For religious history buffs, a video series explores the possibility that the British Empire – which once spanned a quarter of the globe – fell and that Great Britain has now been relegated to its current second-rate status because it failed to fulfill its part in the covenant of Abraham.

The series was created by Hatikvah Films, a branch of Lance Lambert’s Ministry, as part of his effort to foster an understanding among Christians of their Hebraic roots. An additional motive was to counter anti-Semitism. Hatikvah Films did an entire series based on a single Biblical verse.

I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you. Genesis 12:3

Stephen Briggs, Director of Operations for Hatikvah Films, explained how the one verse became the basis of video series titled “Blessing, Curse, or Coincidence?”

“The entire premise of the films is, very simply, has that verse really happened?” Briggs told Breaking Israel News. “If the Bible is accurate and true, this should be a clear and obvious rule of cause and effect throughout human history.”

Briggs gave an example of how this axiom was illustrated in the Bible. He noted that Pharaoh ordered the Egyptians to drown the male Jewish babies in the Nile.

Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” Exodus 1:22

“Egypt was treated as a nation in precisely the same manner they treated the Hebrews,” Briggs said. “All of the males in the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea. This shows us that the nations are cursed through Abraham, but this is only to bring them back in repentance, to blessing Abraham.”

Briggs noted that throughout history, nations that were once great, the most prominent cultures of their eras, subsequently came tumbling down directly after treating Israel harshly.

“The Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, were all the rulers of their respective times. But as soon as they cursed Abraham, treated Israel harshly, they were all destroyed,” Briggs said. “It is true that Greece and Rome are still around but their days of heavy lifting are long gone.”

Briggs explained how their first film was made to explore the guilt of their homeland, Great Britain, and how their treatment of Israel affected their history in the 20th Century.

“The Balfour Declaration signed in 1917 was the culmination of 300 years of restoration in the Church,” Briggs explained. “By signing the declaration, Britain was making a promise that was based in the covenant between God and Abraham. The world agreed by giving Britain a mandate. Great Britain failed to fulfill this promise, drawing lines on the map along the Jordan where none should have been.”

Briggs noted that retribution for dividing the land was foretold in prophecy.

I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the Valley of Yehoshafat. There I will contend with them Over My very own people, Yisrael, Which they scattered among the nations. For they divided My land among themselves. Joel 4:2

“Britain did not carry the mandate through as they were entrusted to do. Britain illegally annexed the Golan Heights, transferring it to the French, who gave it to Syria,” Briggs explained. “When Israel conquered the Golan in 1967, it was clearly God setting that straight.”

“Just as Britain divided Israel in contravention of the covenant of Abraham, Britain was itself divided,” Briggs said. “It used to be said that the ‘sun never set on the British Empire.’ When the Balfour Declaration was signed, we were at our zenith but now we are just an island off the shore of Europe. We used to be a major world power unto ourselves instead of being just another country in the European Union.” (For now at least).

Briggs then described how this cause-and-effect, blessing or curse phenomenon was implicit in the covenant between God and Abraham in which God promised the land of Israel to his descendants.

On that day Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying, “To your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. Genesis 15:18

“Even though this covenant was between God and Abraham over the land of Israel, it was intended to have global implications, even more so than creation,” Briggs claimed. “How many chapters of the Bible deal with creation as compared to how many chapters deal with the covenant between Abraham and God?” Briggs asked rhetorically. “We enter into this covenant by how we relate to the covenant of Abraham; the land and his seed.”