DEFINING THE SCEPTER AND BIRTHRIGHT’S ASSOCIATION
BLOG -46
February 5, 2026
By: Bill Watson
Direct Comments to:
In Genesis 49:10, we are introduced to the word “Scepter.” We are told it shall not depart from the tribe of Judah. In 1 Chronicles 5:1-2, we are told that a “Birthright” was taken from Reuben and given to Joseph, and that it should remain with Joseph. It is affirmed that the Birthright was Joseph’s genealogy.
What is this all about? What significance do these words have concerning God’s plan and truth? Are they important to the gospel message? And if they are, in what way? Interestingly, in most Christian denominations, there is very little mention of these two words, especially the “Birthright.” So, is there any significant association between the Scepter and Birthright, or the tribes of Judah and Joseph?
In Genesis 12:1-3, we are introduced to the commencement of the thread of Israel. It’s here where the continuum of Israel begins and is woven throughout the Bible. You can make the case that the Bible is the story of one man’s family, and it begins here with this promise and the association of the Scepter and Birthright.
In Chapter 12, we are told about a proposition God is offering Abram (a.k.a. Abraham) as a promise. However, the promise is a two-segmented promise. It includes a seed that would come from Abraham’s genealogy and be a blessing (Savior) to all the families of the world. But it also included the promise of a great nation, later expanded into a company of nations and a great nation.
The apostle Paul admits and confirms that the seed originally promised was Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16), who came from the tribe of Judah. This is why we recognize Christ was a Jew. He was from the tribe of Judah (Heb.7:14). This is confirmed when Moses said, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah… and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:10). Clearly, this is a future prophecy that a Messiah would eventually come through the bloodline of the Jewish people.
Remember, Genesis 49 is prophetic. “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you IN THE LATTER DAYS” (GEN. 49:1). Jacob was introducing to his 12 sons what their profiles would be in the last days. These were identifying signs of what kind of nations they would become. So, if the Scepter came from Judah, what tribe did the Birthright come from?
In Genesis 48:16-22, we see Jacob blessing his grandsons with the “Birthright” blessing and transferring the name Israel to Manasseh and Ephraim, who were Joseph’s sons. This was a significant event because it laid the groundwork for promoting the Scepter worldwide, helping to fulfill Christ’s prophecy that this gospel would be preached to all nations (Matt. 24:14).
This help would ultimately come from the wealth and prosperity the Tribe of Joseph was destined to acquire through this Birthright, described as a company of nations and a great nation. Notice the profile. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall (their wealth will overflow their boundaries)… and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lie under blessings of the breasts and of the womb: The blessings of your fathers have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren” (Gen. 49:22-26).
So, these two items–the Scepter and Birthright– in the original Genesis 12:1-3 promise are interconnected within the proposition that God proposed to Abram, but with the stipulation that he would leave the land of Ur and follow God. And so both of these segments are instrumental to God’s plan of salvation–why? Because they represent “how” God was going to recover humanity from sin [the Scepter / Messiah], and by “what” means [the Birthright] He had in mind to spread and share the Good News (the Gospel) of how man can be born again and become an empowered, immortal spirit being in His kingdom and enjoy eternal life!
Understanding the association between the Scepter and Birthright reveals a symmetry complementary to God’s salvation program and is in harmonious design to enhance the spread of the Gospel globally, as Christ said it would.
It’s no secret and is historically factual that the British Empire and the United States have been the biggest benefactors in spreading the name of the Scepter–Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that the billions of dollars spent on Christian missionary work and goods in the name of Jesus Christ have come from these two cultures. No one has been more selfless, determined, and passionate about spreading the Judeo-Christian ethic and education to the world than these two cultures. This is a plain manifestation of fulfilled prophecy, further confirmed by how the Brits and American hegemony are like brothers, and together, looking out for their brother nation, Judah!
Uniquely enough, the profile of the British Commonwealth and the United States is easily described as a company (Commonwealth) of nations and a great nation. At its peak, the British Empire controlled about 14 million square miles (about 26%) of the Earth. They would say the “sun never set on Merry old England.” The Union Jack Flag flew over about 120 different nations, representing a population of about 450 million people. It was the largest empire in the history of the known world. However, not so much today! Much has been compromised or lost over time.
But together, the British Empire and the USA have been like brothers, providing mankind with a balance of power that defended each other and the world from fascist enemies and ideologies that were threats to the global cultures. Kings and queens have also emerged from British culture, fulfilling the additional requirement of Genesis 35:11.
So, I hope the relationship between the Scepter and Birthright is appreciated for the value they have as God’s instruments in executing His salvific plan throughout the millennia. In these latter days, it has been an effective tool in God’s hands. Clearly, without their geopolitical influence, the world would be an extremely different place.