Melchizedek was not Shem, but is the Son of Man instead who is also the prophet Enoch!

Many people are saying that Shem, son of Noah, was King Melchizedek. And they are citing the following verse from the apocryphal Book of Jasher as proof of this claim:

Book of Jasher 16:11-12 And Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech.

And Adonizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God. 

These people are thus implying that Melchizedek, or the priesthood of Melchizedek, has a human genealogy and a  beginning of days (since according to them, this priesthood started with Shem and was passed on to his descendants which included Christ). 

But this claim totally contradicts what Paul said. Because Paul was actually saying that Melchizedek is NOT human, but an immortal being instead who remains a priest FOREVER; and that Melchizedek’s priesthood and the Temple he attends to are HEAVENLY and not earthly like Aaron's:

Hebrew 7: 17-22 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek”... he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:  “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Hebrews 9:11 (Weymouth New Testament) But Christ appeared as a High Priest of the blessings that are soon to come by means of the greater and more perfect Tent of worship, a tent which has not been built with hands--that is to say does not belong to this material creation--

Paul also said that to become a Melchizedek priest, one has to be just like Melchizedek who has the power of an indestructible life, and this is something which Shem obviously did not have. 

Hebrews 7: 15-16 (New International Version) And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.

Furthermore, Paul was comparing Melchizedek either to the preincarnate Christ or to the resurrected Christ, a divine being when Christ is immortal, and not while Christ was still human and mortal:

Hebrews 7: 1-3 (New King James Version) For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God... first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, and made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

11Q13 (or 11QMelch) is a fragment (that can be dated to the 2nd or 1st century BC) of a text about Melchizedek found in Cave 11 at Qumran in the Dead Sea area and which comprises part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In this eschatological text, Melchizedek is seen as a divine being and Hebrew titles such as Elohim are applied to him. According to this text Melchizedek will proclaim the "Day of Atonement" and he will atone for the people who are predestined to him. He also will judge the peoples. 

Now remember, this fragment and part of the Dead Sea Scrolls was dated at least 100 years before the birth of Christ. And the gospel of Christ, that was written much later, identified Christ as this divine being who atoned for the people who are predestined to him, and whom the Father has given authority to execute judgment:

John 6: 37, 39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 5: 22-23 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.

Now let us take a closer look at a phrase in Hebrews 7:3 (New King James Version) which specifically said that Melchizedek was “made like [Greek: af-om-oy-o'-o] the Son of God”. The way this phrase was translated, it would appear to many that Melchizedek was another person who was made similar to or an image copy of the Son of God.

However, the Greek word “af-om-oy-o'-o” literally means “to assimilate closely”. And to assimilate means “to take in and incorporate as one's own; to absorb”. In other words, Melchizedek was not just another person who was made similar to or an image copy of the immortal Son of God, like what many people think. Melchizedek was actually a person, a mortal human, who was made INTO the immortal Son of God, by absorbing or incorporating as one’s own the Son’s divine identity! 

Thus, Paul was actually saying that the transfigured Melchizedek and the divine Son of God are one and the same person and not two similar persons instead. And this is why the fragment and part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, namely 11Q13 (or 11QMelch), described Melchizedek in exactly the same manner that the gospel writers described Christ more than a hundred years later.

 

So who was this mortal human turned immortal divine being, named King Melchizedek, who reportedly appeared before Abraham?

There was actually one person prior to both Christ and Abraham who achieved immortality, and this person gained the power of an indestructible life without even experiencing death. And his name was Enoch:

Hebrews 11:5 (New King James Version) By faith Enoch was taken away [Greek: met-at-ith'-ay-mee] so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

The Greek word "met-at-ith'-ay-mee" can have two different meanings, and these are either “to transfer” or “to change”; and I believe Paul used both meanings of the same word in Hebrews 11:5 which in my opinion should be  translated in the following manner instead:

Hebrews 11:5 (my translation) By faith Enoch was changed [Greek: met-at-ith'-ay-mee] so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had transferred [Greek: met-at-ith'-ay-mee] him”...

Note that the changing of Enoch so that he should not see death is very similar to the following verse also by Paul:

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (New Revised Standard Version) Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Thus, the prophet Enoch already experienced what Paul said Christians will yet experience at the last trumpet, namely, the changing of their bodies from mortality to immortality.

Also, the transferring of Enoch so that he was not found, is very similar to the following verse by Paul that describes the catching up or transferring of Christ’s disciples in the clouds, so that they can be with the Lord forever:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Note that the changing from mortality to immortality mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and the catching up in the clouds mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, will both happen at the last trumpet call of God. Thus these two events will be concurrent events.

And once the disciples of Christ are changed from mortality to immortality and are transferred from earth to heaven to be with the Lord forever, this will also be when Christ’s disciples become kings and priests in the order of King Melchizedek. Because if you still recall, the basis for being a part of this royal priesthood are “ the power of an indestructible life” and one’s appearance in the greater and more perfect Tent of worship in heaven.

Revelation 5:9-11 (King James Version) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne… and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Since the prophet Enoch already experienced the changing of his body from mortality to immortality and the transferring from Earth to heaven to appear in the greater and more perfect Tent of worship, Enoch already earned for himself this heavenly royal priesthood. And Enoch was in fact, the first mortal, and first human to do so. And this is why I believe the prophet Enoch was also actually King Melchizedek after (and not before) his transfiguration.

The Third Book of Enoch is a Biblical apocryphal book in Hebrew written by "Rabbi Ishmael" who became a "high priest" after visions of ascension to Heaven.  The main themes running through 3 Enoch are the ascension of Enoch into Heaven and his transformation into the angel Metatron.

3 Enoch IV: 1-2 R. Ishmael said: I asked Metatron and said to him: Why art thou called by the name of thy Creator, by seventy names? Thou art greater than all the princes, higher than all the angels, beloved more than all the servants, honored above all the mighty ones in kingship, greatness and glory: why do they call thee ' Youth ' in the high heavens?"

He answered and said to me: "Because I am Enoch, the son of Jared”.

Now according to the Zohar, Metatron is the eldest servant and the beginning of the creations of God:

Zohar, Portion Chayei Sarah XX:157: Thus the words, "And Abraham said to his eldest servant" refer to Metatron, the servant of Hashem. The phrase, "The eldest servant of his house" is the beginning of the creations of Hashem. "That ruled over all that he had" means that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him power over all His hosts, namely over the upper angels.

But if Metatron is the beginning of God’s creations, then this means Metatron preexisted the prophet Enoch, or even Adam, or all of the other creations of God.

Thus, the prophet Enoch must have been a human incarnation of the primordial being Metatron for the mortal Enoch to transform back into his former self as the immortal Metatron after his ascension into heaven. And it was after this transformation as Metatron, that King Melchizedek showed himself to Abraham. And this is why Paul described King Melchizedek as being “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life”. As Paul was describing King Melchizedek’s initial existence in heaven as the divine being Metatron, rather than his short and temporary life later on Earth as the mortal human, Enoch. 

Now if you haven’t noticed it, Metatron’s title as the beginning of the creations of God is exactly the same title that Christ applied to himself:

  

Revelation 3:14 (King James Version) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

But wait, there is more. Another Messianic title which the prophet Enoch and Christ share is that of the Son of Man:

Wikipedia, Metatron, Origins: 1 Enoch: Book of Parables presents two figures: the son of man and Enoch. At first, these two characters seem to be separate entities. Enoch views the son of man enthroned in Heaven. Later, however, they prove to be one and the same.

 

In the website qbible.com we read the following:

1 Enoch (Ethiopic) 70: 17-20 Richard Laurence translation: Then that angel came to me, and with his voice saluted me, saying, You [Enoch] are the Son of man, who art born for righteousness, and righteousness has rested upon you.

The righteousness of the Ancient of days shall not forsake you.

He said, On you shall he confer peace in the name of the existing world; for from thence has peace gone forth since the world was created.

And thus shall it happen to you for ever and ever.

Notice how the angel who saluted and called Enoch “the Son of man” also mentioned the words “righteousness” and “peace” multiple times in this passage. And if you still recall, the name Melchizedek literally translates as “King of Righteousness” while his title King of Salem literally translates as “King of Peace”.

Christ mentioned something to Nicodemus about the Son of man whom Christ identifies himself with:

John 3: 13-15 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is [Tense - Present See] in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Now let me break down this statement piece by piece so that these verses can be interpreted correctly, the way they should be:

According to Christ, no man ascended up to heaven from Earth except for one person, and this man, known as the Son of Man, resided in heaven before coming down on Earth just very recently to be born again. I emphasized in the phrase “even the Son of man which is in heaven” that its tense was written in the Present See, which includes historical presents. Because obviously, the Son of man is no longer in heaven after he came down from it. And the historical present is the use of a verb phrase in the present tense to refer to an event that actually took place in the past to create an effect of immediacy. And this was for Christ to emphasize that it was only very recently when this Son of man was still residing in heaven. 

So what was Christ actually saying here? Christ is saying that when he came down very recently from heaven to be born as Mary’s son, it was not his first time being human. This is because he was already known as the Son of Man who is residing in heaven, even before being conceived in the womb of Mary.  And that he, as the Son of Man, was also the first and only human who ascended up to heaven coming from Earth. 

And the reason why Christ talked about his earlier incarnation on Earth as a human, was because Nicodemus asked him earlier how it is possible for a man to be born again:

John 3: 3-4 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

So who was this man who ascended up to heaven before coming down to Earth once more to be born as Mary’s son?

The Bible actually mentioned 2 people who ascended or were caught in midair before the advent of Christ, and these were the prophets Enoch and Elijah. So why did Christ say that there was only one person who actually ascended to heaven? There was a company of prophets at Jericho who knew beforehand that the Lord is going to take Elijah:

2 Kings 2: 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

And yet this company of prophets at Jericho didn’t think Elijah will be taken to some unknown place outside of this Earth, but thought instead that Elijah will be taken only to some distant place in Israel:

2 Kings 2: 15-16 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

After searching for 3 days, the fifty able men failed to find Elijah. However, many years after this incident, Elijah is mentioned once more in 2 Chronicles 21:12. In these verses, a letter is sent under the prophet's name to Jehoram of Judah. Now this letter is a puzzle to readers for several reasons. One of which is that this letter seems to come after Elijah's ascension into the whirlwind.

And this is why the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary on this verse suggested that there was a transcription error on this verse:

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary, 2 Chronicles 21:12. “there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet”—That prophet's translation [or ascension] having taken place in the reign of Jehoshaphat [2Ki 2:11, 12], we must conclude that the name of Elijah has, by the error of a transcriber, been put for that of Elisha.

In my opinion instead, I believe the prophet Elijah was just taken to a distant place in Israel that is more than 3 days' journey away from where he ascended. And this was the same opinion taken by the company of prophets at Jericho who knew beforehand that Elijah will be taken away, and on which day he will be taken. Besides, this point of view also validates Christ’s claim that there really was only one person, and not two, who actually ascended up to heaven before he came down to Earth. And that person was none other than the prophet Enoch.

In my previous video titled “Who is King Melchizedek? The answer will surprise you!”, I discussed in great detail the many similarities between the prophet Enoch, Metatron, King Melchizedek, and Christ. And this is why I came to the conclusion that these people are all one and the same person only.