Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom Part 2: Binding and Loosing on Earth and in Heaven

by | Mar 20, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

Greetings saints of the Most High. Welcome to another installment of the Messianic Torah Observer. Rod Thomas coming to you on a beautiful Spring midweek day here in the DFW. I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me. And as always beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 19th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to March 20, 2025. All indications are that we are very likely going to be celebrating Biblical Rosh Hashanah, Aviv 1, on March 31, 2025, depending on the sighting of the renewed moon the evening before. Barley searchers in the Land have already identified Aviv barley throughout portions of Yisra’el, and other natural players of the observational calendar seem to be firmly in place for Aviv 1 in roughly 10-days’ time. As always, beloved, we will keep you apprised of the latest and greatest findings in the Land as they are made available to us. We post these updates on our website themessianictorahobserver.org.

 

This is “Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom Part 2.” I have given this 2nd part of our discussion on the Keys of the Kingdom the subtitle of, “Binding and Loosing on Earth and in Heaven.“

 

If you have not read or listened to last week’s installment entitled “Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom: Understanding Yeshua’s Teachings in Light of Torah,” I would humbly encourage you to do so, preferably before you read or listen to this installment. Last week’s installment, Part 1, sets the stage for this week’s teaching.

 

Our focus passage is Matthew 16:19, which reads:

 

“I (this is Yeshua speaking to His taught ones) will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Legacy Standard Bible (Three Sixteen Publishing, 2022), Mt 16:19).

 

The apostles were given “wide berth” (i.e. great latitude) in terms of authority over the Way — the True Faith once delivered — by their Master, Yahoshua Messiah. It goes beyond the Master simply passing on to them the keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens as stated in the first portion of verse 19. Recall from our discussions in part 1 of this series that we came to an understanding that the keys of the Kingdom that Yahoshua was promising to give to His taught ones had to do with granting them the authority to teach, create or invoke, and expound upon halachah for His ekklesia/Kehila. And in case it’s not clear what is meant by the term “halachah,” particularly in this context, we’re talking about the course or pathway a disciple of Yeshua Messiah is required to walk in order to be deemed righteous; how the disciple is to conduct themselves in their day-to-day lives that puts them in sync with the will and purpose of Yehovah. It is this halachah that opens the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven to Yah’s chosen ones. Those who choose to not walk out the halachah of the Apostles will find the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven locked and inaccessible to them.

 

Yeshua’s conferring of authority to His disciples by granting them the keys of the Kingdom would be carry little to no weight or significance if the apostles did not have the wherewithal to use or employ those keys. And so, Yeshua made His disciples’ authority iron-clad (i.e. such that their authority could not be disputed either on earth or in heaven) by declaring, “whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Their authority would extend from local assemblies/congregations, such as described in Matthew 18:18, to the entire Body of Messiah.

 

Now, we must face the question of whether leaders in the Messianic Faith today possess the authority to invoke or create halachah to the same extent that Yeshua’s chosen and anointed sent ones—Yeshua’s apostles — possessed? And the answer to this important question is: Not exactly, but sort of. Modern-day Messianic/Netsari leaders possess the authority to enact or implement and expound upon the halachah of the original Apostles over their assigned assemblies. For them to invoke or create halachah that is not found in the apostolic scriptures by modern day Messianic leaders would place them in the office of an Apostle, which I do not believe we have any members of the Body operating in today. Now, that’s just me saying this. This is my opinion. And I know that this statement will probably offend some out there who believe they possess the office of Apostle here in 2025. But from what we know about ecclesiastical history beloved, John (Yochanan) the Revelator was the last apostle to die. Biblically speaking, an apostle is defined as an individual who is sent on a mission by the Master Yeshua. They are emissaries of Yahoshua Messiah. And there were specific criteria or qualifiers for being an apostle to include being directly appointed to the office by Yeshua Himself; being an eyewitness of the Master’s resurrection; and being a witness to the Master’s earthly ministry (Act 1:21-26). Now, one could argue that Paul did not exactly possess these criteria, and I would agree with that argument to some extent. Scripture does not give us any indication that Paul was a witness to the Master’s earthly ministry or that he was an eyewitness to the Master’s resurrection. And this no doubt put him at variance with his apostolic colleagues throughout much of his career as the apostle to the Gentiles. But what we do know is that Paul was directly appointed to the office of an apostle by the Master (Act 9:10-22). There is no doubt about that. And if Yeshua certified Paul as His apostle, then he possessed the same authority the Master spoke of here in Matthew 16:19.

 

But I say no to there being any apostles beyond 90 AD.

 

Defining “Biding” and “Loosing”

 

The Greek term used for “binding” is “deo” and the Greek term used for “loosing” is “luo”.

 

The use of these terms “deo” and “luo” in a few other New Testament passages may help us better understand what Yeshua meant when He used them in verse 19 of Matthew chapter 16:

 

In Luke 13:10-17, we have the story of Yahoshua healing or freeing or exorcising a demon-possessed or demon-bound woman on the Shabbat. An offended synagogue ruler challenged Yeshua’s freeing of this bound woman, declaring to a listening crowd that there are six days in a week in which an individual may be healed, but not on the Sabbath. But the Master pushed back on the synagogue ruler’s misunderstanding of the freeing purpose of the Shabbat:

 

15 But the Lord answered and said to him, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you untie his ox or his donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it away to water it? 16 And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound (i.e. deo) ⌊eighteen⌋ long years—is it not necessary that she be released (i.e. luo) from this bond on the day of the Sabbath?” (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Lk 13:15–16.)

 

We find in John 11:38-44 the story of Yahoshua’s resurrecting of his beloved friend Lazarus. The concept of loosing and binding is concentrated in Yeshua’s instructions to witnesses to the resurrection that they attend to the resurrected Lazarus, whose feet and hands were bound (i.e. deo) by strips of cloth, by releasing (i.e. luo) him from those cloths or bindings.

 

And last, in John 20:19-23, we find the story of Yeshua appearing to His taught ones within a short time after His resurrection. In his interaction with His disciples, Yeshua breathes upon each of them and imparts unto them the Holy Spirit. And then He grants them authority to forgive (like loosing) the sins of others as well as not forgive (like binding) the sins of others. Although the terms deo and luo were not used in the Greek manuscripts for this passage, we can recognize the concept of having loosing and binding authority.

 

It should be understood that the concepts of binding and loosing are not exclusive to Yeshua’s teachings and declarations. The binding and loosing concepts were part of Jewish or Rabbinic halachic literature.

 

We find in the Mishnah, tractate Peah, chapter 5, Mishnah 6 the following example:

 

“He who sells a field — the seller is permitted (i.e. “mutar,” or “loosed”) [to collect produce designated for the poor from that field, since he no longer owns the field] but the buyer is forbidden (i.e. “‘asur” or “bound”) [to collect this produce].“

 

The Hebrew terms “‘asur” and “mutar” (in the hifil) as recorded in Rabbinic literature denote the prohibition (i.e. the binding) and the permitting (i.e. the loosing) of a thing within the confines of the Jewish religion. Again, it’s all about the halachah.

 

When we factor these pieces into our attempt to gain the best understanding of what Master Yeshua was authorizing His taught ones to do in terms of His ekklesia/Kehila, we arrive at a few explanations:

 

  1. The taught ones would have authority over all demonic activity (e.g. Luk 10:17-19; 13:16). Thus, they would be authorized to perform exorcisms. This, of course, features prominently in the Catholic Church where the popes are descended from Peter are vicars of Christ. Thus, these possess the authority to exorcize demons in the world. To free those bound by demons.
  2. Peter determines who makes it into heaven and who doesn’t. Again, the ones who makes it into heaven are loosed or permitted, while those denied entry into heaven are bound. This is certainly a Roman Catholic Church concept of the authority of the so-called Vicar of Christ.
  3. Peter would be granted the authority to forgive (i.e. loose) or not forgive sins (i.e. bind). This also runs in sync with the Vicar of Christ heresy. The concept of an apostle forgiving sins or not runs contrary to the Judaistic understanding and acceptance that only Yehovah/God forgives sin (Mar 2:7; Luk 5.21). As we saw in John 20:23, Yeshua granted his apostles the authority to forgive sins or not, as He had been granted the same authority to forgive sins or not from His Father. Many will disagree with this, but the scriptures say what the scriptures say. And we know Yeshua declared the following:

“… Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 19:28–Lk 22:30.)

But in terms of popes of the Catholic Church, or any denominationalist church leaders who claim apostolic authority, no others have been granted the authority to forgive or not forgive sins.

  1. Peter has the sole authority to interpret scripture. Yet another Roman Catholic concept focused on the authority the popes took onto themselves. Indeed, truly Spirit-filled Messianic or Netsari leaders have the authority to interpret scripture as the Spirit so provides them the means to do so.
  2. The Talmudim turned Schlichim (i.e. Apostles) would possess the authority to render halachah for the ekklesia/Kehila of Mashiyach. Matthew 18:11 and 28:18-20 serve as excellent support passages for this explanation. Thus, this appears to be the soundest, contextually based explanation of the Master’s declaration of “loosing” and “binding” authority for His taught ones. The focus is on establishing halachah for the Kehila/ekklesia that would open the Malchut haShamayim to Jew and Gentile alike. The other four are not contextually valid explanations for Yeshua’s use of the concept of “loosing” and “binding” in Matthew 16:19.

 

How Does the Apostle’s Loosing and Binding Authority Here on Earth Affect Heaven?

 

Yahoshua declared to His taught ones that whatever they bind on earth “shall have been bound in heaven and whatever they loosed on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Mat 16:19; NASB).

 

Notice we have a past-tense situation at work in this verse whereby a present action on earth by the apostles would have already had a positive, established impact in heaven. For us 21st century westerners, this makes no sense. How can some present action by an apostle here on earth already have a positive impact in heaven?

 

Of this past-tense situation, Ernest DeWitt Burton writes:

 

“If [the perfect tense] implies a past action and affirms an existing result” (Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek (T&T Clark, 1898), p. 37).

 

In other words, “whatever you (My disciples soon to be Apostles) bind on earth will already have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will already have been loosed in heaven” (Hegg, T., Matthew Commentary, p. 676).

 

It’s still not making sense, right? How can the actions of mere mortals on this earthly plain impact events/situations in heaven? Ah! Here’s the sauce, beloved, that brings this delicious spiritual meal to its fullest potential:

 

In making this binding and loosing declaration to His taught ones in relation to them also receiving the keys of the Kingdom of the heavens, the Master publicly recognized that His taught ones would act in positions of authority under the expressed direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yehovah’s Indwelling Presence.

 

Let’s go back to John 20:

 

(21) Then said Yahoshua to them (His disciples) again, Shalom Aleichem. As My Abba has sent Me, even so I send you. (22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach Kodesh. (23) If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness of a man’s sins, they are kept.” (RSTNE).

 

Now, stepping back and looking at this thing full-on, we find Yahoshua’s loosing and binding declaration on both earth and in heaven would be nothing short of Yehovah carrying out His will and purpose here on earth through Yeshua’s apostles. And because these taught ones belonged to Yahoshua, they were 100% approved by Yehovah. And this being the case, whatever they did on earth in the capacity of the authority granted unto them by Yeshua was equivalent to Yehovah already having established or approved of those things they did on earth, in heaven. What they would do as Yeshua’s apostles was already preordained and approved of in heaven because they were direct agents of Yehovah, operating exclusively by His Set Apart Spirit.

 

Binding and Loosing Enshrined in the Apostolic Writings

 

This binding and loosing authority and the keys of the Kingdom then are enshrined in the Apostolic writings (i.e. the New Testament or the Brit haDashah). The apostolic writings serve as the roadmap or layout for the Master’s Kehila/ekklesia.

 

The Apostle Shaul/Paul clearly understood the weight of this office in relation to the reality of the Master’s Kehila/ekklesia:

 

(19) Consequently; therefore, you (i.e. Ephesian Gentiles) are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (i.e. the commonwealth of Yisra’el); (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Yahoshua Messiah Himself being the cornerstone (21) in Whom the whole building, joined together, grows into a holy temple in Yehovah, (22) in Whom you also are built up together into a dwelling place of Ahlohim in the Spirit (Eph 2; LEB modified).

 

Now, this flies in opposition to most messianic thinking, especially as it relates to matters of authority in our own Faith community today. Many believe authority over the Messianic Community should rest on some form of Rabbinic leadership (i.e. Messianic Rabbis and such). But Yahoshua in no way placed authority of His Kehila/ekklesia into the hands of the Rabbis and Scribes. This being the case, according to Yeshua and to Paul, why are so many of us coming under the covering, so to speak, of Messianic Jewish Rabbis today? Why aren’t we all under the headship of Yeshua and His anointed, appointed Apostles and the Spirit-filled leaders of our local groups and assemblies?

 

Are There Apostles in the True Biblical Sense of the Title Apostle Today?

 

Are there then apostles in the true biblical sense of the title apostle alive and functioning today? I personally do not believe so. If what scripture says about the authority that Yeshua gave to His disciples turned apostles is to be believed (and I believe it absolutely is to be believed) and followed, then these would be apostles today would still be writing scripture, crafting halachah; and doing everything that the apostles of the first century did. That would mean that the Kehila/ekklesia would still be in the process of being built upon them even today. I believe, as I previously stated, that the last true apostle was Yochanan (John) the Revelator who died sometime around 90 CE.

 

Beyond the Yeshua-selected apostles of the first century, Yeshua gave His ekklesia/Kehila: (1) Prophets; (2) Evangelists; (3) Pastors; and (4) Teachers. Yahoshua gave these anointed offices of the Body of Mashiyach, none of which are Rabbis, mind you, as we have but One Rabbi (listen to my teaching on Call No One Rabbi). But the Master gave us these powerful offices for the equipping of the saints; for the work of the ministry; for the building up of the Body of Mashiyach until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of Yehovah; to a mature man; to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Mashiyach so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit (Eph 4:11-14; LEB).

 

Some have referred to this as the 5-fold ministry of the Church. Okay. Whatever. But the keys of the Kingdom and the authority over the halachah of the Master’s Kehila/ekklesia rest exclusively with the Apostles. Thus, the way we are to walk out his Faith was specifically given over to the apostles — Yeshua’s sent ones — for dissemination, development, application, and so forth. This job would have gone to the Rabbis, but Yeshua took that opportunity away from them. Yeshua equipped His taught ones turned sent ones with the Holy Spirit — the Ruach haKodesh — that ordered and guarded their governing and building work.

 

Back to these Keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens: These were the authority to implement, properly interpret, and administer the Master’s teachings to all humanity. And this being the case, the gates of the Kingdom of Yehovah would be opened to all, including non-Jews which the Pharisees denied access, who would seek to come into a covenant relationship with the Ahloha/God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, and receive and enter Yehovah’s glorious Kingdom. This would be the ultimate fulfillment of Yah’s covenant promise to Avraham:

 

“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…,” (Gen 22:18; 26:4; KJV).

 

And while they built the Body — the Kehila — in the first century, the apostles not only drafted/wrote out the framework for the ekklesia, they personally exercised or put into action the authority Master Yeshua gave them. Probably the greatest example of them exercising their given authority is seen in the account of the Jerusalem Council (Act 15). Another example of them exercising their authority involved the undeniably clear halachic instructions put forth from Paul/Shaul to the assemblies he oversaw, which are recorded in his dozen or so writings. And then there are the pastoral epistles that were designed to instill and maintain righteousness, peace, and love throughout the Body of Mashiyach. The apostles’ actions and teachings were expositions, expansions, explanations if you will, of the teachings and example of Yeshua Messiah, who Himself taught and modeled His Father’s Torah to His taught ones.

 

Tim Hegg sums this whole apostolic authority as follows:

“Ultimately, however, the authoritative voice of the Apostles was vouched safe in the inspired Scriptures, which when completed, formed the constitution (as it were) by which the ekklesia of Yeshua would be governed” (The Gospel of Matthew Commentary, Torah Resource, 1995; p. 677).

 

In Conclusion

 

So, let’s see if we can bring this whole question of what the Keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens are all about, and how they relate to Torah-Commandment-keeping.

 

The Keys of the Kingdom are the halachah of our Faith Community. These keys open the gates to the Kingdom of the Heavens for us because they reveal the ways we are supposed to conduct our lives as future Kingdom dwellers. Prior to Yeshua and the Apostles, the gates to the Kingdom were locked to all but a remnant of souls, because the Jewish religious leaders imposed their own manmade halachah, which Yeshua said nullifies Torah (Mat 15:6).

 

Yeshua took the keys to the Kingdom away from the Jewish religious leadership and gave it to His taught ones, soon to be sent ones or Apostles. Possession of the keys to the Kingdom meant they had the authority to exposit, formulate, explain, and apply halachah — the way Yeshua’s chosen ones are to conduct their lives — for Yeshua’s Kehila/ekklesia. The apostles were given a significant amount of latitude in their handling of these keys: What they permitted members of the Body to do, it would have already been established in heaven. And whatever they prohibited members of the Body of Mashiyach from doing would have already been established/approved in heaven. It would all have been recorded in the Court of Heaven.

 

The halachah that the Apostles provided to the ekklesia/Kehila would be entirely based upon the teachings and example of their Master Yahoshua Messiah. The teachings and example of Yeshua Messiah were the fullest potential of the Creator’s Torah possible. Yeshua Himself said that He did not come to eliminate His Father’s Torah, but rather, He came to take His Father’s Torah to its fullest and greatest potential that was to be walked out in the lives of His followers. The Apostles, having the Keys of the Kingdom, would take the Master’s teachings and His example, and with the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, create and explain and interpret and apply those things to the Kehila/ekklesia of Yeshua HaMashiyach.

 

Unlocking the Keys to the Kingdom: Understanding Yeshua’s Teachings in Light of Torah

by | Mar 14, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

Greetings saints of the Most High. Welcome to another installment of the Messianic Torah Observer. Rod Thomas coming to you on a beautiful Spring Preparation Day here in the DFW. I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me. And as always beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

As I am publishing this teaching, it is Preparation Day, the 13th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to Friday, March 14, 2025. Which means that we are inching ever so closely to biblical Rosh HaShannah, presuming all of the observational elements of Yah’s calendar fall into their proper order. And so, as we near the end of this month, we’ll keep you apprised of the outcome of the barley crop and new moon searches in the Land of Yisra’el and make the appropriate announcements.

 

And for those of you who have or who will celebrate Purim, I pray it was or will be a meaningful time of reflection and family and fellowship time together.

 

Well, as you may be able to tell, I’m a bit under the weather this week. My voice is just about gone. I seem to have all the typical symptoms of a springtime flu. So, forgive me if my voice and lack of energy are distractions to you. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to leave you without a little something for your Sabbath this week. So, I decided to share with you my response to a beloved brother’s question to me this past week that I think may be of benefit for all of us. His question was:

 

What are the Keys to the Kingdom and what role does Commandment-Torah-Mitzvot-keeping play in these keys?

The phrase “keys to the Kingdom” is found amid Yeshua’s response to Peter’s confession and profession of Who his Master Yeshua is:

13 Now when* Jesus came to the region of Caesarea ⌊Philippi⌋, he began asking* his disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, ⌊Some⌋ say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and* said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” 17 And Jesus answered and* said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this* to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it! 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.” 20 Then, he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Mt 16:13–20.)

 

Before delving into just what these illusive, mysterious keys to the Kingdom Yeshua speaks of, we must first frame all of this in proper biblical context. In verse 13, we read that Yeshua and His taught ones had arrived in the region of Caesarea, aka Philippi. Seems the group had actually stopped at the base of Mount Hermon. And Mount Hermon, as you may or may not know, was a location of extensive idol and pagan worship (i.e. the worship of Pan comes readily to mind). And if one were to think about our focus passage of Matthew 16:13-20 with the backdrop of Mount Hermon in mind, you would come to the same conclusion as I have that the Master could not have picked a better place for the declarations and pronouncements that were to be made about Him and about His ministry to all creation to include not just all of humanity, but also the spirit world.

 

So, the Master asks His taught ones who people thought He was. His sent ones responded with a number of named individuals that were attributed to Him. And then the Master drills down even further and asks His sent ones who they think He is. Peter (his name being Shimon bar Yonah) pipes up with the profound response: “You are the Mashiyach, the Son of the Living Ahloha Who has come into the olam hazeh (i.e. come into the world)” (16.16; RSTNE). The Master affirms Shimon’s declaration by calling Him blessed (16.18). He declares Shimon blessed because Shimon’s declaration came by way of the revelation of the Holy Spirit (16.17). And from this point in this historic interaction between Yeshua and His sent ones, things start to get a little murky. Murky in that millions of people have been misled by their religious leaders over millennia because their religious leaders have intentionally, and to some degree, unintentionally misinterpreted the following two verses.

 

We read in verse 18 that because of Shimon’s Holy Spirit-induced pronouncement of the Master’s true identity, Yahoshua gives Shimon the moniker or nickname “Kefa,” meaning stone or rock. Yeshua’s application of the title or name “Kefa” to Shimon was the launch word upon which to describe the rest of His earthly ministry and the ministry that His taught ones would soon enter.

 

The Master tells not only Shimon Kefa but the rest of His taught ones that upon that Rock, He would build or establish His “Kehila” (aka ekklesia as opposed to church) that the gates of Gei-Hinnom (aka Hades or hell) would be incapable of resisting or overcoming (16:18). And then the Master tells His taught ones He would give them the keys to the Malchut ha Shamayim (aka the Kingdom of the Heavens) (16:19).

 

The age-old point of contention here is, did Yeshua build His Kehila/ekklesia upon the person of Shimon Kefa and did Shimon Kefa alone receive the keys to the Kingdom from Yeshua HaMashiyach?

 

Clearly, Yeshua’s declaration that “upon this rock He would build His ekklesia/Kehila” had absolutely nothing to do with the person and future ministry of Shimon Kefa. A careful contextual read of the text will reveal that the Master declared that upon the bedrock of Truth that came out of Shimon Kefa’s mouth — that being that Yeshua was Mashiyach/Messiah, the Son of the living Ahloha Who has come into the olam hazeh/the world. This declaration, unfortunately, has been twisted and misinterpreted by various religious leaders who asserted throughout millennia that the Master was building His Church upon the person and ministry of Simon Peter, which is patently false.

 

The next travesty is the misapplication of the Master’s promise that He would give to an individual or individuals the keys to the Malchut ha Shamayim/the Kingdom of the Heavens. Again, millions have been misled into believing that the Master was handing the keys of the Kingdom specifically to Simon/Shimon Kefa.

 

Some English translators have inserted the term “and” at the very start of verse 19 so that it reads: “And I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of the Heavens.” This insertion naturally leads most readers to link the Master’s response to Simon Kefa’s Holy Spirit induced declaration that He, Yahoshua, was indeed the Mashiyach; the Son of the Living Ahloha to Peter, exclusively receiving the keys to the Kingdom/the Malchut. This simple connector “and” added to verse 19, and the misinterpreted Peter being the rock upon which Yeshua would build His ekklesia/Kehila, placed a tremendous amount of authority and precedence upon the person of Shimon Kefa/Simon Peter. And this forced, error-ridden interpretation of these two verses formed the felonious doctrine of Peter alone possessing the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and that he was the person upon whom the Church — the ekklesia/the Kehila — would be built. This doctrine and understanding are patently false. It forms the basis of the Catholic Church’s false teaching and doctrine that Peter was the first pope — the so-called Vicar of Christ — and that all succeeding men who have laid claim to that demonically inspired office and title are spiritual descendants of Peter. That they are the Vicar of Christ.

 

So, just to be clear, Yeshua’s words were meant for all His disciples — His taught ones. Not just for Shimon/Simon Kefa.

 

Now, getting to the main question of this post: What did Yeshua mean by giving His disciples/taught ones the keys of the Kingdom of the heavens?

 

It’s no secret that keys are instruments used to lock and unlock doors, gates, and other secure barriers and instruments. And this concept is no different from the concept of keys in Yeshua’s day. Yeshua’s use of the term “keys of the Kingdom of Heaven” implies that the Kingdom of Heaven was not open or accessible to everyone. There is a direct link to the Master’s statement to His taught ones that “the gates of Hades/Geh-Hinnim would not withstand ” His Kehila/His ekklesia!

You see, the holder or keeper of keys, let’s say keys to a gate like the gates of Geh-Hinnim, had tremendous power. This individual had the power and authority to deny entry into their city or region or keep, or to allow entry into their city, region, or keep. The holder of the keys to a place or thing, then served as a protector of that locked or secured thing or place. This individual had the responsibility of keeping unauthorized individuals out of the city, region, or keep. Remember, Adam possessed the keys to the Garden/Gan Eden. He was tasked with keeping entities out who didn’t belong there in the Garden, as well as permitting those who had valid business entry into the Garden (Gen 2:15—And YHVH Ahlohim took the man and put him into Gan Eden to work it and to guard — shomrah — it). But Adam failed in his gatekeeping role by allowing the nachash/the serpent into the Garden. And we all know how that story ended up.

 

Conversely, the holder of the keys of a city or gate or keep also possesses the wherewithal — the authority — to permit authorized individuals the freedom of coming and going; of having access to the secure place.

 

So then, what do “keys” have to do with the Kingdom of the Heavens/Malchut haShamayim? The Kingdom or Malchut haShamayim exists in the here and now (i.e. the Kingdom that is already but not yet; it is the kingdom that resides within every true disciple of Yahoshua Messiah — Mat 12:28), as well as it is the coming reality of Yah’s Kingdom in the World Tomorrow. Quite simply, beloved, the Biblical concept and reality of the Malchut Ahlohim/the Kingdom of Yah is the uncompromising rule of Yehovah over His chosen ones. It’s Yah’s rule over every aspect of our lives each and every day we breathe in this life, as well as it is Yah’s rule, through the Person of Yeshua Messiah, over the nation peoples of this world in the Millennium-Kingdom Age (Dan 2:44).

 

This being said, beloved, someone has to have the keys to these forms of the Kingdom, right? Someone has to possess the authority to keep out those who don’t belong or who don’t qualify to be in the Kingdom, as well as to grant access to those who Yah has chosen to enter His glorious Kingdom. And this is the point of Yeshua’s words to His taught ones, whereby He promised to give them the keys of the Malchut haShamayim.

 

Indeed, Yeshua was promising to grant His taught and sent ones the authority to permit and deny entry into the Kingdom of Yah. Consider the following:

 

(27) Then answered Kefa and said to Him (i.e. Yeshua), “See, we (i.e. Kefa and the rest of the disciples) have forsaken all and followed You. What shall we have, therefore?” (In other words, what is the plan for us given that we’ve given up everything in our lives to follow you, Yeshua?) (28) And Yahoshua said to them, “Truly I say to you, those of you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Ben Ahdahm (aka the Son of Man) shall sit on the kesay (i.e. the seat of authority as we discussed in a previous installment of TMTO) of His esteem, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, administering mishpat (i.e. judgment) over the twelve tribes of Yasharal/Yisra’el.” (Mat 19; RSTNE)

 

When we speak about the Keys of the Malchut/the Kingdom of Yah, we’re clearly talking about the authority that will be granted to certain individuals in terms of accessing and being denied access to the Kingdom of Yah. And it’s difficult to come to a complete understanding of what that authority looks like without a study of the remainder of the passage where the Master declares that whatever they bind or loose on earth will be established in heaven. But I want to keep this discussion as simple and brief as possible. Abba willing, we’ll get into the details of what that binding and loosing looks like in a future installment of TMTO.

 

But let’s try to bring this home a little bit. What Yeshua was declaring and informing His disciples/His sent ones was that they would receive authority that would establish the criteria necessary to make it into the Kingdom of Ahlohim. The Hebrew understanding of keys to the kingdom is one where the Jewish religious leaders — the Scribes and Pharisees — who possessed the knowledge and understanding of what it took to be a member of the Kingdom of Yehovah. True Yisrael. However, their self-indulgence and hypocrisy, according to Yeshua, shut folks out of the Malchut Ahlohim. (23:13). We’re talking about privileged knowledge that was entrusted to the most disciplined and zealous of the religious leaders.

 

And because the Jewish religious leaders abused the authority and trust Yehovah instilled in them, Yahoshua informed them that the keys to the Kingdom — that authority they once held — would be given to another people:

 

“Therefore, I say to you (i.e. the Jewish religious leaders), the Malchut of Yehovah shall be taken from you and given to a people bringing forth the fruits of it” (Mat 21:43; RSTNE). Those “people” would of course be Yahoshua’s taught and sent ones — His Talmidim. And by extension, the keys of the Kingdom/Malchut and the authority therein would be given to all who are of the True Faith once delivered by these the Talmidim. And because Yeshua was stripping the keys of the Kingdom of Yehovah away from the Jewish religious leaders of His day and passing them on to His taught and sent ones, the forgotten ones of Jewish society would have the privilege of receiving and entering the Kingdom/the Malchut:

 

(31)… Truly I say to you (the Jewish religious leaders), that the tax collectors and the harlots go into the Malchut of Yehovah before you. (32) For Yochanan (the Immerser) came to you in the Way of tzedakah” (i.e. righteousness) and you believed him not. But the tax collectors and the harlots believed him. And you, when you had seen it, made no teshuvah (i.e. no repentance) afterwards, that you might believe him. (Mat 21; RSTNE)

 

The gates to the Kingdom had been closed to all but a remnant of Hebrews up to Yeshua’s day:

 

“But woe to you, Sophim (i.e. Scribes) and Prushim (i.e. Pharisees). Hypocrites! For you shut up the Malchut ha shamayim (i.e. the Kingdom of the Heavens) from men. For you neither go in yourselves, neither do you allow them that are entering to go in” (Mat 23:13; RSTNE).

 

But now, Yeshua’s taught ones, soon to be sent ones, would open up the gates to the glorious Kingdom of Yah to those willing to receive and accept Yah’s invitation to receive and be under the rule of Yehovah.

 

The keys or access to the Malchut Ahlohim that Yeshua is referencing here to His taught ones is privileged halachic (the Ways of Yah) knowledge (13:16-17). That knowledge is the fullness of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Yeshua’s taught ones were being given the spiritual tools to properly interpret and teach Torah and make decisions on behalf of Yah’s chosen ones. These would have been the keys held by the Scribes and Pharisees in relation to their teaching and example function over Yisra’el. These teachers of Torah served, in a sense, as the gatekeepers for humanity. However, these religious leaders squandered the authority and privilege given to them by Yehovah. But Yeshua’s taught ones would receive the full understanding of Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration, and Redemption and given the keys of the Malchut Ahlohim or the Kingdom of the Heavens.

 

Thus, Yeshua’s Talmidim would take that which they’d received from their Master and establish Yeshua’s Kehila, which would be founded upon the Rock, which is Yahoshua, the Son of the Living Ahloha. The Talmidim dispensed to all who would be called of Yehovah the halachah that would take the true believer and member of the true Faith once delivered from Pesach to Sukkot. Their testimony and their teachings firmly established the halachah that was passed down to them by Master Yeshua. And the halachah of the Talmidim, being the same halachah of Yeshua Messiah (Mat 11:29 — Yeshua said to His disciples, “Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me… ), is none other than Torah: Yah’s loving instructions in righteousness.

 

But many will question the reality of this: That Yeshua came to teach Torah. But the reality, beloved, is that everything Yeshua modeled and taught His Talmidim — His disciples — and by extension us today — was Torah. Yeshua declared to His taught ones:

 

(17) think not that I Am come to weaken, or destroy the Torah, or the neviim (i.e. the prophets). I have not come to weaken or destroy, but to completely reveal it in is intended fulness and to confirm it. (18) For truly I say to you, until the current shamayim/heavens and earth pass away, not one Word, shall by any means, pass away from the Torah, until all be fulfilled. (19) Whoever therefore shall break or weaken one of the least Torah mitzvoth and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Malchut ha shamayim/the kingdom of the heavens. But whoever shall do and teach the commands, the same shall be called great in the Malchut ha shamayim. (20) For I say to you, except your tzedakah (i.e. your righteousness) shall exceed the tzedakah/righteousness of the Sophrim (i.e. the Scribes) and Prushim (i.e. the Pharisees), you shall in no case enter into the Malchut ha shamayim/the Kingdom of the Heavens. (Mat 5; RSTNE)

 

You see, Yeshua is the walking-talking Torah. His example and teachings constitute the ground or house rules for the Kingdom. Remember, everywhere Yeshua taught, He taught about the Kingdom being like… Yeshua taught the rules of the Kingdom to all who had a heart to receive His truths. And it fell to his disciples to take those principles and teach others what it takes to receive and enter the Kingdom. They held the keys to the Kingdom. And all who are called into leadership in the Body of Mashiyach today have been given those same keys to the Kingdom.

 

I believe that the greatest insight into Yeshua’s keys to the Kingdom are in the “Beatitudes” and the “Kingdom Principles” outlined by our Master in Matthew 5-7.

 

2 And opening his mouth he began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are the ones who mourn, because they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Mt 5:1–12.)

 

And the following 2-1/2 chapters expound upon these essential keys as well as they teach us how Yeshua understood Torah and how His taught ones would be expected to keep them and teach their followers.

 

Unless we adopt these “attitudes” we will in no wise receive the Kingdom (Luk 18:17). For within these 3 chapters of Matthew, we find the foundation or the Master’s Keys to His taught and sent ones receiving and entering the Kingdom. He emphasized:

 

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 6:32–33). Yeshua was emphasizing that under His “yoke” His disciples seek after the things of Yah’s Kingdom by applying the principles of the previously mentioned beatitudes. His disciples seek Yah’s righteousness by keeping and walking out Yah’s instructions in righteousness. His Torah.

 

So how do we connect the Keys of the Malchut ha Shamayim/the Kingdom of the Heavens to the Mitzvot or the Torah?

 

The Beatitudes are Yah’s mitzvah, broken down into spiritual applications. Yeshua modeled these mitzvot principles for us. We are to imitate them. Keeping Yah’s mitzvot without Yeshua’s example guiding and leading us accomplishes nothing. Amid these Beatitudes, Yeshua declared He did not come to destroy Yah’s Torah but “to completely reveal it in its intended fulness and to confirm it (Mat 5:17).

 

Jewish tradition claims that there are 613 mitzvot, or commandments. Many people within and without our faith debate the validity of that number. Nevertheless, some will inevitably conclude that Yeshua mentioned only a few commandments in His teachings, which are true. But the point as it relates to the keys to the Kingdom is how do we walk out those mitzvot or commandments? How do we walk out those Kingdom rules? What attitude, heart, and mind do we keep those mitzvot in? Yeshua wanted His taught ones to recognize that it’s one thing to go through the motions of keeping each Torah commandment, but it’s how to walk out those commandments in accordance to Yeshua’s standards.

 

Yeshua gave a very tall order to His disciples. In giving them the keys of the Kingdom, He was authorizing them to establish the proper halachah that would take members of the True Faith once delivered (Jude 3) from Pesach to Sukkot (i.e. from the member receiving and believing on the Person and Ministry of Yeshua to growing in grace through the sanctification process fueled by the Holy Spirit, to receiving and entering the Malchut Ahlohim). Yeshua’s apostles were given the authority to interpret Yeshua’s teachings of the Gospel of the Kingdom and to teach members of the true Faith what was needed for them to receive and enter the Kingdom.

 

It’s easy to get completely focused on keeping the commandments. But Yeshua came to show us that there is much more to commandment keeping than simply doing them:

 

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 23:23.)

 

Yeshua didn’t need to teach His disciples rote Torah-Keeping. Remember that His taught ones were orthodox Jews. They had been taught Torah since they were children. So, the task before Yeshua was not to simply teach Torah, but to model and teach us how to properly walk out Torah such that our righteousness would exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.

 

If we don’t look to Yeshua in our keeping of Yah’s instructions in righteousness, we will inevitably fail in our proper keeping of those instructions.

 

Conclusion

 

So, in summary, the keys of the Kingdom that Yeshua declared He would give to His taught and sent ones was the authority to establish the halachah (i.e. the Ways of the Faith) and the doctrines of the True Faith once delivered (Jude 3). Those halachic principles and doctrines are the beatitude-level walking out of Yehovah’s Torah, based upon the teachings and example of Yahoshua Messiah to His taught and sent ones. Our present day Messianic/Netsarim/Nazarene leaders are supposed to have received those same keys. They have been granted the authority to distill down to us those Kingdom principles and doctrines. And in order for us to enter the Kingdom of Yehovah, we must meet those qualifying standards taught by Yeshua and His Apostles. That’s why it’s so important to not only study Torah daily but also study the Apostolic writings. The Apostolic writings contain the essential Keys to the Kingdom that each of us needs to make it into the Kingdom.

 

Shabbat Zachor – Blotting out the Spirit of Esau in the Lives of God’s People

by | Mar 7, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings and Introductions

As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 6th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to March 7, 2025. And we are potentially less than a month away from biblical Rosh HaShannah. As we near the end of this month, we’ll keep you apprised of the outcome of the barley crop and new moon searches in the Land of Yisra’el.

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As for today, we’re going to take a break from our Melchizedek series, at least for this Shabbat. Instead, I want to give some attention and honor to the Jewish observance known as Shabbat Zachor.

Our Torah and Haftorah Reading in Light of Where we are on the Calendar

This is a special Shabbat. It is special for two reasons. First, because of where it falls out on Yah’s sacred calendar. And second, because of what it represents and honors.

This special Sabbath is known to our Jewish cousins as Shabbat Zachor, or the Sabbath of Remembrance.

Calendar-wise, this is the Shabbat that precedes or that is before the Jewish holiday of Purim. If you are not familiar with Purim, it is the Jewish holiday that commemorates Queen Esther’s (aka Hadassah’s) intervention that saved her people from genocide during the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The entire story, including how the holiday of Purim came about, is recorded in the Book of Esther.

Most of our Jewish cousins who keep the Hillel calendar will celebrate Purim on Friday, March 14, 2025, while those of us who follow the observational calendar, Purim will occur next Sabbath, March 15, 2025.

Now, as it relates to Purim, there are a few things that we need to bear in mind. One, it is a Jewish holiday. It is not one of the seven-mandated Feasts or moedim of Yehovah. So, we are not compelled by the Almighty to keep or celebrate it if we are not led to. Second, Purim always occurs on the 14th day of the 12th month. Our Jewish cousins refer to this 12th month of Yah’s calendar year as Adar. If you’re not aware, for those of us who keep the observational calendar, the 12th month fell on this past Sunday, March 2nd. Third. We always reckon Jewish holidays and the Feasts or moedim of Yah starting at sundown the evening before the special day, and it ends at sundown on the special day.

I only brought up Purim for orienting us in relation to when Shabbat Zachor, or the Sabbath of Remembrance, occurs each calendar year. And like Purim, it is a Jewish tradition. It is not a holy convocation day. “Zachor” is a Hebrew term that means to remember or recall. Remember what? Recall what? Well, we’ll soon find out as we get further into today’s discussion.

Now, tradition holds that on this particular Sabbath each year, Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19 is read besides the scheduled weekly Torah Reading. Furthermore, 1 Samuel 15:2-34 is read as an additional Haftorah Reading.

The Commandment to Remember the Evil of Amalek

In honor of Shabbat Zachor or the Sabbath of Remembrance, let’s read Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19:

(17) “Remember what Amalěq did to you on the way as you were coming out of Mitsrayim, (18) how he met you on the way and attacked your back, all the feeble ones in your rear, when you were tired and weary. And he did not fear Elohim. (19) Therefore, it shall be, when יהוה your Elohim has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you blot out the remembrance of Amalěq from under the heavens. Do not forget!” (The Scriptures, 3rd edition (Northriding: ISR, 2009), Dt 25:17–19)

So, we find recorded here in this passage mention of the unprovoked and vicious attack on the weakest members of our ranks by the Amalekites as we journeyed out of Egypt, on our way to Mount Sinai. That incident is recorded in Exodus/Shemot 17: 8-16.

Yah, in mentioning this brutal, unprovoked attack by the Amalekites, commands us to remember what the Amalekites did to us on that terrible day. And in Moshe’s instruction to us to remember the evil of Amalek, we were further instructed to “blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens” (verse 19).

The Lesson of King Saul and Samuel

We find recorded in 1 Samuel 15:2-34 the story of our first king, Saul/Shaul, whom Yehovah commanded through the Prophet/Judge Samuel to go to battle against the Amalekites. In that commandment to war against the Amalekites, Saul was supposed to annihilate every living soul and destroy all their possessions with extreme prejudice. Saul complied with Abba’s command and took his warriors to battle against the Amalekites. Although Saul was successful in his campaign against Amalek, he captured the Amalekite king Agag alive, took possession of some of their choicest livestock, which he later claimed he intended to use for sacrifices unto Yehovah. Furthermore, Saul allowed his men to lay hold of some of the Amalekite’s valuable possessions.

This blatant disregard by Saul to carry out Yehovah’s instructions to the letter infuriated Yehovah. Thus, Yah dispatched the Prophet/Judge Samuel to confront Saul and make him answer for his transgression.

In responding to Samuel’s allegations that he failed to follow Yehovah’s commandments to destroy every Amalekite living soul and possession, Saul admitted to giving in to the desires of his warriors and his own heart and reasoning on the matter. But the king justified his failure to obey Yehovah by stating his intention to sacrifice the livestock unto Yehovah.

But Samuel cut Saul’s lame excuses off by putting the concept of unwavering obedience to the instructions of Yehovah into proper perspective for him:

“Does Yehovah take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of Yehovah? Behold, obedience is better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22; LXX).

And it is at this point in the confrontation between Samuel and Saul that the prophet delivered unto Saul the harsh blow that because of his blatant disregard for Yehovah’s explicit commands, He was going to strip Saul of his throne (15: 23, 26, 28):

(23) “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of יהוה, He also does reject you as sovereign. (24) And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ěl, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of יהוה and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. (25) And now, please pardon my sin, and return with me, and let me bow myself to יהוה.

(26) But Shemu’ěl said to Sha’ul, “I do not return with you, for you have rejected the word of יהוה, and יהוה does reject you from being sovereign over Yisra’ěl.” (27) And as Shemu’ěl turned around to go away, Sha’ul took hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore. (28) And Shemu’ěl said to him, “יהוה has torn the reign of Yisra’ěl from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, better than you. (The Scriptures, 3rd edition (Northriding: ISR, 2009), 1 Sa 15:23–28)

Pretty powerful words and principles, wouldn’t you say?

The Amalekites Possessed no Fear of God

Circling back to our Reading of Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19, Moshe reminds his listeners, who were preparing to seize the Land of Promise, of the Amalekite incident. Moshe stresses to this righteous generation that they must remember — they must “Zachor” — what Amalek did to their parents during our exodus out of Egypt. And he adds depth to the Amalek story by reminding his listeners that Amalek was a merciless adversary who took advantage of the members who were bringing up our rear. He described those members who were bringing up our rear as being tired and hungry. Yet Amalek attacked them because “he did not fear Elohim” (25:18).

How could the Amalekites be devoid of any fear of Yehovah? They’d no doubt heard stories of what Yehovah did to our former Egyptian taskmasters and the unfathomable wonders and exploits Yah wrought on our behalf. Yet the Amalekites showed no respect — no fear of Elohim. And thus, Amalek’s attack was much more of an attack against Yehovah than it was against us, Yah’s covenant people.

And so, Moshe declared to us that after we peacefully settle in the Land of Promise, we were to “blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven” (25:19), which the Haftorah Reading of 1 Samuel 15:2-34 is about.

Why the Command to Zachor/Remember the Evil of Amalek?

So, why is it important to remember the Amalek incident, and why are these readings tied to this Sabbath?

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. Scripture assigns another name to Esau: that of Edom. So, the Amalekites were Edomites.

Recall that Esau was Ya’achov’s or Jacob’s older brother. And despite Esau being the older of the two, Yehovah chose Ya’achov/Jacob to perpetuate the covenant He’d established with their father Yitschaq/Isaac. And thus, the covenant birthright was passed on to Ya’achov/Jacob.

Thus began the age-old feud between Jacob/Ya’achov and Esau. And although the Amalekites were simply biological descendants of Esau or Edom, they embodied — they were possessed by the spirit of Esau. The spirit of Esau/Edom is one that seeks to destroy Ya’achov/Jacob (aka Yisra’el) and her purpose. Even worse, the spirit of Esau/Edom is one that endeavors, tirelessly so, to undermine and stymie Yah’s holy and righteous will and purpose. And this is why Yah commanded us to remember what they did and what they’re about, and to ensure that they were entirely whipped out.

The essence and spirit of Esau or the Amalekites, in one form or another, has and continues to attack us generation after generation. Each one of our generations faces a corresponding generation of Amalekites whose expressed purpose is to destroy us as Yehovah’s set-apart people and to undermine Yah’s will and purpose on this earth.

As we previously mentioned, next weekend, many of us will, in some form or another, celebrate or observe Purim. The arch-protagonist of Purim is Haman, whom the author of the Book of Esther identifies as the son of Hammedatha. Haman was a high-level Persian official of Ahasuerus’ Empire. Through political manipulation, he finagled a royal edict from the Persian King to have every Jew in the Persian Empire exterminated. Esther, a Jewess turned queen, interceded on behalf of her people, and the kill order was mitigated.

Jewish tradition has it that Haman was of Edomite or Amalekite heritage (Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, 11.6.5). This belief that Haman was of Edomite/Amalekite lineage is often used to explain why he sought the destruction of the Jewish nation. But many bible scholars poo-poo the accuracy of the tradition that Haman was of Edomite/Amalekite heritage. Nevertheless, even if Haman was not an Edomite, he and his cohort possessed the spirit of Esau or Edom. He was just another Luciferian proxy charged by the enemy to exterminate Yah’s covenant people. And so, like the Greeks and the Romans that would later emerge on the world’s scene, he was a willing proxy and emissary of the Kingdom of Darkness who’s stated and avowed goal is to destroy Yehovah’s set-apart people. But each time the enemy sends forth another Amalek to exterminate us, Yehovah raises those He equips to withstand them, such as He did with Mordecai and Queen Esther.

Nothing has changed, however, throughout the centuries. The generational Amalekites are always concocting ploys to defy Yehovah and harm His people. And this is why Yehovah commanded us in our reading today to remember — “Zachor” — Amalek and His evil deeds. Zachor then means to place that key historical event of Amalek preying upon the members of our nation who were bringing up our rear as we journeyed to Sinai as a memorial. Yah commands us not only to zachor that event, but to teach and discuss the merits of that event (Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Lexicon; page 324).

Indeed, the latest iteration of Amalek and the perpetuation of the spirit of Esau is seen in the people of Gaza who go by the faux moniker of Palestinians and their Hamas henchmen. These tried their best to annihilate our Jewish cousins on October 7, 2023. And because of their hastan infused hatred for Yehovah and his people, many hundreds of Israeli citizens and soldiers and countless thousands of their own people have lost their lives. Even amid ceasefire and peace talks, these Amalekites continue to spew and perpetuate their ultimate intent to, one way or another, destroy Yah’s covenant people. And if that weren’t enough, their evil spirit of Esau/Edom has perpetuated and propagated itself throughout the world: on the streets of U.S. and European nations, as well as on countless college and university campuses. I can’t help but wonder, if the hearts of these misguided and evil souls were softened, and they had at least a modicum of fear for Yehovah, would they repent from their evil ways?

This is why it is so important to pray daily for the peace of Yerushalayim (Psa 122:6).

Regardless, beloved, it’s going to take Yeshua returning to this world, eliminating the Kingdom of Darkness and its minions, and establishing His eternal and righteous throne in the Kingdom of Yah, in order for the spirit of Esau/Edom to be vanquished from this earth.

The Takeaway of Shabbat Zachor

For we who are the redeemed of Yehovah today, it behooves us to hold in remembrance (i.e. zachor) the reality of Amalek throughout our history and his persistent efforts to stymie Yehovah’s will and purpose, and to destroy Yehovah’s set apart people. We remember or zachor these things by rehearsing the story in our hearts, minds, and among members in our assemblies. Recognize, understand, and watch for the modern-day Amaleks that are lurking about in the world. These seek to robe us of our opportunities to walk in Torah and worship the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov; and to advance and promote the coming Malchut Elohim/the Kingdom of Yah. To image Yehovah in all the world.

Shammai Engelmayer, in his article entitled “Why we must Remember Amalek,” goes even further by suggesting that the most formidable Amalek that any of us will have to face throughout our walk with Mashiyach/Messiah is the Amalek from within.

We all possess Amaleks within us. For whenever we resist obeying Yehovah’s instructions in righteousness; whenever we quench Abba’s set-apart Spirit operating in our lives; whenever we give in to our base nature and turn our backs on holiness and righteousness; whenever we neglect or refuse to teshuvah after transgressing Yah’s Torah or offending him by our actions, evil thoughts, and ungodly words; whenever we fail to study and embrace Yah’s Words of Life because our flesh is too weak to fend off the slings and arrows of the enemy, we entertain and permit the spirit of Esau-Amalek-Edom to reign over our lives. We must annihilate — blot out — that inner Amalek with extreme prejudice and wipe it from all remembrance. All of which is to say, beloved: Let us examine ourselves daily and flesh out the Amalek and the spirit of Esau/Edom that may take up residence within us. Let us seek Yehovah’s help in ridding ourselves of it.

Thus, let us take Shabbat Zachor to heart in 2025, for it is through this critical annual rehearsal- this remembrance that we become better prepared to deal with the Amalekites that encroach upon our lives and that hinder our walk in Messiah.

Have a meaningful and blessed Shabbat Zachor beloved.

 

 

Understanding our Melchizedekian Priestly Pedigree-Part 3 : The Theological Implications of the Avram-Melchizedek Encounter

by | Feb 21, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

 

I. Greetings and Introductions

 

          Greetings saints of the Most High. Welcome to another installment of the Messianic Torah Observer. Rod Thomas coming to you on a cold, overcast Preparation Day in the DFW. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me. And as always beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

 

          As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 22nd day of the 11th month of Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to February 21, 2025.

 

          This is “Understanding Our Melchizedekian Priestly Pedigree, Part 3: The Theological Implications of Avram’s Encounter with Melchizedek.”

 

II. Rehash of Part 2

 

          In our last installment in this series, we conducted a detailed analysis of Genesis 14. In that analysis, we examined Avram’s victory over Chedorlaomer’s Federation of Kings and his rescue of Lot, his nephew. More so, we highlighted the significance of Melchizedek’s dual roles as King of Shalem/Salem and Priest of AL-Elyon — Yah Most High. Along these lines we also touched upon the place of Avram’s and the Melchizedek’s encounter, the mysterious person who was this Melchizedek, and considered the age-old debate over whether Melchizedek was this man’s title or his proper name.

 

          We explored the significance of the Melchizedek’s bread and wine offering to Avram, suggesting that it may have been a precursor to the Hebrew Kiddush or Denominationalism’s Holy Communion. We also considered the substance of the blessings that the Melchizedek declared upon Avram and to Yehovah in response to Avram rendering a tithe of the spoils of war to the Melchizedek.

          Finally, we concluded the discussion with practical Messianic takeaways from Avram’s encounter with the Melchizedek, emphasizing the importance of righteousness, honoring Yah’s anointed, and incorporating the Kiddush into the Messianic’s weekly worship of Yehovah.

III. Theological Implications of the Avram-Melchizedek Encounter

 

          If you engage in deep-dive studies of the scriptures, you may come across a concept called “theological implications.” The phrase theological implications means what? Theological implication refers to the consequences, effects, or interpretations that a particular biblical belief, action, event, or idea has had within the realm of theology. Theology, of course, is the study of Ahlohim or Yehovah, our beliefs, and the relationship that exists between the Creator, His creation.

 

          So, when we talk about theological implications in relation to Genesis/Beresheit 14:17-20, we’re talking about exploring how Avram’s encounter with the Melchizedek might influence ours’ and others’ faith walks and beliefs throughout the centuries.

 

          That being said, I have four theological implications for you to consider:

 

  1. One Man Possessing the Dual-Offices of Priesthood and Kingship: Melchizedek is described as both a king and a priest. This dual-office role has significant theological implications for the understanding of spiritual authority and integrating religious and civil leadership. And clearly, this implication factors greatly, not just in the foreshadowing of Yeshua Messiah (Psa 110:4; Isa 9:6-7), but in the foreshadowing of our Millennial reign with our Cohen HaGadol and our King, Yeshua Messiah (Rev 1:6; 10: 5:10).

 

  1. The Blessing of Avraham and Yehovah by the Melchizedek: The act of Melchizedek blessing Avraham carries with it implications for understanding the transmission of divine blessing and the recognition of the Melchizedek’s superior spiritual authority. As a child of Yah, operating under Yeshua Messiah’s Sonship, we have been granted authority in this world (Mat 10:16; 16:19; Mar 13:34; Luk 9:1; 19:17; Joh 14:26; 15:26; 20:21). This event can be connected to themes of covenant (such as an acknowledgment of Avraham’s covenant with Yehovah) and divine favor (such that Yehovah is essentially saying of Avraham that “you are My guy!”). The theme of covenant because we, as Yah’s children, are in a covenant relationship with Al Elyon. As one who is in covenant with Yehovah, we have authority over many things. And the theme of divine favor naturally comes with a great deal of authority attached to it.

 

  1. 3. Tithing: Abraham’s giving of a tithe to Melchizedek, which in and of itself should not be understood as a commandment to tithe of our increase. That instruction comes later in Torah; but Avram’s tithe to the Melchizedek of the war booty bears theological implications regarding the practice of tithing, the acknowledgment of spiritual authority, and the concept of stewardship in our faith walk. And thus, we see from this beautiful act of contrition, respect, and righteous compulsion by Avram, this understanding that nothing belongs to us, but that all things belong to Yehovah. We realize the importance of giving and giving freely. Even spontaneously, when the Spirit so leads. Thus, we are responsible for what we do with that which Yah has blessed us with.

 

  1. 4. Mystery and Identity: The mysterious nature of Melchizedek, with no recorded genealogy, opens discussions about the eternal and transcendent aspects of his priesthood. Yah shows through Melchizedek that He works with whom He chooses to work with. Sometimes Yah works with the most unlikely individuals. Like ourselves even. We talked last about the reality that despite Yehovah having cut a covenant with our Patriarch Avraham, Yah was at the same time working with and through the Melchizedek. And if this gentleman is truly a king-priest, which he is, then he must be serving other like-minded children of Ahlohim, all of which likely having nothing to do with Avram at all. Most of us stay focused on the “rock stars” of our Faith, but never stop to consider the individuals who are doing powerful work for the Kingdom, yet their identities remain cloaked to the world.

 

          What did Master say? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Version[1]

 

 

IV. How different theological traditions view Melchizedek

 

I now want to look at the main point of our discussion for this installment of the series. That being, how did and how do various theological traditions view Avram’s Melchizedek?

 

Despite this man of mystery first being mentioned and showing up unannounced in Genesis 14.17-20, it is the writer of Hebrews/Ivrim, conceivably some 2,000 or so years removed from Abram’s day, who offers us a working definition for Melchizedek:

 

(6.20) Yeshua, the forerunner for us, entered (He entered into the Holy of Holies of the Heavenly Mishkan), because He became a high priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizedek. (7.1) For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God (aka Al Alyon), who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; (2) to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything — in the first place, his name is translated “king of righteousness,” and then also “king of Salem,” that is “king of peace.” (LEB modified)

 

A Rudimentary Lesson in Hebrew Vocabulary

 

One of the significant benefits of being a member of this awesome Faith Community of ours is the opportunity, from time-to-time, to learn a little Hebrew vocabulary. And the main character of our story offers us another one of these opportunities.

 

Melchizedek happens to be one of those compound Hebrew words that define the person and character of the individual in which the term or title is affixed. With Melchizedek, the two compound words are: Melek/Melech and Zedek/Tsedeq.

 

Melek/Melech means king or sovereign or ruler.

 

Zedek/Tsedeq means righteous, or righteousness, or rightness.

 

When the two terms are combined, Melchizedek simply means “king of righteousness.”

 

Dr. Ken Johnson adds that among the Essenes of the Qumran Community and of the Dead Sea Scrolls fame, Melchizedek meant “king of the Zadok priests” (Ancient Order of Melchizedek; p. 7). A little background is warranted here.

 

It is widely believed in certain biblical archaeological circles that some members of the Qumran Community were of the Zadokite Priestly line (known as the Sons of Zadok). This sect of the Levitical Priestly order separated themselves from the Jerusalem Temple priestly operations and resettled in Qumran.

 

Who Was Zadok and How Did He Become Cohen Gadol?

 

Zadok was a Levitical Priest, and a descendant of Aharon’s son Eleazer. He served the priesthood under kings Dawid/David and Solomon/Shlomo:

 

(5) Then Adoniyah, the son of Haggit, exalted himself, saying, “I will be melech/king.” And he prepared chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. (6) And his father (i.e. King Dawid/David) had not rebuked him at anytime in saying, “Why have you done this?” And he also was a very handsome man. And his mother bore him after Avshalom/Absalom. (8) And he conferred with Yoab/Joab the son of Tzeruyah/Zeruiah and with Aviathar/Abiathar the Cohen. And they supported Adoniyah and helped him. (9) But Tzadok the Cohen and Benayahu, the son of Yahoyada/Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei and Rei and the mighty men who belonged to Dawid/David were not with Adoniyah. (1 Kin 1; RSTNE modified)

 

So, Aviathar the Cohen (likely the Cohen Gadol/High Priest at that time), along with other conspirators from Dawid’s administration, had sided with Adoniyah to usurp the throne of Dawid from Solomon/Shlomo. But Tzadok, also a Cohen, remained loyal to Dawid/David.

 

Continuing, picking up at verse 26 of chapter 2 of 1st Kings:

 

(26) And to Aviathar the Cohen said the melech (i.e. King Solomon by this time), “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields. For you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death. Because you bore the Ark of the Master YHVH before Dawid my father and because you have been afflicted in all that my father was afflicted … (35) And the melech put Benayahu the son of Yahoyada in his place over the army, and Tzadok the Cohen did the melech put in the place of Aviathar (i.e. Tzadok was elevated to High Priest by Solomon/Shlomo, replacing Aviathar). (1 Kin 2; RSTNE modified)

 

In time, Zadok and his descendants became the elite priests of the Levitical Priesthood, again, prominently serving in the office of High Priest/Cohen HaGadol from the time of Solomon’s appointment, through the Maccabean Era.

 

The Zadokites are mentioned several times in the Prophets, particularly in the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel’s prophecies highlight the Zadokite priests’ loyalty to God when the rest of the nation strayed into idolatry. Because of their steadfastness, they were promised a special role in the future Temple service.

 

The Prophet Ezekiel depicted the Zadokite priestly line — those descended from Eleazer, Aharon’s son — as the only legitimate priests worthy to serve Yehovah Most High. And so, in the foretelling of the Millennial Temple of which the Zadokites will officiate, the prophets record:

 

“And the room that faced towards the north is for the Cohenim, the keepers of the charge of the altar. These are the Sons of Tzadok among the sons of Lewi/Levi, who come near to YHVH to serve Him.” (40.46; RSTNE modified)

 

Ezekiel continues, this time quoting Yehovah as it relates to the Zadokites’ privileged role in serving Him in the Millennial Temple:

 

“’And you shall give to the Cohenim the Lewiym/Levites that are of the line of Tzadok, who approached Me, to serve Me,’ says the Master YHVH…” (43.19; RSTNE modified)

 

“They (i.e. the Zadokites) shall enter into My Qadosh-Place (aka My Sanctuary). And they shall come near to My table (most likely referencing the Table of Shewbread) to serve Me. And they shall keep My charge.” (44.16; RSTNE modified).

 

“And it shall be for the Cohenim that are qadosh (i.e. consecrated) from the Sons of Tzadok, who have kept My charge, which did not go astray when the children of Yasharal/Yisrael went astray, as the Lewiym/Levites went astray.” (Eze 48.11; RSTNE modified)

 

 

After the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in 587 BCE, the Zadokite priests continued to play a significant role in Jewish religious life. They were the legitimate priesthood, and their descendants continued to operate in their priestly calling.

 

Later in Judah’s history, the Zadokites became associated with the Qumran community, which is believed to have been composed of Essenes living near the Dead Sea. The Qumran community essentially saw herself as the continuation of the Zadokite priesthood and adhered to a most strict halachah or walk.

 

Most of the Essenes of Qumran identified themselves as Sons of Zadok and as the true keepers of the Zadokite priesthood. They believed that the Second Temple priesthood had become corrupt and had strayed from the true teachings of Torah. As a result, these left Jerusalem en masse and established their own community at Qumran, near the Dead Sea.

 

As I just mentioned, the Qumran Community adhered to a strict halachah and produced a significant amount of sectarian literature, most of which we know today as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts reflect the Essenes’ beliefs and practices. The Essenes often emphasized the importance of following the correct interpretation of Torah, which directly affected their strict, uncompromising halachah. These viewed themselves as “priests of righteousness” (Ken Johnson’s Melchizedek; p. 7). According to Mr. Johnson, “their writers indicated that they were priests of righteousness, waiting for the “Righteous Teacher” or “King of the Zadok priests.” Some, such as Dr. Ken Johnson, believe that this “Righteous Teacher” was supposed to be none other than Yahoshua.

 

I find this concept to be quite fascinating. Not from the perspective of it being true or untrue. But from the perspective that these Sons of Zadok, assuming they existed during the time our Master ministered here on earth, potentially missed their visitation, just as many of their brethren in much of Judea also missed the time of their visitation (Luk 19.44). I don’t know. Just saying. But the Qumran Essenes believed they were continuing the Melchizedekian Priestly Order because they identified themselves as Sons of Zadok. And being Sons of Zadok, walking in their strict halachah, they were de facto Priests of Righteousness.

 

 

Defining the Office of the Priest of Righteousness

 

We find no direct references to the title or office of “Priest of Righteousness” in scripture. Yet the pious Essenes of Qumran took that title or office upon themselves. Now, I find this interesting since these were so zealous for Torah, while despising the Jerusalem religious establishment. So pious were these self-proclaimed Priests of Righteousness and Sons of Zadok that they separated themselves, not only from Jerusalem and all of Judea but also from the rest of the world. The isolation and self-imposed exile from the Yerushalayim Temple made them less of priests in my mind — because you gotta have souls to intercede for and to serve if you’re going to be a priest — and more of a community of monks and zealots, waiting for the Day of the LORD.

 

There are a few who believe that John the Immerser was a frequent visitor to Qumran, or even a onetime resident. We know that the bulk of his ministry was based in the Judean wilderness, which one can certainly deduce was in the general vicinity of the Qumran Community (Mat 3.1). The difference between the Immerser and the Qumran Essenes is that John/Yochanan did not remain isolated inside a desert Community. He put himself out there for all to see and for the work of the Kingdom of Ahlohim. In fact, he was executed for being so out there.

 

Some of John’s fiery sermons closely reflected the eschatological fire and brimstone type rhetoric that is found in some of the Qumran Essenes’ sectarian writings.

 

Also, John’s/Yochanan’s austere lifestyle — his minimalist attire and simple diet reflected the pious and austere ideology that the Qumran Community practiced (Mat 3.4).

 

Of His biological cousin and the forerunner of His earthly ministry, Yochanan the Immerser, Yahoshua stated:

 

“For John/Yochanan came to you in the way of righteousness …” (Mat 21.32; LEB).

 

Mark noted that King Herod was afraid of John the Immerser because he believed him to be “a righteous and holy man” (Mar 6.20). The same type and tenor of Melchizedekian — Qumran Essene expression.

 

Lineage-wise, Scripture informs us that John the Immerser was legitimately qualified to be a Levitical Priest (Luk 1.12-13). Even his father, Zechariah, is reported to have been “righteous and blameless before Yehovah” (Luk 1.6; LEB).

 

The bible makes no direct reference to an office of “Priest of Righteousness.”

 

Interestingly, the Talmud makes reference to the office of the Priest of Righteousness. According to various Talmudic passages, such as Nedarim 32b.6-7; Ibn Ezra on Genesis 14:18:1; Midrash Tehillim 1:4, just to name a few, Avram’s Melchizedek held the office of Priest of Righteousness. And he was the Priest of Righteousness because certain Rabbinic traditions identify Avram’s Melchizedek as Noach’s son, Shem.

 

          And according to certain Rabbinic traditions, from Shem, the Melchizedekian Priestly line was ultimately passed down to Avraham, Yitschaq, Ya’achov, and then on to bene Yisrael (aka the Sons of Israel) in accordance with Psalm 110:4.

 

          The Qumran Community held Avram’s Melchizedek in such esteem that their sectarian writing identifies this man as an incarnation of Mashiyach (aka the Messiah). Scroll 11Q13, entitled the “Melchizedek Scroll,” says of Melchizedek:

 

          2[…] And concerning what Scripture says, “In [this] year of jubilee [you shall return, every one of you, to your property” (Lev. 25:13) and what is also written, “And this] 3 is the [ma]nner of [the remission:] every creditor shall remit the claim that is held [against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because Elohim’s] remission [has been proclaimed” (Deut. 15:2):] 4 [the interpretation] is that it applies [to the L]ast Days and concerns the captives, just as [Isaiah said: “To proclaim the jubilee to the captives” (Isa. 61:1).…] and 5 whose teachers have been hidden and kept secr[et], even from the inheritance of Melchizedek, f[or …] and they are the inherit[ance of Melchize]dek, who 6 will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the jubilee, thereby releasing th[em from the debt of a]ll their sins. This word [will thus co]me 7 in the first week of the jubilee period that follows ni[ne j]ubilee periods. Then the “D[ay of Atone]ment” shall follow at the e[nd of] the tenth [ju]bilee period, 8 when he shall atone for all the Sons of [Light] and the peopl[e who are pre]destined to Mel[chi]zedek. […] upo[n the]m […] For 9 this is the time decreed for “the year of Melchiz[edek]’s favor” (Isa. 61:2, modified) and for [his] hos[ts, together] with the holy ones of Elohim, for a kingdom of judgment, just as it is written 10 concerning him in the Songs of David, “Elohim has taken his place in the coun[cil of elohim;] in the midst of the elohim he holds judgment” (Ps. 82:1)… Therefore Melchizedek will thoroughly prosecute the vengeance required by Elohi[m’s] statutes. [In that day he will de]liv[er them from the power] of Belial, and from the power of all the sp[irits predestined to him.] 14 Allied with him will be all the [“righteous] divine beings” (Isa. 61:3)… [“Zi]on” is 24 [the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, who] uphold the covenant and turn from walking [in the way] of the people. “Your E[lo]him” is 25 [Melchizedek, who will del]iv[er them from the po]wer of Belial.

 

          Beloved, do you not see that even the pious, isolated, Jerusalem Temple exiled Qumran Essenes, recognized the existence of an inextricable link between the dual office holder of Avram’s Melchizedek, and the One who is our Glorious High Priest and soon coming King, Yeshua HaMashiyach? Again, not that Avram’s Melchizedek was the preincarnate Christ. We debunked that doctrine in the first installment of this series. But the Qumran Essenes could clearly see the concept of Avram’s Melchizedek as a foreshadowing of our Master, Yeshua Messiah. Coincidence? No. There are never coincidences in our Faith Community. 

 

          Of Avram’s Melchizedek, Josephus, the prominent first century Pharisee, converted to Jewish historian, records in his Antiquities of the Jews 1.10.2, that this mysterious gentleman was the king of the city of Salem. Josephus only focuses on the title Melchizedek; that the title signified “Righteous King.” But then he adds that because this man was indeed a righteous man, Yehovah made him His priest.

 

Although our canonical scriptures are silent about a lineage of “priests of righteousness,” per se, a major proviso of the Mosaic Covenant stipulates the existence of such an office that is to be peopled by us who are Israel:

 

 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exo 19:5-6 KJV)

 

          Although our ancient cousins have yet to realize this proviso, we who belong to Yahoshua Messiah are promised such an office:

 

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Rev 1:5-6 KJV)

 

10 And [Yeshua] hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev 5:10 KJV)

 

 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (That’s gonna be us soon enough!) 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Rev 19:7-8 KJV)

 

The Jewish propagandists of Alexandria, including Philo, used Melchizedek as a powerful symbol in promoting their syncretized monotheistic and philosophical understanding of the Jewish religion to the Hellenists of Alexandria.

 

Philo of Alexandria was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in the 1st century CE. Philo is known for his efforts to harmonize Jewish theology with Greek philosophy, and he was a prominent figure in the Jewish community of Alexandria.

 

Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE in Egypt, was a major center of Hellenistic culture and intellectual activity, and it had a significant Jewish population. Philo and other Jewish propagandists in Alexandria worked to promote Judaism and its monotheistic beliefs in a predominantly polytheistic society. They sought to win converts to Judaism without requiring them to undergo circumcision, which was a significant barrier for many potential converts.

 

Monotheism is the belief in a single, all-powerful deity. In the case of Jewish monotheism, and this deity is, of course, Yehovah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

 

Ancient Alexandria was a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population and a rich cultural exchange. Consequently, Jewish monotheism stood out in this predominantly polytheistic environment where people worshipped multiple gods.

 

The ideas and writings of Jewish monotheists in Alexandria influenced early Christian thought. The emphasis on one God and the moral teachings of Judaism provided a foundation for the development of Christian theology. Now, this may seem to be a reasonable conclusion, but Christianity ended up syncretizing her original monotheistic-based Faith with many of the pagan belief systems and practices of those converts entering the Messianic Faith Community of the first century. So, to say that Christianity fully latched on to the monotheism of Orthodox Judaism may not be entirely accurate. We know that one of the biggest impediments to Orthodox Jews converting to the Messianic Faith is the widespread adoption of the Trinity or a Triune God.

 

Now, this comes as quite a conflict to the greater Jewish orthodoxy that, as you may recall from our previous teaching series on the Noahide Laws, sectarian orthodox Judaism rejected Gentiles, seeing them as idolaters who are unworthy to have anything to do with them as God’s people, with Yehovah; and with anything having to do with the Jewish people and their religion. And so, our ancient Orthodox Jewish cousins held ever so tight to the elements of their Faith and their traditions. Their Faith and their traditions distinguished them from their Gentile counterparts with the underlying intent that never the two should ever meet.

 

To the Alexandrian Jewish propagandists, Melchizedek is a figure of monotheism before the time of Abraham. This made him an appealing example for demonstrating that monotheistic beliefs existed even before the formal establishment of Judaism.

 

Melchizedek, to Philo and his followers, was considered to be of non-Jewish origin, which made him a relatable figure for potential converts who were not of Jewish descent. This helped the propagandists argue that monotheism was not exclusive to the Jewish people, but was a universal truth. In other words, Avram’s Melchizedek had a relationship with the “One True Ahlohim of Yisrael,” despite him being a “non-Jew.”

 

Now, I recognized this essential truth even before looking into this rather nuanced area of Jewish thought. And this further solidifies the mainstay understanding that Yah works with whomever He chooses. And these unique individuals don’t have to be (most times aren’t) affiliated or of a recognized/particular tribe, nation, culture, race, creed, faith community, belief system, religion, or whatever.

 

Like Enoch, Philo’s Melchizedek was a figure who was “without father or mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God” (Hebrews 7:2-3). This supernatural aspect made him an ideal symbol of eternal priesthood and divine favor. Again, this fits perfectly with what I just mentioned. This individual was seen as being highly favored of Yehovah, but was not of the Avrahamic or Patriarchal lineage of Promise.

 

Philo and others used Melchizedek to bridge Jewish monotheism with Greek philosophical ideas. By presenting Melchizedek as a priest and king who blessed Abram, they could argue for the rationality and moral superiority of monotheism.

 

In essence, Melchizedek served as a bridge between different cultures and religious beliefs, making him a powerful tool for Jewish propagandists in Alexandria to promote monotheism and attract converts without requiring circumcision.

 

The Mishnaic and Talmudic Rabbis had a complex and somewhat ambivalent view of Philo and his syncretistic approach to Judaism. While Philo’s efforts to harmonize Jewish theology with Greek philosophy were innovative, the Rabbinic tradition did not fully embrace them.

 

The Rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud were primarily focused on the practical application of Jewish law and tradition. They were less interested in the philosophical speculations that characterized Philo’s work. Philo’s allegorical interpretations and his blending of Jewish and Greek thought were diverging from the more literal and legalistic approach of Rabbinic Judaism.

 

Despite Philo’s significant contributions to Jewish thought, his influence on the Mishnaic and Talmudic literature was quite limited. Philo’s work did not resonate with the Rabbis. And his syncretistic brand of Judaism did not become a dominant force within Rabbinic Judaism. The Mishnaic and Talmudic Rabbis placed a strong emphasis on the Torah and the preservation of Jewish tradition. They were more concerned with maintaining the purity of Jewish law and practice, rather than integrating external philosophical ideas.

 

. Different Contexts: Philo lived in a Hellenistic environment and was influenced by Greek culture and philosophy. The Rabbis, on the other hand, were operating in a post-Temple, Roman-dominated world, where their primary concern was the survival and continuity of Jewish life and practice.

 

Then we have the strange, mysterious asterisk of Jewish history known as the Melchizedekites. The Melchizedekites were a sect or group associated with the Melchizedek.

 

These are thought to have revered Melchizedek as a significant religious figure, possibly viewing him as a type of priest-king who united royal and priestly roles (Singer, Isidore and Kohler, Kaufmann; Melchizedekites).

 

The Melchizedekites are believed to have originated from ancient Jerusalem, aka Salem. And legend has it that the group emerged in the Canaanite region around the time of Avraham. Would these then have been the souls who Melchizedek interceded for and served? Interesting.

 

 

Interestingly, Avram’s Melchizedek is not mentioned in the Apocryphal Book of Jubilees, unlike he is in the spurious Apocryphal Book of Jasher. We should note that the Book of Jasher was not among the writings recovered in the famous Dead Sea Scrolls cache. Does this lend credibility to the reliability of the Book of Jubilees in my mind? Well, I’m afraid the jury is still out on that one. But the writer(s) of Jubilees makes no mention of our Melchizedek, which I find somewhat strange. Yes, Jubilees mentions Avram’s victory over the Chedorlaomer Confederacy, but in terms of the meeting that took place between Avram and Melchizedek, only a general pronouncement of the Torah for Tithing to Yah’s priests as being an everlasting ordinance is mentioned (Jub 13.24-25). The text notes Avram rendered a tithe unto “his priests to eat and drink with joy before him.” Clearly, the Jubilee author(s) had a huge bent or favoritism towards the Levitical Priesthood.

 

Why was Avram’s Melchizedek omitted from Jubilees? I believe that the Genesis 14.17-21 account of Avram’s encounter with the Melchizedek leaves wide open the concept of a valid priesthood unto Yehovah that exists outside the established Levitical Order. And that reality may not have been something the Jubilees writer(s) were willing to entertain or promote.

 

          In Catholicism, Melchizedek is seen as a prefiguration of Christ. His blessing of Avraham and offering of bread and wine are viewed as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist. And the act of Avraham giving Melchizedek a tithe of the war loot is considered the first biblical instance of tithing. (Topical Bible: Melchizedek and Abraham)

 

          Denominationalists generally view the Melchizedek, like the Catholics, as a type of Christ and the person of the Melchizedek as the Preincarnate Christ. The Epistle to the Hebrews elaborates on Melchizedek’s significance, presenting him as a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, which applies to Jesus Christ. (Topical Bible: Melchizedek and Abraham)

 

          In Islam, Melchizedek is recognized as a righteous king and priest who acknowledged their one true God. Abraham’s acceptance of Melchizedek’s blessing is seen as an acknowledgment of the same God worshiped by all Muslims. (Melchizedek, Abraham, Muslims and worship of the One True God—Thoughts Theological)

 

          Ethiopian Jews have a unique perspective on Melchizedek. They often view him as a significant figure in their religious history. Some Ethiopian Jewish texts, such as the Ethiopian Book of Enoch, mention Melchizedek and consider him a righteous priest and king. His role is sometimes seen as a precursor to the Messiah. (Uncovering the Mystery of Melchizedek in Ethiopia)

 

          And Messianic Jews often see Melchizedek as a type of Mashiyach, if not a foreshadowing of Mashiyach. They interpret his appearance in Genesis as a foreshadow of Yeshua’s eternal priesthood. The Epistle to the Hebrews is frequently cited by them, which describes Melchizedek as a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, linking hiim to Yahoshua’s priesthood. (Jews for Judaism | Chapter 42 – WHO IS MELCHIZEDEK?)

 

          At the end of the day, beloved, everything about Avram’s Melchizedek points us squarely at our Master, High Priest, Savior, Older Brother, Son of the Creator, the Lily of the Valley, and on and on; our Yeshua Messiah. He is the beginning of any understanding we are to have regarding our Melchizedekian Priestly Pedigree. So much more to come on this.

 

V. Closing

 

          And with that, we bring this installment of TMTO, and the 3rd installment of our Melchizedek series to a close. In the 4th installment of this series, we’ll move away from Genesis 14, and on to Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 5 and 7, to explore the ramifications of the Melchizedekian Royal Priestly Order, and the implications this Royal Priestly Order holds for Messianic/Netsarim/Nazarene Yisraelites.

 

          I pray you got something out of this discussion today. Please take that which we’ve discussed and if you are so led, conduct your own Spirit-led study. And if you don’t know the Shadow of Avram’s Melchizedek — Yeshua HaMashiyach — and you think you should know Him, waste no more time. Get to know Him. For today is the day of salvation. Today is the day you can come into a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. And that’s a beautiful thing. Simply believe on Yeshua and the One Who Sent Him. Confess your sins to Him and walk away from the sinful life you’ve lived. For any life that is devoid of the Father and His Word and His Ways is a sinful life. Turn from your former life and begin walking in the Holy One of Yisrael’s ways.

 

          If you have questions about this Faith Walk, which the Apostle Jude called the One True Faith (Jude 3), please don’t hesitate to write to me at perceptionwp@gmail.com. I’m here for you and I will do whatever I can to steer you in the path you should go.

 

          And so, as always in parting, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training.

 

          Shabbat Shalom. Shavuatov. Until next time. Take Care.

 

[1] , Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 20:16.

 

 , Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mt 20:16.

Understanding our Melchizedekian Priestly Pedigree-Part 2 : Abram’s Melchizedek

by | Feb 13, 2025 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

 

          This is “Understanding our Melchizedekian Priestly Pedigree Part 2: Avram’s Melchizedek.”

 

 

Rehash of Part 1: The Royal Priesthood: Exploring the Historical, Spiritual, and Eschatological Roles of Melchizedek – Part 1

 

In part one of this series, we embarked on the journey to uncover the enigmatic figure Melchizedek, as mentioned in Genesis 14 and Hebrews 7. We started our focused study on the historic encounter that transpired between Avram and Melchizedek, King of Salem. Genesis/Beresheit 14.17-21 records that it is this mysterious gentleman who brought forth bread and wine, blessed Avram, and gave praise unto Al Elyon — God Most High — for delivering Avram’s enemies into his hands. And it is this encounter that sets the stage for understanding the Royal Melchizedekian Priestly Order, which is the purpose of this teaching series.

To develop a fuller understanding of this encounter (which ultimately will lead to an understanding of our Melchizedekian Priestly pedigree), we delved into the historical and cultural backdrop that existed in Avram’s day. Within that historical and cultural backdrop discussion, we highlighted the rise of city-states, the Battle of the Kings (i.e. four Mesopotamian kings who attacked the five city states of the Plain), and the concept of one individual — in this case Melchizedek — serving as both a king and priest in both Avram’s day and in his backyard, which was Canaan — the Land of Promise — the Covenant Land. Furthermore, we considered the reality that, unlike most other leaders of his time, Melchizedek served Yehovah Most High by consolidating political and religious authority in a manner similar to the Pharaohs of Egypt. That being one individual possessing and exercising the dual offices of king and priest. The difference being this man — the Melchizedek — served just Al Elyon — Yah Most High.

We concluded with a reflection on the profound implications of Melchizedek’s encounter with Avram so that we may later in this series establish a practical understanding of the eternal priesthood that we know to be inextricably linked to our Master and Savior, Yahoshua HaMashiyach. And so, as we continue this series, we will explore the deeper spiritual and eschatological (i.e. the end times and millennial era) aspects of this eternal priesthood and its relevance to our salvation and covenant relationship with the Almighty.

 

Abraham’s Encounter with Melchizedek

A Workup on Genesis 14.17-21

 

In working our way down to verse 17 of the 14th chapter of Genesis/Beresheit, we find, beginning in verse 1 of the same chapter, that Avram’s encounter with Melchizedek follows Avram’s decisive victory over Chedorlaomer’s Federation of Kings and his Rescue of Lot.

 

Avram’s victory over the Mesopotamian federation of kings must not be downplayed. This federation of kings successfully waged a campaign of destruction throughout the region even before they fought their way down to the city states of the Plain. These marauding kings started out in their Mesopotamian homeland and set out on a trek, wreaking death and destruction along their path to the city states of the Plain. Turns out that some of these city states, particularly Sodom, had been locked into a subservient relationship with Chedorlaomer, paying him tribute so that the tyrant would not destroy them. This extortion went on for 12-years (14:4).

 

Well, Sodom, along with other city states of the Plain, decide to stop being Chedorlaomer’s whipping boards and discontinued paying their tributes to him. The text describes their refusal to pay the extortion as being rebellious. Their rebelliousness, of course, enrages Chedorlaomer. And so, he decides to teach these rebel states a lesson.

 

He assembles this federation of four Mesopotamian kings and embarks on a retributive campaign against them. (I guess if he didn’t get his tribute from the states he was bullying, he’d just go in and take what he felt belonged to him.) The city states of the plain attempt to stand against the tyrant’s onslaught, but they are no match for the fighting skills and brute strength of this federation. Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela/Tso’ar are utterly overrun by Chedorlaomer’s juggernaut in the Valley of Siddim (14:8-10). This federation strips Sodom and Gomorrah of their possessions and people (14:11). Lot, having previously settled in Sodom gets caught up in the melee and he and all he had was taken captive by the marauders (14:12). How many warriors manned this irresistible federation is unknown. The text is silent on this. But we know that no military that stood in their path was a match for them.

 

A confidante of Avram living in the general vicinity where the slaughter is occurring escapes and informs our patriarch Avram of his nephew Lot’s abduction (14:13). And upon receiving this disturbing news, Avram assembles 318 trained members of his house and pursues Chedorlaomer’s federation, and with precision-military-tactics, Avram’s small but cunning band of fighters catches up to and decisively defeats them (14:15). And in the process of defeating what should have been an overwhelming military force, Avram and his band of warriors dispossess the enemy of their war loot/booty, as well as they free Avram’s nephew Lot, Lot’s family, along with all of Lot’s possessions, and the city state captives (14:16).

 

And this is where we begin our examination/study of Avram’s encounter with the Melchizedek. Record of this encounter is found in verses 14:17-20. And the passage reads:

 

(17) And the me-lech/king of Sedom (i.e. the King of Sodom. He is the new king. The previous king of Sodom had been killed in the raid that prompted Avram’s intervention against Chedorlaomer as recorded in verse 10 of our reading) went out to meet him (i.e. Avram) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the melechim/kings that were with him, at the Valley of Shaveh, which is the Me-lech’s/King’s Valley. (18) And Malki-Tzedek, me-lech of Shalem (aka Salem, otherwise known as Yerushalayim), brought out lechem (aka bread) and wine: and He was the Kohen of AL-Elyon (aka Priest of Al-Elyon). (19) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Avram to AL-Elyon, Possessor (or Creator) of the shamayim (aka the heavens) and earth: (20) and blessed be AL-Elyon, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he (i.e. Avram) paid him the ma’aser (i.e. the 10th or the tithe) of all. (RSTNE)

 

Certainly, a lot to unpack here in just these 4-verses. Let’s look.

 

  1. This Malki-Tzedek appears out of nowhere and is described by Moshe as (A) the Me-lech/King of Shalem/Yerushalayim and (B) Kohen/Priest of AL-Elyon. He’s clearly known to both the new king of Sodom and to Avram. And this Melchizedek knows about Avram, especially his recent exploits, which is the reason he goes out to meet him in the Valley of Sheva (14:17).
  2. The Malki-Tzedek celebrates Avram’s victory over the me-lechim/kings of the plain by bringing with him to this impromptu meeting bread and wine (14:18).
  3. The Melchizedek blesses Avram and AL-Elyon (14:19).
  4. Avram gives the Melchizedek a ma’aser/tithe of the spoils he received from his victory over Chedorlaomer Federation (14:19).

 

Let’s break down this encounter even further.

 

Moshe describes here the Melchizedek as king of Shalem/Yerushalayim and high priest of AL-Elyon – God/Yah Most High.

 

The Place of the Encounter

 

The encounter between Avram and the Melchizedek takes place at the “Vale of Shaveh” (aka the King’s Vale and the Valley of Jehoshaphat in the Kidron Valley). Its general geographic location, however, is very ancient Yerushalayim. This makes sense then that the Melchizedek would out of nowhere show up at the meeting between Avram and the unnamed new king of Sodom.

 

The Person of the Melchizedek

 

Some commentators such as Arnold Fruchtenbaum suggest Melchizedek was this second king’s (i.e. the King of Shalem/Salem/Yerushalayim) name (Ariel’s Bible Commentary). I find this interesting since he defines “the name Melchizedek” as “king of righteousness.” And thus, to Fruchtenbaum, this man was “the king of the City of Jerusalem… and the priest of God Most High — AL-Elyon” (ibid.).

 

Melchizedek: Name or Title

 

One could argue, as do I, that Melchizedek is not this man’s proper name. Rather, Melchizedek is this man’s title. And thus, from a literary standpoint, it makes more sense that Melchizedek was this man’s title as opposed to his personal name, since the other kings who were involved in the Battle of the Kings of the Plain were not named in our reading.

 

Melchizedek: Theophany or Just a Godly Man

 

However, I wholeheartedly agree with Fruchtenbaum that this person (1) was NOT a theophany, otherwise referred to as the so-called preincarnate Christ (i.e. Jesus Christ showing up in the form of a man to perform some heavenly task here on earth). Fruchtenbaum rightly postulates that for this to be a so-called theophany or the preincarnate Christ, as denominationalists seem to believe in overwhelming numbers, this individual would not have been so widely established, recognized, and accepted as the King of the city of Jerusalem and as a priest of Yehovah in that region. For by the very nature of a so-called theophany/preincarnate Christ, this being would have come, accomplished his mission, and then vanished. According to Fruchtenbaum, “Theophanies never held an office here on earth. Here, Melchizedek holds two offices: that of king and that of priest” (ibid.).

 

Melchizedek: One Man, Two Jobs

 

Therefore, this unnamed man who carries the title of “King of Righteousness” has two professions: (A) He is a sovereign king of Yerushalayim, and (B) he is a priest. And not a priest of some Canaanite pagan deities as one would expect, but a priest of Al-Elyon — God/Yah Most High.

 

 

Avram’s Melchizedek: A Royal Priest Without Genealogy, or No?

 

Question for you, beloved: How can one become a royal anything without possessing a royal pedigree or heritage of some sort? Not in the human sense. Right?

 

There is a Rabbinic tradition that recognizes this individual as Shem, Noach’s righteous son. The spurious Book of Jasher (which for a few years I gave some credence to, but have since concluded that it is indeed spurious for reasons I won’t get into in this discussion) assigns this man’s lineage to a line of men who had been chosen to be Melchizedek(s) or of the Melchizedekian Priestly Order, beginning with Adam, going through to Noach, and then down to Shem. But this cannot be biblically supported as our Apostolic Reading notes:

 

(1) For this Malki-Tzedek, Melech (aka King) of Wholeness (aka Shalom), Cohen of AL-Elyon, who met Avraham returning from the slaughter of the melechim (aka kings) and blessed him; (2) to whom also Avraham gave a ma’aser/a tithe; first being by interpretation Melech/King of Tzedakah (or righteousness) and after that also Melech/King of Healing and Wholeness, that is, Melech King of Shalom: (3) without abba (i.e. father), without Emma (mother), without records of any list or genealogy, without a start of Yamin (aka days), nor any end of Chayim (aka years): but this One was like the Son of Yehovah; Who is the one that abides in his kohanut-priesthood in ongoing victory. (Heb 7; RSTNE).

 

This is not a support passage for this man as the preincarnate Christ as so many Trinitarians, denominationalists, and not so few Messianics claim. What this is saying about this man is that, hey, this man served as the King of Salem and a Priest of God Most High in the days of Avraham. We don’t have any record of his lineage or of his days prior to him assuming these two-key, sacred roles. If this man was truly Shem, let’s say, then Hebrews 7 is in error. Rather, it is the so-called Book of Jasher/Yashar that is in error. And that is all we’ll say about that. (When I’m done with this series, I plan to compile my notes into a booklet of some type. I’ll put details of the whole Shem-Melchizedek paradigm in that booklet.)

 

But as far as Hebrew 7:1-3 is concerned in relation to our focus passage today, we’ll tackle this behemoth in coming installments to this series. It’s gonna be good!

 

Melchizedek: Priest of AL-Elyon

 

This man’s secondary title or role is that of a Priest. Specifically, this one is a Priest of Al Elyon — Yah or God Most High. This is the first mention of priest(s) or of some priesthood in Scripture (14.18; cf. Heb 5.6, 10, 11; 6.20; 7.1-21). The only other priest mentioned before that of the Levitical Priestly line seems to be that of Jethro (Exo 2.16; 3.1). Jethro (aka Reuel) was Zipporah’s (i.e. Moshe’s wife) dad. He was Moshe’s father-in-law. The text also records Jethro as being a Priest of Midian.

 

The Midianites worshiped several gods, including Ba’al-Peor and Ashtaroth (Wikipedia-Midian). It is suggested by some biblical scholars, however, that certain sects of Midianites may have worshiped YHVH. This is confirmed by the events of Exodus/Shemote 18 where Jethro, Priest of Midian, upon hearing of Yisrael’s miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage by the all-powerful-hand of Yehovah, meets up with Moshe at the base of Mount Sinai (Exo 18:1-9). And upon hearing from Moshe’s own mouth what Yah did for Yisrael, Jethro declared,

 

“Blessed be Yahweh, Who has delivered you from the hand of Pharaoh — Who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods…” (18:10-11, LEB)

 

So, clearly Jethro served a pantheon of deities, but he was clearly aware of Yehovah, and upon hearing about Yehovah’s exploits involving Moshe and the Yisraelites, he became convinced of the supremacy of the Alohim of Yisrael to all deities of the pantheon he worshiped.

 

And just to make sure we’re all on the same page, so to speak, a priest in the biblical sense (as opposed to pagan priests) serves as an intermediary between Yehovah and people (Lev 4.3; 13.2; 14.2; 1 Sam 2.13; Hos 4.4). The root of the Hebrew term Kohen/Cohen means “to stand” and it “literally denotes one who stands serving God” (Klein, Ernest; CEDHLRE). These men might render sacrifices unto Yehovah on behalf of the people, as well as deliver instructions and information to people from Yah. Priests also perform specific tasks on behalf of Yehovah that may involve communicating the will of the Almighty to select individuals. We have no indication from the reading before us that the Melchizedek offered any sacrificial offerings or delivered privileged communications to Avram and the King of Sodom. But he did “bless Yehovah and Avram” and hosted a celebratory bread and wine ceremony with Avram and the King of Sodom. Whether this bread and wine ceremony was a precursor of what most of us know today as the Kiddush is not entirely clear. But given that Yah placed value in this celebratory act, and given the Melchizedek’s blessing acclamation, I would not write off that it may very well have been a Kiddush precursor.

 

Now, this is a very interesting situation I want to touch briefly upon. I mentioned in our discussion on Torah Reading 10, which is entitled “Trusting in the Divine Plan — The Significance of Avraham’s Covenant with Yehovah,” dealt primarily with Yah cutting a covenant with Avram, popularly referred to as the Avrahamic Covenant (and if you’ve not had the opportunity to listen to that discussion, I humbly invite you to do so as you are so led) that Avram was the only human on the planet that Yehovah was working His Plan of Salvation, Redemption, and Restoration through. In my saying that, it did not exclude any reality or possibility that Yehovah was interacting, communicating, and being worshiped by other individuals across the known world. And case in point is this obviously established and regionally known king-priest that we identify as the Melek-Tzedek or Melchizedek.

 

But the point I want to convey here is that Yah is multifaceted in that He is always doing a lot of things at the same time. Some of those things we may know about, while other things we won’t. And in the case of the Melchizedek, here’s a man who worships and serves Yehovah, separate and unrelated to Avram and His relationship with the Almighty. And what this tells us, or what this tells me, is that we may reach a place in our Faith Walk or covenant relationship with Yehovah, where we feel alone and that we’re the only one Yah is working with in the world. But we don’t always know the true situation on the ground, now, do we? Yehovah is always working with other souls throughout the world in a powerful way.

 

When Elijah erroneously believed he was the only Yehovah-fearer left in the Land — if not left in the world — the Father informed Him:

 

“Yet I have left Me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which have NOT bowed unto Ba’al, and every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kin 19:18; KJV).

 

And it becomes our blessed fortune when Yah permits us to come into contact with those other individuals whom He has been working with. Yah is bigger than we could ever comprehend, and He is always the “Smartest One in the Room.” He reveals Himself and works with those He chooses despite what we may feel or think of such individuals. So, it behooves us as Yah’s elect to not shut out of our hearts and minds the possibility that Yah has others whom He is working with at the same time He is working with, through, and in us as individuals.

 

Now, the other important, but more so, fascinating aspect of this gentleman’s pedigree/credentials, if you will, has to do with his ministry. Riddle me this Batman: What good is a priest — especially a priest of the Most High Al-Elyon — if there existed no people for him to minister to? Think about that for a moment. Our text, if read without a modicum of understanding of the biblical purpose and responsibilities of the would-be priest of Al-Elyon and our thoughts about Yehovah’s direct interactions with His human creation up to this point in the biblical narrative are confined to just the patriarchs, then we just might presume that besides Avram, his family, and maybe his servants, there were no other living souls on the planet who worshiped and revered Al Elyon. But clearly there had to have been, otherwise, our Melchizedek would have no true worth; no true purpose; and no true responsibilities.

 

Our text describes this Melchizedek as being THE PRIEST of Al Elyon (14.18). Who is this, Al Elyon? Well, Al Elyon means God Most High. It is a title that is unique to Yehovah. It’s a title that is rarely used today, but in our so-called canonical scriptures, it is found in 18 separate verses, in three specific forms (Gen 14.18-22; Num 24.16; Psa 46.4; 50.14; 57.2; 73.11; 78.56; 107.11; Dan 3.26; 5.18, 21; Mar 5.7; Luk 8.28; Act 16.17; Heb 7.1). This appellation regarding our Great Elyon/Elohim is that it identifies Yehovah as “the possessor of all the earth” (14.19, 22; TWOT Lexicon). This appellation separates Yehovah apart from and above all other gods/demigods. And when we’re talking about an ancient Middle Eastern set of cultures that worshiped a pantheon of gods/elohim, the appellation Al Elyon/El Elyon serves as a definitive spiritual distinction. Each god in the pantheon of gods of the ancient world possessed distinctive powers, and they dwelt in distinctive realms (e.g. Anu/An the god of the sky; Enki/Ea the water god; Inanna/Ishtar goddess of love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility, war, and justice; Marduk, god of judgment and magic who created the earth; and Nanna/Sin, the moon god, just to name a few). This Melchizedek served and worshiped the One Being, who is above these alleged beings, in every conceivable way. These demigods were nothing more than fallen angels who’d abandoned their assigned domains and responsibilities for the sake of fulfilling their own ambitions and confounding the will, plans, and purpose of Yehovah for His human creation. They are created beings at the end of the day. They ultimately must answer to Yehovah. Thus, the appellation Al Elyon.

 

Who Was this Mysterious King-Priest?

 

As we previously established, Melchizedek is the title as opposed to the proper name of this individual. It describes the established offices this individual held in Avram’s day: That of a “king” (of Salem or of nascent Yerushalayim) and a “priest” (of the Most High Alohim). Beyond the Melchizedek as mentioned in our text, there is no other reference in the Tanach apart from a single mention of this gentleman’s royal order or priesthood in Psalm 110.4:

 

“YHVH has sworn and will not lie so as to relent: ‘You are a Kohen le Olam va-ed (a Priest forever) based upon My Word — My Dabar Malki-Tzedek’” (RSTNE).

 

This verse will come in handy when we consider the Rabbinic tradition of who the Melchizedeks were and are today.

 

We find in Beresheit Rabbah 43.6 of the Targumim the traditionally held identity of Avram’s Melchizedek. According to tradition, Avram’s Melchizedek was none other than Shem, one of Noah’s sons.

 

Recall that in response to the Noah naked-drunkenness incident involving Ham, Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan, but blessed Shem with:

 

(26) “Barchu-et-YHVH Alhohim of Shem (i.e. blessed Yehovah, God of Shem); and Kanaan/Canaan shall be his Eved/slave. (27) Alhohim shall enlarge Yahpheth and YHVH shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Kanaan/Canaan shall be his Eved/slave.” (Gen 9; RSTNE)

 

Rabbinic tradition holds that it is here that Noah passed down to his righteous son Shem’s responsibility for maintaining the righteous Ways of Yehovah (which originated with Adam) and the Melchizedekian Priestly Order. These sacred traditions were faithfully handed down to a select individual in each generation. And of his generation, Shem was the chosen one to safeguard and pass on these sacred traditions. Shem accomplished this by running an academy.

 

Jewish tradition further holds that so “perfect” and spiritually mature was Shem that he was born circumcised. (Yikes!)

 

I can clearly see just from this Midrashic passage how portions of the version of the so-called Ancient Book of Jasher, as is popularly known and read today, came up with the patriarch Shem being Melchizedek story. Jasher is a rehashing, if you will, of the musings of the so-called Jewish sages.

 

The Shem-Melchizedek story goes even further to postulate that the Melchizedekian priesthood was stripped from Shem and given to Avram and his descendants (reference Talmud, Nedarim 32b). This occurred because Shem/Melchizedek, believe it or not, blessed Avram before YHVH Most High. Proof of this transfer of the Melchizedekian Priesthood to Avram and his descendants, according to tradition, is found in Psalm 110.4:

 

“YHVH has sworn and will not lie so as to relent: ‘You are a Kohen le Olam va-ed (a Priest forever) based upon My Word — My Dabar Malki-Tzedek’” (RSTNE).

 

According to the Rabbis, this passage is a direct reference to bene Yisrael receiving the Melchizedekian Priesthood, as opposed to, of course, Yahoshua our Messiah, the Person of Whom this passage is clearly alluding to. (Yeah.)

 

Such thinking defies all principles of sound biblical exegesis.

 

I vividly recall from Timothy Mahoney’s Exodus Documentary an interviewed Rabbi stating that in Judaism, they like a good story. And from my experiences going through such Rabbinic gibberish, that statement certainly holds a lot of water.

 

The Priest King Melchizedek Brings Out Bread and Wine: A Foreshadow of Denominationalism’s Holy Communion or the Hebrew Kiddush?

 

In Avram’s day, offering bread and wine to a guest or honored person held significant cultural and symbolic meaning:

 

1. Hospitality and Respect:

 

Bread and wine were basic staples of life and offering them to a guest was a gesture of hospitality and respect. It showed the host’s willingness to provide for their guest’s needs and ensure their well-being.

 

Immediately after Avram’s return from defeating Kedorlaomer’s/Chedorlaomer’s evil confederacy, the unnamed king of Sodom meets up with Avram in the Valley of Shaveh (aka the King’s Valley and some have made this location synonymous with the Kidron Valley which would have been just outside Yerushalayim’s walls), is about 1 mile/1.6 K from Yerushalayim proper (Valley of Shaveh – Encyclopedia of The Bible – Bible Gateway). And it doesn’t take a bible scholar to see why our Melchizedek would high-tail himself out to meet the triumphant Avram. The Valley of Shaveh would have been right in his backyard, so to speak. And with Kedorlaomer’s Confederacy’s assault on the nearby cities of the plain, it seems reasonable to conclude that Salem, the city and her citizenry, would have been at risk of perishing if not for Avram’s decisive intervention.

 

2. Symbol of Peace and Blessing:

 

Bread and wine were often associated with blessings and peace. By offering these items, the Melchizedek was symbolically extending a blessing and a wish for peace to Avram. From just these four verses (i.e. 14:17-20) it is virtually impossible to determine what Avram knew of the Melchizedek and what the Melchizedek knew of Avram. Given Avram’s home being so close to Salem proper, it is conceivable that Avram had a previous encounter with the Melchizedek. The text does not provide us with any such information. Clearly, though, the Melchizedek was known to both Avram and the King of Sedom as the text does not show estrangement between these parties when they meet. But the Melchizedek’s focus to render a blessing and desire for peace was on Avram. And so, it would seem to me, given the likely relationship the Melchizedek had with Yehovah (Melchizedek being His — Yah’s — regional priest and all) and his familiarity with his neighbor Avram, that prior to this meeting in the Valley of Shaveh, he would have had some appreciable level of understanding that Avram was in a unique relationship with Al Elyon. Thus, these two men had something in common: They both were faithful servants of Al Elyon in a Land that was steeped in paganism and idolatry.

 

3. Ritual Significance:

 

It’s impossible to ascertain any ritualistic significance that would have been attached to the Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Avram, especially in light that this is the very first mention of such an act in scripture. I could not trace any bread and wine rituals prior to Avram, and the Melchizedek meet up. It would seem reasonable to conclude that this ritual was at the very least an established practice in Avram’s day, whether to show forth one’s hospitality towards a guest or visitor, or to enact some form of sacred ritual to invoke the Name of Yehovah or pagan demigods and or exalt an individual. That the Melchizedek blessed Avram and Al Elyon in conjunction with the bread and wine offering suggests to me there was indeed some form of ritualistic significance attached to this act. Most certainly a priestly significance. Of this, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum writes:

 

“The very fact that Melchizedek blessed the Patriarch shows Melchizedek’s exalted position as the priest of God Most High. Second, Melchizedek blesses God… As the priest of this God, he could make this proclamation and the reason for this proclamation was that God had delivered Avram’s enemies into his hand. Melchizedek recognized two things: This was the work of the true God, and Abram was the servant of the true God.” (Ariel’s Bible Commentary-The Book of Genesis)

 

Now, we would be remiss to not presume that the Melchizedek’s bread and wine offering was a precursor or foreshadowing of what we know today as Holy Communion in Catholicism and Denominationalism and or as a precursor of what we Messianics/Netsarim know as the Hebrew Kiddush?

 

This reference in our text of the Melchizedek bringing forth to the meeting he was having with the king of Sodom and Avram seems oddly akin to the Jewish tradition of Kiddush. Kiddush is a Jewish tradition performed on the Sabbath. It involves the recitation of a blessing over the bread and the wine and serves, in part, as an act symbolizing the sanctification of the weekly Sabbath. And following the Kiddush, it is customary to have a meal.

 

The Kiddush is believed to have originated between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. The tradition developed over the centuries, with a final codified Talmudic instruction for its practice (Pesachim 106a-107a). However, it seems that the Rabbinites have not established any direct connection between the actions of Melchizedek and the Kiddush. This is not surprising. And this, what I’m about to say, is not meant to disparage our Orthodox Rabbinic Jewish brethren. But it is well established within and without our Faith communities and in denominationalism that the Judaisms make every effort conceivable to distance herself from anything having to do with Yeshua Messiah. They’re not stupid. The Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine in the presence of Avram absolutely foreshadows Yeshua’s offering and prayer of the bread and wine at the last supper. It cannot otherwise. But if the Rabbinites dare make any association with the bread and wine and the praise and blessing rendered by Melchizedek in Avram’s presence, it’s more of a parallel from the perspective of Judaism establishing the tradition of rendering blessings over wine and bread to sanctify the Sabbath and moedim/holy days. But for those of us who belong to the Master Yahoshua, Melchizedek’s bringing forth of bread and wine, and the blessings that accompanied this ancient act of righteousness, foreshadowed the elements and symbolism of what is famously referred to as Holy Communion, which is a revealing of the true meaning behind the Hebrew Kiddush:

 

(26) As they (i.e. Yahoshua and His 12 taught ones) were eating, Yahoshua took bread, blessed the Most High (Al Alhohim) — Baruch ata YHVH, eloheinu melek ha Olam, ha motzi lechem min ha Aretz. Blessed are you YHVH, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth. (Continuing) Yahoshua broke the bread, and gave it to His Talmidim — His taught ones — and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” (27) He, Yeshua, took the cup and gave thanks again — Baruch ata YHVH, eloheinu melek ha Olam. Boray prie ha gaffen. Blessed are you YHVH, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine” — saying, “Drink all of it for this is the renewed covenant in My blood, which is shed for the remission of sins.” (Mat 26; Rood’s Chronology; cf. Mar 14:22-25; Luk 22:17-20)

 

The Apostle Paul recognized the shadow of Melchizedek’s bread and wine offering and our Master’s bread and wine offering:

 

(23) For I (Paul) have received from YHVH that which also I delivered to you, that the Master Yahoshua, the same Lyla (aka night) in which He was betrayed took whole wheat lechem (aka bread). (24) And when He had said the bracha/blessing, He broke it and said, “Take, eat: This is My gooff (i.e. my body) which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” (25) After the same manner also He took the kiddush cup. After He had eaten, saying, “This cup of geulah (aka wine) is the Brit Chadasha in My dahm/the renewed covenant in My blood. This do as often as you drink it (i.e. every Shabbat meal and at every Passover meal), in remembrance of Me. (26) For as often as you eat this lechem/bread and drink this cup, you do show Yahoshua’s death until He returns.” (1 Cor 11; RSTNE)

 

In our text, Avram’s Melchizedek, in bringing forth bread and wine to Avram, was pointing to this solemn event and ritual as recorded in the Apostolic Writings, that is forever to be linked to Yeshua’s Passion and the Renewed Covenant.

 

The Significance of Melchizedek’s Dual Blessings

 

The Melchizedek declares two simple blessings during this impromptu meeting:

 

(19) “Blessed be Avram to Al Elyon, possessor of the heavens and earth (20) and blessed be Al Elyon who has delivered your enemies into your hand” (Gen 14; RSTNE modified).

 

In blessing Avram, what was the Melchizedek declaring:

 

  • Avram belonged to Al Elyon. (All you demigods, take notice. This soul is taken and belongs to Yehovah Most High.)
  • Avram was Yehovah’s servant.
  • That he, Melchizedek, was a privileged and authorized representative/ambassador — even an agent — of the Possessor of the Heavens and the Earth: Al Elyon. The buck stopped with Melchizedek.

 

First Mention of Tithing

 

Avram’s response to the Melchizedek’s bread and wine and blessings was to render unto the Melchizedek “a tenth of all” (i.e. a tithe of “the spoils” of the victory he’d just won over Chedorlaomer’s federation). What was the precedence for this act by Avram? It’s difficult if not impossible to tell since this is the first mention of anyone rendering to another a tithe in scripture.

 

Arnold Fruchtenbaum brings up another salient point regarding Avram’s tithe to the Melchizedek: “There is no evidence from our text that Avram tithed to the Melchizedek or any other person from his accumulated family wealth” (Ariel’s Bible Commentary Genesis 14). The tithe he rendered to the Melchizedek was exclusive to the spoils Avram received from his victory over Chedorlaomer’s federation. So, this was indeed a unique sacrificial act. Was Avram establishing a precedence? Or was this a cultural norm in the Patriarch’s day?

 

All indications from our meager text are that Avram’s actions of rendering a tithe of the spoils of war unto the Melchizedek were spontaneous. At this early stage in the emerging Hebrew Faith, Yehovah had not yet given any instructions to him regarding rendering a tithe to His chosen priests. Furthermore, there is no further mention of the Patriarch Avram ever rendering tithes to any priest. Thus, the tithe Avram rendered unto the Melchizedek was a onetime, voluntary act of righteousness and contrition. If anything, an act of thanksgiving.

 

There isn’t a well-documented record of ancient warriors specifically rendering a tithe of their spoils to pagan priests. However, the practice of offering a portion of one’s wealth or spoils to religious authorities was common in many ancient cultures. For example, in Mesopotamia and Egypt, it was customary to offer a portion of agricultural produce or other wealth to support temples and priests.

 

Thus, the child of the Most High should resist basing his/her obedience and willingness to tithe of their increase on this historic event. Yah was not establishing a commandment for his people to tithe through the telling of this story. On the contrary. If anything, what we come to learn from Avram’s act of giving a tithe of his spoils to the Melchizedek is the content of his heart and a glimpse into his righteous character.

 

I would further add that through this righteous act, Avram was symbolically validating the legitimacy of the Melchizedek’s priestly office. And this cannot be overstated.

 

 

Practical Messianic Take-Aways From Avram’s Encounter with the Melchizedek

 

As Yehovah’s chosen and anointed ones, we are destined to be royal priests. This is confirmed twice by John the Revelator and Kefa/Peter:

 

(5) And from Yahoshua HaMashiyach, Who is the Faithful witness and the Bachor (i.e. the firstborn) from the dead and the Sar (i.e. ruler) of the melechim of the Olam (i.e. the kings of the earth). Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own dahm/blood, (6) and has made us a Malchut of cohenim (i.e. a kingdom — royalty — of priests) to His Ahloha (i.e. His God) and Abba. To Him be tifereth and dominion le-Olam-va-ed. Amein. (Rev 1; RSTNE)

 

(10) And have made us a Malchut (i.e. a kingdom) of cohenim to our Ahloha. And we shall reign in the Olam/earth (Rev 5; RSTNE).

 

(5) You also, as lively stones, are built up as a spiritual bayit (i.e. house); a kadosh cohenot (i.e. a holy priesthood) to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to YHVH by Yehoshua HaMashiyach (1 Pet 2; RSTNE).

 

(9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal cohenot/priesthood, a kadosh/holy nation, and a peculiar people; that you should show forth the tehillot (i.e. the praises) of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous Ohr/light (1 Pet 2; RSTNE).

 

It stands to reason, beloved, that if the Creator of the Universe promoted our Master, older Brother, and soon coming King, to the office of Cohen HaGadol (i.e. High Priest) according to the Order of Melchizedek (Psa 110: 4; Heb 5: 6-10), and as John and Peter have indicated that we are destined to serve our Cohen HaGadol as priests in the Malchut Alhohim/the Kingdom of Yah, then we can certainly learn from Avram’s Melchizedek’s example.

 

  1. Avram’s Melchizedek was known by all in the region.

 

As future Melchizedekian cohenot/priests, our reputation must always precede us. No doubt Avram’s Melchizedek was known for his righteousness and stellar representation of Al Elyon-Yah. It therefore befalls us to perpetually walk in righteousness and represent our Alhohim in such a way that we are known by all who come into contact with us, as a servant and priest of Al Elyon.

 

  1. Avram’s Melchizedek Operated in His Purpose.

 

Like Avram’s Melchizedek, who served as King of Shalem and Priest of Al Elyon 24/7, we too are required to operate in our royal priestly calling.

 

  1. Avram’s Melchizedek operated where Yah called him to serve.

 

Like Avram’s Melchizedek, who served and operated in Shalem — nascent Jerusalem — we are called to serve Yehovah and the Kingdom wherever He places us. He places us where He chooses, and it falls to us as His priest to serve in that location accordingly.

 

  1. Avram’s Melchizedek was righteous.

 

Like Avram’s Melchizedek, we must always walk in righteousness. Avram’s Melchizedek carried himself before Avram and the king of Sodom in a righteous manner, imaging Al Elyon in the process. Our High Priest, Yeshua Messiah, instructed us to seek first Yah’s kingdom and righteousness. Yah cannot effectively work out His purpose in us if we are not walking uprightly before Him and before humanity.

 

  1. Honor Yah’s anointed.

 

Like Avram, when we come into contact with Yah’s anointed and chosen ones, we must honor them. I said honor, not worship. We are to respect them and show honor to them as the Spirit so leads.

 

  1. Learn to be a gracious host.

 

Like Avram’s Melchizedek, it befalls us to be gracious hosts to those who Yah places in our path. More so, we must learn to serve and love one another, for such is the Kingdom of Yah economy.

 

  1. Learn to render blessings and praise.

 

Live Avram’s Melchizedek, we must learn to render unto Yehovah blessings and praises continually. The writer of the Book of Hebrews encouraged us to render unto Yah always sacrifices of praise continually that is the fruit of our lips that confess the Name of our Holy Alhohim (Heb 13:15). Likewise, we must learn to thank and praise Yah for one another for the great things He has done and is doing to and through us, His people.

 

  1. Add the Kiddush to our Weekly Worship

 

Like Avram’s Melchizedek, celebrate each Sabbath by engaging in the Kiddush. Not for purposes of imitating our Jewish cousins in their rituals, but more so, as we discussed, to remember our Master’s sacrifice and the renewed covenant He has established in His blood.