By Benedict HART

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. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” (Hebrews 7:4-7) The text shows clearly that Melchizedek was far greater than Abraham; he could therefore not be a gentile king.

Long before the advent of Jesus Christ, it had been shown in prophecy that there would be a priest of a system different from the Levitical priesthood, as it is written: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4). St. Paul by revelation had a wonderful understanding of the mystery of Jesus Christ. In his epistle to the Hebrews he made it known that the Psalmist’s prophecy referred to Jesus Christ. He stated: “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec…” (Hebrews 5:5-10).

Truly, when Jesus Christ came to this world on his redemption mission he showed that he had lived before Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and was superior to him. He also stated that Abra-ham counted it a pleasure to see him in his pre-human days. These facts were vividly brought to light by Christ himself in the course of an argument with the Jews. He declared positively: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” Shocked by his bold assertion, the Jews asked Jesus Christ: “Thou art not yet 50 years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.’” (John 8:56-58) When did Abraham see Jesus Christ? It was when he appeared to him as Melchizedek on his return from the battle with the gentile kings. (Genesis 14:18-22).

Enoch and Elijah in heaven?

The writer was hopelessly wrong to suggest that Melchizedek was a human being “who could have been taken into heaven by God.” He added: “Elijah and Enoch didn’t die. They were taken into heaven alive by God.” The Bible enjoins us to say only what we know. (John 3:11) Why should the writer dabble into issues he is not sure of?

The truth is that Jesus Christ, is “the first fruits of them that slept”. (I Corinthians 15:20) It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ that made possible the coming back to life of all the faithful. St. Peter stated: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrect-ion of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heav-en for you.” (I Peter 1:3-4; I Thessalon-ians 4:13-18; John 14:1-3).

Nobody had ascended to heaven before Jesus Christ. He himself said so in the following text: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:13).

If Jesus Christ has told us unequivocally that nobody had ascended to heaven before him, how can anyone say Elijah and Enoch had gone to heaven? Who took them there? The truth is that God did not allow these prophets to die the natural way as an honour to them. They ascended to a distance in the sky and were turned to nothing. Note that Moses was buried by the Lord, “in a valley in the land of Moab, over again-st Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day”. (Deuteronomy 34:5-6) Even David is not in heaven. Peter declared: “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand…” (Acts 2:34).

We should note that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; (that is, in heaven) neither doth corruption inherit incorruption”. (I Corinthians 15:50). That is why the apostles or saints who are of the heavenly class will first be changed into spirit beings so that they could dwell in the celestial world. Apostle John stated: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall ch-ange our vile body, that it may be fashioned like un-to his glorious body, according to the working where-by he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21) “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (I John 3:2).

Those of the heavenly class started from the time of Christ as none of the ancient faithfuls is going to heaven.  Rather, the personages who distinguished themselves in the work of God in time of old will be princes or rulers in God’s Kingdom fully established on earth. Our Saviour declared: “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11).

The Sabbath Law

By word and by example, Jesus Christ taught his disciples that the time for the keeping of the Sabbath law was over. That was why the Jews queried a man healed by him for carrying his bed. (John 5:1-13) St. Paul declared that Jesus Christ had blotted out “the handwriting of ordinan-ces that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:14-17).

We should recall that when the Pharisees criticised Jesus Christ for allowing his disciples to pluck ears of corn on the sabbath saying “why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?” Jesus Christ said to them: “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28). The sabbath was not meant to use man; on the contrary, rather we should, following the advent of the Christian era, use the sabbath to do good works.

The word sabbath means rest. The time for the real rest or sabbath that God promised His true worshippers, of which the Mosaic sabbath was a type, has not come. That will be in God’s Kingdom fully established. It is he, Jesus Christ, whom God crowned as King of His Kingdom, God will use to give the true rest to His people. (John 18:36-38) St. Paul wrote: “For if Jesus (that is, Joshua) had given them (the Jews) rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There re-maineth therefore a rest to the people of God…Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, least any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:8-11).