The word "covenant" pertains to the idea of binding together two or more

parties to perform some action; usually in the form of a signed written

agreement. However, in the context of the Old Testament the word has a
twofold function: an ordinary use, when both parties are men, and a religious
use, between God and men. Moreover, there are also two shades of meaning
of the Hebrew word: one, in which it is properly a covenant: a solemn mutual
agreement; two, in which it is more a command: instead of an obligation
voluntarily adopted, it is an obligation imposed by a superior upon an inferior.

Essentially, a covenant is an agreement, but an agreement of a solemn and

binding force. In the Old Testament the word covenant has a very special
resonance and status. For, here, in the First Testament is found the
agreements between Yahweh and His people, the Israelites, in which He
makes certain promises and requires certain behaviour from them in return.
These are Yahweh's Covenants. Moreover, Yahweh's Covenants contain
two very important components: one, Terms and, two, Duration. Although
humans may reach covenants or other agreements through their own devices
and various means they are invariably created in favour of the powerful.
Similarly, God's covenants with people are usually unilateral. That is, He alone
determines the terms and conditions and humans merely choose whether to
accept them or not.

There are two important elements to Yahweh's Covenants:

The first element clearly defined aspects of the covenant pertaining to the
nation of Israel vis--vis the blessings for honouring it and the consequences
for ignoring it (Lev. 26; Deut. 28-30) and that both parties - Yahweh and His
Chosen People of Israel- accepted it. Thus, by such commitments God and
Israel entered into a covenant relationship, a binding commitment, to honour
and fulfil their respective roles.

The second element is the continued relevance of these Covenants to our

day. This perpetual commitment was cemented at the time when the
Israelites, on the plains of Moab, were poised to enter the Promised Land,
when Moses explained that they were doing this:

"That [Yahweh] may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee
a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and
to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth
here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day"
(Deut. 29:13-15).
Thus, Moses, the great prophet of Yahweh, by reaffirming the Covenant with his generation of
Israelites clearly said that Yahweh's Covenant applied to Israel's descendants as well.

Yahweh Covenants in the Old Testament were made with several personages. They are:

First, Noah (Gen. 9:9-17) in which Yahweh promised that there shall be no more deluge.

Second, with Abraham and his descendants, in which Yahweh promised to multiply the
descendants of Abraham, to give them the land of Canaan and to make them a blessing to the
nations (Gen, 15:18; 17:2-21, etc)

Third, Phinehas in which Yahweh promised to establish an everlasting priesthood in his line
(Num. 25:12, Num. 25:13).

Fourth, the covenant with Joshua and Israel who agreed to serve Yahweh only (Josh 24).

Fifth, the covenant with David contained a promise that his descendants should have an
everlasting kingdom, and should stand to God in the relation of sonship (2 Sam. 7, 1 Chron. 17;
etc)

Sixth, the covenant with Jehoiada and the people was an agreement on their part to be the
people of Yahweh (2Kings 11:17; 2Chron. 23:3)

Seventh, the covenant with Hezekiah and the people consisted essentially of an agreement on
their part to reform the worship (2Chron. 29:10).

Eighth, the covenant with Josiah and the people of an agreement on their part to obey the Book
of the Law (2Kings 23:3).

Ninth, the covenant with Ezra and the people was an agreement on their part to put away foreign
wives and obey the law (Ezra 10:3).

Also, there is the Yahweh Covenant in the Old Testament made with the tribe of Levi, by
which that became the priestly tribe and upholders of the Priestly Code (Deut. 33:9; Jer. 33:21;
Mal. 2:4).

Also, there is the Yahweh Covenant in the Old Testament made with the Nation of Israel in
which the individual had a place, but only as a member of the nation: i.e. National Covenant,
this is:

The covenant made with the nation Israel at Sinai (Exod. 19:5; 24:7-8; 34:10, 27-28, etc.), which
was sanctioned by a covenant sacrifice and sprinkling of blood (Exod. 24:4-8). Here was the
Yahweh Promise that constituted the Israelites as the Chosen People of Yahweh with its
concomitant promises for obedience and penalties for disobedience. This Yahweh Promise was
reaffirmed by His great prophet, Moses, on the plains of Moab (Deut. 29:1).

Also, in the Old Testament there is the anticipation of the New Covenant that supplants all
others since it is their consummation. It is alluded to by the prophets, especially Jeremiah, and
connected with the Messianic Time (Isa. 42:6; 49:8; 55:3; 59:21; 61:8; Jer. 31:31, 33; Jer. 32:40;
Jer. 50:5; Ezek. 16:60, 62; 20:37; 34:25; 37:26; etc.)

In in the days of Noah, the world and its people had become so corrupted that Yahweh caused a
Great Deluge to cleanse the Earth (Gen. 6:12-13). Generations after the Flood, the earth's
inhabitants once again began to turn their back on God and the world sank yet again into moral
decay and terrible spiritual corruption. A Great Apostasy and rebellion symbolised by the Tower
of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9).

At this time, Yahweh again moved to correct the spiritual decay by setting in motion part of His
plan to bring the possibility of salvation to mankind. This was the selection of a certain man
through which the mechanism of salvation was brought into the physical realm. The man Yahweh
selected was called Abram and, through this man, began the subtle process whereby all nations are
turned back to God. A man faithful to God whose descendants Divine Powers would nurture into
a tribe that would found influential nations that would teach and illustrate God's values and way
of life. A sublime plan that involves God's desire that all nations recognise the stark difference
between the two conflicting ways of life: God's way or Evil's way. A exquisite plan that
eventually brought realisation to people that God's way alone can only bring true and lasting
blessings to all people. Thus, the Holy Bible is woven around this subtle plan to reconcile those
worthy of salvation to God as well as the process whereby Evil itself is defeated and reconciled
with God.

Therefore, just as God created all peoples on Earth "from one blood" (Acts 17:26) the story of the
Israelites starting with Abram is the story of a single family chosen out of all the Earth's peoples
by Yahweh, moreover, chosen to perform very specific functions in His service. That is, the tribe
of Israelites were Yahweh's Chosen People who he nurtured and protected from corrupting
influences. That is, Yahweh preserved the precious bloodline of the Israelites, but especially the
Judahites, from spiritual corruption. In short: Yahweh chose Abram and his progeny for a
particular job. Moreover, Yahweh tested Abram to see whether he was indeed worthy of the great
task before him. Grave tests that Abram passed after which Yahweh began using him since he had
not only proven his fidelity, faithfulness and righteousness but also that he utterly believed and
trusted Yahweh. Thus, once this direct relationship between Abram and Yahweh was established,
and under His careful guidance, first Abram/Abraham, then his son Isaac and Isaac's son Jacob,
then their descendants that were the twelve related tribes, all became known as "Israel," "the sons
of Israel" or "the children of Israel." That is, the ancient Nation of Israel was carefully, lovingly,
nurtured by Yahweh who then entered into a covenant relationship with them.
"Israel" was another name for Jacob, the grandson of Abram/Abraham, and was given to him by
Yahweh when He began to work directly with Jacob: it means "one who prevails with God" or "a
prince with God" (Gen. 32:24-30). Also, Abram/Abraham's direct descendants via Jacob/Israel
were also to be known as "the seed of Abraham," "the House of Isaac," "the House of Jacob" or
simply "Jacob." More obliquely, this lineage was alluded to by reference to the individual tribal
names of: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali,
Benjamin and Joseph. Also, in regard to his inheritance, Jacob/Israel adopted as his own sons
Ephraim and Manasseh, his grandsons through his son Joseph. Consequently, the Nation of Israel
has historically been said to consist of either 12 or 13 tribes, depending on whether the descendants
of Joseph are counted as one tribe (Joseph) or as two (Ephraim and Manasseh).

Abraham, or Abram (c.2000-c.1822 BC ) was thus the ancestor of the Israelites, the father of Isaac
and the first of the great Biblical patriarchs. His life is narrated in the Book of Genesis in which
Yahweh promised to give his family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land). Thus,
Yahweh choose Abraham to be His servant and, through him, bring about the establishment of
ancient Israel and so begin the sublime plan for the ultimate Salvation of Mankind.

Abram, endowed with Yahweh's promise of limitless blessing, journeyed to Canaan with with
his wife Sarah, Lot his nephew and all their dependants, as directed by Divine Command (Gen.
12:5).

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from
thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I
will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that
bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed."(Gen. 12:1-3).

This was the first condition Abram had to meet before he could receive the Yahweh promise: that
he should leave his homeland and family and journey to a foreign land. Consequently, when
Abraham willingly obeyed, Yahweh then promised to bless him, make his name great and his
progeny would also become great. A fateful promise indeed. Thus, Yahweh appeared to Abram
and promised his descendants the land of Canaan, an unequivocal promise that included physical
land and possessions (Gen. 12:7) and even promising all of the land of Canaan to Abraham forever
thereby indicating that the temporal and eternal aspects of His promise were closely related:

"And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes,
and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make
thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy
seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for
I will give it unto thee" (Gen. 13:14-17).

These promises of future greatness were made when the aged Abram was still childless, yet,
Yahweh promised that his descendants would be counted: "as the dust of the earth; so that if a man
could number the dust of the earth, then shall thy [Abraham's] seed [descendants] also be
numbered." Thus, Yahweh had promised the old, childless man that his future progeny almost
limitless expansion. Again, about a decade later, Yahweh reappeared in a vision to the ageing and
still childless Abram and reaffirmed his promise of an heir and so future greatness for his
descendants; moreover, an heir that would "come forth out of thine own bowels," from his own
aged body (Gen. 15:4).

"And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou
be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord;
and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:5-6)

Here, Yahweh promises the childless old man an incredible inheritance that a multitude of
people would develop from his future son, Isaac. That Abram utterly believed Yahweh, and had
complete confidence in Yahweh's Word, even when projected into the far distant future, was
one of the reasons Yahweh loved Abram. Furthermore, Yahweh, chose Abram to be not only the
father of several mighty nations but also "the father of all them that believe" (Rom. 4:11).

Thus, the dual role prepared by Yahweh for faithful Abram: to be at once the father of a great
multitude and father of those who BELIEVE, first in Yahweh, then in Christ. That is, Two
Great Promises:

the Material Promise

and the Messianic Promise

Later, Yahweh promised Abram not only countless descendants but also all the territory
stretching: "from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates" (Gen. 15:18); a
great swath of territory greater than the land included in Yahweh's original promise of the land of
Canaan (Gen. 12:6-7;17:8; 24:7).

As Abram further demonstrated his faithfulness, Yahweh expanded the scope of His promises to
him. Ultimately they involved far more than He had originally revealed:

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto
him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant
between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly ... As for me, behold, my covenant is
with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I
will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of
thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I
will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of
Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God" (Gen. 17:1-8)

However, just as with earlier statements of this Abrahamic Covenant, Yahweh's blessing was
conditional and based on Abram's continued obedience and commitment to maturing spiritually.
Reiterated by Yahweh: " I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen.
17:1). Hence, Abram now became A'braham, "father of a multitude" even though very old and
still childless, yet this renaming of the patriarch by Yahweh was done since he was now, and
Yahweh knew this, "father of many nations."

This is of such great importance, the promise to greatly multiply Abram's (now called Abraham)
descendants, that Yahweh elaborated on this aspect of His promise: "And I will make thee
exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee" (Gen. 17:6).
Further elaborated thus:

"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the
land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham,
Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations" (Gen.
17:8-9).

Yahweh's commitment to Abraham, as given in Genesis 17, elaborates the "everlasting covenant,"
the binding agreement obligating Yahweh to give the Abraham's descendants the land of Canaan
in perpetuity, of Yahweh's commitment to Abraham and his progeny as the Chosen People of
Yahweh, is the Abrahamic Covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant reappears in Genesis 18. It is the sixth account of Yahweh's promise
to Abraham and occurs in the period immediately before the destruction of the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah near the Dead Sea. Two cities destroyed by Yahweh for the wickedness and
iniquities of their inhabitants.

Here, Abraham is visited by angelic messengers who tell him of the imminent destruction of these
sinful cities and also with news confirming the coming birth of a son to the 99-year-old Abraham
and his wife, Sarah, 10 years his junior (Gen. 18:10-14). These Divine Messengers also affirmed
earlier Divine Promises that "Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed in him" (Gen. 18:18). Again, Divine Powers reconfirmed
Abraham's dual function in the unfolding drama by emphasising the dual nature of the
Abrahamic Covenant: One, the Material Promise of physical, material wealth and national
greatness; Two, the Messianic Promise that "all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him."
That is, they confirmed the dual nature of the Abrahamic Covenant: the Material Promise and
the Messianic Promise.

The aged Sarah duly gave birth to a son, Isaac, a miraculous event whereby Yahweh proved His
faithfulness and His commitment to Abraham just as Abraham had proven himself faithful to
Yahweh (Gen. 21:1-3).

Genesis 22 records the seventh account of the Abrahamic Covenant and is its final elaboration
and one of the most significant events in the Bible. It involves the famous story of Abraham's
supreme test; of the command of Yahweh to offer up his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to Him; and of
Abraham's readiness to obey the Will of Yahweh even on such an extreme and seemingly cruel
request. That of the father willingly sacrificing his only son. Thus, the account Abraham's
willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, foreshadows God's willingness to offer His only Son,
Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice so to bring about the salvation of us all (John 3:16-17).
Furthermore, although Yahweh's promises were dependent on Abraham's continued obedience
(Gen. 12:1;17:9) the events of Genesis 22 elevated the Abrahamic Covenant to a new level.
Yahweh commanded Abraham to take Isaac, the long-promised son, and sacrifice him as a burnt
offering on Mount Moriah (Gen. 22:2). However, by this time, Abraham had learned to trust
Yahweh implicitly since he was now fully cognisant of His wisdom, truth and faithfulness. And
so, he proceeded to do as he was commanded, but, at the precise moment he would have slain his
son he was miraculously stopped (Gen. 22:9-11).

Abraham's supreme test of faith transformed his covenant with Yahweh, for, at this point,
Yahweh's dual promises to Abraham- the physical and the spiritual- became unconditional. That
is, Yahweh's commitment to Abraham and his descendants. becomes unconditional vis--vis "By
Myself have I sworn" (Gen. 22:16). Such that, from now on, the fulfilment of the promise no
longer depended on Abraham but solely on Yahweh Himself. For, now, Yahweh had
unconditionally committed Himself to fulfil His promise to Abraham and his descendants, and,
since God keeps His word, He had unconditionally bound Himself to bring all of His promises to
pass in all their details. Genesis 22 concludes with Yahweh restating the central elements of His
commitment to Abraham:

"That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the
heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his
enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed
my voice" (Gen. 22:17-18).

Again, the dual nature of the Abrahamic Covenant is emphasised: the material and the
spiritual; the Material Promise and the Messianic Promise. That is, Abraham's descendants
and then the whole world would ultimately benefit materially from the abundant physical
blessings, and, more importantly, through Christ, as the Seed of Abraham, God would make
salvation available to the whole of humanity.

The Old Testament also confirms that Yahweh renewed His promises to Abraham in subsequent
generations. Thus, Yahweh reasserted His covenant to the Abraham's son, Isaac (Gen. 26:1-5) and
to his grandson, Jacob (Gen. 27:26-29; 28:1-4,10-14; 35:9-12).

Thus, a very important point: the national and material aspects of Yahweh's promises - the
Material Promise- was passed to Jacob and then to his great-great-grandsons, Ephraim and
Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, and hence to their descendants (Gen. 48:1-22).

Thus, the Bible records, and in great detail, how these Yahweh Covenants pass from one
generation to another. Moreover, it is testament that Yahweh's Covenant with Abraham -the
Abrahamic Covenant- had a dual nature, that not only physical, material and national aspects
were involved but also a spiritual aspect; two categories of Promise or Prophecy:

the Material Prophecies;

and the Messianic Prophecies.
By the ancient law of the firstborn son, Isaac's son, Esau should have received the Abrahamic
Covenant yet this went to the younger twin brother, Jacob, who had persuaded Esau to sell his
birthright to him for a meal of bread and stew (Gen. 25:21-26, 29-34)

"... Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with
that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell
me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall
this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold
his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and
drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright"(Gen. 25:29-34).

But, to actually receive it, Jacob would also have to get the blessings of the birthright from his
father, the blind and aged Isaac, who expected it to go to his oldest son, Esau. To receive it, Jacob
resorted to tricking his old, blind father into believing he was Esau (Gen. 27:18-27).

Yahweh, allowed Jacob to receive the Birthright Promise and so secured to him the following:
superior rank in his family (Gen. 49:3); a double portion of the paternal inheritance (Deut.
21:17); the priestly office in the family (Num. 8:17-19); and the promise of the Seed in which all
nations of the Earth were to be blessed (Gen. 22:18). Hence, Jacob filched from Esau the role as
head of the family - to exercise authority over the household as a whole- and the right of his
progeny to claim that the family line continues through him. That is, Jacob became the family
patriarch and so received the best of the family inheritance: the birthright, priesthood, and
kingdom.

Thus, the Abrahamic Covenant passed to Jacob and his descendants and not to Esau and his
brood, contained in the blessing Isaac pronounced on Jacob:

"Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn
and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let
thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that
blesseth thee" (Gen. 27:28-29).

Hence, Isaac bequeathed to Jacob the awesome promises Yahweh had made to Abraham.

A fateful inheritance later confirmed by Yahweh to Jacob in a dream, whereby Yahweh told Jacob
that he would receive the Birthright Promise. Moreover, Yahweh also revealed to Jacob that his
descendants would spread in great multitude in all directions from the Near East (Gen. 28:12-14).

"And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to
the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed."(Gen. 2814).

This is evidently an enormous promise filled with immense prospect such that much later the
Apostle Paul spoke of Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, as the "heir of the world" (Rom. 4:13).
Implicit to the Yahweh Covenant with Abraham - the Abrahamic Covenant- is that Abraham's
descendants somehow would eventually dominate much of the world. In other words, that the
progeny of Abraham, the Israelites, would gain pre-eminence over all other races: i.e. Material
Prophecy of National Greatness as guaranteed by the Material Promise contained in the
Material Prophecies.

Jacob (renamed "Israel" by Yahweh) was the father of twelve sons, who were the progenitors,
patriarchs, of the "Twelve Tribes" of the "peculiar people," the "Children of Israel," or the "House
of Jacob," that are better known as Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Thus, because Jacob was the totality of the Seed of the Promise - the Abrahamic Covenant- this
people coming after him through his twelve sons bears his name, and not that of his father Isaac
or that of his grandfather Abraham. Consequently, the "Twelve Tribes" called themselves "Israel"
and were all descendants of Jacob and are contrasted by those who are NOT Israel, but can boast
of descent from Abraham, especially the Edomites - also children of Isaac via Esau, Jacob's
wronged brother- and the Ishmaelites, progeny of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, who was cast out
after the birth of Isaac. Jacob was the last man who in his person contained the single individual
"Seed Promise." That is, who carried with him the Abrahamic Covenant in its entirety.

Hence, Jacob was the human vessel for the twofold inheritance: one, the physical, material and
national; and two, the spiritual. Two categories of Promise or Prophecy: the Material
Prophecies and the Messianic Prophecies.However, after Jacob this would change. The
Abrahamic Covenant, the Birthright Promise- would be split. One descendant would receive
the Material Prophecy of National Greatness and a second would receive the Messianic
Prophecy, the race that would produce the perfect human vessel of the Messiah.

Moreover, the Material Prophecy of National Greatness would be further subdivided into the
birthright of the Two National Identities, that is, Joseph's Two National Identities via his sons
Ephraim and Manasseh.

In Genesis 35, Yahweh describes another aspect of His Birthright Promise given to Abraham's
grandson, Jacob:

"I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee,
and kings shall come out of thy loins" (Gen. 35:11).

Yahweh promised Jacob that "a nation and a company of nations" would proceed from him; that
is, racial ascendancy and national greatness. In Genesis 48, Jacob passed this part of Yahweh's
promise to Abraham and Isaac to Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh:

"The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on
them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the
midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of
Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head
unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the
firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I
know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother
shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them
that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh:
and he set Ephraim before Manasseh" (Gen. 48:16-20).

Thus, Jacob placed his own name on these two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, that is, he
passed onto them the Birthright Promise. Consequently, many later references to "Jacob" or
"Israel" in the prophetic books of the Bible that allude to this Birthright Promise refer to these
two branches of Jacob's descendants. Thus, Jacob's blessing to his grandsons, Ephraim and
Manasseh, effectively meant that they inherited the burdens and gifts inherent in the ancient law
of the firstborn son. Moreover, also passed to them was the great promise of an enduring and
lasting national greatness and great land possessions. Described by Jacob to his son, Joseph:

"And [Yahweh] said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will
make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an
everlasting possession."(Gen. 48:4).

Hence, Yahweh promises that Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob's two grandsons, would have
descendants that would grow into "a multitude of people" and inherit "this land ... for an everlasting
possession." Thus, twice in Genesis 48 (verses 4 & 19) the remarkable Yahweh Promise to Jacob's
descendants is given: that, out of Ephraim and Manasseh would grow a great race and powerful
global power, "a multitude of nations." However, Jacob put upon the younger brother, Ephraim,
the most favoured blessing: that the "younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he,
[Manasseh] and his [Ephraim] seed shall become a multitude of nations."

Here is the establishment of the Two National Identities arising from the original Yahweh
Promise, the Birthright Promise detailing the Material Prophecy of National Greatness, to
Jacob. Hence, and importantly, not all aspects of the Seed of the Promise - the Abrahamic
Covenant- would go to Joseph and his descendants via Ephraim and Manasseh, for, Judah,
patriarch of the Judahites, would later receive a Yahweh Promise with the fateful and all-
important spiritual dimension: that is, Judah received the Messianic Prophecy.

This is the splitting of the original Yahweh Promise, the Birthright Promise given to Abraham
- the Abrahamic Covenant- passed onto Isaac and then to Jacob. The original Abrahamic
Covenant - the Seed of the Promise- containing both the Material Prophecy of National
Greatness and the Messianic Prophecy. Now, it is split between Judah and Joseph, with Judah
receiving the the Messianic Prophecy and Joseph the Material Prophecy of National
Greatness, which was further spilt into the Two National Identities between his sons Ephraim
and Manasseh: one great nation arising form Manasseh and a second and greater nation issuing
from Ephraim.
Thus, through Jacob and his progeny, Yahweh, also set up the conditions that would fulfil the
prophecy that "the sceptre [royal authority] shall not depart from Judah" (Gen. 49:10). That is, the
anticipation of the Davidic Dynasty established by Israel's future king, David, and the
consummation of the Davidic Covenant in the Divine Person of Christ. Thus, the utter
importance of Jesus of Nazareth, of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David, in whom
Christ first manifest on Earth as the Messiah (Luke 1:32; Heb. 7:14; Rev. 5:5) and the Second
Advent of Christ when He is destined to rule the Earth as King of Kings in the Kingdom of God
on Earth (Rev. 11:15; 17:14; 19:16).

Hence, in the person of Jacob/Israel was still contained the totality of the Abrahamic Covenant,
the "Seed Promise" that was the original Yahweh Promise given to Abraham, which was the
twofold Birthright Promise, the Birthright of Grace and the Birthright of Race: the spiritual
and the material vis--vis the Messianic Prophecies and the Material Prophecies.

However, after Jacob/Israel the Abrahamic Covenant is split between two descendants of
Abraham: one, Joseph, received the Material Prophecies; and another, Judah, received the
Messianic Prophecies.

Hence, two contrasting Birthright Promises: one, the Material Birthright Promise of physical,
material and national greatness that went to Joseph, bypassing the firstborn son, Rueben. And two,
the Spiritual Birthright Promise that went to Judah that promised him that one of his
descendants would be the Messiah.

The circumstances that brought this promise to Joseph are:

"Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he
defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the
genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of
him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's" (1 Chron. 5:1-2).

Thus, Rueben, the firstborn should have been leader among his father's sons, but, forfeited his
exalted inheritance because "he defiled his father's bed," and so lost his birthright, which was given
to the "sons of Joseph the son of Israel." Moreover, even though "the birthright was Joseph's" via
Ephraim and Manasseh "Judah prevailed above his brethren," and became pre-eminent, for, out
of "him came the chief ruler" i.e. King David and and even greater, Jesus of Nazareth, the perfect
human vessel for the King of Kings who is the Messiah.

Genesis 49 contains some of the most revealing of the biblical passages concerning the Yahweh
Birthright Promise especially the account in which Jacob gives blessing and prophesy about each
of his sons' descendants "in the last days" ... the last days that are the Days of the Messiah ... the
End Times ... that is verily the Climax of History:

"And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that
which shall befall you in the last days." (Gen. 49:1)

Jacob on his death bed, surrounded by his entire family, calls upon them to unite in familial love
and to keep together and not to mingle and intermarry with the Egyptians or any other alien tribe.
That they should not be separated from each other, as Abraham's sons and Isaac's were, but should
be cohesive, binding and one people. That is, to keep themselves racially and spiritually pure.
Jacob, the Patriarch of Israel, closes with the blessings of his best beloved sons, Joseph and
Benjamin, and of Joseph, prophesied:

"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in
strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob;
(from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel: Even by the God of thy father, who shall help
thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the
deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father 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).

Not only is the recorded history of Joseph greater than any other of Jacob's sons and that the
blessing of Joseph is very large and full (since Jacob placed the greatest abundance of blessings
upon his head) but, also, what Jacob says of him - Joseph - is of great historical and prophetical
importance. Thus, in this prophetic passage (Gen. 49:22-26), Jacob tells us that Joseph's
descendants "in the last days" will live in a fertile and fruitful land. Moreover, they will be a people
"whose branches run over the wall." That is, a people who have greatly expanded their territory
and influence beyond their original homeland and outside their existing borders. A people, a race,
whose culture and civilisation is pre-eminent and who project this via its political, military,
economic and cultural ascendancy. Furthermore, they will be a race of people that will be
periodically attacked by other races and nations but will prevail over all enemies and many of these
victories will sometimes seem "miraculous" or "providential" because, Jacob says, God is their
helper and source of blessings; that is, they will receive "blessings of heaven above." Also, they,
Joseph's descendants, will be a people who live and prosper because they live in an favourable
climate that easily supports their steadily expanding population. They will enjoy the blessing of
bountiful crops, vast herds of livestock and extensive natural resources and valuable minerals
mined from their soil. In short, Joseph's descendants will, "in the last days," possess the choicest
blessings and richest resources of the Earth.
Thus the great patriarch Jacob/Israel described how Joseph,
his favourite son. was as attacked by envy, revenge,
temptation, ingratitude; yet still, by the Grace of Yahweh,
he triumphed over all opposition such that he, Joseph,
became the sustainer of Israel; Jacob then proceeded to
shower blessings of every kind upon the head of this
favourite son that prophesied a future greatness beyond
compare. Consequently, the history of the tribes of
Ephraim and Manasseh would have to be of such greatness
that clearly show that Jacob's prophecy was true and that
these abundant blessings were indeed realised.

That the destruction of the Nation of Israel occurred and the

Twelve Tribes scattered and the seeming disappearance of
the Ten Northern Tribes, including the tribes of Ephraim
and Manasseh, from the pages of History has caused great
controversy over the identity of the true inheritors of the
Jacob gift to Joseph of the Material Prophecy of National
Greatness. For, the blessings Jacob heaped upon the
descendants of Joseph are truly monumental and should
clearly show themselves in the historical process, that they should be indelibly recorded in the
pages of History, and especially, made truly manifest "in the last days." Furthermore, since the
original Material Prophecy of National Greatness was further subdivided by Jacob into the Two
National Identities when he apportioned it between Ephraim and Manasseh.

However, Yahweh had unconditionally gifted Abraham the great, unique privileges contained in
the Abrahamic Covenant and since Yahweh cannot annul His promise to Abraham because He
will not break His Word (Num. 23:19), then, every detail in the original Yahweh Promises is
ipso facto a guide in the search for the true identity of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel after their
exile. That is, the great and abundant physical, material and national blessings of the Material
Prophecy of National Greatness are clues and indicators to the true identity of the modern
descendants of Abraham's, Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh.

Hence, proper understanding of the unconditional nature of Yahweh's Birthright Promises

provides the key to unlocking the mystery of the true identity of the modern recipients of the
Abrahamic Covenant, especially, those who are the heirs to the Material Prophecy of National
Greatness given to Ephraim and Manasseh and identified in the historical record as the Two
National Identities.

Furthermore, and of uttermost import, proper knowledge of Israel's inheritance and the proper
identity of those who inherited it is essential to the proper understanding of key Bible Prophecies.
For, without this proper knowledge of the true inheritors of the Yahweh Birthright Promises all
interpretation of key Bible Prophecies are rendered useless.

And so, this begs the questions: what happened to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel after their exile?
And where are they today?
Saul was the first king of the Israelites who defended Israel against many enemies (especially the
Philistines) but failed to serve as king in the way Yahweh desired. Thus, Yahweh sought "a man
after His own heart" who would "be captain over his people" (1 Sam. 13:14). The man Yahweh
selected to succeed Saul was David.

David (c.1085c.1015 BC) was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a
citizen of Bethlehem and the great grandson of Ruth and Boaz, "a mighty
man of wealth" (1 Sam. 16:11). He was red-haired, with beautiful eyes, a
fair face and well made and of immense strength and agility (1 Sam.
16:12; 17:42). David's outer life is narrated in the books of Samuel, Kings,
and Chronicles and his inner life is revealed by himself in the Psalms.
David was the 2nd king of the Israelites united Israel with Jerusalem as its
capital; who as a young shepherd fought Goliath (a giant Philistine warrior) and killed him by
hitting him in the head with a stone flung from a sling (1 Sam. 17). David was chosen since he was
a unique man after Yahweh's own heart, one with a tender conscience toward his Creator god who
is Yahweh. Consequently, Yahweh made a covenant with David separate and distinct from to the
covenant He had made with the Nation of Israel. Thus, when David wanted to build a house for
Yahweh, he received a message from Yahweh sent through the prophet Nathan:

"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after
thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an
house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and
he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the
stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from
Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever
before thee: thy throne shall be established forever. " (2 Sam. 7:12-16).

This astounding promise whereby Yahweh would establish David's throne forever -until God
established His Kingdom on Earth- is the Davidic Covenant. And, it is because of this
Davidic Covenant that those wishing to claim Divine patronage for their sovereignty claim
David as ancestor. Moreover, it is essential that the Messiah was a literal descendant of David
who would sit on David's throne establish forever by Yahweh. That is, sit on the Davidic
Throne and ruling in the Kingdom of God.

This is also the reason why Jesus of Nazareth's lineage was especially emphasised to establish
that he was of bloodline of David. For, the most absolute fulfilment of the Davidic Covenant
was in Jesus of Nazareth the perfect human vessel for the Messiah, who was born of Mary, and
so, a literal descendant of David who was destined to sit on the Throne of David. An event the
prophet Jeremiah anticipated:

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a
King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days
Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be
called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Jer. 23:5-6).

A fateful event of which an angel told Mary before the conception of Jesus:

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name
Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give
Him the throne of His father David" (Luke 1:31-32).

Christ was the God that is destined to sit on the Throne of David yet it is a throne which human
rulers have claimed. For, another aspect of Yahweh's promise to David was that his descendants
would continue to rule over the people of Israel until God established His Kingdom on Earth.

Yet, this Davidic Covenant requires clarification, particularly the crucial aspect of eternal Divine
favour on the bloodline of David: That of David's dynasty enduring forever. In the relevant verses
the Hebrew word "olam" is used, which was translated into the English word "forever," but, this
Hebrew word does not always carry the meaning inherent in the English word, the sense of
unconditional eternity. Occasionally it is used to relay the sense of an unending, but, one that has
certain conditions attached (for instance, Exod. 21:6; Jon. 2:6).. For, elsewhere in the Biblical
narrative, a unique narrative with sublime unity, there were definite conditions attached to the
endurance of David's throne. It was in reference to the reign of his son, Solomon.

"And he [Yahweh] said unto me [David], Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my
courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover I will establish
his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at
this day." (1 Chron. 28:6-7)

Thus, Yahweh guaranteed eternal blessing upon David's bloodline by establishing the kingdom of
his son, Solomon, forever: that is:

"I [Yahweh] will establish his [Solomon] kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my

commandments and my judgments, as at this day." (1 Chron. 28:7)

A condition that Yahweh reiterated to Solomon himself:

"And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all
that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I
stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father,
saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if ye turn away, and forsake my
statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other
gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I
have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my
sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is
high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the
Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they
forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and
laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this
evil upon them" (2 Chron. 7:17-22).

Consequently, if Solomon lived in disobedience to Yahweh, the promise of an eternal Solomonic

Dynasty -the Davidic Dynasty- would be rendered null and void. That Solomon did indeed turn
against his God, Yahweh, and worship other gods is well recorded (1 Kings 11:4).

Yet, Yahweh had confirmed that he would remove His mercy from Solomon as He did with Saul:

"I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod
of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from
him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee" (2 Sam. 7:14-15).

The usual interpretation of this threat is that Yahweh simply meant that He would not bring about
Solomon's death to end his increasingly degenerate reign, as happened with Saul. Instead, Yahweh
would allow Solomon to live out his days with his kingdom intact for the sake of David, which,
indeed, happened (1 Kings 11:12). Thus, since Solomon had grossly violated the conditions of the
Davidic Covenant that would have guaranteed him a perpetual dynasty, and while nothing
precluded his descendants from reigning over the Israelites into the future, Yahweh was not
obligated to ensure their -the David Bloodline- continuance upon the throne.

However, Yahweh's promise to David (2 Sam. 7:15-16) that his own kingdom and throne would
be established forever still stands since Yahweh had obligated Himself to this compact regardless
of what Solomon did. It was a solmn, binding pledge confrimred elsewhere, in the Book of Psalms:

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I
establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations" (89:3-4).

Consequently, King David would have a descendant sitting on a continuing throne in every
generation: that is, an eternal, unbroken Royal Dynasty. Further elaborated thus:

"Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for
him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure
for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven ... My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing
that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His
seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as
the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven" (27-29, 34-37).

A sacred promise described by the great prophet Jeremiah, thus:

"And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my
covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in
their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not
have a son to reign upon his throne" (Jer. 33:19).
Here, then, is the Davidic Covenant. The unbreakable promise made by Yahweh of not only an
unbreakable dynasty but also one that is pre-eminent above all others.

And so, if this Davidic Dynasty and bloodline were to have unending rule as guaranteed by
Yahweh, then, this begs the questions: what happened to that dynasty? And where is it today?.