One of the greatest significance is this: Their promised Messiah - out of the Line of Judah - was born. King AND High Priest (which, under the Law of Moses, that could never be the same person). Kings were born of the line of Judah (as Jesus was, check) but the only other High Priest that was NOT born of the line of Levi was
Melchizedek (and Jesus was of the order of Melchizedek):
Zechariah 6:11 ~ “Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; (12) And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:”
Great post.
Melchizedek is a whole study in itself......fascinating person [mentioned only in Hebrews of the NT]
Kingdom Bible Studies Royal Priesthood #1
A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS
And just what is God's purpose? He declares, "Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS." Since kingship was virtually the only type of government or state known in the ancient world, "kingdom" could well be translated today as a "government" or "state." A GOVERNMENT OF PRIESTS! A PRIESTLY STATE! A HOLY NATION OF PRIESTS! God offered to Israel this glory of being a "kingdom of priests." ALL the tribes were to be priests. Because of their failure to enter the land at Kadesh-barnea and because they made and worshipped a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving God's law, only one tribe was chosen to be a priestly tribe and that not on behalf of the world, but on behalf of the unbelieving, rebellious people of Israel! God's purpose remains, however, to have an entire nation of priests in the fullness of what priesthood means. Israel collectively was to be a royal and priestly race, a dynasty of kings and priests, each member uniting in himself the attributes of king and priest. Every man a king! Every man a priest! A kingdom of priests!
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Kindgdom Bible Studies Royal Priesthood Part 17
Melchizedek Connection, Royal Priesthood
Genesis 14:18 And Malkiy-Tsedeq, king of Shalem brought forth bread and wine and He a Priest of 'El-Most-High/'Elyown. 19 And He blessing him and is saying, "being blessed Abram of 'El-most-high/'Elyown possessor of heavens and land 20 And being blessed 'El-most-high/'elyown, who awarded thy foes in thy hand". And he is giving to him a tenth of all.
Hebrews 7:
1 For this the Malkiy-Tsedeq/melcisedek <3198>, King of Salem, Priest of the GOD of the most-high, the together-joining Abraham turning-back from the smiting of the kings, and did bless him.
12
For being changed/translated the Priesthood, out of necessity also, of Law a change is becoming.
YLT)
Rev 1:6
and
did make us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him
is the glory and the power to the ages of the ages! Amen.
Rev 5:10
and didst make
us to our God
kings and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth.'
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One of the most intriguing descriptions of the unique character of the High Priesthood of Jesus is found in Heb. 7:17 wherein it is stated, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." This one grand statement shows that Jesus is not like any of the other priests who the people of Israel knew so much about. The entire seventh chapter of Hebrews is about THE MELCHIZEDEK CONNECTION, that is, it is about the way Jesus Christ, and thus, His body, the Royal Priesthood, is related to a strange man named Melchizedek. And the connection between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek is worth exploring. Let's take a look at the Melchizedek Connection.
The whole place Melchizedek occupies in sacred history is one of the most remarkable proofs of the inspiration and the unity of Scripture, as written under the direct supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Genesis all we know of him is told in three short, very simple verses. A thousand years later we find a Psalm with just one single verse, in which God Himself is introduced, swearing to His Son that He is to be a High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. Another thousand years pass, and that single verse becomes the seed of the wondrous exposition, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, of the whole work of redemption in Christ Jesus. All its most remarkable characteristics are found enveloped in this wondrous type. The more we study it the more we exclaim: THIS IS THE LORD'S DOING; IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES.
In Genesis, chapter fourteen, we have one of the most intriguing stories in the Bible, that of Abram's encounter with Melchizedek, king of Salem, and "the priest of the Most High God." In the Genesis story Melchizedek is a strange and mysterious figure. He flashes across the scene like a meteor. There is no heralding of his appearance, nor any mention of its results. He arrives out of the blue; there is no account of his family; there is nothing about his birth, his descent, his life, his work, or his death. He simply arrives. We learn only that he was king of Salem and priest of the Most High God. During the time of Abraham there were no large nations. Instead, there were small cities where families lived or around which a tribe of nomadic people settled.
The population of these cities was probably not more than a few hundred - at most a few thousand. Each city was presided over by a king. Often, these city-states were at war with one another. Sometimes cities would form alliances with other cities and form large armies that would then make war upon yet another city or alliance of cities. Such became the case in the lower Jordan where Lot, Abram's nephew, and his family settled. An alliance of Mesopotamian cities drove Lot out of the Canaanite city of Sodom where he lived and took him captive..........................