Why isn’t Melchizedek a theophany?

Theophanies refer to the appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. In addition to theophanies we also have Christophanies which are appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection. There are six reasons why Melchizedek is not a theophany.

1. First of all, theophanies are never given formal names. Melchizedek is very definitely a formal name.

2. Theophanies are never mentioned with specific geographical locations, like Salem.

3. Theophanies always disclose God as the messenger. In the case of Melchizedek he is not so indicated in the historical, doctrinal, or any other passage connected with him.

4. The content of Psalm 110:4 indicates that Melchizedek is a genuine historical person. Christ is addressed by God the Father, He does not say to Christ, “You are Melchizedek”, He says “You are a priest after the classification” [or the battalion] of Melchizedek.” Christ is not addressed as Melchizedek because Christ is not Melchizedek and because Melchizedek is not Jesus Christ.

5. A priest by very Biblical definition must be true humanity to represent the human race before God. Melchizedek was functioning as a priest when he met Abraham therefore he had to be a member of the human race. The fact that Melchizedek was a king without genealogy forms the pattern for the royal priesthood in the Church Age. Every believer in the Church Age is spiritual royalty based upon spiritual birth. It is true that in the Old Testament people were saved in exactly the same way, by believing in Christ as He was revealed. And at the time of salvation God the Father gave to each believer +R and justified him. So one of the ministries in salvation in the Old Testament was justification from God the Father. God the Holy Spirit regenerated the person simultaneously. So we can say that at least five things occurred when any person believed in Christ in the Old Testament times.

By way of contrast, the Church Age dramatically and suddenly interrupted the Jewish Age. In this interruption God the Holy Spirit does something that He has never done before. The baptism of the Holy Spirit enters every believer into union with Christ. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. This makes Him a member of the royal family of God instead of simply a member of the family of God. The Holy Spirit indwells: the sign of royalty. The Holy Spirit seals: security for royalty. The Holy Spirit provides a spiritual gift which is the function of royalty. All of these things add up to the fact that for the first time, and the only time in history, we have a spiritual royalty that is exists forever. None of that was true, even of people who were kings, in the Old Testament. For example, we have David who was born again. His function in life was king, he was a ruler. Yet he is not a member of the royal family of God. He is a member of the family of God but he is not in the palace. Cyrus, king of Persia, a Gentile believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was born a king and was one of the greatest kings of the ancient world. Yet he is not a member of the royal family.

6. Melchizedek was a true historical person rather than a theophany. As an historical person he was a royal priest, therefore a pattern and an illustration of the present priesthood of the Church Age. With the royal priest it makes no difference who your father is, who your mother is, your birth certificate, your death certificate, or an other factor; ours is not royalty by heritage, ours is royalty by regeneration. So we have an eternal royalty, an eternal nobility. The pattern and the illustration which is used is Melchizedek. But more important than that, Melchizedek as a member of the royal priesthood had an encounter with Abraham who is not only a family high priest as a patriarch but was also the source of the Levitical priesthood. Therefore, in their historical meeting whatever occurred is significant as far as the superiority of royalty is concerned.