The Eschatology Of The Lord’s Supper

   The ordinance of the Lord’s supper is a sacred institution.  Like baptism, it contains deep truths regarding salvation and eschatology.  The more we study, the more we begin to understand how the plan of Christ’s salvation is fulfilled.  It is a mistaken notion that “all things” may be fulfilled in a very short period.  The scheme of redemption was unfolded gradually, and it is just as gradually accomplished–not at once, but in stages and gradations, which correspond in reverse order to the progress of development. 

   Irenaeus writes: “For the New Covenant having been known and preached by the prophets, He who was to carry it out according to the good pleasure of the Father was also preached, having been revealed to men as God pleased; that they might always make progress through believing in Him, and by means of the successive covenants, should gradually attain to perfect salvation.  For there is one salvation and one God; but the precepts which form the man are numerous, and the steps which lead from man to God are not a few.” (Against Heresies, IV. ix. 3).

   The promise of salvation was first made to Adam in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3: 15). And it was further unfolded through a series of covenants: Noachian, Abrahamic, and Mosaic.  As the promises made in these covenants are fulfilled, each in its own order, so we move closer toward the fulfillment of the original promise.  This is a key point to bear in mind. For there be some who confound the Mosaic and Adamic covenants.  This leads to the heresy that salvation was fully accomplished when the Jewish (Mosaic) temple was destroyed in A.D. 70.  But that is not true!  The Mosaic covenant was the last made and the first to be fulfilled.  But its annulment does not affect the previous covenants.

   In Galatians, Paul reveals that a later covenant has no power to abrogate an earlier one (Gal 3: 17).  In the Book of Hebrews, he uses this argument to show that, because the priesthood of Melchizedec had priority, it superseded the Aaronic priesthood (Hebrews 7).  The Mosaic constitution only sub-served the preceding covenants.  Take this constitution away, and the other covenants remain in force.  In fact, the church is built upon the “faith of Abraham,” and receives the promises made to Abraham.  What are these promises?  They include inheritance in the land of Canaan & dominion with Christ over the entire earth (Romans 4: 13).

   This is not an idle ‘pipe dream,’ as some would have it, but is contained in the clearest declarations of Holy Writ.  After Abraham and Lot parted separate ways, God said to Abraham: “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever” (Gen.  13: 14).  From this we infer that the land was promised to Abraham personally, and to his “seed,” which is Christ and His church (Romans 4: 16; Galatians 3: 16, 29).

   The promise was later repeated to Abraham (Gen. 15: 7-8; 17: 8), and ratified by a solemn covenant (Gen. 15: 9 ff.).  But Abraham never entered into personal possession of the land.  As Stephen said: “And He gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet He promised that He would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child” (Acts 7: 5). 

   These facts tell us that the land-possession still holds good.  The reason it hasn’t been fulfilled is because God is still gathering children unto Abraham.  The faith of Abraham continues today.  The Holy Spirit still circumcises sinners in heart, that they may be baptized into Christ & enter the inheritance promised to them.  The promise will be fulfilled in the “First Resurrection.”  As in A.D. 70 certain Mosaic promises were fulfilled, so in the Millennium the Abrahamic promises will be fulfilled. 

   Again, lest we should err concerning the purposes of God, note that the same promise was repeated to Jacob after he fled from Esau.  “And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.  And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed” (Gen. 28: 12-13).

   Christ alluded to this promise when he said to Nathanael: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1: 51).  This is not a Mosaic promise, but a Millennial (Abrahamic) promise.  During the Millennium, Ezekiel’s Temple shall be situate 17,500 reeds–perhaps twelve or fourteen miles–northward from the rebuilt city of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 48).  This temple will be the house of God in which the Prince shall dwell (Ezek. 43: 7; cf. Gen. 28: 16-17).  It will probably rest in the air above the site of Bethel.  The saints shall serve God day & night in His temple (Rev. 7: 15).

   Land possession, however, is only one part of the promise.  Dominion over the earth is also included.  This was revealed when Isaac blessed Jacob.  He said: “Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.  Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee” (Gen. 27: 28-29). 

   This promise was never fulfilled in Jacob’s lifetime.  Therefore, it remains future.  Dominion over the earth is intimated in several passages of the Apocalypse, most notably where our Lord says: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations” (Rev. 2: 26).  Christ Himself promises He will give His faithful servants jurisdiction over the earth, & make them rulers together with Him (Matt. 24: 45-47; Luke 19: 17-19; Rev. 3: 21).  “Do ye not know,” said Paul, “that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Cor. 6: 2).  Thus it is seen that in the “anastasei twn dikaiwn,” the saints, long persecuted and harassed, shall be exalted to glory.

   But what has this to do with the Lord’s Supper?  Well, it has quite a deal of relevance.  For the Supper looks forward to both the land promises & restoration of the kingdom.  JESUS CHRIST, the same night in which He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.  “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body: And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is the blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say unto you, I will not drink hencefroth of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26: 26-29).

   Note that the bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of the Lord.  Christ said: “Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise Him up at the last day” (John 6: 54).  To eat and to drink the body & blood of the Lord means to have fellowship in the Cross.  For eating and drinking denote fellowship. As the Lord is in heaven now, & we in the wilderness, our nourishment is of a heavenly and spiritual nature.  Partaking of the true manna & keeping the Lord’s commandments will guarantee our placement in the “First Resurrection.”

   But when the Lord returns we shall be made partakers of His glory (Colossians 3: 4; 1 John 3: 2).  And then we shall fellowship with Him in person.  Christ says: “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily, I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12: 37).  So, the Lord’s Supper looks forward to fellowship with Christ in His Millennial kingdom.  Until then, we remain in the wilderness, looking forward to our entrance into Canaan (1 Cor. 10:1-11).  And this will be accomplished in the resurrection of the just.

   Perhaps the best way to confirm these truths is to find out whether there are any typical indications in the Old Testament that deal with the Lord’s supper.  And there certainly are.  For remember that after the “battle of the kings” (Genesis 14), Abraham, upon his passage through the Valley of Jehoshaphat, was met by Melchizedec, King of Salem, who “brought forth bread and wine” (Genesis 14: 18).  Paul informs us that Melchizedec is Jesus Christ.

   After the battle of Armageddon, when the “kings of the earth” that gather against the seed of Abraham (Rev. 19: 19) are defeated, Salem (i.e. peace) shall be established worldwide through the assumption & full display of Christ’s kingly prerogatives (Rev. 15: 4). The Lord’s supper shall be fulfilled in the kingdom of God, and the saints shall have personal fellowship with their Savior–in the very land which was promised to Abraham.  This is what the “marriage supper of the Lamb” is all about (Rev. 19: 7, 9).  It is the perfect antitype of the “battle of the kings” and its attendant events.

   It is obvious, then, that a true fulfillment of the Lord’s Supper looks forward to the confirmation of the Abrahamic promises–and not to the abrogation of the Mosaic economy.  Remember that Christ’s plan of salvation is accomplished in stages.  As the Millennium ties up the Abrahamic economy, so the Gog and Magog rebellion will witness the reversal of the Noachian dispersion (see Gen. 10: 2); then the “new heavens and new earth” will comprise the perfect fulfillment of the Adamic promises.  All things work according to an established order.  And remember, prophecy ultimately looks forward to the Edenic restoration.

   So, what is our conclusion?  As long as the Millennial blessings remain future, we still have to look forward to the defeat of Satan and the extirpation of the curse.  The abrogation of the Mosaic “law of bondage” in A.D. 70 had nothing to do with the fulfillment of Gen. 3: 15, & did not even fulfill the promises made to Abraham.  So, before deciding which prophecies are truly realized, we need to take a closer look at their covenantal context.  The Lord’s Supper is just one of many doctrines which help point the way to a clearer and more Scriptural view of eschatology. 

The Priesthood of Melchisedec

“And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him: called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5: 9-10).

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The priesthood of Melchisedec has vital bearings on eschatology. Hyper-Preterists are tempted to confine Christ’s priesthood to the nation of Israel, and that prior to A.D. 70. But we know better. If Christ’s priesthood has ended, then it cannot have been ‘continual’ in any true sense. I am prepared to show, in the following article, that the priesthood of Melchisedec continues today; and that because it continues, Christ’s atonement for sin is still ongoing. The conclusion is that the world awaits a future second coming of Christ.

In Hebrews 7: 3, Paul tells us that Christ “abideth a priest continually.” A more precise rendering is, “He remaineth a priest in perpetuity.” This, of course, makes His priestly office extend beyond the destruction of Jerusalem. Let us remember that Melchisedec was a priest of God before the Mosaic economy was ratified. His priesthood properly belongs to the Adamic economy. Abraham did homage to Melchisedec (Hebrews 7: 4 ff.). By this homage we may learn that the Levitical priesthood is subservient to Christ’s everlasting priesthood.

Abraham was justified under the moral law, and not the ceremonial law. So the priesthood of Melchisedec belongs to the moral law. If the moral law remained in effect after A.D. 70, then so does the priesthood of Melchisedec. That means that Christ is still in the Holy Place.

However, if (as Hyper-Preterists say) the moral law was nullified at the destruction of Jerusalem, then there is no more need for Christ’s priesthood. For a priest offers atonement for sin. And “sin is transgression of the law” (1 John 3: 4). But “where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4: 15) If the moral law passed away in A.D. 70, what need is there for any priesthood? But Christ’s priesthood is called “everlasting.” Thus the moral law must have extended beyond A.D. 70.

Of course this means that sin & death are still in force. For “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6: 23). Death was defeated by Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross, but its complete abolition belongs to a future period.

Note that both death & the ceremonial law were nullfied on the cross, but the latter only passed away at the dissolution of the Mosaic economy. The former shall pass away at the dissolution of the Adamic economy. That means the “end of the world!” The subject of fulfillment/annulment sometimes becomes confusing, because the two economies converged during Christ’s three-and-a-half year ministry. Christ is the Son of David, but is also the Son of Man (Adam). Thus His ministry has a dual frame of reference. Unless we understand the distinction between Adamic & Mosaic economies, we’ll never be able to tell what truly “passed away” in A.D. 70, and what remains.

Paul says that “the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (Hebrews 7: 12). The priesthood was ‘changed’ when the subservient Aaronic priesthood fell before that which was ratified by an oath (Hebrews 7: 21). If the priesthood of Christ was in effect prior to the ordination of the Levitical priesthood, then it has priority over the latter. This is an important point to keep in mind. Just as the ceremonial law is subservient to the moral law, so the Levitical priesthood is subservient to that of Melchisedec. The events of A.D. 70 cannot affect Christ’s everlasting priesthood. It stands today just as it did in Paul’s time!

Another fact we must keep in mind. When Moses was instructed to make the tabernacle, he copied from a Divine original (Hebrews 8: 5). This “worldly sanctuary” (Hebrews 9: 1) was a mere shadow of that sanctuary in the heavens, over which Melchisedec presides. Christ’s presence in the heavenly sanctuary is co-extensive with His session at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 8: 1-2). This sanctuary is pictured as coming down to earth during the Millennium.

After studying this issue for some time, I believe that this sanctuary is the “temple” described in the latter chapters of the prophet Ezekiel. It is identical to the temple mentioned in the Apocalypse, which will not be opened to the saints until the vials of wrath have been poured out (Rev. 15: 8; cf. Rev. 7: 15). It will descend from God out of heaven (Rev. 3: 12), and remain above the earth, until the Millennial dispensation is complete. At Christ’s coming the saints will be “caught up in the air” to fellowship with Christ in His Kingdom. The language of Scripture tells us that the anti-typical temple is real and substantial.

Of course, the destruction or removal of the worldly tabernacle does not affect the presence and function of the eternal. Christ is called an “everlasting” priest, for He ministers in the heavenly tabernacle. The earthly tabernacle was simply “a figure for the time then present” (Hebrews 9: 9). As a Divine institution it was nullified on the Cross (Matt. 27: 51), and taken away completely in A.D. 70. This, however, did not in the least affect the heavenly tabernacle. So, what happened exactly in A.D. 70? The natural shadows of the Mosaic law fled away before that spiritual substance which we now receive by faith. We must walk by faith, because Christ is absent. But when Christ returns, faith will be turned into sight (1 Cor. 13: 12).

Of course, no one will deny that it was Christ’s purpose to wrap up the Mosaic economy first, and give the nation of Israel time to embrace the Gospel. Perhaps Paul implies this when he says, “That by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9: 15). The Gospel was offered to the Jews first. Then it was extended to the Gentiles. But it is the same Gospel.

Note that Hebrews 9: 15 carries more than Mosaic significance. Because Paul mentions death (a distinctly Adamic doctrine), we are to interpret the term “First Testament” as embracing the whole Covenant of Works. It extends all the way back to Adam. Christ’s sacrificial death alone enabled men to pass into the New Covenant. Christ’s function as High Priest is a distincly New Covenant office. There is no way that the priestly functions can be limited to strictly Mosaic fulfillment, without making the New Covenant end in A.D. 70. The same atonement is still in effect today. Men still repent & accept Jesus Christ by faith, are still baptized, are still called into the New Covenant. Confession & absolution are still ongoing (1 John 1:9).

And here’s the main point. The fact of an ongoing atonement implies a future return! A return for what? Well, a return to vindicate God’s righteous government, and to reign over all the nations of the earth (Revelation 11: 15; Zechariah 14: 9)–something that never happened in A.D. 70. There must a final defeat of sin and evil, a vanquishing of death, and a resurrection of the just & of the unjust. Take a careful look at Hebrews 9: 24-28, and you’ll find that Christ’s presence in the Holy place implies and demands an approaching season when He shall come back to bring eternal life to all those who wait upon Him.

When Paul says, “He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second,” (Hebrews 10: 9), the “first” must be perceived as the Covenant of Works. The transition is effected in Jesus Christ alone, and through faith in His blood. Howbeit, as the Mosaic economy was ‘passing away’ from A.D. 30-70, and completely removed at the destruction of Jerusalem, so the Adamic economy is passing away even now. The heavens and earth are ‘waxing old, as doth a garment‘ (Hebrews 1: 11). The moral law will remain in effect until “heaven and earth pass away” (Matt. 5: 18). It is important that we remember this. When Christ says, “until heaven and earth pass away,” He is speaking of the Genetic economy.

Those who deny a future Second Coming must (by implication) deny Christ’s perpetual priesthood. In that case, there is no more intercession for sin! Is such a theory Scriptural? Of course not. Friends, It is impossible that 2,000 years of Spirit-anointed teachers were wrong in regard to the return of Christ. The world still awaits “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3: 19). The creation still groans, awaiting its redemption from the bondage of corruption (Romans 8: 19 ff.). The Second Coming of Christ is still future!

Paul, speaking of Christ’s impending parousia (Hebrews 10: 37), says that “The just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10: 38). Once again, he is referring to the perpeteuity of the moral law, for he reminds us of the faith of Abraham. Again, Abraham was justified under the moral law, before circumcision was given (Romans 4: 10). Thus, the parousia to which Paul refers has nothing to do with the Mosaic economy. Faith was required of the nation of Israel, but it is not a Mosaic concept. It is an Adamic concept. The mechanics of faith (including justification, final rewards, resurrection, etc.) are bound up in the Adamic economy. Our High Priest will leave the Holy Place only when the age has come to an end.

But still men look out their windows and ask, will Christ rend the heavens and come down to earth? Will the heavens and earth really be shaken? Paul speaks of the shaking of heaven and earth in Hebrews 12: 26-29. This will result in the manifestation of Christ’s glorious kingdom. The kingdom we are to receive (Hebrews 12: 28) is the “city which hath foundations,” the spiritual Jerusalem, which descendeth out of heaven, and cometh down to us. It is Salem, the kingdom over which Melchisedec rules and reigns (Hebrews 7: 2). It is a kingdom of righteousness and peace. It is the Kingdom which shall be manifested in glory when the wheat & tares of everlastingly separated at the “end of the age” (Matt. 13: 40-43). The coming of Christ’s kingdom is an event to which all the saints may glady look forward.

The Battle of the Kings

 “Then went out the King of Sodom, and the King of Gomorrah, and the King of Admah and the King of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela, which is Zoar: and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim: to wit, with Cheder-laomer King of Elam, and Tidal King of nations, and Amraphel King of Shinar, and Arioch King of Ellasar: four kings against five” (Gen. 14: 8-9).

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    The battle of the kings is the first account we have of a military encounter between two opposing armies.  While we feel assured that it was not the first such encounter, its placement in the book of Genesis has great internal significance that should not be ignored.  For I sincerely doubt that Moses entered it into the sacred histories without just cause.  And that it is later referred to in Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, is the surest token of its symbolic value in reference to Christ’s eternal and unchanging priesthood, as well as the salvation and blessedness of His people.

    Let us go back to the beginning, and sketch, if we can, the characters and setting of the story.  We recall that Abraham and Lot, sojourning together from Haran, came into the land of Canaan (Gen. 12: 5), dwelling therein as pilgrims.  Both were very rich in cattle, silver, and gold (Gen. 13: 2, 5).  Yet it happened that the herdsmen of Lot and Abraham strove together, inasmuch as the land was not able to contain them both (Gen. 13: 6-7).  And so Abraham entreated his nephew that they should part separate ways (Gen. 13: 8-9).  At that time, the Canaanites and Perizzites were in the land (Gen. 13: 7).  And lest the enemy be given occasion to blaspheme God, Abraham relinquished his own right and let Lot have choice in the matter.  And herein we discern a fundamental difference between Abraham and his nephew, in that Lot picked the land of Sodom for his home, while Abraham chose Canaan– the land God had already promised him (Gen. 12: 7).

    “So when Lot lifted up his eyes, he saw that all the plain of Jordan of was watered every where: (for before the LOrd destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar).  Then Lot chose unto him all the plain of Jordan and took his journey from the East: and they departed the one from the other.  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot abode in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent even to Sodom” (Gen. 13: 10-12).  It is obvious that Lot was deceived by the fruitfulness of the land he chose.  And so, many of God’s people today are likewise deceived by the pomp and splendor of the world, which becomes as wormwood and gall to them.  Lot was soon to find that the people of Sodom were exceeding sinners against the Lord (Gen. 13: 13).  Abraham, on the other hand, received confirmation of the Divine promises when he chose Canaan (Gen. 13: 14-17). 

    Thus, Lot preferred alliance with the men of this world, whereas Abraham remained in the land of promise, looking for the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11: 10).  Lot was content with earthly blessings, all of which would soon prove false.  But Abraham accepted the earthly as a mere sign and earnest of the heavenly.  In other words, Lot preferred the blessings in his hand– here and now– as many Christians still do.  But Abraham preferred to trust in God and rely on His word, knowing in his heart that in due time it would be fulfilled.  So much will patience and faith establish us in Christ.  Lot’s alliance with the world caused him much sorrow and vexation (2 Peter 2: 8). And although the land was as the Garden of Eden, it became a hell for him.  But Abraham had peace and joy with God.  For he subsisted upon His providential protection, and had respect unto the promises.  “Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4: 4).  And so matters stood thuswise when war broke out.

    What was the occasion of this war?  Moses seems to hint that there was a covenant between the King of Elam and the cities of the plain.  Of what this covenant consisted we are unsure, though it probably had to do with tribute and homage of some sort.  At any rate, Moses records that the cities of the plain served the Kingdom of Chedor-laomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year rebelled (Gen. 14: 4).  In doing so, however, they not only broke covenant, which is a sign of a wicked and depraved generation (Romans 1: 30), but endangered the safety of those throughout their dominions.  For Chedor-laomer the king of Elam gathered together his allied forces and set out to punish the cities of the plain.  His armies were quite destructive, though it is hard to give an assessment of their exact number.  Judging from the geographical territory covered by their assaults, they must have been quite considerable–much larger than the small band of three hundred and eighteen wherewith Abraham gained victory (Gen. 14: 14).  But this disparity brings to mind God’s promise to His people: “And five of you shall chase an hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight, and your enemies shall fall before you upon the sword” (Lev. 26: 8).

    When Chedor-laomer’s forces moved against the recreant kings, there was probably some opposition from the cities eastward the plain.  For the Emims, a race of giants dwelling nigh Kiriathaim, were smitten (Gen. 14: 5), as well as those close upon the borders of Edom (Gen. 14: 6).  The army moved westward, destroying the inhabitants of those districts in which the Amelekites later settled.  And they probably sent a contingent to advance across the plain, unto the vicinity of Engedi, where then stood the ancient city of Hazezon-Tamar.  Thus it appears that they made a decisive attack in well-organized fashion.  This speaks eloquently of the military strategy then employed– which was countered by a cunning attempt on the part of Sodom’s confederates to lure the forces of Elam into the slime-pits that abounded in the vale of Siddim (Gen. 14: 10).  The two armies came together in that place, and the battle was joined.  However, the Sodomites were utterly put to rout, and caught in the very trap they laid for the enemy.  Their forces then dispersed and fled into the mountain.  As Chedor-laomer’s troops fell upon the city of Sodom, Lot was taken captive.  Thus the covenant-breakers were defeated. 

    A consultation of ancient maps shows us that the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, have since been submerged beneath the waters of the Salt Sea.  Only Zoar was spared, for it was that city in which Lot sought refuge (Gen. 19: 20-23).  Most maps place Zoar on the small promontory that juts into the sea from the mainland. This “sea,” or lake, is known by many of the older theologians as Asphaltitis.  And John Lightfoot draws a curious parallel between it and the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 14).  However, at the time of the battle it was a fruitful plain; and its cities were lush and prosperous.  Yet notwithstanding their beauty and opalescence, iniquity stalked abroad.  And Ezekiel the prophet tells us that Sodom’s fall was due mainly to pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness, and neglect of the poor (Ezekiel 16: 49).  Let all generations of all ages heed the prophet’s warning, lest we too fall into their error, and be condemned to undergo their fate.  The cities of the plain have since perished, and not a trace of them remains.

    It seems to us that the vanquishing of these cities by the confederation of Elam would have served as a warning to the faithless and disobedient.  Howbeit, we find no repentance in their history.  And this absence of all conscience is frightening.  It puts us in mind of Paul’s precept, that “evil men and deceivers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3: 13).  At any rate, once Lot was taken, Abraham was informed of the event by one who had escaped being captured (Gen. 14: 13).  And Abraham’s righteousness is manifested in that he delayed not an instant, but rose up, gathered together his band of three hundred and eighteen men, and pursued the enemy forces unto Dan.  By this time the enemy had moved northward beyond the borders of the the salt sea.  It is uncertain whether they were continuing their ravages in this direction, or fleeing from before Abraham’s army.  Once they came to Hobah, which was on the left side of Damascus, Abraham, leading an assault under cover of darkness, overthrew them completely, delivering Lot and saving the captives out of Chedor-laomer’s hands (Gen. 14: 15-16).  During the battle the four kings were slain (Gen. 14: 17).  Hence Paul calls this encounter “the slaughter of the kings” (Hebrews 7: 1).

    Now Abraham gathered his men together and proceeded southward.  He was probably returning to the plain of Mamre in Hebron, where he dwelt at the time (Gen. 13: 18).  His journey took him through the environs of Jerusalem; and as he traveled, the Priest Melchizedek came to meet him at Shaveh.  But where was Shaveh located?  After consulting some of the foremost theologians, I must agree with the general consensus that Shaveh, or the King’s Dale, lay in the valley of Jehoshaphat.  For it was in this same valley that Absalom erected a pillar (2 Sam. 18: 18).  Bishop John P. Newman, who made extensive explorations throughout the area, places the existing monument one thousand feet below the great bridge that spans the Kidron. It is often referred to as “The Tomb of Absalom.”  In his book From Dan to Beersheba (1864), Newman remarks: “This is probably the pillar which Absalom in his lifetime reared up for himself in the King’s Dale.”  Mediaeval and modern tradition also place the location of the Dale in the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem, in the valley through which the River Kidron flows. 

    The Valley is bordered on the west by Mount Moriah, and on the east by the Mount of Olives.  This position has great internal significance.  For it is here that Christ is represented as judging all nations (Joel 3: 12).  And it is probably from Mount Moriah that King Melchizedek came down to greet Abraham after his victory.  Salem was the ancient name of Jerusalem, as is recorded by Josephus.  The Scripture also testifies of this in Psalm 76: 2: “For in Salem is His tabernacle, and His dwelling in Zion.”  Thus Melchizedek must have been king of the ancient city of Jerusalem.  This leads us to the opinion that it was at that time a center of Divine worship.  Thus, even then was Jerusalem a city of righteousness: though in later times it degenerated to a level of depravity which we can hardly imagine (Judges 1: 5-7).  Nevertheless, it was thither that Abraham went to do homage to the Most High.

    When the King Melchizedek came forth to meet Abraham, he brought forth bread and wine (Gen. 14: 18).  The two sacraments of the Lord’s Supper!  Surely there is more meaning in this act than most theologians recognize.  The 1560 Geneva Bible commentary states: “In that Melchizedek fed Abraham, he declared himself to represent a king: and in that he blessed him, the High Priest.”  In my view, this interpretation is the one that most fits the truth. The meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek has great symbolic meaning; for it provides types which have their sole relevance in the Gospel Dispensation.  The bread is the body of Jesus Christ, the wine is His blood (Matt. 26: 26-28).  Abraham enters the King’s Dale weary and footsore, but there he partakes of communion with the High Priest.  Thus, He is refreshed by this confirmation of God’s grace.  We believe, therefore, that the meeting typifies the consummation of Christ’s kingdom, when the saints, who have overcome their enemies, will enter into the joy of the Lord.  Perhaps this is what Christ meant when He said: “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8: 56).  For Melchizedek represents Jesus Christ Himself (Hebrews 6: 20; 7: 3, 20-21). 

    Moses then relates that Melchizedek gave Abraham his benediction: “Blessed art thou, Abram, of God most High possessor of Heaven and Earth.  And blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand” (Gen. 14: 19-20).  Paul declares the superiority of Melchizedek over Abraham: “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better” (Hebrews 7: 7).  This is certainly the primary reason that the patriarch gave him tithes of all.  And yet the tithing also has deep internal meaning, for according to Paul, it shows that the the legal priesthood was subject to the everlasting priesthood of the Son Of God (Hebrews 7: 9-28).  Thus, Abraham, in his act, freely acknowledges the subordination of law to grace.  And his act of homage confirms this truth for all generations. 

    The King of Sodom appears at this point, and suggests that Abraham take the goods to himself, while he keeps the persons (Gen. 14: 21).  But Abraham will hear of no such thing.  As a matter of fact, he shuns any notion of being enriched by the King of Sodom, and so he declines (Gen. 14: 23).  Nevertheless, being a righteous man, he would not have his liberality deprive others of their just rewards.  And so he gives his servants leave to help themselves to the spoil (Gen. 14: 24).  We’ll find that during the entire history of the battle, from its very beginning to its final outcome, Abraham behaved with exemplary justice.  He, than which few stand more worthy of being called the children of God, is a man whose character and attributes we’d do well to study in today’s time.  For while his name is often associated with the purely temporal promises, he himself had little concern for such things, but was a mere sojourner in this present evil world.  He was also one of the great prophets of the church (Gen. 20: 7).  And looking unto him as an example of our own faith and walk will add fresh perspective to our studies, and help us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3: 18).  Blessed be the name of Abraham!