Did Jesus ordain a priesthood for the New Covenant? part 2

Could it be possible that God ordained the priesthood of Melchizedek to minister to the royal priesthood in the New Covenant?  Jesus is not a Levite and yet He is our Great High Priest in the order of Melchizedek; this would seem to indicate an end to the Levitical priesthood.  But doesn’t it also indicate a beginning of the Melchizedek priesthood?  We know very little about Melchizedek, but what we do know is profound.

• Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High 
• He was King of Salem (Salem means peace)
• Melchizedek means “my King is righteous”
• He brought out bread and wine
• He blessed Abram                                                (Abram was to be the rock of a nation)
• Melchizedek’s priesthood is forever                 (which would indicate it is still operating today)

The Similarities of Melchizedek and Jesus 

Jesus is a Priest of God, a true mediator between God and man.  He is also called the Prince of Peace.  Like Melchizedek, Jesus brought bread and wine.  He told us that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink.  He said that we have no life in us unless we eat this Bread and drink from this Cup. (John 6)  Many of His disciples didn’t understand what He was saying, but at the Last Supper it became a bit clearer when He broke bread, gave it to them, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” (Matthew 26)  It is interesting that some of the same people who would scoff at Bill Clinton’s twisting of the meaning of the word ”is” would twist the meaning of ”is” in this passage.  

Abraham and Peter Both Blessed by Priests in the Order of Melchizedek

Jesus blessed many people but worth noting is His blessing of Peter.  There are some similarities between Abraham and Peter.  The most obvious is that God changed the name of both of these men.  Abram became Abraham; Simon became Peter. 

When Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter (which means rock) and said, “upon this rock I will build My church,” (Matt 16:18) it was a reference to the metaphor of Abraham being a rock upon which Israel was built.  “Look to the rock from which you were hewn…Look to Abraham your father…” (Isaiah 51:1-2)

Along with the name changes came changes in vocation.  Abraham was to become chief and father of multitudes.  This vocation of Abraham didn’t take away from the supremity or Fatherhood of God.  Peter was to become a chief and a father of the church.  I am fully aware that my last sentence sends chills up a Protestant spine but I can prove this from Scripture.  First, realize that calling Abraham “Father Abraham” doesn’t diminish the fact that God is the Father of us all.  So neither does calling Peter, a “Father of the church” diminish the the ultimate Fatherhood of our God. 

 The Link Between Matthew 16 and Isaiah 22

When Jesus gave the keys to Peter in Matthew 16 He was referencing Isaiah 22, even the NASB translation links the two passages, proving that Catholics are not the only ones who see the link.  

 When Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven,” it was a reference to Isaiah 22.  Proper understanding of Matthew 16:18-19 requires knowledge of Isaiah 22.  The keeper of the keys is an office of authority.  Isaiah 22 says this about the person who holds this office:

• he is a steward (v. 15)
• he is in charge of the royal household (v. 15)
• he holds an office (v.19)
• his authority will be entrusted to someone else (v.21 )
• he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah (v. 21, Papa, Pope?)
• the key to the House of David will be upon this new guy’s shoulders (v.22, sounds very familiar to Matthew 16:19)
• whatever he opens no one will shut (v. 22, again sounds like the binding power given to Peter in Matthew 16:19)
• God will drive him like a peg in a firm place (v. 23, a rock upon whom the church is built?)
• he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house (v.23, even though he will be called a father as in v. 21)

I can’t help but wonder about v. 25: 

 ”In that day,” declares the LORD of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.”

I’ve never heard Catholic commentary on this verse.  I have just been wondering to myself if this is not prophetic words about those who break away from that peg (that office of authority, the Pope?).  If indeed, the chair of Peter is that peg, then it seems that those who break away from that chair of unity, place themselves at risk of being cut off.

The Twelve Apostles and Their Successors are Priests Forever in the Order of Melchizedek

 I believe that Jesus ordained Peter to be the keeper of the keys and charged him with feeding His (Jesus’) sheep.  Jesus placed Peter in charge of the royal household, the Church.  If the Judas’ office was not to remain empty, how much more so the office of Peter?  Peter and the Apostles were ordained by Christ to be part of the ministerial priesthood in the New Covenant.  They are not Levitical priests who offer up animal sacrifices.  They are priests forever in the order of Melchiziedek who feed us the Bread from Heaven and offer us the Cup of the New and Everlasting Covenant.  Only Christ is the True Priest; they are only His ministers.  As ministerial priests of Christ, they have the authority to teach.  As it is written, “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”  Malachi 2:7

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