The separation between the offices of king and priest is maintained throughout the bible for a very specific purpose. It ensures the clarity of a grand prophetic revelation. The royal tribe of Judah and the priestly tribe of Levi are the most obvious occurrences of the separation but, the distinction between the offices of king and priest and the men who were ordained to function in them began in the opening chapters of the book of Genesis. Clarity on this particular issue reveals the offices and the men who were ordained to function in them to be two details of a grand prophetic revelation.

The confusion over Genesis 1 and 2, in addition to the belief that the
image and the likeness of God are two ways of expressing the same
attribute of God, combined with the long held presumption that Adam
was the man who was created in Genesis 1:27 has only served to cloud
the revelation.

In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.”

In Genesis 1:27-28, “God created the man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and
subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of
the heavens, and over all living things creeping on the earth.”

In Genesis 1:27-28 God created a man in His image, in the image of God
He created him, and the man was given authority over the earth
and its various lifeforms.

The fact that the image of God bestows authority on its bearers is
reiterated in Genesis 9:6 when, after the great flood, Noah and his
sons are made to be in the image of God, and humanity is given
authority over the earth as well as the right to administer capital
punishment.

In Genesis 2:7,15-17 Adam was formed by YHWH Elohim, he had the Spirit of Life breathed into him, and he was placed in the garden of Eden to
serve as the representative of humanity.

The creation of Adam is recounted in Genesis 5:1, “This is the book of
the generations of Adam. In the day that God created him, He made him
in the likeness of God.”

When Adam sinned and ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil he lost his position of favor in the garden of Eden and
humanity was alienated from God.

In the image of God man was given authority. In the likeness of God
humanity was given representation. The creation of man in the
image(authority) and in the likeness(representation) of God are the
institution of the offices of king and priest.

To Be Continued...