The Gospel of the Kingdom: The Melchizedek and the Church Firstborn Pt 1 of 3
The Gospel of the Kingdom: The Melchizedek and the Church of the Firstborn
In our last lesson on The Gospel of the Kingdom, we learned about Yeshua being called as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. We learned about three threads from Genesis to Revelation that prove Yeshua is the Son of God.
The three threads are:
1. Lineage – the bloodline
2. Sandal covenant – the covenant of sonship/inheritance
3. The order of Melchizedek - Melchizedek lineage
These three threads are indisputable in proving that Yeshua is the Son of God giving Him the legal right to
take His seat on the throne of God as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Luke 1 actually sets the stage - John was anointed (filled with Holy Spirit) in order to "anoint" Jesus in the earth to be Melchizedek and he did so as the anointed Prophet (i.e. In the spirit of Elijah) - so that the "people" who believe as receive the Melchizedek will be prepared to become "sons" of the Most High God.
And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. (Luke 1:13-17)
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. (From. Matthew)
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose, I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel from (John's gospel)
John the Immerser understood Jesus is the Melchizedek - that is why he said he needed to be baptized by Jesus
John's father was the last serving Zadok high priests before the Pharisees began pursuing the Zadoks and they all left the temple and went to the wilderness.
So John would have been a high priest had the Pharisees not driven the Zadoks from the temple - which means that legally a Zadok from the Levitical priesthood did oversee the transference of the priesthood and return it back to "righteousness" (the King of Righteousness) - and since John was the head of the Elijah School of Prophets - all the offices of the Melchizedek was legally returned to the Melchizedek at the Jordan River as the two came up out of the river.
1 Peter 2:9 ESV
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,
Race is genos and means offspring that is why each born-again believer is a firstborn and qualifies to be brought into the "royal" priesthood - now in this age (not a promise of a future) but now!!
There are only two biblical priesthoods and Jesus is the High Priest of only one so no doubt then which is the royal one…the Royal Melchizedek, the Royal Kingdom, and His Royal Priesthood.
This is what Yahweh was establishing with the children of Israel when He brought them out of Egypt. He wanted them to be a royal kingdom of Melchizedek king/priests.
Exodus 4:22-23 ESV
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'
Exodus 19:5-6 ESV
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."
Jesus Ministered as a Melchizedek Priest
We know without doubt Jesus’ entire ministry (three years) was not a Levitical ministry. Jesus’ entire ministry on earth He performed as a Melchizedek priest. Everything Jesus taught He as a Melchizedek priest until just before His death on the cross He secured the title of High Priest after Caiaphas disqualified himself from officiating over the Passover sacrifice because he tore his official garments just before He was to officiate over the sin sacrifice. This gave Jesus the legal right to assume the title and position of High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek just before He went to the cross.
Jesus had to die a Melchizedek High Priest to be resurrected as an eternal Melchizedek High Priest to redeem the first Melchizedek that failed, Adam, and every Melchizedek after Adam. Jesus redeemed them and us all.
Genesis Chapter Four
Hebrews 12:23
…general assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
The aforementioned verse is a call to the believer.
· General assembly – paneguris, a combination of pas (the whole of a thing) and agora (town square).
· Paneguris - in Koine Greek means the “whole” town square.
· Paraphrased the verse states – “When we stand on Mount Zion, Yah’s holy city, we are united with those who serve in the Divine Counsel and the Church of the Firstborn.”
The “general assembly” consists of the divine beings who judge the cosmos, but the Church of the Firstborn is the Ekklesia of the Protos-Tikto.
Ekklesia is Greek and means those who are called from a thing, an erroneous belief, to think differently or to change the way you think. Jesus is the Firstborn, the Protos-Tikto, (protos means the foremost; the original). Tikto means, seed.
2 Corinthians 6:11-18 NKJV
O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."
The Ekklesia of the Protos-Tikto is the Church of the Promised Seed. The Promised Seed is the Melchizedek who would redeem all previous Melchizedeks, Yeshua.
What is He calling us out of? Erroneous thinking or in other words He is calling us out of all denominations and into His Royal Priesthood. Ha!
The same verse in NIV adding the twenty-fourth verse, especially the final phrase links us to Genesis 4: But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Genesis 4:1-2 NKJV
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the LORD. Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
There are two things to note about verses 1 and 2. When Eve named Cain she said, I have acquired a man from God. She was not saying that she and God had this child, as some think, but 1, that she received her child from the “head” of the government. What Eve was actually saying is, I have a man-child from Yahweh, and 2, Eve likely thought that Cain would restore the Melchizedek Kingdom to its original purpose.
Verse 2 states Eve bore again, not conceived again. She had another son, and they were twins since conception only happened once but she bore twice. The rabbis of the Second Temple taught Cain and Able were twins.
Before we look at Abel we need to talk about the Aleph and the Tav. The first and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
When the aleph and tav are put together they form a word that cannot be translated from Hebrew into any other language:
When the symbols are interpreted for ta, aleph-tav the Hebrew word “eth” it implies the mark of the King to represent His power and authority. The Aleph represents His strength and power and the Tav represents the CROSS or covenant through which He gained His authority, legally.
Whenever you see the TA whatever follows after is marked by the King as belonging to Him.
Back to Abel.
Abel was the second son after Cain. Cain was the firstborn of the two. They were twins. Abel was also TA Aleph-Tav as was his brother, Cain. Meaning they belonged to the Lord.
Genesis 4:1-2 NKJV
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore TA Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD." 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother TA Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Abel means emptiness, a vapor, or vanity. Remember that Genesis is a book of symbolism like the book of Revelation. There is the literal translation and then there is the figurative meaning. In Abel’s case, figuratively, Abel is something transitory and unsatisfactory. So, Abel was viewed as a spare heir having no “true” value.
He was perceived as “…He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty or majesty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:2-3
Abel was a shepherd. It is now easy to see that he represents the Good Shepherd. In Yeshua’s words, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for His sheep. John 10:11
Cain, tiller of the ground
Cain’s name means “one who serves.” Adam was driven out of the garden but with the assignment to “till” the adamah (ground). Figuratively, Adam was to till the soil meaning, preach the gospel of the kingdom, throughout erts (earth) until it was ready for harvest.
Because Cain was the elder son, he was expected to continue Adam’s work. Remember, Adam was called by God according to the order of Melchizedek. The firstborn son of the house was expected to continue the work of the Melchizedek until the final Melchizedek (Yeshua) came forth to redeem all things.
The brothers were both taken to the altar of Yahweh, but not until they became men and reached the age of maturity. There at the altar, they humbled themselves seeking to find acceptance from Yahweh. They each came with a sacrifice, only one could be anointed Firstborn. What they offered was crucial. If Yahweh accepted the offering, the offeree was noted as worthy to be considered the Firstborn.
Cain expected to be Firstborn (Melchizedek), but could be that Adam was concerned that Cain might not be acceptable since both Cain and Abel are seen at the altar together? Possibly.
Cain’s offering represented the fruit of what Yahweh had cursed, the adamah (ground). Cursed is the ground (adamah) for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Genesis 3:17. Cain’s offering was cursed which is why God rejected it.
Abel brought the firstling of his flock. Firstling in Hebrew means a firstling as the firstling of man or beast.
"Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine." Exodus 13:2
The firstling represents the birthright of a firstborn.
Abel literally went to the altar with an animal. Figuratively, he sent a substitute. In other words, Abel, the second son, sought approval by providing a substitute and it is because of this act of Abel that Yahweh respected his offering…
ABEL’S ACTIONS FORESHADOWED THE MESSIAH’S!
Receive this blessing:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you Shalom.
In His name,
Samuel
Smashing Pillars International … helping people stuck in life become unstuck…
