Page 18 - BV15

18

The symbol of the Church of God will now be the ALMOND TREE -- the tree of
life -- and YEHOVAH God's church will be nourished by the spirit of YEHOVAH God
and will continually BEAR FRUIT in ALL seasons; and YEHOVAH's people will heal
the nations. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil [the fig tree] is now
WITHERED AND DEAD. No longer will this tree be in the midst of humanity to
encourage mankind to sin in the manner of Adam and Eve. No longer will good and evil
be in YEHOVAH's church. The Tree of Life will then nourish and heal the nations-- the
very tree that Yeshua was sacrificed on!

How breathtaking is YEHOVAH's truth when "rightly divided" and understood!
How mind-boggling is the plan of YEHOVAH God in all its intricacies and details!
Thank the Eternal God for His infinite mercy in revealing these truths to us.

Who Was Melchizedek?

The very Jewish way of thinking displayed in God, to offer sacrifices for sin. For he is able to bear
the Melchizedek material in Hebrews 7 has opened patiently with the ignorant and erring since he too is
the door for possible misunderstanding of the identity beset by weaknesses" (Heb. 5:1, 2). Thus it is said of
of the king and high priest Melchizedek. The Jesus: "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers
Melchizedek Order of Priesthood is held now by the in every way, so that he might be merciful and faithful
Messiah Jesus. That much is very clear. One as their high priest before God" (Heb. 2:13). Paul
translation (NASB) speaks of this mysterious emphasized the uniqueness of Jesus' priesthood and
personage as "without mother, without genealogy, his relationship with his Father in 1 Timothy 2:5: "For
having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but there is one God, and one mediator between God and
made like the Son of God, he remains a priest man, Christ Jesus, himself man."
forever."
Consistent with the idea that high priests are
Believers in a preexisting Son of God find in chosen from among men, God appointed the man
this and similar translations proof of Jesus' pre-human Messiah Jesus (cp. 1 Tim. 2:5) to the order of
state. But one Bible annotates our passage with the Melchizedek's priesthood (Ps. 110:4). The point to be
following: "Some believe the appearance of grasped is that there is no record of Melchizedek's
Melchizedek to be a manifestation of Christ before parentage. That is what is meant by his having "no
His incarnation, but the comparison 'like the Son of father and mother." It is not said of Melchizedek that
God' argues against such an interpretation." The very he was fatherless! His father is simply unknown.
fact that Melchizedek was described as LIKE the Son Jewish writings state that Sarah was motherless,
and not actually the Son should alert us to the fact that because the name of her mother is not recorded.
he could not be Jesus. Jesus was the Son of God.
Melchizedek was a "type," a pointer to the coming What is known about Melchizedek is that he
Son of God, the Messiah. did not belong to the family of Levi. Hebrews 7:6
implies that Melchizedek's family history is traceable
The translation given in the highly respected to someone, but not to Levi. Melchizedek was an
Word Biblical Commentary is illuminating. "His exalted man, a "type" of the ultimate priest, Jesus
father, mother, and line of descent are unknown, and Christ. He represented a priesthood superior to that
there is no record of his birth or of his death, but given to Levi under the Law. According to Psalm
having been made to resemble the Son of God, he 110:1 Jesus was a human being, just as Melchizedek
remains a priest continuously." Such a rendering was. Jesus was not God, but the human Son of God.
clears up all difficulties and gives no support for a Melchizedek, likewise, was a human person, chosen
pre-historic Jesus as Son of God. by God to typify that later non-Levitical priesthood of
Jesus, who was of the seed of Judah and David.
Looking more closely at the context of our
passage we find that "every high priest is taken from
among men and appointed their representative before