became Jesus Christ. Now, you bypassed that, because in that form He
knew all things. And you have never been able to know that yet. You come like
Adam, like me. You became from the attribute to the flesh to be tempted. But
when this life is finished here... "If this earthly tabernacle be
dissolved, we have one already waiting." That's where we go; that is the
Word. Then we can look back and see what we done. Now, we don't understand it.
We have never become the Word; we've just become the flesh-man, not the Word. But...
Now, the question must arise, "how did He become Jesus
Christ"? And the answer is simple, By indwelling
His Son just as He indwelled Melchisedec".
WHO
IS THIS MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 95 Now, the true
revelation of Melchisedec comes into view was--that
He was God, the Word, before He became flesh, God the Word. 'Cause
He had to be; no one else could be immortal like Him. See, I had father and
mother; you did too. Jesus had father and mother. But this Man had no father or
had no mother. Jesus had a time He started; this Man didn't. Jesus gave His
life; this Man couldn't, because He was Life. And it's the self same Man all
the time. I hope God reveals it to you, the self same Person all the time.
WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC 65-0221E 109 Who is this Melchisedec but God?
CHRIST REVEALED IN HIS OWN WORD 65-0822M 139 When Jesus was manifested in the Old Testament in a
theophany, in the Person of Melchisedec, not a priesthood,
but the Person, the Man... See? For this Man had yet not been
born, but He was in a theophany so He had no father, no mother. He was
God Himself. He was manifested in the form of a Man called King of
If Brother Branham keeps telling us that Melchisedec
was not the Son, but He was the Father of the Son, and if He throughout His
ministry kept telling us that Melchisedec was not
Jesus, and then turns around and calls Him God and then here he calls Him
Jesus, then we must ask ourselves which Jesus is He talking about. Jesus came
in His Fathers name, and if that be so then the name of the Father is also
Jesus. And if this is True, which it is, then this Jesus He is speaking of here
is the Father as well.
I believe the fact that Jesus came in His
Fathers name has caused more stumbling than any one single thing. But yet, it
is so simple. I came in my fathers name and so did every one of you. Then why
have we tried to make such a thing so mysterious?
Who is This Melchisedec
160
Continued’ And He met Abraham, and what kind of a sign
did He perform? Then when He was made flesh, He said it would repeat again just
before the end time. You believe that? I believe it. Let's pray.
And we showed Wednesday Night that the Sign he performed was
the Sign of the Judge, which is the Sign of the Word for the Word is a
Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Then Who
is this Melchisedec? He is the Judge of all the
earth.
Let’s just bow our heads
and our hearts for a moment for prayer. Dear Gracious Father, we recognize that
you are the One brother Branham was pointing us to.
You are the same One who came to Abraham, and you are the same One who has come
in this hour, and you have shown that you are the same by the sign that you performed to Abraham
and Sarah, and have now performed in this hour to the Royal seed of
Abraham. Father, I pray that we would be
ever so thankful for the great sign which you have shown us that should put
away all fear and uncertainty, for you came, you declared yourself to be the
same, and then you backed up those words, you backed up that message, you
backed up Your Shout, with clear Bible evidence, and “THUS SITH THE LORD”, and
for that we are thankful. Help us Oh, God to rest in your promise for you who
gave the promise are hear to confirm it, in the name that you gave Your Only
begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.