By Clement Harrold
February 20, 2025
Melchizedek is one of the most mysterious figures in the whole Bible. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes him as "a figure of Christ" (§58; cf. §1544), while the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of Jesus as being "a high priest for ever after the order of Melchiz′edek" (Heb 6:20; cf. 5:6,10).
In the Holy Mass, Melchizedek's significance is further underscored by the words of the priest following the consecration in the Roman Canon:
Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim. (Eucharistic Prayer I)
While Abel and Abraham are more familiar characters, Melchizedek remains, at least for many of us, an enigma. Just who was this high priest, and why does he matter?
Melchizedek in the Bible
The Bible tells us that the name Melchizedek means "king of righteousness" (see Heb 7:2). Despite Melchizedek's eminence in the tradition of the Church, we possess a record of only a single event from his life. That event is recounted in the Old Testament book of Genesis:
After his [Abram's] return from the defeat of Ched-or-lao'mer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). And Melchiz′edek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said,
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
maker of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Gen 14:17-20)
Although it's very brief, this passage tells us a number of important things about who Melchizedek is.
First, the text makes it clear that Melchizedek is Abram's superior. Even after Abram (who will be renamed Abraham in Genesis 17) has won a mighty battle, still he recognizes the priestly kingship of Melchizedek by offering him a tenth of everything he owns.
Second, Melchizedek is described as both a king and a priest, which is a rare combination in the Old Testament. Nor can he be dismissed as some illegitimate pagan priest, since the author explicitly characterizes him as a "priest of God Most High."
Third, Melchizedek is king of Salem-a word which means peace, and a shorthand for Jerusalem, the same city where God's Temple would one day be built (see Ps 76:1-2).
Fourth, Melchizedek's role in the narrative is very mysterious; he's clearly an important figure, yet he arrives on the scene without any real introduction and he leaves again just as suddenly.
Finally, fifth, Melchizedek clearly points forward to Jesus in a number of ways: he is a priest of God Most High; he is a king of righteousness and peace; he is based in Jerusalem; and he offers God a thanksgiving sacrifice of bread and wine.
In the New Testament, these profound connections between Melchizidek and Jesus were picked up on by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who elaborates on the sparse account found in Genesis:
For this Melchiz′edek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever. See how great he is! Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of the spoils. (Heb 7:1-4)
For the author of Hebrews, Abraham's decision to tithe to Melchizedek is especially significant, since it foreshadows the tithe which the Israelite people would later offer to the Levitical priests (see Num 18:21). Just as the Levitical priests held a certain spiritual authority over the people, so Melchizidek holds a spiritual authority over Abraham; and since the Levites are descendants of Abraham, it follows that their priesthood must be subordinate to the priesthood of Melchizedek (see Heb 7:9-10).
"After the Order of Melchizedek . . ."
Something else the author of Hebrews observes is that Melchizedek enjoyed, like the Son of God, a priesthood which lasts forever. How should we make sense of this claim? Here we must turn to a very important verse in a very important psalm:
The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest for ever
after the order of Melchiz′edek." (Ps 110:4)
Known as a Messianic psalm, Psalm 110 is the single most frequently referenced psalm in the New Testament. In the space of just a few verses, it describes the future Messiah as one who will be a great king, a royal son of David; what's more, the Messiah will even share in God's own Lordship, and He will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
As Christians, we know that Psalm 110 is talking about Jesus. But why should the priesthood of Jesus be after the order of Melchizedek? Here it's helpful to consider a challenge which our Jewish brethren have sometimes raised in objection to Christianity. What they'll point out is that the Gospels clearly depict Jesus as being a descendant of David, from the royal tribe of Judah. And this is crucial if Jesus is going to be considered the long-awaited Messiah, the rightful king of Israel.
But here's the problem: the New Testament also portrays Jesus as being a priest, and priests don't come from Judah. Ever since the golden calf debacle in Exodus 32, priests have only come from the tribe of Levi. So which is it: is Jesus a king from the tribe of Judah, or a priest from the tribe of Levi?
It turns out this objection is nothing new, as the author of Hebrews readily attests. "For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests" (Heb 7:14). No doubt about it, then: Jesus is descended from Judah; He is not a Levite. So how can He still be considered a priest? Well, for the author of Hebrews, Jesus is a priest in exactly the way that Psalm 110 prophesied the Messiah would be a priest: He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Whereas the priesthood of the Levites is based on tribal affiliation beginning with the priesthood of Aaron, the priesthood of Jesus is rooted in something much more ancient. It is the priesthood of the patriarchs, stretching all the way back to Adam-a priesthood based not on blood lineage but on divine power. As the Epistle to the Hebrews explains when describing Christ's priestly pedigree: "another priest arises in the likeness of Melchiz′edek, who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life" (Heb 7:15-16).
Why This Matters
The significance of Jesus being a priest after the order of Melchizedek lies in the fact that His is an everlasting and perfect priesthood based on God's solemn oath: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz′edek'" (Ps 110:4).
We should recall, too, how the Epistle to the Hebrews described the obscure origins and death of Melchizedek: "He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever" (Heb 7:3). This suggests that it was part of the divine plan that the figure of Melchizedek, as described in the book of Genesis, should remain shrouded in mystery, so as to better resemble the mystery of Christ's own eternal priesthood.
Although the Levitical priesthood served its purpose for a time, it was established as a concession to Israel's spiritual weakness, and it was bound by the old law which "made nothing perfect" (Heb 7:19). And though the Levitical priests were many, they were still sinners; they still had to make sacrifices every day; and they all still died (see Heb 7:23).
In Jesus, by contrast, we have "the surety of a better covenant" (Heb 7:22), the assurance of something far greater:
Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. (Heb 7:25-27)
Jesus is our heavenly intercessor, our saving victim. He is the divine Messiah, the new and eternal king of righteousness. And by the sacrifice not of bulls and goats, but of His own Body and Blood, given to us in the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine, He reveals Himself as a priest forever-a priest like Melchizedek of old.
Further Reading
John Bergsma, Jesus and the Old Testament Roots of the Priesthood (Emmaus Road Publishing, 2021)
John Bergsma and Brant Pitre, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament (Ignatius Press, 2018)
https://stpaulcenter.com/in-the-order-of-melchizedek/
Clement Harrold earned his master's degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2024, and his bachelor's from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2021. His writings have appeared in First Things, Church Life Journal, Crisis Magazine, and the Washington Examiner.
