God's scepter promise, given to the tribe of Judah in Genesis 49:10, descended from monarch to monarch of the royal house of David. When Jerusalem fell to Babylon, the direct male line was cut off, but God removed the crown of David from the ruling line of Pharez and placed it on a descendant of Zerah. Through the marriage of Tea Tephi, a daughter of King Zedekiah and heir to David's throne, to Herremon, an Irish prince of Zerah's line, the ancient breach between Pharez and Zerah was healed. Their dynasty continued unbroken through the kings of Ireland, was overturned and transplanted to Scotland in c. AD 487, and later to England in AD 1603, fulfilling the prophecy in Ezekiel 21:25-27. The British monarchy today employs two scepters in its regalia: the Royal Scepter with the cross, symbolizing kingly power and justice, and the Rod with the Dove, representing equity and mercy. The scepter promise continues until it will culminate at Christ's return, as stated in Genesis 49:10, that the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh the Messiah comes. At His return, Jesus Christ will occupy the greatest position of rulership under God the Father, receiving the scepter of the Kingdom, a scepter of righteousness that serves as both a shepherd's staff to guide with mercy and a rod of iron to rule with absolute authority.

From early times, a staff or scepter has signified authority, both secular and religious. When Christ returns to earth, He will take the scepter of the Kingdom of God as a symbol of righteousness, power, and authority. The history of this scepter begins with a two-fold promise to Abraham, where the scepter promise pertains to the kingly line culminating in Christ. God made this scepter promise unconditionally to Abraham, re-promised it to Isaac and Jacob, and after Jacob, it was handed to Judah, father of the Jews. Moses records Jacob's prophecy that the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes, to whom the obedience of the people shall be. After the time of judges, the Israelites demanded a human king, and though Saul of Benjamin was first chosen, he was rejected for disobedience. God then chose David of Judah, and from him, the scepter was handed down the Jewish kingly line. Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king after David, and so has every king of the Judaic royal lineage since. Due to Solomon's sins, God took the nation of Israel from his son Rehoboam, leaving the scepter promise with Judah, while the birthright went to the northern tribes. The scepter remained with the House of Judah, even as they faced captivity in Babylon, where King Zedekiah's sons were killed, and no male heirs survived to inherit the throne. However, heirs of Zedekiah, including his daughters, survived and escaped to Egypt with Jeremiah. The lineage of the scepter traces through Judah's twin sons, Pharez and Zerah, where a breach occurred at their birth, with Pharez born first despite Zerah being marked as firstborn. This breach in the royal line persisted through history, with the Judah-Pharez-David-Zedekiah line holding the scepter. Jesus Christ is of this line, and since David's dynasty is promised to remain on the throne through all generations forever, the breach must be healed. Ezekiel foretells that the crown will be removed from the ruling line of Pharez, overturned three times, until it is given to Him whose right it is, exalting the lowly and abasing the exalted to restore the continuity of the scepter promise.