Melchizedek appears briefly yet profoundly in Scripture as a mysterious figure of divine significance. His first mention is in Genesis 14:18-20, where he meets Abram after the victory over the kings who captured Lot. The passage says, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.”
He blesses Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.” In response, Abram gives him a tithe of all. Melchizedek is both king and priest, unique in the Old Testament, holding an office that predates the Levitical priesthood.
Melchizedek’s name means “king of righteousness,” and being king of Salem, he is also “king of peace.” These titles are not incidental; they point directly to the nature of Christ. In Hebrews 7:1-3, it is said that Melchizedek was “without father, without mother, without genealogy… made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.”
This figure is not just a historical priest-king but a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. He is superior to Abraham, for Abraham gave tithes to him, and he blessed Abraham. The book of Hebrews makes clear that Melchizedek’s priesthood is greater than that of Levi. Hebrews 7:17 applies Psalm 110:4 to Christ: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Melchizedek is a shadow of the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, who mediates a better covenant, not based on genealogy or the Law, but on the power of an endless life.