The Melchizedeks
This paper has been the
result of an intense interest in the Melchizedek Brotherhood from the first
reading of The URANTIA Book. Probab1y the result of the gleam of light
that began to dawn when I found that I could connect The URANTIA Book teachings
with something that I knew before. The
Book of Hebrews in the Bible shows a definite agreement between the writers in
the Bible and those of The URANTIA Book regarding Machiventa
Melchizedek.
Of a necessity, much
has been omitted concerning this wonderful group of personalities, but while
some of the material related may be “old hat” to those of you who
have studied The URANTIA Book for years, it is my sincere hope that any
newcomers to the group may be somewhat stimulated by this narrative to do
additional reading and research, not only on the Melchizedeks
but on all the wonderful material in The URANTIA Book. Fraternally yours, Richard L Squires
This
is a narrative. Not a story, or an
account, or a Supposition; but a narrative.
1015 It happened around the year 1973 BC at the tent of Amdon, a Chaldean herder of Sumerian extraction, in Palestine
Amdon was in his tent at the time and glanced up startled, as the door darkened and a tall man appeared. This man was nearly six feet tall and looked to Amdon to be of the Sumerian tribes. He was dressed as the priests dressed except that around his neck hung a strange ornament, a pendant with an emblem containing three concentric circles.
The herder was at first startled and then strangely drawn toward the man who made the simple statement, “ I am Melchizedek, priest of El Elyon, the Most High, the one and only God.”
Amdon asked the man to sup with him and after partaking of food the two talked far into the night, out under the stars, and Amdon was told that El Elyon , the creator of those very stars and of the ground upon which they were standing.
This, then, was the beginning of the bestowal of Machiventa Melchizedek, one of the amazing and wonderful group of personalities, the Melchizedeks, Emergency Sons of God, functioning in the Local Universes of time and space.
384-385 After the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit (Local Universe daughter of the Infinite Spirit) have brought into existence the beings of personal aid such as the Bright and Morning Star, and other administrative aids according to the creative plans of a given universe, a new form of spiritual union brings into being the original Melchizedek, the Father Melchizedek, who thereafter collaborates with the Creator Son and Creative Spirit to bring into being all of the members of this order. In our local universe, Nebadon, the Father Melchizedek acts as the first executive associate of Gabriel, being occupied with practical procedures, emergency provisions and advisory commissions.
He makes his headquarters in Salvington and he and Gabriel are never away at the same time, for in Gabriel's absence he functions as Chief Executive of Nebadon.
The Melchizedeks are the first order of divine sons to sufficiently approach us to be able to aid without incarnation in the ministry of mortal uplift. They are at the mid-point of the great personality descent between the highest Divinity and the lowest will creature. As we learn to know them we will find them “understanding friends, sympathetic teachers, and wise counselors.”
387 The home of this order of beings consists of the pilot world of the Salvington circuit of 490 spheres (seventy primaries and 420 tributaries) and six of the other primary spheres. These seven worlds and their tributaries are often spoken of as the “Melchizedek University”, and the pilot world, the sphere Melchizedek is the common meeting place for all beings engaged in the education and spiritualization of ascending mortals. The schools contain schools of universe administration and spiritual wisdom.
387 The Melchizedek College of Spiritual Endowment, instruction is even given by the Paradise orders of the Sons of God in cooperation with the Melchizedek and seraphic teachers. This particular school is exclusively limited to attendance from our local Universe of Nebadon, although there are many visitors from other realms in attendance at the other schools.
388 The College of High Ethics, which is the highest course of training in universe administration is presided over by the original Father Melchizedek on the pilot world.
389 Another very highly specialized branch of work which the Melchizedeks do is to supervise the morontia career of ascending mortals. Much of the teaching is done by the patient and wise seraphic ministers, even assisted by certain mortals who have achieved relatively high levels of attainment, but all of the educational work is under the general supervision of the Melchizedeks.
759 The Melchizedeks are the first to act whenever any emergency arises or when some feature of the Creator Son's plan is threatened on any world where will creatures dwell. It was the Emergency Melchizedeks who with the Most High (Vorandedeks) served as planetary receivers during the rebellion, to begin the salvage project. Twelve of them served on this very important mission and they, with Van and other celestial personalities governed URANTIA for over a hundred and fifty thousand years, until the arrival of Adam. Then all too soon afterward, “seventy days after the default of Eve, the Melchizedek receivers returned to URANTIA and assumed jurisdiction over world affairs.”
1014 It was thus that about 3000 B.C. the group realized that while the human races were making progress intellectually, they were slowly losing ground spiritually. They knew of Michael’s impending bestowal on URANTIA but they did not know just when it would occur. As the Melchizedeks have been very active on URANTIA since a corps of twelve served in conjunction with the Life Carriers when life was established on the planet, this later corps became very concerned for the spiritual welfare of the people. Machiventa Melchizedek was one of this group.
The twelve receivers after solemn council, petitioned the Most Highs on Edentia that provision be made to uphold truth and maintain it on URANTIA until the bestowal of Michael.
This petition was answered to the effect that the Melchizedek custodians were in full charge of affairs on “606 of Satania.”
They then appealed to the Father Melchizedek, who also told them they should continue to uphold truth “in the manner of their own election until the arrival of a bestowal Son,” who “would rescue the planetary titles from forfeiture and uncertainty.”
Thus it was that Machiventa Melchizedek, one of the twelve receivers, volunteered to personalize on earth as a “temporary man of the realm, to bestow himself as an emergency Son of world ministry.” This was an occurrence which had only happened six times in all the history of the local universe of Nebadon.
One of the writers of the Book of Hebrews in the Bible wrote of Melchizedek as "priest of the Most High, was also king of peace without father, without mother, without pedigree having neither beginning of days nor and end of life but made like a Son of God, he abides a priest continually."
The religion that Melchizedek preached did not require forfeit to the gods. It was a short and simple statement of faith in El Elyon, The Most High, the one and only Universal Father.
1017-1018 H e taught seven commandments patterned after the lines of the ancient Dalmatian supreme law - very much resembling the seven commands taught in the first and second Edens.
1. You shall not serve any God but the Most High Creator of heaven and earth.
2. You shall not doubt that faith is the only requirement for eternal salvation.
3. You shall not bear false witness.
4. You shall not kill.
5. You shall not steal.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not show disrespect for your parents and elders.
Machiventa Melchizedek taught revealed truth at Salem in Palestine for ninety-four years. The choice of Palestine was due to the desire to establish contact with people who were capable of continuing the work by the bestowal mission. It is in regard to this that Abraham can be considered a “chosen person.”
1018 During the 94 years that Machiventa taught at Salem, Abraham attended the school three different times, finally becoming a convert to the Salem teachings. He was one of Melchizedek’s most brilliant pupils and chief supporters.
Abraham was given the responsibility of keeping alive the "truth of one God distinguished from the prevailing belief in plural deities."
At the time of the bestowal there were others on earth that were just as well prepared to receive the doctrine but none of the localities were so favorably situated for the bestowal of the Creator Son at a later time.
1021 The Melchizedek work had a strong and lasting effect, spreading to Egypt, Mesopotamia and into Asia Minor. At the time of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, there was even a strong tendency by some of the tribes near Salem to look upon Machiventa as a sort of demigod and revere him unduly as a person rather than having a reverence for his teachings.
1022 So after ninety four years on URANTIA, Machiventa Melchizedek said good night to his friends and retired to his tent and in the morning when his human companions went to call him, he was gone. But he continued to watch with interest, the progress made by his human student, cooperating with many of the seers and prophets of old.
1024 It is the opinion of one of the Melchizedeks that Machiventa is destined to help with the progress of ascendant mortals even to Paradise and the Corps of Finality. (He is at present the vice-gerent Planetary Prince of URANTIA.) Such may very well be the case, for once again on page 637 he in conjunction with a Mighty Messenger sends us another beautiful message on Universal Unity. This is one of twenty eight messages that have come to us in this book from the Order of
648 Melchizedeks, Emergency Sons of the Local universes, who labor unceasingly to bring the message of truth to us, the will creatures of time, in our journey inward through the grand universe to the Corps of the Finality and Havona.