Melchisedec as the Holy Spirit Representative of the Father and the Son Before the Incarnation

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Who Was This Man - MELCHISEDEC?

At a council meeting at Avondale School, about the year 1893, there were present Elders Haskell, F.L.H. Baker, G.B. Starr, and their wives, and Sister E.G. White, also W.A. Colcord, who was the editor of the Austrailian Signs of the Times.
Elder Colcord requested the privilege of reading some articles regarding the personality of Melchisedec. We all listened as he read and were surprised that Sister White listened also, with seeming interest, as she was not accustomed to listening to any argumentive writings.

As Elder Colcord was reading, Sister White interrupted him, saying:

"Elder Colcord, I would not publish these articles, if I were you." "Why not?" He inquired.

"Because they are not correct." She answered.

He then asked, "Who then was Melchisedec?"

She replied, "I will tell you who Melchisedec was. He was the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who took the form of humanity and represented the Lord Jesus Christ to that generation."

Note by Ron Beaulieu: The words "to that generation" constitute a most important qualification to the above statement, in light of other definition of the Holy Spirit by Ellen White. End note.

"That ended the council on that subject. Elder Colcord offered no argument to refute her position, and we all seemed perfectly satisfied with the statement; in fact, I had never heard an explanation that was satisfactory before.

After the meeting, Elder S.N. Haskell said to me, "Elder Starr, when the Spirit of Prophecy speaks so plainly as that about a matter, it can be proved by the Bible, so let's look it up."

We found that description of Melchisedec in Heb. 7:3 was fully met by the Holy Spirit. "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 high priest continually."

We found that in Heb 9:14 that statement, "The Eternal Spirit." That would meet, also, "Without beginning of days, nor end of life." Then in Romans 8:26, "likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (By man). Thus - These statements make the Holy Spirit a high priest forever. Every specification was met by the Holy Spirit, A HIGH PRIEST FOREVER, but cannot be met by any angel or human being.

Elder Haskell published this matter as reported above in his paper at South Lancaster, Mass. Thus we have TWO witnesses of the truthfulness of Sister White's statement regarding (the person) Melchisedec."

Signed - G.B. Starr

"...A morning talk, given at Battle Creek by Mrs. E.G. White, Jan. 20, 1890, printed in the R & H of 2-18-1890, contains the following statement: 'It was Christ that spoke through Melchisedec, the priest of the Most High God. Melchisedec was not Christ, but the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father.' John 14:17,26 and 16:13-15 tell us who represents the Father in the earth. At the baptism of Christ the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove; on the day of Pentecost, as Cloven tongues of fire. It is not unreasonable (therefore) to conclude that the SAME SPIRIT could appear to Abraham in the person of the King of Salem. ("Priest of the most High God.")

Gerald H. Rentfro
Mt. Vernon, Grand Terrace, CA
11-8-45

Ron Beaulieu Commentary:

If the above statement to Elder Colcord is valid, Ellen White depicts Melchisedec as representing the Son of God as His One Eternal Holy Spirit in the earth before the Incarnation of Christ and His second coming. The Review and Herald of 2-18-1890, says that Melchisedec was also the representative of the Father. The only interpretation one can make of the above Ellen White statements in order that they not contradict the following statements by Ellen White concerning the identity of the Holy Spirit, is that Melchisedec in some especial way represented the Father and the Son in the earth before the Incarnation, because Ellen White later elucidated that the Holy Spirit then (At Christ's Incarnation) became the life of Christ's soul that was (laid aside) and given (imparted) to us as a crowning, highest good, regenerating gift:

"Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.
In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....
The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency,
and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....
It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

"He (Christ)suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which WAS His." Desire of Ages, p. 25; 1 Cor. 11:24-265, cf. John 6:53, 54, Titus 3:5, 6.

One of the greatest evidences that Christ laid aside His Son of God life at His Incarnation, and that it remained in heaven while Christ was on earth, is John 3:13. Jesus is speaking face to face with Nicodemus, yet He says the Son of Man is in heaven:

"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.

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." II Cor. 3:17.

“Cumbered with humanity Christ could not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit.” E.G. White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14 (No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084.

Additional Statements by Ellen White on Melchisedec--Christ has Spoken all Through the Generations of the Past

"It was Christ that spoke through Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God. Melchisedec was not Christ, but he was the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father. And all through the generations of the past, Christ has spoken; Christ has led his people, and has been the light of the world. When God chose Abraham as a representative of his truth, he took him out of his country, and away from his kindred, and set him apart. He desired to mold him after his own model. He desired to teach him according to his own plan. The mold of the world's teachers was not to be upon him. He was to be taught how to command his children and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. This is the work that God would have us do. He would have us understand how to govern our families, how to control our children, how to command our households to keep the way of the Lord." E.G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 02-18-90, pr. 10.

"The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, who was to become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. This order of priesthood was not to pass to another, or be superseded by another." E.G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy Volume Two, pr. 01, p. 13.

Melchisedec Was a Type of Christ

"Having been both king of Jerusalem and also priest of the Supreme God of heaven and earth, he is set forth as a type of Christ, who also united the office of king and priest in Himself (Ps 110:2-4; Heb 6:20 to 7:21)." SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 703.

The type Melchisedec met antitype in the Son of God at His incarnation, and that office ended with the Son of God being the offerer and the offering or both, priest and sacrifice. The Son of God was thus made the representative of God and Christ in the earth, when the Son laid aside His life in sacrifice as a regenerating gift to us.

Christ Was Made a Priest After the Order of Melchisedec After His Incarnation

"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?" Heb. 7:11.

If the Son of God was already a priest after the order of Melchisedec from the time He was begotten, then He would not have had to be raised after the order of Melchisedec.. The words "should rise" suggest a future act and that act occurred at the Incarnation of Christ.

The only faithful FOREVER priest is Christ, made after the order of Melchisedec. The Son of God was the Holy Spirit made after the order of Melchisedec after His Incarnation. That is when He became a faithful high priest. He was representated in the earth as Melchisedec before His Incarnation. Likewise, He was and still is represented also as Michael, the Arcangel, see Daniel 12:1 and Jude 1:9.

"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Hebrews 5:5, 6.

We are told that Christ was both the priest and the sacrifice. Notice:

"Christ has purchased the world by making a ransom for it, by taking human nature. He was not only the offering, but He himself was the Offerer. He clothed His divinity with humanity, and voluntarily took upon Him human nature, making it possible to offer Himself as a ransom." E.G. White, Manuscript 92, 1899. SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7a, p. 460.

Christ was no longer just the Son of God after His Incarnation. He became united with humanity forever. He became a priest after the order of Melchisedec.

"For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abrham. Wherefore in all things it bhoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he Himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Heb. 2:16-18.

What does Ellen White mean when she said that Christ was not the Holy Spirit? She could only mean that Christ is not the Holy Spirit in the sense that He laid aside that ONE ETERNAL HOLY SPIRIT LIFE for us. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent and Christ is not. But the Holy Spirit is the former life that was that of Christ who was begotten and made a high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

"Literally, 'emptied Himself.' This emptying was voluntary (see on John 10:17, 18). It was not possible for Christ to retain all the tokens of divinity and still accomplish the Incarnation." SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 155, col. 1.

If Christ's humanity cumbered His omnipresence, then omnipresence must be one of the "tokens of divinity" that Christ still does not possess for eternity because He retains His humanity forever.

"Jesus our surety entered the 'holy places,' and appeared in the presence of God for us. But it was not with the hope of obtaining something for us at that time, or at some future time. No! He had already obtained it for us on the cross. And now as our High Priest He ministers the virtues (benefits) of His atoning sacrifice to us." Answers to Question on Doctrine, p. 381.

What Does All This Prove?

These facts prove that Melchesidec, DURING HIS GENERATION, was appointed by God as the acting, Holy Spirit third person representative of the Godhead in the earth DURING HIS GENERATION which was prior to Christ's Incarnation. After the Son's Incarnation, Ellen White defines the Holy Spirit as the very life and soul of Christ, laid aside as a divine nature regenerating gift for us. It was at His Incarnation that Christ was made a high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. 5:5, 6.

Recall Ellen White's qualifying words:

'She (Ellen White) replied, "I will tell you who Melchisedec was. He was the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who took the form of humanity and represented the Lord Jesus Christ TO THAT GENERATION.."

"The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church." Desire of Ages, 805.

The only impartation of the life of Christ is the impartation of His Divine Nature which He had before His Incarnation. After that, He was also of human nature.

"Christ took upon Himself humanity, and laid down His life a sacrifice, that man, by becoming a partaker of the divine nature, might have eternal life." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 141.

Ron Beaulieu