In the Book of Genesis we read of a meeting that Abraham had with a mysterious Person called Melchizedek:
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Genesis 14:18-20
The Book of Hebrews explains this scene:
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. Hebrews 6:20;7:1-4
The expression order of Melchizedek or order of Melchisedec appears seven times in the Bible. The word order in this sense means rank or class. We are told plainly that Jesus is a Priest after the rank of Melchizedek, and Paul emphasizes one Melchizedek by saying "This" Melchizedek, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all
. "This" Melchizedek, abideth a priest continually,
which in modern english means that He lives as priest continually. Ellen White has this to say about the identity of Melchizedek:
Reports have reached the rulers in Jerusalem that Jesus is approaching the city with a great concourse of people. But they have no welcome for the Son of God. In fear they go out to meet Him, hoping to disperse the throng. As the procession is about to descend the Mount of Olives, it is intercepted by the rulers. They inquire the cause of the tumultuous rejoicing. As they question, “Who is this?” the disciples, filled with the spirit of inspiration, answer this question. In eloquent strains they repeat the prophecies concerning Christ: Adam will tell you, It is the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head. Ask Abraham, he will tell you, It is “Melchizedek King of Salem,” King of Peace. Genesis 14:18. DA 578
It was Christ that spoke through Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God. Melchisedec was not Christ, but he was the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father. [...] RH February 18, 1890, par. 10
What the above quotes mean is that Christ is a Melchizedek, but Christ isn't That Melchizedek referenced to in Genesis 14:18 and Hebrews 7:1-4. Therefore, there are two Melchizedeks, both Priests of the Most High God. Inspiration, speaking of Christ, is clear that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God
; and we witness that Christ lives today. So One of the Melchizedeks, Christ, is an eternal Person. But what does it mean that the other Melchizedek — the One referenced to in Hebrews 7:1-3 — doesn't have neither beginning of days, nor end of life
?
Ellen White Settling the Identity of Melchizedek
In a report signed by one of Ellen White's closest companions, named George Burt Starr, it is written the following:
REPORT OF A COUNCIL ON THE SUBJECT OF MELCHIZIDEK HELD AT THE AVONDALE COLLEGE, AUSTRALIA -- ADVENTIST HERITAGE CENTER JAMES WHITE LIBRARY ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
At this council, the editor of the Australian Signs of the Times requested the privilege of presenting his views as to who Melchizidek was. He read from a series of articles he had prepared for the paper.
As nearly as I remember, there were present at this council Elder S.N. Haskell, Elder W.L.H. Baker, Professor Rosseau, Professor Hughes, Ellen G. White, and the writer.
As the editor read from his articles, sister White interrupted him, saying "Bro. Blank, I would not publish those articles if I were you." He inquired, "Why not?" She replied, "Because they are not correct." The editor then inquired, "Who was Melchizidek then?" Sister White answered, "I will tell you who Melchizidek was, he was the Holy Spirit of God, assuming human form. He represented Christ to the people of that generation." This ended the council.
As soon as the meeting was over, Elder Haskell came to me and said: "Now, Brother Starr, whenever the Spirit of Prophecy makes a clear statement like that regarding Melchizidek, we can find this plainly taught in the Bible. And so we looked it up, concluding as follows:
1. "The eternal spirit" (Hebrews 9:14) would meet the specification in Hebrews 2:3 "Without beginning of days or end of life."
2. "A priest forever" (Rom. 8:26) ... "The spirit itself maketh intercession for us."
3. "Made like unto the Son of God." (Hebrews 7:3) We concluded that the Holy Spirit who produced Christ in the flesh through the virgin Mary (Matt. 1:20) was the only one who could reproduce Christ in the flesh to those people in ancient Palestine, and in and through us today reproduce His likeness.
Elder Haskell wrote some articles on this subject and printed them a few years ago in the Bible Training School, presenting practically the same view as here related.
Signed: G.B. Starr, September 5th, 1927
This report was at one point part of the Andrews University's library; now it's suppressed. We have below the scanned proof of the report, with Starr's signature on it, but there is no information on how it was smuggled out. God has His ways of preserving the truth against men's censorious will. The one who published the scanned report did it so anonymously on 21 October 2009 in an article on sabbathsermons.com. In the comment section under that article, another anonymous messenger published on October 10, 2016, a correspondece said to be written by Ellen G. White Estate associate director William Fagal. In this correspondence Fagal doesn't deny the existence of G.B. Starr's report or the council in which Ellen White is said in the same report to have identified Melchizedek. Fagal says that Colcord flatly denied
that Ellen White had identified Melchizedek at all. Fagal also says in this contex that Colcord put a great weight on the Book of Jasher
. The modern Book of Jasher, an unispired book who is not the Biblical Book of Jasher, says that Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Noah. So, Fagal seems to say that Colcord defended his opinion that Melchizedek was Shem using the Book of Jasher. The Ellen G. White Estate official website also seems to agree that what's in Starr's record was indeed told, although they say that the other members of the committee denied it, without further explanations. Someone is lying here. It's basically G.B. Starr and S. Haskell defending that the Melchizedek that met Abraham was the Holy Spirit, versus the Ellen G. White Estate employees (and supposedly Colcord also) denying that Melchizedek was the Holy Spirit. Judging by their fidelity to the writings of Ellen White and by their close friendship with her, G.B. Starr and S. Haskell are to be trusted more than the White Estate's employees and Colcord on this point.
Fig.1 Supressed report of G.B. Starr that says Ellen White identified MelchizedekThis statement, that Melchizedek was the Holy Spirit, makes complete sense, since, according to Romans 8:26, the Holy Spirit is an intercessor, so He abideth a priest continually
. He doesn't have genealogy. And the title King of Righteousness is more appropriate for a divine person, rather than a mortal sinner. He represents Christ, that's why we saw that it was Christ that spoke through Melchisedec,
yet Melchisedec was not Christ
. There are two divine Intercessors, two Melchizedeks:
Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man’s behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ, who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirit striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart. Ms 50, 1900, par. 16
Hebrews 7:4, calls "Man" to That Melchizedek Who Abraham gave tithes to. In the Bible, a man is not always a human. In Daniel 9:21, Daniel calls the angel Gabriel a "man", even though angels are not human. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
(Hebrews 1:14) So the Holy Spirit being a Man means that He just took human form and interacted with people in the time of Abraham, just like the angels can take human form and talk to us.
The articles by Haskell alluded to in Starr's letter contain even more arguments in favor of the Holy Spirit being Melchizedek. Haskell was an exceptional Seventh-Day Adventist and the closest companion of Ellen White outside her family. He was an anti-trinitarian for the first part of his life. However, at some point something changed, because he started writing in favor of the Godhead having three Persons. Probably the meeting at Avondale spoken of in this letter changed his mind completely on the subject. Here is a short article in which he proved that the Holy Spirit is Melchizedek only from the Bible:
WHO IS MELCHISEDEC?, written by Stephen N. Hasell:
Many speculations have been circulated in answer to this question; but the only sure way to arrive at right conclusions is to carefully study what the Lord has written of Him.
Melchisedec occurs eleven times in the Bible: eight of the instances refer to the priesthood of Christ, as follows:--
Psa. 110:4; Heb. 5:6; Heb. 7:17; Heb. 7:21 Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec
Heb. 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb. 6 :20. Jesus made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb. 7:11 Priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec
Heb. 7:15 After the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest.
The three remaining passages that speak of Melchisedec are descriptive of His character and work. In Genesis 14:18-20 we have the first mention of Melchisedec and in Hebrews 7:1-10, we have a further description of Him, the name Melchisedec occurring in the first and tenth verses. A careful reading of these last texts in will give us the following facts in regard to the work and character of Melchisedec.
1. King of Salem
2. King of righteousness
3. King of peace
4. Priest of the most high God
5. Blessed Abraham
6. Received tithes from Abraham
7. Without father
8. Without mother
9. Without descent (margin, without pedigree).
10. Having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.
11. Made like unto the Son of God
12. Abideth a priest continually
13. Descent is not counted from them (Abraham or Levi)
14. Greater than Abraham
Who is Melchisedec?--The one who fulfils all these characteristics given by inspiration.
Is it Christ? No, for Christ has a Father and also a mother, and His genealogy is traced in the Bible. He has a descent. Melchisedec is “made like unto the Son of God,” and therefore could not be the Son of God.
Is it the Angel Gabriel? No, for the angels are created beings and therefore had beginning of days. The whole of the first chapter of Hebrews is given to show that Christ is far above the angels and that they in no way compare with Him, therefore Melchisedec, who is “made like unto the Son of Man”, could not be any one of the angels. Gabriel is not a king. Angels are messengers sent to minister.
The Holy Spirit, “the third person of the Godhead”, the soul of Christ’s life, and the light and life of the world, is the only one to whom all of the above specifications will apply. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, and therefore is “King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace.”
The “Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered, and He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:26, 27. Therefore the Spirit “abideth a priest continually,” and is a “priest of the most high God.”
The Spirit is the “third person of the Godhead,” and therefore has no more “beginning of days nor end of life” than God Himself. There is no record of father, mother, or pedigree given of the Holy Spirit. As the third person of the Godhead, It is greater than Abraham and could bless him.
The Spirit comes to the world as representative of Christ and thus is made like unto Christ. The Holy Spirit has visibly appeared to man under different forms. The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Christ. Luke 3:22. It came as cloven tongues of fire upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost. To Abraham it appeared as a King, Priest. Today it comes as a blessed Comforter to everyone who will open his heart to receive it.
Importance of Melchizedek
In all ages holy men of God needed the intercession and power of the Holy Spirit as an essential factor in their sanctification process. The Spirit is constantly representing God to us so that, by beholding His character, we may become changed after His similitude. As it was presented in this article, the Bible, Ellen White, Haskell and this ministry all agree that the Holy Ghost was Melchizedek. This name, Melchizedek, is a title shared by two persons: Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It's similar to the word God, which is a title applied to the Godhead, as well as to the individual persons of the Godhead. Melchizedek is Jehovah.
Knowing this fact about Melchizedek, it allows us to gather more gems of truth from the study of the Levitical priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek, and the priesthood of God's commandment keeping people, which will reveal very surprising facts about the identity of the 144.000. Inspiration speaks about the redeemed who in heaven will be kings and priests. And again it gives the promise that if in this life we reveal the character of Christ, we may become kings and priests unto God.
No wonder this truth is so suppressed by Satan. He is afraid of Melchizedek, because soon Melchizedek will gather the 144.000 king-priests to finish His last work. This is the work of this ministry. We want to expand on this in future studies.
The portrayal of God's character is to lighten all the earth through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. We are invited to be the channels through which the Spirit will accomplish this work. The same Melchizedek that blessed Abraham four thousand years ago, the Holy Ghost, is to be imparted as a blessing on the remnant Church today.