Revelation 7:4-8

Verse 4-8 “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe o f Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”

There are twelve thousand from twelve tribes of Israel sealed. The names in the New Testament differ slightly in spelling from the Old Testament due to the translations from Hebrew versus Greek. This list is interesting in several aspects. First it is not in order of birth. Reuben was the oldest, but Judah is mentioned first. The Lord was from the tribe of Judah so this tribe would be of pre-eminence. In actuality, there are thirteen tribes of Israel. Joseph got a double portion through his two sons, Manasses and Ephraim, but as the Levites were the temple priests, when the division of the land occurred, it was divided between the twelve tribes, as the Levites inheritance was the temple and certain cities. Here it is seen that the tribe of Dan is missing. This may be due to the fact that Dan was responsible for the setting up of idols and leading the northern tribes of Israel away from the Lord and into idolatry. (Judges 18:30,31; Deut. 29:18-21). It is also speculated that the antichrist will have roots from the tribe of Dan. This may be due to the prophetic judgment that Jacob gave him. "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. I have watied for thy salvation, O Lord." Gen. 49:17-18. Dan will however have some survivors of the Day of the Lord as the tribe of Dan does receive a land inheritance in the millennium. (Ez. 48:1) They simply will not be protected through the trumpets. Another peculiarity is that although Joseph had received a double portion through Manasses and Ephraim, Ephraim is not mentioned here. Joseph replaces him. It is possible that Joseph had other children, and although they could have been included in either Manasses or Ephraim’s tribe, it may be that by naming Joseph’s eldest son, Manasses, and then naming Joseph, it covered any other children that Joseph may have had. (Gen. 48:5-6).

What is often not readily realized is that while the Jews of today are descended from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah (hence the name Jew) and some of the Levites, the other ten tribes and the Levites who served them, were assimilated into many other nations when Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. They never came back to the land the way that Judah did after the Babylonian captivity.. Today many of these people may not even be aware that they are Israelites. Thousands will more than likely be coming out of the Gentile nations. All of these will be sealed to make it through what lies ahead.