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Yet one more item is added to make the consolation complete. We have already seen
that the "oath" sworn to Abraham is echoed by the "oath" sworn to Christ as Priest after
the order of Melchisedec. The apostle therefore appropriately concludes by saying:--
"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for the age
after the order of Melchisedec" (Heb. 6: 20).
As a forerunner Christ is seen in John 14: 2, "I go to prepare a place for you".
Dr. Macknight says:--
"Here the allusion is to one sent from a ship to fix its anchor in the place to which it is
to be drawn."
The references to Christ as High Priest in this epistle have much to do with the
encouragement of the overcomer:--
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed through the heavens
(where the forerunner is for us entered), Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession" (4: 14).
It must also be remembered that the mention of the Melchisedec priesthood of Christ
at the close of chapter 6: is really a resumption of the theme started in chapter 5: If we
keep in mind the way it is introduced in chapter 5:, and the nature of the parenthesis of
chapter 6:, we may get further light upon the connection of this priesthood with the
believer's hope. In chapter 5:, after speaking of Christ as priest after the order of
Melchisedec, the apostle immediately proceeds to speak of the sufferings of Christ,
whereby He was "perfected". The apostle however realized that those to whom he wrote
were not sufficiently mature to appreciate the subject:--
"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of
hearing" (5: 11).
The dullness of hearing is evidently carried over into 6: 12 where it reappears as
"slothful":--
"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit
the promises."
The exhortation of the parenthesis is "go on unto perfection". We shall find in our
next study that Melchisedec is essentially connected with the overcomer, and therefore is
appropriately mentioned at the close of chapter 6:
There is one meaning of the word "forerunner" that is not mentioned by
commentators, but which we feel must be included in our survey. Prodromos occurs
twice in the LXX, but in neither case does it refer to a "forerunner" in the sense usually
attaching to the word. The two passages are:--
"Now the time was the time of the FIRST RIPE grapes" (Numb. 13: 20, 21).
"As the HASTY fruit before the summer" (Isa. 28: 4).