Hebrews 7:1-2 – Part iii
Melchisedec, or What Think Ye of Christ?
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; (Hebrews 7:1)
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; (Hebrews 7:2)
<<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1)
The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (Psalm 110:2)
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3)
The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. (Psalm 110:5)
He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. (Psalm 110:6)
He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. (Psalm 110:7)
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? (Matthew 22:41 – 44)
For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Mark 12:36)
And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, (Luke 20:42)
The Titles: King of Righteousness and King of Peace
Before we begin this new article, we need to reaffirm two fundamental truths: King of righteousness, and King of peace. In the divine world we have the possessor of heaven and earth, it is only the highest Himself who has the title of King of righteousness. There has never been a child of Adam (man under sin) who has held this title; for man under sin is incapable of righteousness; therefore, only the Man Christ Jesus, God’s Christ, who was apart from sin, could hold this title: King of righteousness.
King of peace: Adam and man can never have divine peace with God except through the divine King of peace, which again, only belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. Divine peace can only occur when sin is taken out of the way, and nailed to the cross, and only those who have trusted the way, the truth, and the life can come to the Father in perfect peace for they know the King of peace.
Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?
Now on to this new article — In the three gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) the Lord Jesus used Psalm 110 in each one of these gospels. Only one time in each of these gospels did He specifically use the prophecy of David from 110:1. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Each time that the Holy Spirit records this quote from Psalm 110:1, the Lord was looking for an answer; the answer that He wanted to hear was quite obvious: the true answer would be Lord of lords, and King of kings. But this did not come, not one voice echoed the obvious. The evil heart of man (the Pharisees, the religious leaders, the Sadducees, the Herodians) even a lawyer got involved, and none of them could mouth the words, Lord of lords, and King of kings. Why did the Lord Jesus use this specific Psalm, and verse one? Psalm 110 has seven verses, He introduced the first verse knowing that those in the leadership of the Jews would know all seven verses, verse one was only an introduction to the whole prophetic psalm. This is one of the psalms that we call a messianic psalm. There are several psalms that speak about the coming, the ministry, and the work, and the death of the Lord Jesus, and all of these depict Him as Israel’s Messiah. Psalm 110 is monumental for it reflects on eternity past. As God the Father addressed the Son, this not only covered the announcement of the Father, that. He (the Son) should sit at. His right hand, but until. His enemies are made. His footstool. Psalm 110 blends His earthly ministry and His earthly suffering with His eternal priesthood as Melchisedec. As Psalm 110 is a psalm of His lordship, it is also a display of His finished work of righteousness in verse 4, The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. This psalm is used by Christ Himself to bring out His divine lordship and His divine priesthood as Melchisedec. When the Lord Jesus asked the question, What think ye of Christ? He knew that the Pharisees were knowledgeable of Psalm 110, for He knew their thoughts as they wrestled with their evil hearts. To prove this, we have the question that the Lord asked them concerning John the Baptist, The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? (Matthew 21:25a) They could not answer Him, for their evil hearts had them running in circles with their sin. What thinks ye of Christ? was His declaration of who He was: that standing before them was the Christ of God, and He was telling them from His own lips. He also could have said, according to verse 4 of Psalm 110, What think ye of Melchisedec? This would have really threatened them, for in no way were they going to give up their priesthood to Melchisedec. According to the Lord’s quote of Psalm 110, He was bringing to the forefront His eternal lordship, and His eternal priesthood. Both His lordship and eternal priesthood are both found in the same psalm. There is a great deficiency in man’s theological thought when dealing with the prophetic truth of Psalm 110. The same blindness that struck the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the rulers of the Jews has also permeated our age. Man will not look any further than Psalm 110. Yet, the whole witness of the Book of Hebrews beginning in Chapter 2 is about the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Trilogy of Praise
After the announcement in Psalm 110 of the Lord of lords, and the great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, we have in the next three psalms a trilogy of praise all beginning with Praise ye the Lord.
(Psalm 111:1) ¶ Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with [my] whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and [in] the congregation.
(Psalm 112:1) ¶ Praise ye the LORD. Blessed [is] the man [that] feareth the LORD, [that] delighteth greatly in his commandments.
(Psalm 113:1) ¶ Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Psalm 111
There is much more, if we look closer, these psalms take us to the congregation and the assembly of the upright, which is in Psalm 111 verse 1. Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. Compare this to Hebrews, Chapter 2, verse 12: Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Then in Psalm 22, verse 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Now in Psalm 111, we have the fear of the Lord, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Psalm 112
In Psalm 112, we have special praise being given to the name of the Lord, this encompasses the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the Son of God, the son of man, both the Spirit and mind of Christ, and yes, Melchisedec, the High Priest forever, for He has the power of an endless life.
Psalm 113
In Psalm 113, the servants of the Lord are praising His wonderful name. Would this not lead us to His servant Isaiah, and the prophecy that Isaiah gave concerning the vastness of His name, or names. (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. At this point, we need to fasten our seat belts, and we need to hold on to the eternal Word, for Psalm 114 takes us back to Genesis 14, in the words of verse 2, Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. Our Lord came out of the tribe of Judah, He had no earthly qualifications to be a priest, for He was not of the tribe of Levi. However, Mary was a cousin to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) was of the daughters of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. Both Elizabeth and Zechariah could prove their genealogy all the way back to Israel’s first high priest, Aaron. In the birth of the Lord Jesus, both Joseph (out of the tribe of Judah) and Mary (out of the descendants of Levi) gave a unique picture of the great King, and High Priest of eternity, who would be manifested as the Son of God, to take away the sin of the world. The Lord Jesus is the only One in the history of mankind and in eternity, who is both King and Priest.
The Spirit of God in Psalm 114 declares Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. We see in this psalm that at the institution of the nation of Israel, prophetically Judah was His sanctuary and Israel His dominion. This is speaking specifically of the great I AM who is the Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much in these psalms after Psalm 110 that enhances the meaning and the understanding of Psalm 110, but blind eyes cannot see, closed hearts cannot discern, and without the Spirit of Christ they fumble at the door in their darkness.
Concerning the Lord Jesus out of the tribe of Judah, He is our sanctuary, Christ perfectly fulfilled the place of our sanctuary. This is our place of praise to our Redeemer and our God, for the highest Himself is the only One worthy of the praise of man. For the Son of God has made a way for us into the most holy place. We did not come in of ourselves. We were taken into the most holy place by the most holy Priest, the great High Priest of Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; and 7:26.
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)
The world has a saying when there has been a great discovery, and it is obvious that there is more to follow, the world says, This is only the tip of the iceberg. What is obvious is above the water, but what lies beneath cannot be seen with the natural eye. This was the trouble that sin brought to the Pharisees because they could only see the son of Joseph as the carpenter’s son. Each time the Holy Spirit Himself records in these three gospels the question that the Lord asked, What thinks ye of Christ? whose son is he? It is very significant for it is the Lord’s own personal witness of Himself and who He was, and who He is. In Psalm 110, it refers to the Lord in verse 1, standing before them, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. We have God the Father giving the Son a position of authority at God’s own right hand verified in Hebrews 1:3, Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. The declaration is this: after He had purged our sins, after He had finished the work upon the cross of Calvary, after He declared Himself ‘it is finished,’ after He rose from the dead with the power of His endless life, after He ascended up into heaven, and brought His blood into the holy of holies, after He returned to earth to meet with His brethren, and then finally, after He ascended on high, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (This was recorded in Psalm 110:1, and reaffirmed by the Spirit of God in Hebrews 1:13).
In the work of the cross, He bore the sin of the whole world, all sin, and therefore, one day He will stand in judgment upon all His enemies; they will be subdued and brought into subjection to the Lord of lords, and King of kings. Psalm 110:1 will be fully completed in the judgment upon His enemies. His position now is at the right hand of God, this is not an inferior position, this is a position that He holds as the GodMan. You see, we (those who believe and love the Lord Jesus Christ) have a Man in heaven for us: the GodMan, Jesus Christ. He sits in a place of divine power, for all power in heaven and earth has been given to the son of man. (Matthew 28:18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. This power is related to the son of man, the GodMan (Jesus Christ), He has received this great power because of His great victory over sin and death, and the devil.
The Witness
Let us look at the first record when He quotes Psalm 110 for the first time. This took place in Matthew, Chapter 22, verse 44, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? The number of witness (which is the number 2) appears in both the chapter and in the verse. The number 22 relates a double witness, for the Lord Himself proclaimed with His own words who He was: Lord of lords, and King of kings. The next witness that we have is the witness of the Holy Spirit making sure that the words of the Lord Jesus were recorded in all three of the gospels. We have a compound witness taking 22, and making it 44; here in Matthew 22:44 is the witness of God’s Son concerning Himself, He is witnessing His own messiahship. He is declaring through the prophetic words that He is God’s Christ. He also qualifies David as a prophet of God, and the Lord Jesus gives David the authorship of Psalm 110 under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit who points to His enemies all around Him, we are made to feel that the Holy Spirit of God (by recording this statement) which is approaching the end of the Lord’s public ministry. We have the enemies that were before Christ, these enemies knew that He was speaking of them, and this (the Holy Spirit) wants to relate to us that all His enemies will be subdued under His feet. Of course, this is pointing to the millennial reign of Christ, and afterwards the eternal judgment of the great white throne where Christ will issue the order of the second death, and judge all His enemies.
In Hebrews 1:3, we have the results of His first advent because He finished the work of redemption. And because of the work of redemption we have the free gift of God in His wonderful grace to us. This does not change the waiting day when in His time He will judge His enemies and cast them into the lake of fire. In the redemption of Hebrews 1:3, notice the plurality of sin. He has purged our sins. All has been dealt with at the cross of Calvary by the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, the Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. He has sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. In this position, He reigns with complete sovereignty over His Church. I am speaking only of the mystical body of Christ, which is the house of God. (Hebrews Chapter 3, whose house are we) This relates only to those who are born of the Spirit of God, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God the Holy Spirit. This brings us into a relationship with OUR great High Priest: Melchisedec, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. (Hebrews 7:26)
This is the son of man, the Son of God, the GodMan, and High Priest in heaven for us. He is there to declare praise unto God in the midst of the congregation. He is there to make intercession for us. He is there to give us grace in time of need. He is there to humble us, and to chasten us for our waywardness. He is there to hold us in the eternal bonds of His eternal love. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. In quoting Psalm 110, the Lord declared to the Pharisees, and to the Sadducees, that this statement that David wrote described the Son of God, Himself. At the end of the Lord’s public ministry, He was giving them their last chance, their final call, and their final condition before the Son of God. This conclusion carried over in Matthew Chapter 23, in verses 37 and 38 with the most profound words the Lord issued the prophetic judgment over Jerusalem, with the sad words,
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.(Matthew 23:36)
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37)
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (Matthew 23:38)
I would say that this was Jerusalem’s final call. The Lord Jesus Christ had made His decision concerning Jerusalem. He was well aware that they had decided (in their hearts) to kill the Prince of life. He knew their wickedness against Him, but this was not the first time, however, it would be the last time that He would condemn them for their wickedness. Now, the work of redemption was before Him, He would go to the cross, win the victory over sin, death, and the devil; then He would wait patiently in His grace at the right hand of the majesty on high.
A Brief Summation of Grace and Judgment
We are waiting for the fullness of the Gentiles to come in. The days of Noah will return, and the world will spiral into the most wicked sins that humanity has ever committed; we stand at the very edge of this deep abyss in our current age. The Lord is getting ready to descend with a shout of the archangel and the trump of God; not to take up His reign, but to remove His beloved (the Church) from planet Earth. The world will be void of the Church (the true Church) and wickedness will abound on every hand. At first, He will deal with the world supernaturally from heaven and from His throne; this judgment will begin as recorded in Revelation, Chapter 6, then when heaven finishes speaking, when His angels have finished the various judgments on the earth, and the world is in shambles, then the highest Himself will come with the clouds of judgment as lightning out of the east. He will be the victorious Lord of Isaiah 63. He will embrace Israel to Himself, and set up His kingdom and reign over the whole world.
This reign will surpass all the glories of Solomon’s reign, for even now, in the dispensation of grace, the half has not been told. It is then that His enemies will be made His footstool on this earth. All will be in subjection to His divine rule under His divine sovereignty. In the end of this wonderful kingdom, Adam with his sin will raise up against the Lord Jesus Christ once more. All the nations of the world will come against Jerusalem, and He will destroy the nations with fire out of His mouth. As a general rule, man because of his sin, tries to overthrow those things that are good and are good for him. If we lived within a utopian government, the majority would still find faults with good, and eventually destroy their own utopia. This is man, through history, he has been incapable of governing himself without failure. Solomon (the wisest man) ruled over the greatest government by man, and yet, he and his government suffered decay because wisdom could not conquer sin. Wisdom has to be something that is acquired from God, sin, however, was acquired from Adam and is within everyone. It is only through deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ that man can be made to enjoy the wisdom of God. Christ is the wisdom of God. (See Proverbs Chapter 8 and 1 Corinthians 1:21-24) So at the end of time, all the unregenerate children of Adam will stand before the great white throne, and who will they see sitting there? They will see the Son of God, the son of man, the carpenter’s son sitting on His throne. What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?
Son and Priest Confirmed and Reaffirmed
In 1st Peter we have the confirmation by the Spirit of God concerning the prophecies given to mankind. This confirmation comes from the Spirit of God Himself. Turn to 1st Peter, Chapter 1, verses 10 thru 11. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. The Spirit of God confirms that it was the Spirit of Christ within these prophets who gave to them the exact prophecy, and that in US the grace of God would be fulfilled. This means the Spirit of Christ worked in them to give the exact wording, the exact sentence structure, the exact spelling, and the exact interpretation of their own prophetic writings for they understood their own writings because they had the Spirit and mind of Christ. Read again, verse 11, we have the Spirit of Christ, this Spirit was within them, and His Spirit that was in them signified, or confirmed that it was Christ speaking to them. The Son of God and Christ testified to them before His own sufferings on the cross, and the glory that should follow. So why do we find it strange that Abraham saw the Lord’s day and His sufferings, and rejoiced in that glory to come in the fulfillment in all of the prophecies. In John, Chapter 8, we have a rejoicing Abraham, he was not rejoicing over his own victory over the four kings of the east. He was rejoicing over the victory of God’s Christ concerning his own salvation. In Peter we also have the mention of the fullness of grace that would be shed upon us. They, the prophets, knew that grace would abound. (Verse 10) Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. In the three synoptic Gospels, we have the witness of the Son of who He was. In Matthew Chapter 22, we have the record by the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, as a witness to the prophets which we see in 1st Peter 1:10 and 11. Christ confirmed that David was such a prophet, but that’s not all, in our study in the Book of Hebrews, we find that the Spirit of God, and God the Father, confirmed both the sonship of Christ and the eternal priesthood of Christ.
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. (Hebrews 5: 5)
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 5: 6)
God the Father ties both sonship and priesthood together because it is God the Father who is quoting by the Spirit from Psalm 2, and Psalm 110. He confirms the sonship of His beloved, and He confirms the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ as Melchisedec. In Psalm 2:7 we have the birth and the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Consequently, His sonship is confirmed and reaffirmed by God the Father in Hebrews Chapter 5. Notice the proximity and closeness of these two verses of Hebrews 5:5 and 6, one with sonship, and the other with priesthood, and that priesthood after the oath and order of Melchisedec.
The Review
The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4) Let us rehearse some of our findings: we have the witness of the prophets moved by the Spirit of Christ; we have the witness of the Son of God Himself quoting from Psalm 110, verse 1; and in Hebrews 5, we have the witness of God the Father twice declaring His Son, Jesus Christ, and proclaiming that His Son, Jesus Christ, is the same Melchisedec of Genesis 14. And this whole thing is contained in Matthew 22:44.
In referring to Psalm 110, the Pharisees knew exactly who He was, the Lord of lords. They were of the children of Cain, and we know that Cain was a murderer from the beginning. In verse 46 of Matthew 22, we see the end of their questions. They had tried to trick Him on many different occasions, yet, Christ always had a heavenly answer for their questions. All their questions were laced with guile, and in verse 46, they had exhausted all their evil questions. From that day forward, they did not ask Him any more questions. This of course, is referenced to the Jewish leadership.
The Gospel of Mark and Psalm 110
Let’s move on from Matthew’s gospel, to Mark’s gospel, Chapter 12,verse 36, For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. In Mark’s gospel the first thing that we are made aware of is the Lord’s reference to the Holy Ghost who gave the exact words of the prophetic Psalm 110. These words were specifically given by the Holy Ghost so that mankind would not be able to explain away the sonship or the divine priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also confirms David as a prophet, For David himself said by the Holy Ghost. David spoke and wrote under the direction of the Holy Ghost.
Sonship – Kingship – Priesthood / Melchisedec – Suffering Savior – Lordship
There are three messianic psalms that are particularly watched over by the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and the Son of God. (Psalm 2, Psalm 22, and Psalm 110)
Psalm 2
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (Psalm 2:1)
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (Psalm 2:2)
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.(Psalm 2:3)
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.(Psalm 2:4)
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. (Psalm 2:5)
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (Psalm 2:6)
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:7)
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalm 2:8)
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (Psalm 2:9)
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.(Psalm 2:10)
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:11)
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)
In Psalm 2, the birth of the Son is announced, I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. He is also God’s King; notice, it does not say, the king of Israel, but God the Father declares the Son as HIS king, and He will set this king to reign on mount Zion. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psalm 22
In Psalm 22, we have a look by the Spirit of God behind the curtain of the sufferings of Christ. Not only the words by the Lord Jesus, but the very feelings, and thoughts as the darkness of death descended on Him. Yet, God would not suffer His holy One to see corruption. Read a few selected verses from Psalm 22, but for more in-depth understanding go to this link.
<<To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.>> My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (Psalm 22:1)
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. (Psalm 22:2)
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. (Psalm 22:6)
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, (Psalm 22:7)
But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. (Psalm 22:9)
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. (Psalm 22:14)
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. (Psalm 22:15)
I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. (Psalm 22:17)
They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (Psalm 22:18)
Ps 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. (Psalm 22:19)
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. (Psalm 22:22)
Move to Psalm 110. This ties the Lord of glory to His finished work in Melchisedec. For as priest, He offered the sacrifice of Himself. This was a sweet savor unto God the Father. Once again, let’s rehearse what we have seen: we have a wonderful combination in Psalm 2, sonship and kingship; in Psalm 22, His sufferings and His victory; and in Psalm 110, His Lordship and His priesthood.
The Last Quote by the Lord of Psalm 110 From the Gospel of Mark
Let us now look at Mark’s gospel, (Mark 12:36) For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Some individuals have said that this reference was David speaking of God’s Christ, when in fact, it is God the Father who is speaking to His Son, and notice both carry the title, LORD; this is one of the evidences of the unification of the Godhead bodily that all three are inseparable.
Now to prove that it was God the Father saying this to His Son, turn to Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Therefore, in the reality of the Spirit’s voice, this quote from Psalm 110:1, by the Lord Jesus was referenced to His own lordship and in Hebrews 1:13 we have the connection to His sonship: both quoting from Psalm 110. This psalm is one of the hidden jewels within the psalms. The value of this psalm is related to us many times in the book of Hebrews.
From verse 28 to verse 34 in Mark’s gospel Chapter 12, we have in attendance, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, and the lawyers, all trying to overthrow the Creator of all things, the Son of God. They even bring into question the greatest commandment of all.
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (Mark 12:29)
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:30)
It is quite obvious why this is the greatest commandment that was given to Israel for it begins with, Hear, O Israel. This commandment was given to God’s chosen people when they came out of Egypt. It was given to overthrow their idolatrous nature, for when in Egypt they worshiped the golden calves of Egypt; consequently, the hold of idolatry over them had to be broken. When Christ was asked this question, it was to entrap Him for they felt that He had claimed to be God (which was accurate, and was true of Him), for He was God manifested in the flesh. However, when He answered the question, He used the exact words that were given to Israel at Sinai. Here again, they could not entrap Him. Has this commandment changed today under the dispensation of grace? No, there is still one God, there is still one Savior, there is still one Creator, and there is still one whom we are to worship, and His name is Jesus Christ. He is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9) This means that when we identify ourselves to God, we address Him as the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are part of His body, this is the closest relationship any group of people has ever had with God. Those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, in this time period of grace, not only enjoy the blessings of God, but YOU and this writer, are part of the divine body of Christ. So therefore, the greatest commandment of all is that one should love the Lord his God with all his heart. The Lord in the same mind set as in Matthew’s gospel, drives the question to His own identity, as God Himself.
Also notice that in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 22, the parable that the Lord Jesus gave is the marriage of the kings’ son, the heir to the throne, and this fits like a glove in Matthew’s gospel because the gospel of Matthew is the gospel of the kingdom. Christ came to be King, for this end was I born, was the statement that He made to Pilate. Yet, the Jews refused their King. The words of Pilate to the people, Behold your king, had no effect on their evil hearts.
In Mark’s gospel, Chapter 12, the Holy Spirit goes much deeper into the mind set of mankind. In Matthew’s gospel, the son or heir does not die; in the parable in the gospel of Mark, Chapter 12, the parable changes to the vineyard, and in the end, when all has failed, the father sends his son, the heir of the vineyard, and what do the wicked husbandmen (the Jews) do? They cast the Son of God out of the vineyard, and kill the Prince of life. The parable of the vineyard, or husbandmen (in Mark 12) stays in line with the character of the entire gospel. Mark’s gospel is the gospel of the servant, and it is where God bears the burdens of men. In the case of the evil husbandmen, they are symbols of the guile and wickedness of the world that not by labor they gain, but by overthrowing the just. The Lord Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the rulers of the Jews. They were not about to give up the power that they had obtained by their own wicked works. This is one of the reasons that in the gospel of Mark, the son of the vineyard is murdered. The first parable in Matthew, and the parable in the gospel of Mark both witness to Christ’s supernatural power and foreknowledge. For He was speaking of Himself as the heir to the throne. In light of this, the Holy Spirit is revealing to US the divine nature and His Being the Son of God: that He came to rule and to take possession of the vineyard in a divine way, and was rejected of man. If we consider these parables, and the failure of the Jews to receive Him, it will not be from earth that He takes His kingdom, but He will come from heaven with great glory, and power to take possession of the whole earth. This takes us right back to Genesis, Chapter 14. When Abraham acknowledged to the king of Sodom that he had taken an oath, and lifted up his right hand in the presence and glory of Melchisedec, possessor of both heaven and earth. Notice that in each gospel, the questions vary: this shows the complete depravity of the Jewish leaders in the three synoptic Gospels. If you read closely these three chapters (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 20) you will see every avenue of Jewish leadership brought forth by the Holy Spirit.
The Conspiracy – The Cabal – A United Front – A United Shadow
All religious sects and political power joined together against Christ: the Herodians, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and even the lawyers were involved (what’s new?). Isn’t it strange that God never had any thing good to say about lawyers, how about that? So we have all the knowledge of Israel gathered together against the Lord’s anointed, and what did God say in the end, he will break them with a rod of iron.
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (Psalm 2:1)
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (Psalm 2:2)
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (Psalm 2:3)
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (Psalm 2:9)
These rulers of the Jews had conspired with each other against the Lord, and against His anointed. They were so caught up in their own wickedness that they could not see the blessings that God had for them. So consequently, in the end, they lost all they had; for God allowed the Romans to destroy their temple, and their holy city Jerusalem. It is very important for us today, to understand this heart of wickedness, for all around us, the world at large lies, rolls, and bathes in the wickedness and garbage of this world. They conspire, they use guile, they continually lie, this is the world that we live in. How many of us, as Christians, have met these same Pharisees? They ask us questions, not for the need of their soul, but to overthrow our stand, and faith in Jesus Christ. Which, in all reality, is impossible to do. The pure nastiness of their hearts is amazing. And just like the Jews, when faith closes the door on their idiotic questions, they stop asking questions, but this does not stop them for many times they proceed deceptively behind the back of a believer trying to discredit them. They tell the world (the only world that they know) how stupid and gullible we Christians are.
Side note: I personally have the highest degree that any man can have on earth, I carry it wherever I go, my degree is the Bible from cover to cover; it has taught me, it has corrected me, it has kept me, and it has confirmed that the love that I have for God is answered by God and in God. Can they say that they have a degree from the Creator and the possessor of all things? I am a graduate of His creative institute, and my degree bears, as a seal, ‘Created in Christ.’ The psalmist said, Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. The Christian has more knowledge in his heart then the whole world has in their heads. The disputers of faith, not only have empty heads, but empty hearts, and empty souls. They are simply full of false news and believe all the lies of men. They are part of the political idolatry, they worship their leaders (right or wrong) and to show that they are above this world, they will also be members of religious bigotry, and they say of us, each and every Christian, that we are the fools. Like Paul, I would rather be a fool for Christ, then to have the wisdom of this evil world.
Notice in the dissertation by the Pharisees that they fell back on world rule, and they brought in Caesar, and Caesar’s tribute money (Mark Chapter 12). How many times, as a preacher of the gospel, I have been ambushed by people going to hell trying to entrap me to spend countless moments on empty discussion points such as should we pay taxes, when souls are going to hell. The Jews were so possessed in trying to entrap the Lord Jesus that they lost sight of their own kingdom, and their own king. Christ was not there to take away, but to GIVE them the kingdom of His Father. He was there to rule in righteousness, and because of sin they could not abide the righteousness of God. All these foolish questions that people ask will not get them to heaven, it will not get them to God’s Man who is in heaven (the Lord Jesus Christ). If they were so worried about their soul, they would answer the question that the Lord asked, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?
This brings us to Melchisedec. I have heard so many stupid explanations for Melchisedec, and what is strange is that they would rather believe a lie then the very truth that the Holy Spirit gives us. The world, and the religious leaders are the same, they are the shadows of the Jewish leadership in the time of Christ. These dark leaders have cast deep shadows through history, and are still with us today. In this small land area of Israel, the Lord was manifested, He performed all kinds of miracles that were known to most of the populace around Him. Yet, they would not believe. They were so embittered against Him that the Lord, Himself, asked them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? (John 10:32)
For two thousand plus years, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God have kept the fires of the gospel burning, it hasn’t been man; if it was up to man, the light would have been shut off in the 1st century. This is why Melchisedec is so important. He came to Abraham (a man of faith), He came as the most high God possessor of heaven and earth, and the natural unregenerate man, and their theological seminaries want Him to be a Canaanite and not the Son of God — go figure! I always use a particular phrase for the murderous heart of Cain. I call it the Cain syndrome. However, with these Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, the Cain syndrome takes on greater meaning, sadly, as I have written before, this same mind-set and heart-set are still with us today. There are many in this world who would like to see all Christians burned at the stake. Man loves to conspire against the godly; they have perfected their conspiracy for more than two thousand years. Have you ever noticed how crazy humanity gets over the fake supernatural, they’ll believe in scary ghosts, they’ll believe in disembodied spirits, and zombies, and the walking dead, and they’ll believe in all kinds of mysterious wickedness, but they will not, and have not accepted the real supernatural, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of the reasons that the Holy Spirit takes up a lot of time explaining the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Hebrews because unregenerate humanity is naturally drawn to the imagination of the ridiculous and not to spiritual reality.
The Choice: The Shadow or The Substance
Notice, that the Holy Spirit begins in Chapter 2 of Hebrews, by first presenting the Lord Jesus as the Priest of the most high God possessor of heaven and earth. The Spirit of God in the early church knew the mind set of the Jews that they were still under the bondage of the law, and the traditions of the elders. In Hebrews, Chapter 5, verses 11 and 12, the Spirit of God rebukes them as not receiving the truth. They were deliberately being hard or dull of hearing, and they were turning away from the truth of the gospel to return to the beggarly elements of the law. Sadly, this has carried through the history of the Jewish people. They would rather have law and tradition then the grace of the Son of the Father’s love. They would rather be in bondage then to have freedom and liberty in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I am speaking of the world today, and this is why the Holy Spirit spent so much time on the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever natural man states that Melchisedec was a Canaanite or any other mere man (which mankind has a tendency to do) it is an attempt to bring Christ down from His position, and from His appointed office as Priest. One of the goals of His adversary is to bring Christ down to a lower place in the hearts, minds and souls of God’s creatures. God is Spirit and to understand the personality and the Person of Melchisedec, one must meet Him as Abraham met Him in the Spirit of Christ. Why would the Holy Spirit of God take a whole chapter (Chapter 7 of Hebrews) to convince the unbelieving Jews that Jesus was and is Melchisedec? Twenty-eight verses in Chapter 7, and mankind still will not believe. What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?
The True and Only Authority
Let us now consider our last gospel, Luke’s gospel: And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand. (Luke 20:42) This gospel is considered the gospel of the son of man. He is introduced in Luke’s gospel in all humility by being born in a manger in a stable. Although the heaven’s rang out with praise unto God, the birth of the Lord Jesus was obscure to all but a few observers. Although divine prophecy was being fulfilled (and is still being fulfilled) moment by moment man could not comprehend the wonder that was taking place. Luke’s gospel is the only gospel where we have the record of the two on the Emmaus road; this should teach you a great deal concerning this gospel. For the Lord Himself made this statement to them in Chapter 24, verses 25 thru 27:
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: (Luke 24:25)
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?(Luke 24:26
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)
They were slow of heart to believe. In the book of Hebrews it compares with ‘dull of hearing.’ Our chapter in Luke’s gospel (Luke 20) does not begin with the parable of Matthew, or the parable in Mark, but it begins with the Lord teaching in the temple, Chapter 20, verse 1, And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, The Lord is teaching the people, and the record of the Holy Spirit is separating the people from the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the scribes. For when the chief priests are unveiled by the Holy Spirit, the first question that they ask of the Lord, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? (Luke 20:2) These same scribes are still with us today; however, instead of scribes we call them scholars, or doctors of divinity. And when Elijah pulls up in his fiery chariot, and starts to speak the word of God, the first question they ask is always, By what authority do you do these things, or who gave you the authority to speak?
Side note: When I was a mechanic, and managed a large engine fabrication machine shop, no one asked me by what authority I did those things. When I was a printer, and owned a printing business and operated printing presses, no one asked me by what authority I did those things. When I built my own home, from rough rafters, to electrical wiring, to plumbing, to carpentry, from the first nail to the last nail, no one asked me (not even the building inspectors) by what authority I did those things. And now as a farmer, when I give my neighbors, friends and strangers the produce from God’s bounty, no one asks me by what authority I do those things. However, when God called me to preach the gospel, the first question that I heard was, Brother, who ordained you? Boy, were they shocked, when I looked in their eyes, and said, ‘God ordained me’; however, that was not enough for them, and it made my life very interesting. I have done many things in my sojourn through time, but the most glorious thing that I have ever done, or ever accomplished has been to serve my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The highest Himself has never asked this poor servant, by what authority I preach the gospel, for He knows that I have His authority, so be it, I have said my peace.
If they could ask the Lord of glory, by what authority, they also asked that of the apostle Paul. When they asked the Lord this question, it was at the end of the Lord’s public ministry, this was the last time that He taught in the temple. This was the beginning of the record of the last days of His life. His life’s journey on earth was coming to a close. He was done with the miracles among men. Miracle after miracle as the Priest from heaven (not of earth) He supernaturally cleansed the lepers, He supernaturally opened the eyes of a man who was born blind, He fed thousands with the bread from heaven, and He cast out the devil’s crowd, the demons, and I guess they were a crowd for their name was Legion. All this He had accomplished, and we never hear the word or the question, By what authority did He do these miracles? However, when teaching in the temple, the religious leaders were more consumed with man’s authority then the authority of God Almighty. Not only did they ask Him for His authority, but they wanted to be pointed in the direction of He who gave that authority. And when the Lord Jesus (later in this chapter) used Psalm 110, they came up speechless.
And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? (Luke 20:2)
And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? (Luke 20:40-44)
Once again, in light of all this evidence the people in the know, the chief priests, the Pharisees, the scribes, and the scholars could not connect the dots in Psalm 110. This psalm begins with God the Father telling God the Son to sit at His right hand until He makes all His enemies His footstool; the Holy Spirit of God continues to connect Psalm 110 to Hebrews 1:13. In Chapter 1 of Hebrews, we see the Lord’s throne of righteousness.
In all of this divine combination of the holy Scriptures and the place that the Holy Spirit of God repeats things, why should we cast off verse 4 of Psalm 110? The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Why should we cast off Melchisedec, and separate Him from the Son of God? They go together. It’s like a pair of gloves, two of the same, and yet they go on two different hands: one body, two hands. Psalm 110 is a prophetical psalm, however, what is not understood about prophecy is that prophecy can also bring history with it; meaning, before the foundation of the world, the Lord Jesus declared by an oath that He would be a priest forever after the order (the only order) of Melchisedec. Prophecy should be regarded as the voice of eternity and the power of an endless life. The word ‘forever’ has three dimensions in the mind of man: first, historical, or back in time; secondly, the present, or the now; and thirdly, the future, however, this is man’s mind: man’s realm. In God’s mind and realm (who can know the mind of God?) the word ‘time’ is not chained to the word ‘forever.’ It is the same with the power of an endless life, there is no time barrier, there is no past, present, or future. Eternity stands alone by itself, and only God can envelop the full meaning of eternity. This was expressed over and over by the Lord Jesus Christ especially in the gospel of John. It is impossible to not see His eternal existence by His very words that He IS the eternal Being, and the Creator of all things. He referred to Himself as being sent of the Father, and in Chapters 1 thru 12, He declared that the Father sent Him. We read Chapter 13, verse 1, Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. At this point in the gospel of John, the Lord Jesus was not only preparing Himself for the cross, but preparing for His return to the Father. He was also preparing His disciples for His departure, for now the Eternal would return to eternity. Let us now return to the gospel of Luke.
Notice, when He finished the parable of the vineyard, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians understood that He was speaking of them. And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. (Luke 20:19)
There are three records by the Holy Spirit in these parables: first, the kingdom, and then two versions of the vineyard. The Holy Spirit wants us to see that these parables were expressly directed at the Jewish leadership. Christ left no doubt who He was speaking about, and they knew He was speaking about them. They needed no interpreter.
The Rejection: What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?
Let us return to the gospel of Matthew: the final question that the Lord Jesus presented to them was concerning His messiahship. He asked them, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he? Now all these Jewish leaders had Moses and the prophets, and all the prophecies that were given concerning the Messiah, and the coming king of the Jews, in their hearts they knew that He was speaking of His messiahship and reign over Israel. But, as the parables taught, they stated that they were not about to give up their place and position. Humanity seeks place and position above all else, history has been shown as it really is: bankrupt and stripped to the bone by those seeking the riches of place and position. Adam’s descendants love the favor and adoration of mankind.
In the days of Paul and his ministry to the Corinthians, he said of himself, the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. Why was he not loved? because the spirit of man had come into the Corinthian church: false teachers, false prophets, and even those who denied and refused to accept the apostleship of Paul. Paul was in a battle with the evil that had come into the Corinthian church, but he would not give up the truth, and he would not give up God’s Christ and His gospel. In the Corinthian church he could have asked the question, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he? and you would have received Adams’ similar response and reaction from the leadership of the Corinthian church. In the Galatian church, after all of Paul’s ministry in trying to separate them from the law, he asked them Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? (Galatians 4:16) The truth is always in opposition to the unregenerate for they cannot approach a holy and righteous God because of the sin and malice of their hearts. When you push all of man’s religions aside, and proclaim it is Christ alone, and Christ over all, God bless forever, you will find yourself on God’s side, and not on the side of man. This is beyond them because of the spiritual death that reigns over Adam. As we have seen in all of the references, the battle that Christ was waging for the truth was directed against the religious leaders of the Jews; the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, and the priests of the temple were not about the give up their position. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus brought up Psalm 110, He was not only bringing His lordship, but the position that He held as Melchisedec of Psalm 110:4. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. This was the authority that they asked about, and as Melchisedec, He proclaimed His authority by quoting Psalm 110. The Jews knew exactly that both verse 1 and verse 4 spoke of the Messiah, both in His kingly realm and in His priestly realm. They understood that His presence would void their position and their priesthood under the law of Moses.
Son, Messiah, King of Israel, Melchisedec: ALL REJECTED
In the three gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we see within the parameters of the full story of His rejection. One, He was rejected as the Son; two, He was rejected as the Messiah; and thirdly, He was rejected as the King of Israel; and fourthly, He was rejected as Melchisedec. All of these four positions could not be accepted by the Jewish leaders. For if they had allowed one they would have to allow all four, and they could not do this. This same rejection of Christ in His different positions brings us to the present day in 2018, men laud men because they want the favor of men, showing to the fields of sinners countless and worthless ways to go to heaven. Why? because the question, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he? has never been settled in their own hearts.
Answer This Question NOW: What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?
This question should be addressed to all world leaders, and to all religious leaders. It is still the most important question that a soul can answer, What think ye of Christ, whose son is He? This question should be answered by every person, if you have not answered this to the glory of God, you will not come to the great marriage of the Son. You will not give Him the fruit of your vineyard, and you will not let Him reign in your life as Lord of lords. Will you give up your position in life to serve the living God and Him alone? The Pharisees and the leaders of the Jews made no attempt to answer this question from the Lord. In turning away from that question of eternity, they condemned themselves. In that respect, they left off asking Him any more questions. It had been decided in their hearts that they loved darkness more than the light. They moved from asking the Lord questions to moving emboldened and empowered by a spirit of hatred and rebellion in a spirit of conspiracy to kill Him, and to cast Him out of the vineyard. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ belongs to Him, and Him alone. The highest Himself has paid the highest price for the pearl of great price. The treasure of souls has been purchased with His blood, but today, the same religious heart of the Pharisees, and the leaders of the Jews have cast the Lord out of the vineyard. Whether Jew or Gentile, the religious heart must have their own priesthood, thus, they deny His position as the Eternal High Priest after the order and oath of Melchisedec. Outwardly showing themselves to be individuals of great spirituality they drape themselves in robes and phylacteries, they meet in the market places, and are called ‘father,’ and ‘reverend.’
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. (Matthew 23:9)
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? (Malachi 1:6)
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. (Psalm 111:9)
Those who are called (and desire to be called) Father, Master, Holy, Reverend, wherein have you despised His name? They usurp the most holy name of God, and place it upon an unholy thing. They have written a doctrine of their own holiness, yet, none of them can answer the question from the depth of the hearts,
Have YOU answered this question in light of eternity? Amen.
© Copyright 2018, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)
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