The Three Crowns

Having showed that the "Literal must precede the Spiritual," as is declared in the 36th of Ezekiel, 24 to 28, in relation to their "Restoration" taking place before God gives them "a new Spirit," or the Spiritual; and then having proved the superiority of Jacob's or Israel's Blessing over "all his Brethren," and all Gentiles, Christians, consequently included, after their four monarchies or Beasts of Daniel shall have been destroyed, I will now show in what particulars Israel's Blessing is superior to Esau's. First, then, Israel's descendants have, according to God's word, Three Crowns promised them--

1st. The Crown of the Coming Kingdom--see Micah iv. 8. The "First Dominion, the Kingdom, shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem," which is Mount Zion, (where David lays,) and this Mount Zion is the "Tower of the Flock" from whence he will send the "Rod of his Strength." See Psa. cx. 2.

2d. The Crown of the Shechinah Glory--see Isa. xlvi. 13; xliii. 7; xxiv. 23; iv. 5; Luke ii. 32; Rom. ix. 4.

3d. The Crown of the Priesthood--see Exod. xix. 6. The most ancient Targum of Onkelos says, a "Nation of Kings and Priests."

Israel has also the two Greatest Blessings--

1st. The "BIRTHRIGHT" that Esau sold to Jacob for a mess of Pottage, (Gen. xxv. 33,) which "Birthright" and "Blessing," as the First-Born, rightly belonged to Esau, (see verse 25,) before he sold it to Jacob. The special privilege of the Birthright of the First-born was that of being "Sanctified and Redeemed unto the Lord," See Num. iii. 13 and 46; viii. 17; and xviii. 15; Exod. xiii. 13.

2d. Jacob's, or Israel's, Blessing above all his Brethren, and above all the Nations. "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," &c. Gen. xxvii. 29. All this, the Sale of the Birthright included, and this most sweeping sale of all the POWER and DOMINION, and of the greatest of all other blessings of being "Sanctified and Redeemed unto the Lord," was all made over to Jacob, which is Israel, for a poor, mean mess of Pottage, by a fair bona-fide sale. This was by far the greatest and most important sale that was ever made since the Creation of the World, and for the most insignificant sum; because Esau thought he was going to die, and not caring or thinking of his Posterity, in case he should recover. Christians, what a wise, or rather unwise predecessor your Forefather Edom, or Esau, was! Exactly as Jacob supplanted him, just so Israel will supplant you, when the "times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled."

Now mark, there are but two ways of obtaining the "Blessing" of Israel, or rather with Israel, and that is either by the "Birthright" or by Adoption; and except ye obtain them from that Family of "Kings and Priests" that now has all the Promises and Blessings, ye cannot ever obtain them. By the first, that is by Birthright, none of the Blessings can ever be obtained, because the sale has forever been made and recorded, and can never be revoked; but by the second, viz. by Adoption with Israel, you may; and the only way by adoption is, to enter by c i r c u m c i s i o n (see Gen. xvii. 13, 14) and by a change of name, for the Word of the Living God must and will be fulfilled upon Edom, or Esau, which is,--for "Ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen, for the Lord shall slay thee (see Obad.) and call his servants by another name." See Isai. lxv. 15.

I intend hereafter to show who Edom, or Esau, is, and this I will do from Scripture testimony, from Sacred and Profane History, and from God's own witnesses, and witnesses to whom God himself declares "will not lie." See Isai. lxii. 8.