How do reconcile the upholding of God’s promise that Adam would continue to be Melchizedeck Priest-King of Righteousness and Peace forever with the record of his death?
Adam lived on in his generations / genetics transferred first to the Woman, and between the two clones all of Adam’s genes were passed down to his all his offspring.
“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him…and called their name Adam…And Adam…begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth…And Seth…began Enos…” (Genesis 5)
Adam’s dominion over the earth continues through his dynasty, which can be tracked back to God himself, the founder of the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth.
This is another expression of humans – unlike angels – being made in the likeness of God. We exist both individually and collectively through our children. Once made, we maintain our own existence infinitely while also splitting off part of ourselves – through our DNA – to make other beings in our image and likeness who are both us and distinct from us.
This continuity is expressed in the proclamation “The king is dead. Long live the king!”
In the manner of kings’ lists across times and cultures, Genesis 5 records the preflood lineage of Melchizedek Priest-Kings anointed to protect God’s people.
- “And Priest-King Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth…and he died.
- And his heir Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat made his heir Enos…
- And Lamech…begat a son / made his heir: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed…
- And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Genesis 5)
Since the long lifespans of these individuals overlapped, not every appointed heir may have actually inherited the kingship. Details of some of the men who did assume responsibilities when the current king either died or became too old and infirm are given in the apocryphal book of Jasher.
“And Cainan [Adam’s great-grandson] grew up and he was forty years old, and he became wise and had knowledge and skill in all wisdom, and he reigned over all the sons of men, and he led the sons of men to wisdom and knowledge; for Cainan was a very wise man and had understanding in all wisdom, and with his wisdom he ruled over spirits and demons; And Cainan knew by his wisdom that God would destroy the sons of men for having sinned upon earth, and that the Lord would in the latter days bring upon them the waters of the flood. And in those days Cainan wrote upon tablets of stone, what was to take place in time to come, and he put them in his treasures. And Cainan reigned over the whole earth, and he turned some of the sons of men to the service of God.” (Jasher 2:11-14)
“And Enoch [Cainan’s great-grandson] lived sixty-five years and he begat Methuselah; and Enoch walked with God after having begot Methuselah, and he served the Lord, and despised the evil ways of men. And the soul of Enoch was wrapped up in the instruction of the Lord, in knowledge and in understanding; and he wisely retired from the sons of men, and secreted himself from them for many days…And all the kings of the sons of men, both first and last, together with their princes and judges, came to Enoch when they heard of his wisdom, and they bowed down to him, and they also required of Enoch to reign over them, to which he consented. And they assembled in all, one hundred and thirty kings and princes, and they made Enoch king over them and they were all under his power and command. And Enoch taught them wisdom, knowledge, and the ways of the Lord; and he made peace amongst them, and peace was throughout the earth during the life of Enoch. And Enoch reigned over the sons of men two hundred and forty-three years, and he did justice and righteousness with all his people, and he led them in the ways of the Lord...And it was in the fifty-sixth year of the life of Lamech when Adam died; [do the math – every generation was present and accounted for except Noah] nine hundred and thirty years old was he at his death, and his two sons, with Enoch and Methuselah his son, buried him with great pomp, as at the burial of kings, in the cave which God had told him. And in that place all the sons of men made a great mourning and weeping on account of Adam; it has therefore become a custom among the sons of men to this day. And Adam died because he ate of the tree of knowledge; he and his children after him, as the Lord God had spoken…all the sons of men were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to approach him on account of the Godlike awe that was seated upon his countenance; therefore no man could look at him, fearing he might be punished and die…And the day came when Enoch went forth and they all assembled and came to him, and Enoch spoke to them the words of the Lord and he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and they bowed down before him and they said, May the king live! May the king live! (Jasher 3:1-22)
“And all the days that Enoch lived upon earth, were three hundred and sixty-five years. And when Enoch had ascended into heaven, all the kings of the earth rose and took Methuselah his son and anointed him, and they caused him to reign over them in the place of his father. And Methuselah acteduprightly in the sight of God, as his father Enoch had taught him, and he likewise during the whole of his life taught the sons of men wisdom, knowledge and the fear of God..But in the latter days of Methuselah, the sons of men turned from the Lord, they corrupted the earth, they robbed and plundered each other, and they rebelled against God and they transgressed, and they corrupted their ways, and would not hearken to the voice of Methuselah, but rebelled against him.” (Jasher 4:1-4)
1. Priest
Have the Protestant denominations lost so much knowledge of the essential role of a priest? It is to be a intercessor, an advocate, a spokesman between sinful humanity and righteous God.
“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (I John 2:1)
Yes, John is specifically referring to YHVH’s Chosen Savior at that time in history. But John did not introduce a brand new concept. The role of an advocate, a Righteous One, was essential to all faiths in the millennia preceding John’s letter.
And sure enough we find biblical priests / fathers who offered sacrifices to mediate between the true Creator God and their people long before the Levitical priesthood was established. These are Melchizedekian priests functioning both prior to and after the establishment of the Levitical priesthood.
Abraham put his own life on the line when he acted as defense counsel for the guilty. To put this in perspective, compare to God’s thunderous response when Job questioned him.
“Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2)
YHVH is the prototype for the spin-off Zeus, AKA Satan.
“And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now…
In other words, Abraham was dismissed.
But he didn’t go.
“but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?…Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” (Genesis 18:20-33)
2. Staying Close To YHVH During Storms
Both Adam and Enoch (stated twice in his case for emphasis) “walked with God“. This is key to recognizing scripturally legitimate anointed ministers of God.
“Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love…for the work of the ministry…Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4)
Noah is the first man in Adam’s list of descendants whose status as Adam’s heir of promise is so well documented that there can’t be any mistake about it.
“And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth…But Noah…was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God…And God said unto Noah…with thee will I establish my covenant;” (Genesis 6:5-18)
What covenant would that be? There is only one at that time in human history. Having dominion.
The flags indicating the order of the religious fathers who showed the way to God is that they are recorded to have walked in the way of God. The original “Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk.”
“God, before whom…Abraham and Isaac did walk” (Genesis 48:14-15)
“And his father Isaac said unto him / Jacob …God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: [have dominion]…(Genesis 27:26-29) “many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go…to the house of the God of Jacob; and…we will walk in his paths:…O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:3-5)
3. King’s Dominion
Let’s not be coy. That means defeating the evil rulers currently in control, either through outright battle or passive resistance.
Scripture documents Noah’s designated status as Adam’s heir to the promise to have dominion over the earth by verbatim repetition of the terms of that covenant.
The following passage, while drawing attention to a specific incident in history, is just as applicable to Adam, and in fact only applicable to all the persons referenced because it is true with our ancestor Adam.
“And God blessed [the Adams], and God said unto them, 1) Be fruitful, and 2) multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and 3) have dominion.” (Genesis 1:28)
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, 1) Be fruitful, and 2) multiply, and replenish the earth. And…3) all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered / dominion.
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- behold, I establish my [first] covenant with you, and with your seed after you…
- AND I will establish [another] my covenant with you, neither [indicating plural covenants –“not either”] shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood.” (Genesis 9:1-13)
4. Executing God’s Blessings on Mankind
The passage describing Melchizedek Shem blessing Abraham applies to every individual in the Order of Melchizedek, whether High Priest or hopeful.
Shem inherited this post after Noah was disgraced by his son Ham, and could no longer serve in the exalted role of High Priest. But does that mean that Noah, who lived for hundreds more years, just faded into oblivion? Could he continue to serve in the order of Melchizedek in a lesser capacity?
An fascinating possible answer is provided in Mesoamerican mythology. A foreigner, highly suggestive of a missionary Noah, brought the way of salvation to Mesoamerica, before being supplanted, as in Mesopotamia, by Antichrist.
Immediately north of Columbia and Venezuela, the Cuna Indians of Panama, who practiced writing on wooden tablets, had a tradition that after a devastating flood, ‘. . . there appeared a great personage who . . . taught the people how to behave, what to name things, and how to use them. He was followed by a number of disciples who spread his teachings. . . .’ (D. B. Stout, Handbook of South American Indians, vol. IV, p. 267.)
The legends of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent chief god of all the Mesoamerican cultures, goes back to about 1200 B.C. with the first and foundational Olmec civilization. Accounts preserved by successor Mesoamerican cultures tell of a great hero, Ce Acatl Topiltzín Quetzalcoatl who taught people to be good. He confronted priests of a capital city in an attempt to stop human sacrifice. One day Quetzalcoatl unknowingly drank an intoxicating beverage and committed incest with his sister. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl surrendered his priestly position and left Mesoamerica.
5. Prophet / Teacher
Shem lived for 500 years after the flood, providing eye-witness accounts of God’s judgment on the gods’ corruption of humanity to every generation through to Abram. Shem is so evidently the individual functioning as the Melchizedek at the time of history when Abram visited him that his personal name didn’t need to be written into the biblical record.
The ancient Targumim (Aramaic interpretive translations) identify Melchizedek as Shem – son of Noah. Shem was one of the links in the chain who transmitted the G‑dly traditions that originated with Adam. These traditions were carefully handed down from generation to generation, and Shem—who headed an academy—was a key conductor of these teachings.
“Abram…went to Noah and his son Shem, and he remained with them to learn the instruction of the Lord and his ways, and no man knew where Abram was, and Abram served Noah and Shem his son for a long time. And Abram was in Noah’s house thirty-nine years, and Abram knew the Lord from three years old, and he went / walked in the ways of the Lord until the day of his death, as Noah and his son Shem had taught him.” (Jasher 9:5-6)
“Adoni-zedek [clearly referencing the same individual as Melchi-zedek, where Adoni / Lord is an acceptable alternate title for king] king of Jerusalem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech [King]. And Adonizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God.” (Jasher 16:11-12)
Shem can also be recognized as Melchizedek by his priestly designation as “the father of all the children of Eber / Hebrews. Since the same verse continues to state “even to him (Shem) were children born,” clearly “father” in the context of the Children of Eber references not the generative but the religious function.
As the head of the one righteous nation formed at the splitting of united humanity into many nations at the Tower of Babel, Eber’s resume certainly fits the bill as Shem’s heir. As one of the ancient fathers born before the countdown in lifespans, (H)Eber was still alive into Jacob / Israel’s lifetime.
It is likely that Eber is not further mentioned in Abraham’s territory because he, like Paul, was ministering to the nations scattered all around the world, bringing them back to the one true God.
This activity is stated as a primary objective in the Kingdom of God by our penultimate Melchizedek.
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…the wolf [such as Nimrod]…scattereth the sheep…And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:11-16)
Interestingly, while personalizing this mission, he delegated it to his undersecretaries in the State Department.
“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel…Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”(Matthew 15:24, 28:18-20)
Yet another example of the oneness of the sons of God filled with God’s Spirit and the multitude of subordinate priests under the High Priest in the order of Melchisedec,
Once we know what to look for, we know who inherits the position of Melchizedek after Shem dies or becomes incapacitated.
“And he / Shem…said, Blessed be Abram…possessor of heaven and earth:” (Genesis 14:19)
“the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect... behold, my covenant is with thee…I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” ( Genesis 17)
I put to you that the everlasting covenant made with Abraham “to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” is the Melchizedekian priesthood, the High Priesthood of which was inherited through one single line of appointment, as the Anointed One / Messiah / Christ from Adam to Enoch to Methuselah to Noah to Shem to Abraham and on to his designated heirs culminating in Jesus Christ.
This covenant is expressly defined as renewing a human king’s righteous dominion over the whole world.
“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh [i.e. human, not God our heavenly father], hath found?…what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness...that he might be the father / leader, guide, teacher, priest of all them that believe…that righteousness might be imputed unto them also…who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham…For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was…through the righteousness of faith…of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and [as Creator] calleth those things which be not as though they were.“ (Romans 4:1-18)
6. Prove their faith by their works
Possession of the promises only occurred as Abraham and his heirs acted in faith on God’s promise to supernaturally empower them to partner with God to fulfill his purposes, especially unto death.
Abraham was called out of Mesopotamia to take possession of the land of Canaan only after he publicly acted on his faith in Yahweh’s promise to restore life by remaining faithful unto death.
And when Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all his father’s gods…
Make no mistake, whenever a true believer stands up for the true God there will be a fight. Basically, people take it as a real put-down to their ego when they are told they need a higher power – and authority.
7. Remaining Faithful To God Unto Death
And Terah, seeing all that Abram had done, hastened…to the king and he came before Nimrod and…And he said…thus has he done to my gods and thus has he spoken; and now therefore, my lord and king, send for him that he may come before thee, and judge him according to the law, that we may be delivered from his evil...
And Abram answered the king, saying…0 foolish, simple, and ignorant king, woe unto thee forever… Dost thou not know, or hast thou not heard, that this evil which thou doest, our ancestors sinned therein in days of old, and the eternal God brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed them all, and also destroyed the whole earth on their account? And wilt thou and thy people rise up now and do like unto this work, in order to bring down the anger of the Lord God of the universe, and to bring evil upon thee and the whole earth? Now therefore put away this evil deed which thou doest, and serve the God of the universe, as thy soul is in his hands, and then it will be well with thee…
And the king said to the princes and sages…decide what judgment is due to this man who reviled the king; who spake and did all the things that you heard. And they all answered the king saying… having despised our gods, he must therefore be burned to death, for this is the law in this matter…and the king ordered them to take Abram from prison and bring him out to be burned.
Isaac was Abraham’s designated Melchizedekian heir,
Jacob was chosen over Esau because he valued the inheritance so much he risked his life to get it.
“And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: Therefore
- God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
- Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee:
- be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee:
- cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. (Genesis 27:11-29)
We also don’t always recognize that Jacob was functioning as a Melchizedek, but it is because he was the greater world-wide priest-king, the Melchizedek, that humble Jacob was in a position to bless the Egyptian Pharaoh despite Pharaoh’s exalted position.
“And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” (Genesis 47:7)
By this point in the narrative we should recognize the current Melchizedek of the whole earth when we see him in action.
Kingdom Come 