The Twelve Tribes of Israel?

 

 

Gen 35:23-26

Ex 1:16  (1)

Numbers 2  (3)

Joshua (4)

Revelation 7:5

1

Reuben

Reuben

Reuben

Reuben

2

Simeon

Simeon

Simeon

Simeon

3

Levi

Levi

Levi

Levi

4

Judah

Judah

Judah

Judah

5

Dan

Dan

Dan

Manasseh - (3)

6

Naphtali

Naphtali

Naphtali

Naphtali

7

Gad

Gad

Gad

Gad

8

Asher

Asher

Asher

Asher

9

Issachar

Issachar

Issachar

Issachar

10

Zebulun

Zebulun

Zebulun

Zebulun

11

Joseph     (2)

Manasseh   (3)

Manasseh   (4)

Joseph (3)

12

Benjamin

Benjamin

Benjamin

Benjamin

13

 

Ephraim   (3)

Ephraim   (4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) In Genesis 35 and Exodus 1 the twelve sons of Jacob (Also called Israel) are listed a having come into Egypt.

 

(2) In Genesis 48:21-22 Jacob blessed Joseph with one portion above his brothers. Jacob by faith was looking ahead to when his descendants would enter into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and himself. (Gem12:7, 17:8, 50:24) His sons were Manasseh and Ephraim

 

(3) In Numbers 2 13 tribes are mentioned when their camping  positions around the temple are ordered by God. The tribe Joseph is not mentioned by name. His two sons Manasseh and Ephraim are listed as tribes giving Joseph a double blessing around the temple. (see (1))

 

(4) In the book Joshua the land is portioned out to twelve tribes. Again the tribe Joseph is not mentioned but the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, his sons, each receive a portion of the land giving Joseph a double portion. (see (1)) The portion alloted to the tribe of Levi was not land but service as priests in and around the tabernacle Joshua 18:7

 

(5) In Revelation 7:1-8 the 144,000 Jews are sealed, 12,000 from the twelve tribes mentioned. 

The tribes of Dan and Joseph's son Ephraim are not mentioned in these 144,000. Joseph is mentioned as a tribe and his son Manasseh is also mentioned as a tribe making 12 tribes with  Joseph receiving a double portion promised by Jacob (see (1)) Manasseh have two portions of or Joseph could have had another son after Israel (his father) died.

 

 

Why is the tribe of Dan not listed in Revelation 7:1-8

*Genesis 49:16-17 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. Dan was to be a snare to Israel and will likely be a snare to them during the Tribulation. So the tribe of Dan lost it's place as a tribe of Israel.

*In Judges chapters 17 -18 The tribe Dan lead in setting up graven images and false priests. The tribe of Dan fell into gross idolatry ahead of the other tribes.

*When Israel became a divided Kingdom the one of the two places where golden calves were set up was in the land of Dan - See 2Kings 12

*In Amos 8:11-14 speaks of The Lord God will bring a terable famine and many will seek the LORD but he will not answer. Amos 8:14 states They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

Notice Dan's god starts with a little g not the capital G of the true God, The Lord God of Israel. Could the god (little g) of the tribe of Dan's the idols he set up set up in Judges 18 and the corrupt alter of 2Kings 12

These are gods that can not save and those to seek them will never rise.

 

The tribe of Ephraim

Two thoughts why he is not mentioned

Thought #1 Good reason

*His grandfather Jacob blessed Ephraim above his Manasseh (the first born) breaking tradition giving him the birthright of Joseph so in Revelation 7:8 Ephraim is named Joseph because of the birthright.

Thought #2 - Bad reason (My reason)

*Jeroboam the first king of the northern kingdom built his capital on mount Ephraim in the land allotted to the tribe of Ephraim. Form his capital Jerboam was able to rebuild the wicked cities of  Shechem and Penuel. The were enemies to God. In The book of the judges (before there were kings in Israel) Gideon and Abimelech destroyed these cities (Judges 8:8,17; 9:45-49). From the land of the tribe of Ephraim enemies of God were built up.

*Ephraim became the example of all that was bad in Israel (the northern kingdom) and seem to have been  the capital of where it's defilement flowed out of.

Hosea and other propjets often used Ephraim as another name for the northern kingdom (Hosea 8:1)

Jeremiah 7:15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.

Hosea 12:14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.

These verses seem to be speaking directly to the tribe of Ephraim as well as the northern kingdom.

*So Joseph is mentioned still giving him a double portion both through Manasseh or Ephraim tribe is given back to Joseph or Joseph had a third son after his father died and that tribe is called Joseph.
 

I believe both tribes of Dan and Ephraim declared to be unfit to participate in God's plan to send witnesses throughout the world during the Tribulation. This could have been the result of Solomon's forsaking God by marrying many strange women and participating in their strange religions thus having the northern kingdom (10 tribes) rendered out of the hand of the house of David and given to Jeroboam who used the land of Dan and Ephraim to lead Israel into deed idolatry.

 

Numbers 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Question to think about: According to God's law should Solomon have ever been born? But remember nothing has ever taken God by surprise, and he has used the experience of sinful men who repented of their iniquity to write great books of wisdom - Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes