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                Urantia Book Paper 93 Machiventa Melchizedek
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                        Paper 93 Machiventa Melchizedek

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Introduction

THE Melchizedeks are widely known as emergency Sons, for they engage in an
amazing range of activities on the worlds of a local universe. When any
extraordinary problem arises, or when something unusual is to be attempted, it
is quite often a Melchizedek who accepts the assignment. The ability of the
Melchizedek Sons to function in emergencies and on widely divergent levels of
the universe, even on the physical level of personality manifestation, is
peculiar to their order. Only the Life Carriers share to any degree this
metamorphic range of personality function.

The Melchizedek order of universe sonship has been exceedingly active on
Urantia. A corps of twelve served in conjunction with the Life Carriers. A
later corps of twelve became receivers for your world shortly after the
Caligastia secession and continued in authority until the time of Adam and Eve.
These twelve Melchizedeks returned to Urantia upon the default of Adam and Eve,
and they continued thereafter as planetary receivers on down to the day when
Jesus of Nazareth, as the Son of Man, became the titular Planetary Prince of
Urantia.

1. THE MACHIVENTA INCARNATION

Revealed truth was threatened with extinction during the millenniums which
followed the miscarriage of the Adamic mission on Urantia. Though making
progress intellectually, the human races were slowly losing ground spiritually.
About 3000 B.C. the concept of God had grown very hazy in the minds of men.

The twelve Melchizedek receivers knew of Michael's impending bestowal on their
planet, but they did not know how soon it would occur; therefore they convened
in solemn council and petitioned the Most Highs of Edentia that some provision
be made for maintaining the light of truth on Urantia. This plea was dismissed
with the mandate that "the conduct of affairs on 606 of Satania is fully in the
hands of the Melchizedek custodians." The receivers then appealed to the Father
Melchizedek for help but only received word that 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."

And it was in consequence of having been thrown so completely on their own
resources that Machiventa Melchizedek, one of the twelve planetary receivers,
volunteered to do that which had been done only six times in all the history of
Nebadon: to personalize on earth as a temporary man of the realm, to bestow
himself as an emergency Son of world ministry. Permission was granted for this
adventure by the Salvington authorities, and the actual incarnation of Machi-

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venta Melchizedek was consummated near what was to become the city of Salem, in
Palestine. The entire transaction of the materialization of this Melchizedek
Son was completed by the planetary receivers with the co-operation of the Life
Carriers, certain of the Master Physical Controllers, and other celestial
personalities resident on Urantia.

2. THE SAGE OF SALEM

It was 1,973 years before the birth of Jesus that Machiventa was bestowed upon
the human races of Urantia. His coming was unspectacular; his materialization
was not witnessed by human eyes. He was first observed by mortal man on that
eventful day when he entered the tent of Amdon, a Chaldean herder of Sumerian
extraction. And the proclamation of his mission was embodied in the simple
statement which he made to this shepherd, "I am Melchizedek, priest of El
Elyon, the Most High, the one and only God."

When the herder had recovered from his astonishment, and after he had plied
this stranger with many questions, he asked Melchizedek to sup with him, and
this was the first time in his long universe career that Machiventa had
partaken of material food, the nourishment which was to sustain him throughout
his ninety-four years of life as a material being.

And that night, as they talked out under the stars, Melchizedek began his
mission of the revelation of the truth of the reality of God when, with a sweep
of his arm, he turned to Amdon, saying, "El Elyon, the Most High, is the divine
creator of the stars of the firmament and even of this very earth on which we
live, and he is also the supreme God of heaven."

Within a few years Melchizedek had gathered around himself a group of pupils,
disciples, and believers who formed the nucleus of the later community of
Salem. He was soon known throughout Palestine as the priest of El Elyon, the
Most High, and as the sage of Salem. Among some of the surrounding tribes he
was often referred to as the sheik, or king, of Salem. Salem was the site which
after the disappearance of Melchizedek became the city of Jebus, subsequently
being called Jerusalem.

In personal appearance, Melchizedek resembled the then blended Nodite and
Sumerian peoples, being almost six feet in height and possessing a commanding
presence. He spoke Chaldean and a half dozen other languages. He dressed much
as did the Canaanite priests except that on his breast he wore an emblem of
three concentric circles, the Satania symbol of the Paradise Trinity. In the
course of his ministry this insignia of three concentric circles became
regarded as so sacred by his followers that they never dared to use it, and it
was soon forgotten with the passing of a few generations.

Though Machiventa lived after the manner of the men of the realm, he never
married, nor could he have left offspring on earth. His physical body, while
resembling that of the human male, was in reality on the order of those
especially constructed bodies used by the one hundred materialized members of
Prince Caligastia's staff except that it did not carry the life plasm of any
human race. Nor was there available on Urantia the tree of life. Had Machiventa
remained for any long period on earth, his physical mechanism would have
gradually deteriorated; as it was, he terminated his bestowal mission in
ninety-four years long before his material body had begun to disintegrate.

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This incarnated Melchizedek received a Thought Adjuster, who indwelt his
superhuman personality as the monitor of time and the mentor of the flesh, thus
gaining that experience and practical introduction to Urantian problems and to
the technique of indwelling an incarnated Son which enabled this spirit of the
Father to function so valiantly in the human mind of the later Son of God,
Michael, when he appeared on earth in the likeness of mortal flesh. And this is
the only Thought Adjuster who ever functioned in two minds on Urantia, but both
minds were divine as well as human.

During the incarnation in the flesh, Machiventa was in full contact with his
eleven fellows of the corps of planetary custodians, but he could not
communicate with other orders of celestial personalities. Aside from the
Melchizedek receivers, he had no more contact with superhuman intelligences
than a human being.

3. MELCHIZEDEK'S TEACHINGS

With the passing of a decade, Melchizedek organized his schools at Salem,
patterning them on the olden system which had been developed by the early
Sethite priests of the second Eden. Even the idea of a tithing system, which
was introduced by his later convert Abraham, was also derived from the
lingering traditions of the methods of the ancient Sethites.

Melchizedek taught the concept of one God, a universal Deity, but he allowed
the people to associate this teaching with the Constellation Father of
Norlatiadek, whom he termed El Elyon--the Most High. Melchizedek remained all
but silent as to the status of Lucifer and the state of affairs on Jerusem.
Lanaforge, the System Sovereign, had little to do with Urantia until after the
completion of Michael's bestowal. To a majority of the Salem students Edentia
was heaven and the Most High was God.

The symbol of the three concentric circles, which Melchizedek adopted as the
insignia of his bestowal, a majority of the people interpreted as standing for
the three kingdoms of men, angels, and God. And they were allowed to continue
in that belief; very few of his followers ever knew that these three circles
were emblematic of the infinity, eternity, and universality of the Paradise
Trinity of divine maintenance and direction; even Abraham rather regarded this
symbol as standing for the three Most Highs of Edentia, as he had been
instructed that the three Most Highs functioned as one. To the extent that
Melchizedek taught the Trinity concept symbolized in his insignia, he usually
associated it with the three Vorondadek rulers of the constellation of
Norlatiadek.

To the rank and file of his followers he made no effort to present teaching
beyond the fact of the rulership of the Most Highs of Edentia--Gods of Urantia.
But to some, Melchizedek taught advanced truth, embracing the conduct and
organization of the local universe, while to his brilliant disciple Nordan the
Kenite and his band of earnest students he taught the truths of the
superuniverse and even of Havona.

The members of the family of Katro, with whom Melchizedek lived for more than
thirty years, knew many of these higher truths and long perpetuated them in
their family, even to the days of their illustrious descendant Moses, who thus
had a compelling tradition of the days of Melchizedek handed down to him on
this, his father's side, as well as through other sources on his mother's side.

Melchizedek taught his followers all they had capacity to receive and
assimilate. Even many modern religious ideas about heaven and earth, of man,
God,

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and angels, are not far removed from these teachings of Melchizedek. But this
great teacher subordinated everything to the doctrine of one God, a universe
Deity, a heavenly Creator, a divine Father. Emphasis was placed upon this
teaching for the purpose of appealing to man's adoration and of preparing the
way for the subsequent appearance of Michael as the Son of this same Universal
Father.

Melchizedek taught that at some future time another Son of God would come in
the flesh as he had come, but that he would be born of a woman; and that is why
numerous later teachers held that Jesus was a priest, or minister, "forever
after the order of Melchizedek."

And thus did Melchizedek prepare the way and set the monotheistic stage of
world tendency for the bestowal of an actual Paradise Son of the one God, whom
he so vividly portrayed as the Father of all, and whom he represented to
Abraham as a God who would accept man on the simple terms of personal faith.
And Michael, when he appeared on earth, confirmed all that Melchizedek had
taught concerning the Paradise Father.

4. THE SALEM RELIGION

The ceremonies of the Salem worship were very simple. Every person who signed
or marked the clay-tablet rolls of the Melchizedek church committed to memory,
and subscribed to, the following belief:

1. I believe in El Elyon, the Most High God, the only Universal Father and
Creator of all things.

2. I accept the Melchizedek covenant with the Most High, which bestows the
favor of God on my faith, not on sacrifices and burnt offerings.

3. I promise to obey the seven commandments of Melchizedek and to tell the good
news of this covenant with the Most High to all men.

And that was the whole of the creed of the Salem colony. But even such a short
and simple declaration of faith was altogether too much and too advanced for
the men of those days. They simply could not grasp the idea of getting divine
favor for nothing--by faith. They were too deeply confirmed in the belief that
man was born under forfeit to the gods. Too long and too earnestly had they
sacrificed and made gifts to the priests to be able to comprehend the good news
that salvation, divine favor, was a free gift to all who would believe in the
Melchizedek covenant. But Abraham did believe halfheartedly, and even that was
"counted for righteousness."

The seven commandments promulgated by Melchizedek were patterned along the
lines of the ancient Dalamatian supreme law and very much resembled the seven
commands taught in the first and second Edens. These commands of the Salem
religion were:

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.

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6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not show disrespect for your parents and elders.

While no sacrifices were permitted within the colony, Melchizedek well knew how
difficult it is to suddenly uproot long-established customs and accordingly had
wisely offered these people the substitute of a sacrament of bread and wine for
the older sacrifice of flesh and blood. It is of record, "Melchizedek, king of
Salem, brought forth bread and wine." But even this cautious innovation was not
altogether successful; the various tribes all maintained auxiliary centers on
the outskirts of Salem where they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings. Even
Abraham resorted to this barbarous practice after his victory over
Chedorlaomer; he simply did not feel quite at ease until he had offered a
conventional sacrifice. And Melchizedek never did succeed in fully eradicating
this proclivity to sacrifice from the religious practices of his followers,
even of Abraham.

Like Jesus, Melchizedek attended strictly to the fulfillment of the mission of
his bestowal. He did not attempt to reform the mores, to change the habits of
the world, nor to promulgate even advanced sanitary practices or scientific
truths. He came to achieve two tasks: to keep alive on earth the truth of the
one God and to prepare the way for the subsequent mortal bestowal of a Paradise
Son of that Universal Father.

Melchizedek taught elementary revealed truth at Salem for ninety-four years,
and during this time Abraham attended the Salem school three different times.
He finally became a convert to the Salem teachings, becoming one of
Melchizedek's most brilliant pupils and chief supporters.

5. THE SELECTION OF ABRAHAM

Although it may be an error to speak of "chosen people," it is not a mistake to
refer to Abraham as a chosen individual. Melchizedek did lay upon Abraham the
responsibility of keeping alive the truth of one God as distinguished from the
prevailing belief in plural deities.

The choice of Palestine as the site for Machiventa's activities was in part
predicated upon the desire to establish contact with some human family
embodying the potentials of leadership. At the time of the incarnation of
Melchizedek there were many families on earth just as well prepared to receive
the doctrine of Salem as was that of Abraham. There were equally endowed
families among the red men, the yellow men, and the descendants of the Andites
to the west and north. But, again, none of these localities were so favorably
situated for Michael's subsequent appearance on earth as was the eastern shore
of the Mediterranean Sea. The Melchizedek mission in Palestine and the
subsequent appearance of Michael among the Hebrew people were in no small
measure determined by geography, by the fact that Palestine was centrally
located with reference to the then existent trade, travel, and civilization of
the world.

For some time the Melchizedek receivers had been observing the ancestors of
Abraham, and they confidently expected offspring in a certain generation who
would be characterized by intelligence, initiative, sagacity, and sincerity.
The children of Terah, the father of Abraham, in every way met these
expectations. It was this possibility of contact with these versatile children
of Terah that had considerable to do with the appearance of Machiventa at
Salem, rather than in Egypt, China, India, or among the northern tribes.

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Terah and his whole family were halfhearted converts to the Salem religion,
which had been preached in Chaldea; they learned of Melchizedek through the
preaching of Ovid, a Phoenician teacher who proclaimed the Salem doctrines in
Ur. They left Ur intending to go directly through to Salem, but Nahor,
Abraham's brother, not having seen Melchizedek, was lukewarm and persuaded them
to tarry at Haran. And it was a long time after they arrived in Palestine
before they were willing to destroy all of the household gods they had brought
with them; they were slow to give up the many gods of Mesopotamia for the one
God of Salem.

A few weeks after the death of Abraham's father, Terah, Melchizedek sent one of
his students, Jaram the Hittite, to extend this invitation to both Abraham and
Nahor: "Come to Salem, where you shall hear our teachings of the truth of the
eternal Creator, and in the enlightened offspring of you two brothers shall all
the world be blessed." Now Nahor had not wholly accepted the Melchizedek
gospel; he remained behind and built up a strong city-state which bore his
name; but Lot, Abraham's nephew, decided to go with his uncle to Salem.

Upon arriving at Salem, Abraham and Lot chose a hilly fastness near the city
where they could defend themselves against the many surprise attacks of
northern raiders. At this time the Hittites, Assyrians, Philistines, and other
groups were constantly raiding the tribes of central and southern Palestine.
From their stronghold in the hills Abraham and Lot made frequent pilgrimages to
Salem.

Not long after they had established themselves near Salem, Abraham and Lot
journeyed to the valley of the Nile to obtain food supplies as there was then a
drought in Palestine. During his brief sojourn in Egypt Abraham found a distant
relative on the Egyptian throne, and he served as the commander of two very
successful military expeditions for this king. During the latter part of his
sojourn on the Nile he and his wife, Sarah, lived at court, and when leaving
Egypt, he was given a share of the spoils of his military campaigns.

It required great determination for Abraham to forego the honors of the
Egyptian court and return to the more spiritual work sponsored by Machiventa.
But Melchizedek was revered even in Egypt, and when the full story was laid
before Pharaoh, he strongly urged Abraham to return to the execution of his
vows to the cause of Salem.

Abraham had kingly ambitions, and on the way back from Egypt he laid before Lot
his plan to subdue all Canaan and bring its people under the rule of Salem. Lot
was more bent on business; so, after a later disagreement, he went to Sodom to
engage in trade and animal husbandry. Lot liked neither a military nor a
herder's life.

Upon returning with his family to Salem, Abraham began to mature his military
projects. He was soon recognized as the civil ruler of the Salem territory and
had confederated under his leadership seven near-by tribes. Indeed, it was with
great difficulty that Melchizedek restrained Abraham, who was fired with a zeal
to go forth and round up the neighboring tribes with the sword that they might
thus more quickly be brought to a knowledge of the Salem truths.

Melchizedek maintained peaceful relations with all the surrounding tribes; he
was not militaristic and was never attacked by any of the armies as they moved
back and forth. He was entirely willing that Abraham should formulate a
defensive policy for Salem such as was subsequently put into effect, but he
would not

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approve of his pupil's ambitious schemes for conquest; so there occurred a
friendly severance of relationship, Abraham going over to Hebron to establish
his military capital.

Abraham, because of his close connection with the illustrious Melchizedek,
possessed great advantage over the surrounding petty kings; they all revered
Melchizedek and unduly feared Abraham. Abraham knew of this fear and only
awaited an opportune occasion to attack his neighbors, and this excuse came
when some of these rulers presumed to raid the property of his nephew Lot, who
dwelt in Sodom. Upon hearing of this, Abraham, at the head of his seven
confederated tribes, moved on the enemy. His own bodyguard of 318 officered the
army, numbering more than 4,000, which struck at this time.

When Melchizedek heard of Abraham's declaration of war, he went forth to
dissuade him but only caught up with his former disciple as he returned
victorious from the battle. Abraham insisted that the God of Salem had given
him victory over his enemies and persisted in giving a tenth of his spoils to
the Salem treasury. The other ninety per cent he removed to his capital at
Hebron.

After this battle of Siddim, Abraham became leader of a second confederation of
eleven tribes and not only paid tithes to Melchizedek but saw to it that all
others in that vicinity did the same. His diplomatic dealings with the king of
Sodom, together with the fear in which he was so generally held, resulted in
the king of Sodom and others joining the Hebron military confederation; Abraham
was really well on the way to establishing a powerful state in Palestine.

6. MELCHIZEDEK'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

Abraham envisaged the conquest of all Canaan. His determination was only
weakened by the fact that Melchizedek would not sanction the undertaking. But
Abraham had about decided to embark upon the enterprise when the thought that
he had no son to succeed him as ruler of this proposed kingdom began to worry
him. He arranged another conference with Melchizedek; and it was in the course
of this interview that the priest of Salem, the visible Son of God, persuaded
Abraham to abandon his scheme of material conquest and temporal rule in favor
of the spiritual concept of the kingdom of heaven.

Melchizedek explained to Abraham the futility of contending with the Amorite
confederation but made it equally clear that these backward clans were
certainly committing suicide by their foolish practices so that in a few
generations they would be so weakened that the descendants of Abraham,
meanwhile greatly increased, could easily overcome them.

And Melchizedek made a formal covenant with Abraham at Salem. Said he to
Abraham: "Look now up to the heavens and number the stars if you are able; so
numerous shall your seed be." And Abraham believed Melchizedek, "and it was
counted to him for righteousness." And then Melchizedek told Abraham the story
of the future occupation of Canaan by his offspring after their sojourn in
Egypt.

This covenant of Melchizedek with Abraham represents the great Urantian
agreement between divinity and humanity whereby God agrees to do everything;
man only agrees to believe God's promises and follow his instructions.
Heretofore it had been believed that salvation could be secured only by
works--sacrifices and offerings; now, Melchizedek again brought to Urantia the
good

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news that salvation, favor with God, is to be had by faith. But this gospel of
simple faith in God was too advanced; the Semitic tribesmen subsequently
preferred to go back to the older sacrifices and atonement for sin by the
shedding of blood.

It was not long after the establishment of this covenant that Isaac, the son of
Abraham, was born in accordance with the promise of Melchizedek. After the
birth of Isaac, Abraham took a very solemn attitude toward his covenant with
Melchizedek, going over to Salem to have it stated in writing. It was at this
public and formal acceptance of the covenant that he changed his name from
Abram to Abraham.

Most of the Salem believers had practiced circumcision, though it had never
been made obligatory by Melchizedek. Now Abraham had always so opposed
circumcision that on this occasion he decided to solemnize the event by
formally accepting this rite in token of the ratification of the Salem
covenant.

It was following this real and public surrender of his personal ambitions in
behalf of the larger plans of Melchizedek that the three celestial beings
appeared to him on the plains of Mamre. This was an appearance of fact,
notwithstanding its association with the subsequently fabricated narratives
relating to the natural destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And these legends of
the happenings of those days indicate how retarded were the morals and ethics
of even so recent a time.

Upon the consummation of the solemn covenant, the reconciliation between
Abraham and Melchizedek was complete. Abraham again assumed the civil and
military leadership of the Salem colony, which at its height carried over one
hundred thousand regular tithe payers on the rolls of the Melchizedek
brotherhood. Abraham greatly improved the Salem temple and provided new tents
for the entire school. He not only extended the tithing system but also
instituted many improved methods of conducting the business of the school,
besides contributing greatly to the better handling of the department of
missionary propaganda. He also did much to effect improvement of the herds and
the reorganization of the Salem dairying projects. Abraham was a shrewd and
efficient business man, a wealthy man for his day; he was not overly pious, but
he was thoroughly sincere, and he did believe in Machiventa Melchizedek.

7. THE MELCHIZEDEK MISSIONARIES

Melchizedek continued for some years to instruct his students and to train the
Salem missionaries, who penetrated to all the surrounding tribes, especially to
Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor. And as the decades passed, these teachers
journeyed farther and farther from Salem, carrying with them Machiventa's
gospel of belief and faith in God.

The descendants of Adamson, clustered about the shores of the lake of Van, were
willing listeners to the Hittite teachers of the Salem cult. From this onetime
Andite center, teachers were dispatched to the remote regions of both Europe
and Asia. Salem missionaries penetrated all Europe, even to the British Isles.
One group went by way of the Faroes to the Andonites of Iceland, while another
traversed China and reached the Japanese of the eastern islands. The lives and
experiences of the men and women who ventured forth from Salem, Mesopotamia,
and Lake Van to enlighten the tribes of the Eastern Hemisphere present a heroic
chapter in the annals of the human race.

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But the task was so great and the tribes were so backward that the results were
vague and indefinite. From one generation to another the Salem gospel found
lodgment here and there, but except in Palestine, never was the idea of one God
able to claim the continued allegiance of a whole tribe or race. Long before
the coming of Jesus the teachings of the early Salem missionaries had become
generally submerged in the older and more universal superstitions and beliefs.
The original Melchizedek gospel had been almost wholly absorbed in the beliefs
in the Great Mother, the Sun, and other ancient cults.

You who today enjoy the advantages of the art of printing little understand how
difficult it was to perpetuate truth during these earlier times; how easy it
was to lose sight of a new doctrine from one generation to another. There was
always a tendency for the new doctrine to become absorbed into the older body
of religious teaching and magical practice. A new revelation is always
contaminated by the older evolutionary beliefs.

8. DEPARTURE OF MELCHIZEDEK

It was shortly after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah that Machiventa
decided to end his emergency bestowal on Urantia. Melchizedek's decision to
terminate his sojourn in the flesh was influenced by numerous conditions, chief
of which was the growing tendency of the surrounding tribes, and even of his
immediate associates, to regard him as a demigod, to look upon him as a
supernatural being, which indeed he was; but they were beginning to reverence
him unduly and with a highly superstitious fear. In addition to these reasons,
Melchizedek wanted to leave the scene of his earthly activities a sufficient
length of time before Abraham's death to insure that the truth of the one and
only God would become strongly established in the minds of his followers.
Accordingly Machiventa retired one night to his tent at Salem, having said good
night to his human companions, and when they went to call him in the morning,
he was not there, for his fellows had taken him.

9. AFTER MELCHIZEDEK'S DEPARTURE

It was a great trial for Abraham when Melchizedek so suddenly disappeared.
Although he had fully warned his followers that he must sometime go as he had
come, they were not reconciled to the loss of their wonderful leader. The great
organization built up at Salem nearly disappeared, though the traditions of
these days were what Moses built upon when he led the Hebrew slaves out of
Egypt.

The loss of Melchizedek produced a sadness in the heart of Abraham that he
never fully overcame. Hebron he had abandoned when he gave up the ambition of
building a material kingdom; and now, upon the loss of his associate in the
building of the spiritual kingdom, he departed from Salem, going south to live
near his interests at Gerar.

Abraham became fearful and timid immediately after the disappearance of
Melchizedek. He withheld his identity upon arrival at Gerar, so that Abimelech
appropriated his wife. (Shortly after his marriage to Sarah, Abraham one night
had overheard a plot to murder him in order to get his brilliant wife. This
dread became a terror to the otherwise brave and daring leader; all his life he
feared

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that someone would kill him secretly in order to get Sarah. And this explains
why, on three separate occasions, this brave man exhibited real cowardice.)

But Abraham was not long to be deterred in his mission as the successor of
Melchizedek. Soon he made converts among the Philistines and of Abimelech's
people, made a treaty with them, and, in turn, became contaminated with many of
their superstitions, particularly with their practice of sacrificing first-born
sons. Thus did Abraham again become a great leader in Palestine. He was held in
reverence by all groups and honored by all kings. He was the spiritual leader
of all the surrounding tribes, and his influence continued for some time after
his death. During the closing years of his life he once more returned to
Hebron, the scene of his earlier activities and the place where he had worked
in association with Melchizedek. Abraham's last act was to send trusty servants
to the city of his brother, Nahor, on the border of Mesopotamia, to secure a
woman of his own people as a wife for his son Isaac. It had long been the
custom of Abraham's people to marry their cousins. And Abraham died confident
in that faith in God which he had learned from Melchizedek in the vanished
schools of Salem.

It was hard for the next generation to comprehend the story of Melchizedek;
within five hundred years many regarded the whole narrative as a myth. Isaac
held fairly well to the teachings of his father and nourished the gospel of the
Salem colony, but it was harder for Jacob to grasp the significance of these
traditions. Joseph was a firm believer in Melchizedek and was, largely because
of this, regarded by his brothers as a dreamer. Joseph's honor in Egypt was
chiefly due to the memory of his great-grandfather Abraham. Joseph was offered
military command of the Egyptian armies, but being such a firm believer in the
traditions of Melchizedek and the later teachings of Abraham and Isaac, he
elected to serve as a civil administrator, believing that he could thus better
labor for the advancement of the kingdom of heaven.

The teaching of Melchizedek was full and replete, but the records of these days
seemed impossible and fantastic to the later Hebrew priests, although many had
some understanding of these transactions, at least up to the times of the en
masse editing of the Old Testament records in Babylon.

What the Old Testament records describe as conversations between Abraham and
God were in reality conferences between Abraham and Melchizedek. Later scribes
regarded the term Melchizedek as synonymous with God. The record of so many
contacts of Abraham and Sarah with "the angel of the Lord" refers to their
numerous visits with Melchizedek.

The Hebrew narratives of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are far more reliable than
those about Abraham, although they also contain many diversions from the facts,
alterations made intentionally and unintentionally at the time of the
compilation of these records by the Hebrew priests during the Babylonian
captivity. Keturah was not a wife of Abraham; like Hagar, she was merely a
concubine. All of Abraham's property went to Isaac, the son of Sarah, the
status wife. Abraham was not so old as the records indicate, and his wife was
much younger. These ages were deliberately altered in order to provide for the
subsequent alleged miraculous birth of Isaac.

The national ego of the Jews was tremendously depressed by the Babylonian
captivity. In their reaction against national inferiority they swung to the
other extreme of national and racial egotism, in which they distorted and
perverted their traditions with the view of exalting themselves above all races
as the chosen

                               top of page - 1024

people of God; and hence they carefully edited all their records for the
purpose of raising Abraham and their other national leaders high up above all
other persons, not excepting Melchizedek himself. The Hebrew scribes therefore
destroyed every record of these momentous times which they could find,
preserving only the narrative of the meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek after
the battle of Siddim, which they deemed reflected great honor upon Abraham.

And thus, in losing sight of Melchizedek, they also lost sight of the teaching
of this emergency Son regarding the spiritual mission of the promised bestowal
Son; lost sight of the nature of this mission so fully and completely that very
few of their progeny were able or willing to recognize and receive Michael when
he appeared on earth and in the flesh as Machiventa had foretold.

But one of the writers of the Book of Hebrews understood the mission of
Melchizedek, for it is written: "This Melchizedek, priest of the Most High, was
also king of peace; without father, without mother, without pedigree, having
neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like a Son of God, he abides
a priest continually." This writer designated Melchizedek as a type of the
later bestowal of Michael, affirming that Jesus was "a minister forever on the
order of Melchizedek." While this comparison was not altogether fortunate, it
was literally true that Christ did receive provisional title to Urantia "upon
the orders of the twelve Melchizedek receivers" on duty at the time of his
world bestowal.

10. PRESENT STATUS OF MACHIVENTA MELCHIZEDEK

During the years of Machiventa's incarnation the Urantia Melchizedek receivers
functioned as eleven. When Machiventa considered that his mission as an
emergency Son was finished, he signalized this fact to his eleven associates,
and they immediately made ready the technique whereby he was to be released
from the flesh and safely restored to his original Melchizedek status. And on
the third day after his disappearance from Salem he appeared among his eleven
fellows of the Urantia assignment and resumed his interrupted career as one of
the planetary receivers of 606 of Satania.

Machiventa terminated his bestowal as a creature of flesh and blood just as
suddenly and unceremoniously as he had begun it. Neither his appearance nor
departure were accompanied by any unusual announcement or demonstration;
neither resurrection roll call nor ending of planetary dispensation marked his
appearance on Urantia; his was an emergency bestowal. But Machiventa did not
end his sojourn in the flesh of human beings until he had been duly released by
the Father Melchizedek and had been informed that his emergency bestowal had
received the approval of the chief executive of Nebadon, Gabriel of Salvington.

Machiventa Melchizedek continued to take a great interest in the affairs of the
descendants of those men who had believed in his teachings when he was in the
flesh. But the progeny of Abraham through Isaac as intermarried with the
Kenites were the only line which long continued to nourish any clear concept of
the Salem teachings.

This same Melchizedek continued to collaborate throughout the nineteen
succeeding centuries with the many prophets and seers, thus endeavoring to keep
alive the truths of Salem until the fullness of the time for Michael's
appearance on earth.

                               top of page - 1025

Machiventa continued as a planetary receiver up to the times of the triumph of
Michael on Urantia. Subsequently, he was attached to the Urantia service on
Jerusem as one of the four and twenty directors, only just recently having been
elevated to the position of personal ambassador on Jerusem of the Creator Son,
bearing the title Vicegerent Planetary Prince of Urantia. It is our belief
that, as long as Urantia remains an inhabited planet, Machiventa Melchizedek
will not be fully returned to the duties of his order of sonship but will
remain, speaking in the terms of time, forever a planetary minister
representing Christ Michael.

As his was an emergency bestowal on Urantia, it does not appear from the
records what Machiventa's future may be. It may develop that the Melchizedek
corps of Nebadon have sustained the permanent loss of one of their number.
Recent rulings handed down from the Most Highs of Edentia, and later confirmed
by the Ancients of Days of Uversa, strongly suggest that this bestowal
Melchizedek is destined to take the place of the fallen Planetary Prince,
Caligastia. If our conjectures in this respect are correct, it is altogether
possible that Machiventa Melchizedek may again appear in person on Urantia and
in some modified manner resume the role of the dethroned Planetary Prince, or
else appear on earth to function as vicegerent Planetary Prince representing
Christ Michael, who now actually holds the title of Planetary Prince of
Urantia. While it is far from clear to us as to what Machiventa's destiny may
be, nevertheless, events which have so recently taken place strongly suggest
that the foregoing conjectures are probably not far from the truth.

We well understand how, by his triumph on Urantia, Michael became the successor
of both Caligastia and Adam; how he became the planetary Prince of Peace and
the second Adam. And now we behold the conferring upon this Melchizedek of the
title Vicegerent Planetary Prince of Urantia. Will he also be constituted
Vicegerent Material Son of Urantia? Or is there a possibility that an
unexpected and unprecedented event is to take place, the sometime return to the
planet of Adam and Eve or certain of their progeny as representatives of
Michael with the titles vicegerents of the second Adam of Urantia?

And all these speculations associated with the certainty of future appearances
of both Magisterial and Trinity Teacher Sons, in conjunction with the explicit
promise of the Creator Son to return sometime, make Urantia a planet of future
uncertainty and render it one of the most interesting and intriguing spheres in
all the universe of Nebadon. It is altogether possible that, in some future age
when Urantia is approaching the era of light and life, after the affairs of the
Lucifer rebellion and the Caligastia secession have been finally adjudicated,
we may witness the presence on Urantia, simultaneously, of Machiventa, Adam,
Eve, and Christ Michael, as well as either a Magisterial Son or even Trinity
Teacher Sons.

It has long been the opinion of our order that Machiventa's presence on the
Jerusem corps of Urantia directors, the four and twenty counselors, is
sufficient evidence to warrant the belief that he is destined to follow the
mortals of Urantia on through the universe scheme of progression and ascension
even to the Paradise Corps of the Finality. We know that Adam and Eve are thus
destined to accompany their earth fellows on the Paradise adventure when
Urantia has become settled in light and life.

Less than a thousand years ago this same Machiventa Melchizedek, the onetime
sage of Salem, was invisibly present on Urantia for a period of one

                               top of page - 1026

hundred years, acting as resident governor general of the planet; and if the
present system of directing planetary affairs should continue, he will be due
to return in the same capacity in a little over one thousand years.

This is the story of Machiventa Melchizedek, one of the most unique of all
characters ever to become connected with the history of Urantia and a
personality who may be destined to play an important role in the future
experience of your irregular and unusual world.

[Presented by a Melchizedek of Nebadon.]

                               top of page - 1027

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Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART III: The History of Urantia
  : The Origin Of Urantia Life Establishment On Urantia The Marine-life Era On
Urantia Urantia During The Early Land-life Era The Mammalian Era On Urantia The
 Dawn Races Of Early Man The First Human Family The Evolutionary Races Of Color
   The Overcontrol Of Evolution The Planetary Prince Of Urantia The Planetary
  Rebellion The Dawn Of Civilization Primitive Human Institutions The Evolution
Of Human Government Development Of The State Government On A Neighboring Planet
  The Garden Of Eden Adam And Eve The Default Of Adam And Eve The Second Garden
The Midway Creatures The Violet Race After The Days Of Adam Andite Expansion In
 The Orient Andite Expansion In The Occident Development Of Modern Civilization
The Evolution Of Marriage The Marriage Institution Marriage And Family Life The
    Origins Of Worship Early Evolution Of Religion The Ghost Cults Fetishes,
  Charms, And Magic Sin, Sacrifice, And Atonement Shamanism--medicine Men And
   Priests The Evolution Of Prayer The Later Evolution Of Religion Machiventa
  Melchizedek The Melchizedek Teachings In The Orient The Melchizedek Teachings
In The Levant Yahweh--god Of The Hebrews Evolution Of The God Concept Among The
    Hebrews The Melchizedek Teachings In The Occident The Social Problems Of
      Religion Religion In Human Experience The Real Nature Of Religion The
  Foundations Of Religious Faith The Reality Of Religious Experience Growth Of
  The Trinity Concept Deity And Reality Universe Levels Of Reality Origin And
 Nature Of Thought Adjusters Mission And Ministry Of Thought Adjusters Relation
 Of Adjusters To Universe Creatures Relation Of Adjusters To Individual Mortals
  The Adjuster And The Soul Personality Survival Seraphic Guardians Of Destiny
  Seraphic Planetary Government The Supreme Being The Almighty Supreme God The
  Supreme Supreme And Ultimate--time And Space The Bestowals Of Christ Michael

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