Jewish priests are from the tribe of Levi, through the line of Aaron (Moses' brother). This is an eternal priesthood per the bible: "an eternal [hereditary] priesthood for all generations." Sh'mot / Exodus 40:15. In Judaism rightful priests cannot be kings and kings cannot be priests. I say "rightful" because the Hasmoneans who ruled in ancient Judah were from the priestly tribe of Levi, but the bible makes it clear that the messiah (rightful king) must be from the tribe of Y'hudah (Judah), not Levi. The T'nach (Jewish bible) makes it clear that the messiah must be descended from King David and King David's son Solomon. Some missionaries will claim that the "promise" that the throne must pass through Solomon is conditional, but this is untrue: Shmuel Beit / 2 Samuel 7:12-16 – When your days (King David) will be completed and you will lie with your forefathers, then I shall raise up your seed after you, that which will issue from your loins, and I shall establish his kingdom. (13) He shall build a Temple for My sake, and I shall make firm the throne of his kingdom forever." Ergo rightful priests eternally will be from Levi, via Aaron and rightful kings will be from Y'hudah (Judah) via David and Solomon. The prophet Z'charyah / Zechariah isn't even speaking of a king -- he is speaking about זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל / Zerubbabel (Z'rubavel who was a governor, a vassal of Babylon. He was never a king. Then Z'charyah / Zechariah speaks of the kohein gadol (high priest) -- יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Y'hoshu'a {Joshua). These are two distinct individuals: זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל / Zerubbabel (Z'rubavel), who will be the Governor/Ruler who will rebuild the Temple, and יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Y'hoshu'a {Joshua) the high priest who will serve as the spiritual leader (Z'charyah / Zechariah 6:11-13). Jesus did not have the right to be a priest. Jesus did not have the right to be a king. Jesus did not have the correct birthright: he was not from the tribe of Levi or the tribe of Judah. Some missionaries will do cartwheels to try to prove that Mary, Jesus' mother, had links to both tribes (Levi and Judah) -- but women do not pass tribal lineage on to their children. Tribal lineage only passes from a Jewish biological father (think sperm) impregnating a Jewish woman, or (in the case of a woman) via marriage. When a Jewish woman marries a Jewish man her tribe changes from her birth tribe to that of her husband's. If you believe in the "virgin" birth Jesus had no tribe -- not Levi or Judah. What is happening in Z'charyah / Zechariah 6? Zechariah (in his vision) sees four chariots coming from between two mountains of copper. These chariots symbolize four strong kingdoms.
The great biblical commentator Rashi said that:
Zechariah asked the angel what these chariots and horses represent; the angel replied that these are the “guardian angels” of the nations that rule over the world. The drivers of the chariots went to G-d for permission to rule. In the vision the chariots spread north (black horses and white horses), the spotted horses go south and the grey horses go in all different directions. The red horses aren't mentioned -- because they represent Babylon who is already finished. Now we come to the passage in question. G-d tells Zechariah that he should take sine if the exiled Jews to go to the house of יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Y'hoshu'a {Joshua) the son of Tzefaniah / Zephaniah, who was already living in Jerusalem. They should bring silver and gold with which to make crowns to be placed on the head of יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Y'hoshu'a {Joshua) the High Priest. They should tell יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Y'hoshu'a {Joshua) that זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל / Zerubbabel (Z'rubavel) the “shoot,” will spring up and build the Temple of G-d.
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