Melchizedek, the Priesthood and the Millennial KingdomMelchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis, chapter 14 and also in the Psalms. The name is from a compound word, Melchis (king or ruler) and Zedek, priest. Thus he is both king and priest. Our concern with this somewhat mystical figure of the scriptures is his role in the Messianic prophecies regarding Christ. David prophesied of the Christ that he would rule upon his throne in the manner of the ancient priest. "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies...The Lord has sworn and will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." (Psalms 110:1-4) The reign of Christ upon the throne of David is the millennial reign. Why do we say this? Because Christ reigns in the midst of his his enemies. This means it is his pre-parousia reign, thus that of the millennium. For during his pre-parousia reign, Christ puts down all of his enemies, the last of which is death. "For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26).Since Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, He is a priest and a king on his throne. See Zechariah 6:13. But Christ could not be a priest on earth, therefore, the millennial kingdom cannot be a reign of Christ on earth, (Hebrews 8:4) The millennium occurs during the time which precedes the parousia. In other words, when Jesus returned, the millenium ended. That time marked the climatic period of his reign when death was defeated. The return (parousia) of Christ is said to occur before some standing in his presence tasted death, i.e. before those living in his generation died. (Matthew 16:28; Luke 21:31, 32). This occurred when all things written were fulfilled at the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Thus, the millennium represents not a literal 1000 years, but events which occurred within a relatively short space of time. See more on Melchizedek and the Kingdom
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