The 66 books of the Bible contain many mysteries of God. When we figure out the mysteries one after another, we are able to understand God's long-term plan for our salvation.

Among God's mysteries, the greatest mystery is Christ. Only when we realize Christ who is the mystery of God, we are able to receive the blessing of salvation and find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Him (Col 2:2-3).

The Bible, which gives us the wisdom leading to salvation, testifies about Christ who is the mystery of God (2 Ti 3:15-17; Jn 5:39). Among the many mysteries of the Bible, let's study the prophecies about Melchizedek so that we can understand Christ who is the source and core of salvation.

Melchizedek, the priest of God

Heb 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

The writer of the book of Hebrews said that he had much to say about Melchizedek who appeared in the Old Testament. In order to grow spiritually and understand God correctly, the saints of the early Church needed to learn many things about Melchizedek, but there were some things about Melchizedek that they could hardly understand no matter how many things Paul told them about him. So it was hard for him to explain about Melchizedek to them.

However, the prophetic time has come for God's people to have perfect knowledge and understanding of Melchizedek. Tracing the origin of Melchizedek, let's figure out the relationship between Melchizedek and Christ who is the mystery of God.

Ge 14:17-20 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

When Abraham, the forefather of faith, was returning from a battle after defeating his enemies, Melchizedek the priest of God appeared and blessed him with bread and wine, and Abraham offered him a tenth of his spoils which he had taken from the battle, in return for his blessing.

Here, we need to pay attention to the customs or regulations for sacrifice held in the days of Melchizedek. In those days, priests slaughtered animals and offered their blood to God when they bestowed a blessing or forgiveness of sins upon him, or established a covenant. However, Melchizedek blessed Abraham with bread and wine, which was a very unique way of sacrifice, compared with the customary regulations in those days.

Christ is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek

If we compare the Old Testament with the New Testament, we can see that the Old Testament is a shadow and the New Testament is its reality. In other words, the Old Testament is a prophecy and the New Testament is its fulfillment.

If there is a history of Melchizedek who blessed Abraham through bread and wine in the Old Testament, which is a shadow, there should be the history of Melchizedek in the New Testament, which is its reality. Let's find out how the prophecies about Melchizedek in the Old Testament are fulfilled in the New Testament.

Mt 26:17-19, 26-28 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked,"Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover" . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,"Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,"Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Jesus came as the spiritual high priest, but He carried out His ministry by using bread and wine as an offering to God in stead of sacrificing animals that the priests used in those days. Jesus promised us forgiveness of sins and eternal life through a covenant ensuring that the bread of the Passover is His body and the wine is His blood.

Just as the physical Melchizedek blessed Abraham with physical blessings through bread and wine in the Old Testament times, Jesus, who was the spiritual Melchizedek, blessed us with eternal life through the Passover bread and wine in Zion, as prophesied according to the work of Melchizedek.

Through the book of Hebrews, let's confirm once more whether Melchizedek really represents Jesus and if Jesus appeared as the reality of Melchizedek.

Heb 5:5-10 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,"You are my Son; today I have become your Father." And he says in another place,"You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." . . . Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus became the high priest in the order of Melchizedek by blessing people through the Passover bread and wine, unlike the other priests who offered animal sacrifice. It is very clear that Jesus is Melchizedek. Nevertheless, the Bible says that there is much to say about Melchizedek but it is hard to explain. Let's take a more in-depth look into Melchizedek.

The mystery of Melchizedek

Heb 7:1-3 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means"king of righteousness"; then also,"king of Salem" means"king of peace." Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.

2,000 years ago, Jesus came as the reality of Melchizedek, but there still remained some prophecies about Melchizedek which were not fulfilled by Jesus. First, the Bible said that Melchizedek had no genealogy. In the Bible, genealogy refers to the twelve tribes of Israel. The genealogical record of Jesus Christ is found at the beginning of the Gospels, written by the Apostles who testified about Jesus. Therefore, Jesus didn't fulfill the characteristic of Melchizedek"Without genealogy."

Mt 1:1-16 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers . . . Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

As we can see in the above verses, Jesus is listed in the Jewish genealogy, so the prophecy that Christ, who was to come as Melchizedek, would be a Gentile without genealogy was not fulfilled. That's why it was hard to define the First Coming Jesus as Melchizedek.

The Bible also said Melchizedek had no father or mother. What does it mean in the Bible that someone has no father or mother

Mt 12:46-50 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him,"Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him . . ."Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

As Jesus said in the above verses, the person who does the will of God can be called a"father, mother, brother or sister" in a spiritual relationship. Therefore, considering the characteristic of Melchizedek"without father or mother," Christ, who is the reality of Melchizedek, must be born of a Gentile father and mother who do not believe in God. However, Jesus was born of Joseph and Mary who sincerely believed in God.

Christ who is to come as Melchizedek a second time

It was certain that Jesus came as Melchizedek, but there still remained some prophecies that were not fulfilled by Him. In order to fulfill the prophecies completely, Christ was to appear a second time to those waiting for Him.

Heb 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Spiritually, Christ is always with us, but it is written that Christ"appears a second time." This shows that Christ also appears in the flesh when He comes a second time, just as He did at His first coming. If He comes a second time, He is to fulfill the prophecies that were not accomplished at His first coming; according to the prophetic characteristic of Melchizedek"without genealogy," He is to be born in a Gentile country, not in Israel; according to the prophetic characteristic"without father or mother," He is to be born into an unbelieving family; and decisively, He is to bless us with eternal life through the Passover bread and wine which is the most important symbol of Melchizedek.

It is Christ Ahnsahnghong who has fulfilled all those prophecies; He was born in a Gentile country, Korea, at the ends of the earth in the east, without being listed in the genealogy of Israel; His physical father and mother were unbelievers; and He blessed us with eternal life through the Passover bread and wine. Therefore, Christ Ahnsahnghong is Melchizedek who has come just as all the prophets testify about Him in the Bible.

Although there are many theologians in the world, none of them have fulfilled the above prophecies except Christ Ahnsahnghong. It is because only God is able to give us eternal life through the Passover, according to the prophecies of Melchizedek.

We must believe in Melchizedek, who has come according to the prophecies of the Bible. God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah that Melchizedek would appear in the last days and give eternal life to those who would receive Him.

Isa 25:6-9 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged winethe best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say,"Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

In accordance with the above prophecy, Christ Ahnsahnghong has appeared in the last days and held for us the banquet of eternal life through the Passover bread and wine, which is the symbol of Melchizedek. The Passover has remained disappeared for about 1,600 years since it was abolished at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. The Bible testifies that it is God who swallows up death forever and gives us eternal life by restoring the aged wine, that is, the Passover which has not been celebrated for a long time.

Among the people in the world, how many people are able to recognize God who has come in the flesh to lead mankind to eternal life according to the prophecies of the Bible We should truly give thanks to God for giving us wisdom and understanding to recognize Christ Ahnsahnghong who is the mystery of God and the reality of Melchizedek.

At Jesus' first coming, many religious leaders and Jewish people failed to recognize Jesus, regarding Him as a mere man, so they were all destroyed. However, the apostles including Peter recognized Jesus as the Christ who appeared according to the prophecies and received Him, so they were blessed to enter the kingdom of heaven. Recognizing God is accompanied by such great blessings.

As the Bible says, God's people are now testifying about the One who gives them life through the aged wine of the Passover, saying,"This is our God." We should fully recognize Christ Ahnsahnghong, who has appeared as Melchizedek and blessed us with eternal life. By believing in Him and giving praise to Him, we shall receive salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven. I earnestly hope that all my brothers and sisters in Zion will preach our God, who has come to this earth to save us according to the prophecies of Melchizedek, and will lead all people throughout the world to the way of life.