Doesn’t Hebrews seven, speaking of Melchisedec as a figure of Christ, tell us that Christ had no beginning? Isn’t it plain from that passage that Christ has no “beginning of days”?

Answer

Let us examine the passage and see whether Paul is talking about the man Melchisedec or Christ:

In verse one Paul tells us that it was Melchisedec “who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings” It is clear to any Bible student that it was not Christ that met Abraham, but the man Melchisedec. Furthermore, in Verse 4 he says “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils”

Now let us examine the text to see what Paul means by “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Hebrews 7:3

The key to understand this passage is found in verses 5 and 6 of the same chapter, and it reads thus: “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.”

This tells us clearly that “he”, Melchisedec, did not have his descent counted “from them” from “the sons of Levi”. The Peshitta Version puts it this way “But this man (Melchisedec) who is not recorded in their genealogies (Levi) took tithes even from Abraham” Hebrews 7:6

Keeping this in mind will assist us in understanding what Paul meant by v.3:

“Without father, without mother, without descent”

This is explained to be “without genealogy”; that is, his genealogy is not known, whereas a Levitical priest could not dispense with the proof of his descent. These descriptions belong to Melchisedec only in respect to his priesthood, and in so far as it is the type of the priesthood of the Son of God. They do not apply to his person. There is nothing in the Genesis account (Genesis 14:18-20) to suggest that Melchisedec was a superhuman being, for he is classed with the other kings in the chapter as a living historic person. Obviously the man Melchisedec had a Father, and mother, and did have beginning of days and did die else he would not have been a human being! And if he was not a human being he could not have been a priest (Hebrews 5:1).

Whereas the priesthood of Melchisedec did not have a descent (from Levi) and thus is a fit type of the priesthood of Christ Thus Paul concludes “For he testifieth, Thou [Christ] art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Hebrews 7:17. Clearly, Paul is here speaking of the office of priesthood rather than the actual persons.

“Without beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the Son of God”

Namely, history has not recorded his beginning nor end, as it has the beginning and end of Aaron. “Days” mean his time of discharging his function (as a priest). So the eternity spoken of is that of the priestly office. It is not said that he was absolutely like but “made like,” that is, in the particulars that are specified here. Nothing is said in the Genesis of the end of his priesthood, or of his having had in his priesthood either predecessor or successor, which, in a typical point of view, represents Christ’s eternal priesthood, without beginning or end.

This is the similarity between Melchisedec and Christ. Paul is dealing with the priesthood parallels, not the actual persons.