I believe the following: In order to truly understand the end…. you need to have at least a ‘very good grasp’ of the beginning. The first thing out of my mouth when people say they are going to study Revelation is, “have you spent enough time in Genesis?” In the second part of this series I referred to Psalm 110 and God making the enemy’s footstools and now we look at Isaiah 52:7 ..
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”
This is obviously pointing to the Kingdom of Heaven and a future where God is both King and High Priest. So where is the beginning? Look no further than the very first word of Scripture. I refer to this often because it identifies the entirety of mankind.
God knew what would happen and so he prepared for it first and foremost. John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
So where do we see the very first actions of a High Priest making atonement for sin? In the Garden of Eden correct? “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21 There are those in the world that would have issue with this statement being the atonement of Adams sin. To them I ask what are our other options… that God magically manifested clothing? Or that the only purpose He would have killed a cow was to clothe them? Not likely. God is not wasteful. It only goes to reason that an animal sacrifice was made to atone for their sins. Once that was done they would most likely had a meal to reaffirm the covenant and the skins were there for the clothes. Nothing wasted.
- Leviticus 9:9-10 “And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar: But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the Lord commanded Moses.”
Next we can identify the obvious reference with Abraham in Genesis 14:18 “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.“ Notice here that the combined positions of authority are still in-tact during the time of Abraham. It will remain until the time the people rebel and demand an earthly king as mentioned in the prior post.
Next we see the Psalmist and then Paul has mention here in Hebrews. We should be able to see that Jesus is Melchizedek in the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but, where many will lose sight of Melchizedek is His place in the end. Jesus is Melchizedek, and so, when he says…
John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Jesus is announcing to the world that there will be a return to the combined authority. This is the “Rest” that we are trying to enter that Paul is so feverishly speaking about. The question becomes…. is this what Paul and other first century believers knew? Did they teach it? The Dead Sea Scrolls can offer us some assistance in this dilemma.
Scroll “11Q13” provides some insight into, and titled as such, The Return of Melchizedek. 11Q13, also 11QMelch or the Melchizedek document, is a fragmentary manuscript among the Dead Sea Scrolls (from Cave 11) which mentions Melchizedek. The text is an apocalyptic commentary on the Jubilee year of Leviticus 25.
- Leviticus 25:8-10 “And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.”
Here are several portions of that scroll and the corresponding Scriptures:
11QMelch II… “And concerning that which He said, In [this] year of Jubilee [each of you shall return to his property; and likewise, And this is the manner of release:] every creditor shall release that which he has lent [to his neighbour. He shall not exact it of his neighbour and his brother], for God’s release [has been proclaimed]. [And it will be proclaimed at] the end of days concerning the captives as [He said, To proclaim liberty to the captives .“
- 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”
11QMelchII… “And Melchizedek will avenge the vengeance of the judgements of God… and he will drag [them from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all the sp[irits of] his [lot].And all the ‘gods [of Justice’] will come to his aid [to] attend to the de[struction] of Belial. And the height is … all the sons of God… this … This is the day of [Peace/Salvation] concerning which [God] spoke [through Isa]iah the prophet, who said, [How] beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion: Your ELOHIM [reigns]”
- Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”
Look at the word Belial. This is Satan.
H1100 בְּלִיַעַל bliya`al (bel-e-yah’-al) n-m.
- without profit, worthlessness.
- (by extension) destruction, wickedness
2 Corinthians 6:15 “And what concord hath Christ with Belial?”
11QMelchII…”Its interpretation; the mountains are the prophets… and the messenger is the Anointed one of the spirit, concerning whom Dan[iel] said, [Until an anointed one, a prince] … [And he who brings] good [news] , who proclaims [salvation]: it is concerning him that it is written… [To comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion].”
- Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”
11QMelchII…”To comfort [those who mourn: its interpretation], to make them understand all the ages of t[ime] … In truth … will turn away from Belial… by the judgement[s] of God, as it is written concerning him, [who says to Zion] ; your ELOHIM reigns. Zion is those who uphold the Covenant, who turn from walking [in] the way of the people. And your ELOHIM is [Melchizedek, who will save them from] the hand of Belial. As for that which He said, Then you shall send abroad the trump[et in] all the land.”
- Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
- Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
It is simply amazing to me that Paul could write 10 sentences and most everyone knew what he was talking about in that day. Today it took nearly 10,000 to explain those 10 sentences because the clergy today know nothing of the Forever Gospel of The King of Jerusalem, Melchizedek the King of Righteousness. They chose not to inform the people of the history and foundational principals of the faith because they too are ignorant of the truth. They rely on their church to tell them everything and they think they have already covered it all…..
my friends… while it is today… seek Him.
Berean Breadcrumbs 
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