The 12 tribes mention in "Revelations" left out the tribe of "Dan & Ephraim", why? Thanks.

Question

Which tribe was added then. Thanks.

Answer 1

Dan was temporarily left out of that one because they fell into idolatry and certain sins in the OT. Ephraim is under Joseph (as his son), and is sometimes grouped with Manasseh, the other son of Joseph.

Answer 2

Replaced by Joseph (the father of Ephraim and Manasseh)

Here is why:

Dan was the location of one of the sanctuaries that Jeroboam I set up to imitate the Temple in Jerusalem (I Kings 12:29). His counterfeit sanctuary was made of a counterfeit Holy of Holies. Instead of cherubim, it had two golden calves arranged to form the base of a counterfeit mercy seat. Over the years, the visible presence of the calves became familiar to the Israelites, who soon were worshiping the calves as God. After a little more time, the nature of the calves became the nature of God.

Answer 3

Revelation 7:5-8 is NOT referring to literal Israel, but to spiritual Israel, those Christians with a heavenly hope. As the questioner implies, there is not even one of the twelve tribes of literal Israel which uses the listing given at Revelation 7:5-8?

No.

Revelation's listing is given thusly:
...(Revelation 7:5-8) 'Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin'


Revelation's listing CONTRASTS with the first listing of the twelve tribes of literal Israel. That was given by the patriarch Israel (Jacob) himself, using the names of his twelve sons:
...(Genesis 49:3-28) Reuben...5 Simeon and Levi...8 ...Judah...13 Zebulun...14 Issachar...16 Dan...19 As for Gad...20 Out of Asher... 21 Naphtali...22 ...Joseph... 27 Benjamin...28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel


Revelation's listing also CONTRASTS with the tribes as they were established in the Promised Land. For reasons explained during the lifetimes of Israel's sons (the original tribal heads), the tribe of Joseph was given the "double portion" and each of Joseph's sons was elevated to become a full tribe (see Genesis 48:1-6 and 1 Chronicles 5:1,2), since Levi would concentrate on priestly duties. At that, the twelve tribes of literal Israel were listed thusly:
...(Numbers 1:4-15) One man to a tribe... 5 ...Of Reuben...6 of Simeon...7 of Judah...8 of Issachar...9 of Zebulun...10 ...of Ephraim...of Manasseh...11 of Benjamin...12 of Dan...13 of Asher...14 of Gad...15 of Naphtali


The bible offers no explanation why the literal tribal names would ever be changed again, prior to the writing or fulfillment of Revelation. Frankly, there is no reason or purpose behind doing so, for the tribal identities of all Jews were lost when Jerusalem's temple was destroyed (that destruction was decades BEFORE the penning of Revelation). No Jew today has any idea what his tribal heritage might be, and even the Jews in the apostle John's day could not prove their specific genealogy.

Frankly, the listing at Revelation chapter 7 seems to have been selected specifically to indicate that this is NOT literal Israel !
Note that the tribe of Dan is NEVER excluded from any other tribal listing, and note that it is inconsistent for Revelation to list Manasseh AND Joseph (Joseph was Manasseh's father, while Ephraim was Manasseh's brother).


Does the bible ever teach that the term "Israel" can refer to Christians rather than Jews? Yes, many times. The bible clearly teaches that Christianity would replace Judaism as the approved form of worship, and those initial Christians would all be part of a new Christian entity called "the Israel of God".

...(Galatians 6:15-16) For neither is circumcision [that is, the former requirements of Judaism] anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation is something. And all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.

...(Romans 9:6-26) It is not as though the word of God had failed [in that Judaism became invalid]. For not all who spring from [literal] Israel are really “Israel” ...8 That is, the children in the flesh [literal descendants of Jacob/Israel] are not really the children of God, but the children by the promise are counted as the seed. ...22 If, now, God, although having the will to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known...called not only from among Jews but also from among nations, what of it? 25 It is as [God] says also in Hosea: “Those not [Jewish] people I will call ‘my people,’


So does the bible ever refer to "the twelve tribes" when the writer seems quite plainly to be actually referring to the Christian congregation? Yes.

...(James 1:1-2;2:1) James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are scattered about: Greetings! Consider it all joy, my brothers...My brothers, you are not holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, our glory, with acts of favoritism, are you?


There can be sincere disagreement among Christians about whether the number "144,000" is literal or not, but it seems much less debatable about whether the Christian Scriptures (such as Revelation 7:4) repeatedly discuss literal Israel or instead the Christian "Israel of God" (that is, spiritual Israel).

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20041001/article_01.htm

Answer 4

Jesus said to those in line for this sealing: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) Other scriptures, such as Revelation 6:11 and Romans 11:25, indicate that the number of this little flock is indeed limited and, in fact, predetermined. John’s next words confirm this: “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: Out of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed; out of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.”

Could this not be a reference to literal, fleshly Israel? No, for Revelation 7:4-8 diverges from the usual tribal listing. (Numbers 1:17, 47) Obviously, the listing here is not for the purpose of identifying fleshly Jews by their tribes but to show a similar organizational structure for spiritual Israel. This is balanced. There are to be exactly 144,000 members of this new nation, 12,000 from each of 12 tribes. No tribe in this Israel of God is exclusively royal or priestly. The whole nation is to rule as kings, and the whole nation is to serve as priests. Galatians 6:16; Revelation 20:4, 6.

Although the natural Jews and Jewish proselytes were given the first opportunity to be chosen for spiritual Israel, only a minority of that nation responded. Jehovah therefore extended the invitation to the Gentiles. As in the case of the Ephesians, who previously had been “alienated from the state of Israel,” now non-Jews could be sealed with God’s spirit and become part of the congregation of anointed Christians. It is appropriate, then, for the 24 elders to sing before the Lamb: “With your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” Revelation 5:9, 10.

The Christian congregation is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” (1 Peter 2:9) Replacing natural Israel as God’s nation, it becomes a new Israel that is “really ‘Israel.’” (Romans 9:6-8; Matthew 21:43) For this reason, it was quite proper for Jesus’ half brother James to address his pastoral letter “to the twelve tribes that are scattered about,” that is, to the worldwide congregation of anointed Christians that in time would

Answer 5

I forget the reason but the answer is on the source below.