And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
Second point of superiority: Melchisedek's is an enduring, the Levitical a transitory, priesthood. As the law was a parenthesis between Abraham's dispensation of promise of grace, and its enduring fulfillment at Christ's coming [Romans 5:20, pareiseelthen (G3922), 'The law entered as something adscititious and by the way']: so the Levitical priesthood was parenthetical between Melchisedek's typically-enduring priesthood and its antitypical realization in our ever-continuing High Priest, Christ.
Here - in the Levitical priesthood.
There - in the priesthood after the order of Melchisedek. To bring out the typical parallel more strongly, Paul substitutes, "He of whom it is witnessed that he liveth," for the more untypical, 'He who is made like to Him that liveth.' Melchisedek "liveth" merely in his official capacity, his priesthood being continued in Christ. Christ is, in His own person, 'ever living after the power of an endless life' (Hebrews 7:16; Hebrews 7:25). Melchisedek's death not being recorded, is expressed by the positive "liveth," to bring into prominence the antitype, Christ, of whom alone it is fully true, "that He liveth."