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The Priest upon His throne.
Melchisedec was both king and priest. These two offices were kept severely distinct
under the economy of the law. We all know the awful thing that fell upon Uzziah when
as king he sought the priesthood also. In Christ alone can these two wondrous offices
meet. Zech. 6: 12, 13 says:--
"Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH . . . . . he shall be a priest upon his
throne."
The epistle of "suffering and the glory that follows" names those who thus overcome
"a royal priesthood" (I Pet. 2: 9), and Revelation, that book of the overcomer, speaks of
Christ as:--
(1). Prince of the kings of the earth--KING.
(2). One who looses from sin by His blood--PRIEST.
and as a result constitutes those thus blessed:--
"Kings and priests unto God and His Father" (Rev. 1: 5, 6).
Melchisedec is the priest of the victor and the Lord is seen in that capacity in Rev. 1:
This is shown by noticing what particular incident of Melchisedec's history the apostle
next mentions.
The Priest of the overcomer.
"Who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings" (Heb. 7: 1).
Gen. 14: gives the names of these kings and describes the battle which they fought.
Lot, type of the worldly believer, type of the one who would not "lose his soul" as
Abraham did, become involved in the fate of Sodom and becomes prisoner.
It is suggestive that the one who escaped and came with tidings tells "Abram the
Hebrew"--"Abram the pilgrim"--a title that suggests the very opposite of Lot's
condition. He it was who overcame these kings, brought back the spoils and rescued Lot.
It is here, at this moment of victory, that Melchisedec appears. The effect of this meeting
is seen in Abraham's reply to the king of Sodom:--
"I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of
heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will
not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich"
(Gen. 14: 22, 23).
Heb. 7: does not mention this effect upon Abraham, but says:--
"And blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all."