The Jews Have Not Fulfilled This
Qualifying to Receive Grace—and Salvation
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
Many scholars have studied this promise. Any grade-schooler can recognize what the terminology means. Yet, where and how it was fulfilled has perplexed, indeed baffled, these same scholars, theologians and Bible students. Such men as Robert Ingersoll and Thomas Paine completely lost faith in the God of the Bible, rejecting Him and it, because they could not prove the fulfillment of these explicit promises.
Make no mistake! If these promises were not fulfilled, you cannot have confidence in a single promise or passage in the Bible. The very authority of the Bible stands at stake on the fulfillment of these ancient promises.
No reasonable mind can think that the Jews fulfilled them. Nor has the true Church of God fulfilled them—because it has always been described as the “few,” a “little flock,” never prophesied to grow great in this age—let alone into a nation and company of nations! The people of God are scattered throughout the nations of the world (Matt. 28:19-20, and other verses). Certainly it cannot be explained away as having occurred through Christ.
Ask any minister for the literal explanation of what these crucial passages mean, and—if he is honest—he will tell you that they remain a mystery, that he does not know the answer.
But God does know the answer and you can read it for yourself. Though unrecognized by even the greatest historians, this enormous promise has been fulfilled!
Birthright and Scepter—Different Promises
Most have not understood God made a distinction between the promises of prosperity, power and great material and national wealth, relating to “many nations,” which He calls “the birthright”—and the promise of salvation through Christ, which the Bible identifies as “the scepter.”
But the Bible is absolutely clear on this two-fold distinction. Let’s read: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah…” (Gen. 49:10)—“…but the birthright was Joseph’s” (I Chron. 5:2).
Before discussing these terms, we must define them.
Scepter: “Ornamented rod or staff born by rulers…as an emblem of authority and sovereignty”—Encyclopaedia Britannica; “kingly office,” “royal power,” “badge of command or sovereignty”—The Comprehensive Standard Dictionary of the English Language.
Birthright: “Native right or privilege”—ibid.; “A privilege granted a person by virtue of his or her birth”—Webster’s II New College Dictionary.
A kingly line was prophesied to descend from Judah through David. Christ was born of Judah and was to eventually become a King bringing salvation—grace—to all people. On the other hand, a birthright has nothing to do with grace—unmerited pardon of sin—but rather comes as one’s right by birth. Fathers generally pass birthright possessions to firstborn sons.
Vital Distinction
Most scholars have recognized that the scepter did indeed go to Judah, where it was passed down from Jewish king to king. King David was of the tribe of Judah, with David’s dynasty having all succeeding kings also born to the House of David and tribe of Judah. Of course, Christ was born of both Judah and the House of David.
However, almost none have understood that the Jews were only a fraction of the nation of Israel. Of the twelve tribes of Israel, only Benjamin and Levi remained with the Jews. Again, almost everyone has erroneously associated all Israel with the Jews. This error totally blocks understanding of the birthright—and the distinction of tribes.
This absolutely vital distinction must be made clear. Both promises made to Abraham—the gift of grace and right of birth—were made unconditional by God, and were repromised to Isaac and to Jacob.
The promise of grace—the scepter promise of David’s kingly line culminating in Christ—was foretold to be exclusively of Judah, one of Jacob’s sons. But the independent, separate, distinct promises of birthright never pertained to the Jews. The promise of grace through Christ is summarized in John 4:22, where Christ said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” Paul reiterated, “For it [the gospel of Christ] is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek [Gentiles]” (Rom. 1:16).
I repeat: This promise, fulfilled in Christ, has nothing whatsoever to do with the birthright.
How sad that so few understand this crucial knowledge, made so clear by God to those who will just believe His plain words. It is sadder still that so few are even willing to explore God’s Word for the facts!
The Bible states that the “birthright was Joseph’s.” Joseph was Jacob’s (Israel’s) second youngest son. While Joseph was Judah’s younger brother—he was not Judah, or of Judah. He was the father of two sons—Ephraim and Manasseh—whose role must be understood to unlock both the fulfillment of the birthright—and the entirety of crucial end-time prophetic events.
All rights of birth are separate from the gift of eternal life, which God, through Jesus Christ, freely offers to all who yield to and obey Him. If salvation came by birth, it would not be of grace—God would owe it to people. Jesus’ sacrifice, death and Resurrection become unnecessary if salvation is by race, by birthright. However, material blessings—possessions of wealth, prosperity and national abundance—can be passed through any number of generations by right of one’s birth. But this much has to be understood: The birthright has nothing to do with spiritual blessings. It is entirely physical and material in nature, of race not grace. The reader must get this straight before proceeding.
Unlike salvation, requiring the believer to meet certain conditions in order to receive it, there are no preconditions to receiving blessings of birthright. Sons do nothing other than pass from the womb to receive this. Of course, a son could certainly disqualify himself from either receiving or keeping his birthright.
The gift of salvation means eternal life in the very Family of God. But God would never give such awesome power to one who has not developed righteous character, and is hostile, rebellious, and defiant to God’s Law. Imagine if God owed, by right, immortality in the kingdom of God (salvation) to an atheist or criminal. Such would bring division and misery—for all eternity—to God’s entire Family.
Qualifying to Receive Grace—and Salvation