The Melchizedek Priesthood “enters into the inner place behind the curtain,” (Hebrews 6:19) where “Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20) A forerunner is a person who goes before others in order to lead them into a particular place. This particular passage tells us that God’s plan is for others to follow Jesus into this holy place where He has gone. Those Christians who do follow Him into the holy and most holy places of God’s tabernacle comprise the royal priesthood Peter mentions in 1 Peter 2:9.
The Book of Hebrews itself was written for two primary reasons, to establish who in fact Jesus is and to exhort believers to follow His footsteps into priesthood. This book, like most of the Bible, was written to believers, not unbelievers. Unbelievers cannot receive the things of God. Men must first repent and have faith in God before God opens their spiritual eyes to see other things, especially the teaching about righteousness. The Order of Melchizedek is all about this particular doctrine first introduced in Hebrews 5:
[Melchizedek] Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 KJV)
This verse explains why many of the writings before this have dealt with the elementary doctrines of the faith. We simply cannot go on until we understand them. The sad reality is that even today most Christians do not understand even these six basic truths. Most Christians want to send all unbelievers into an eternal fire pit of horrible torture forever! They actually think that the Bible teaches this. They serve a false god. God is a God of mercy! Throughout His Word He teaches that mercy triumphs over judgment. “Love your enemies,” Jesus said. He did not tell us to torture and kill them.
“God’s righteousness is not fully declared until He makes His creatures righteous with His own righteousness. … Righteousness is not complete, if it only judges and condemns, for the devil can also condemn. The highest righteousness, while it judges sin, can never rest until it also makes the sinner righteous.” (Andrew Jukes, The Names of God, pp. 53-54)
