The scepter symbolizes rulership, and God's scepter promise to Judah in Genesis 49:10 runs from David's line through to Christ's return, when Shiloh comes to claim it. After Jerusalem fell, the Davidic crown was transplanted through Zedekiah's daughter Tea Tephi and the Irish prince Herremon, a descendant of Zerah, healing the breach between Pharez and Zerah. The dynasty then passed to Scotland and England, fulfilling Ezekiel 21:25-27. The British regalia carries two scepters. The Royal Scepter, with the cross and a 530-carat diamond, symbolizes kingly power and justice. The Rod with the Dove symbolizes the king's paternal role as guardian and guide, the Rod of Equity and Mercy, with the dove representing divine inspiration. Hebrews 1:8, quoting Psalm 45:6-7, calls the scepter of Christ's kingdom "a scepter of righteousness," a symbol of righteous government. The Greek rhabdos means a ruler's staff or scepter, and Revelation renders it "rod." Christ's "rod of iron" (Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15) signifies strength and power, and the verb poimaino ("rule") carries the softer sense of shepherding. Christ would have shepherded the nations gently, but because of their hardened unbelief He will rule with iron. At His return He will receive a scepter that is both a shepherd's staff guiding with mercy and equity and a rod of iron expressing absolute kingly authority.

The scepter has marked secular or religious authority since ancient times, in Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, and Rome, where it belonged to elders, judges, generals, priests, and emperors. A reed was placed in Christ's hand as a mock scepter (Matthew 27:29), but at His return He will take the true scepter of the Kingdom of God as a symbol of righteousness, power, and authority. In the Bible the scepter stands for the spiritual and royal promise to Abraham of the Messiah, the one Seed, and of salvation and kingship through Him. It is distinct from the birthright, which covers the material and national promises of many nations, wealth, power, and the Holy Land. Both promises were given unconditionally to Abraham and renewed to Isaac and Jacob, but afterward they were separated. Jacob's prophecy gave the scepter to Judah until Shiloh, the Messiah, comes (Genesis 49:10), while the birthright went to Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. The scepter passed to David's line and Solomon, and it stayed with Judah when the kingdom divided, while Israel held the birthright. After Zedekiah's sons were killed in the Babylonian conquest, the scepter line survived through his daughters. The line of Pharez, born first to Judah, carried the scepter, and the breach with Zerah's line was to be healed. Ezekiel 21:25-27 foretells the throne's threefold overthrow until Christ comes, whose right it is.

The scepter is a sign of kingly authority, righteousness, and power; a reed was placed in Christ's hand as a mock scepter (Matthew 27:29), and at His return He will take the scepter of the Kingdom of God. The scepter promise to Abraham, the kingly line culminating in the Messiah, passed through Jacob to Judah (Genesis 49:10) and then to David's house, while the birthright of national wealth and power went to Israel's tribes through Ephraim and Manasseh. After Judah's fall, the throne of David was overturned and transplanted, fulfilling Ezekiel 21:25-27, and is traced through Ireland and Scotland to the British monarchy, whose Royal Scepter with the Cross and Rod with the Dove symbolize temporal power and justice, and spiritual guardianship, mercy, and equity. God is keeping David's throne in place for Christ's return, with Elizabeth II held up as an example of sacrificial duty. Psalms 60 and 108 call Judah God's scepter, and Hebrews 1:8 calls Christ's scepter a scepter of righteousness. The source suggests Christ bore the scepter of the firstfruits when He presented Himself to the Father after the resurrection. As Ahasuerus held out the golden scepter to Esther so that she might live, Christ extends His scepter to the called firstfruits who come boldly before Him, giving them what they need to fulfill their duty to one another.

The scepter began as a shepherd's rod, a short, stout stick used to punish, judge, and drive off predators, and it evolved into the ornate royal rod of kings, symbolic of rulership, power, and the ability to judge and pass sentence. In Genesis 49:10, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah," Judah receives rulership over Israel even though Joseph received the birthright. Leadership first passed through Joseph, Moses, and Joshua, and then mostly through non-Judahite judges, with only Othniel from Judah. It took some 600 years for the promise to begin its fulfillment in David, and since then it has not ended. God's promise to David of a perpetual throne (II Samuel 7) is extended in Jeremiah 33 to the Messiah, the Branch of Righteousness, so "not depart" is better rendered "never depart." The parallel phrase "a lawgiver from between his feet" is better understood as a ruler's staff, the shepherd's companion to the rod, meaning a ruler who enforces law rather than one who makes it. The staff guides and directs while the rod smites and judges. "Until Shiloh comes" does not mean the scepter ends at Christ's first coming, as many Protestant commentaries claim. It points to the Second Coming, when the scepter continues through Shiloh, who is of Judah and rules forever. Shiloh most likely means "peaceful" or "restful," so strong leadership is needed until the Peace-bringer, Jesus Christ, comes. All peoples, Gentiles included, will then obey Him.

In Balaam's fourth oracle, the Scepter that rises out of Israel (Numbers 24:17) is paired with the Star out of Jacob as an ancient and widespread figure for monarchs. Some scholars think the star may represent Deity, since many ancient monarchs were regarded as gods or the offspring of gods, and this would be true in the case of Jesus Christ. The Scepter points to the Messiah's royal power: though His first coming is touched on, the emphasis falls on His return as King of kings to batter the brow of Moab, destroy the sons of tumult, and possess Edom. Moab, Edom, and later Amalek are singled out for their open hostility toward Israel and stand for all nations opposing God. The first part of Numbers 24:19, "One shall have dominion," clearly echoes Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:10, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah . . . until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people." The Scepter thus symbolizes the Ruler's dominion over everyone, from whose judgment none escape. It also points to the Messiah putting down all human rule and establishing God's Kingdom forever (Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 26-27).