Melchizedek: Eternal Man of Mystery
Who is this Melchizedek guy, really?
Some people say Melchizedek was just a king with no special significance otherwise. Some people call him an angel. We discussed him as a type of Christ here, and others would say he (or, rather, He) is a pre-incarnate Christ.
I’m reading a new book, Has God Spoken?, and the author discusses the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is one, dubbed the “Melchizedek Scroll,” from Cave 11, that has interesting things to say about the mystery man.
It appears to substitute Melchizedek’s name for several references to God in the Psalms. Psalm 7 and 82 are mentioned, although specific verses/translations aren’t given. The book continues,
“Finally, the Melchizedek Scroll renders Isaiah 61:2, ‘the year of Melchizedek’s favor,’ as opposed to ‘the year of the LORD’s favor,’ again equating Melchizedek with the Almighty. ‘What the Melchizedek Scroll claims,’ says [Dr. Craig] Evans, ‘is simply astounding: Melchizedek is God himself!’”
What do you think? Who is this guy? An Old Testament foreshadow of Christ, or God Himself?
The Esther Project 
I feel like he is just a godly man for a few reasons. One, the place seemed to be known to people of that day–hence the point of bring it up–and he blessed Abram BY God most high. When the Angel of the Lord would bless people he would do it with the authority of his own name. So a reason that it wouldn’t be Jesus or God is because he wouldn’t need to be redundant about that. Second, Jesus didn’t become our High Priest until he took our sins upon the cross and was able to bring us to God. And lastly, Abram wouldn’t take anything from that person lest he would be credited to Abram’s blessing so that nothing would be taken away from God. Yes, he is an incredibly godly man in who’s priesthood Jesus is the perfection of the copy, but yet he was still man.
Excellent points, Jacob. The conversation in Genesis 14:19-23 does seem to point to the fact that Mel’s not God.