In Revelation 7:4–8, we see a list of twelve names representing the 144,000. “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 Nephthalim 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 of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”
God’s peculiar people in the last days will have 12 divisions, bearing 12 different names. These 12 names have characteristics that are unique from each other. They have different temperaments, weaknesses, and personalities. Likewise, according to our tendencies and the primary weakness we overcome, we will be assigned to one of these 12 names.
However, two names from the original tribes are missing from this list. These are Dan and Ephraim. Very often, their weaknesses and sins are taught at church, emphasizing these as the types of sins God hates the most. However, it is rarely mentioned that these tribes were initially richly blessed and cared for by God. In this article, we will talk about how blessed and honoured these tribes were by God and how they lost their names in the 12 tribes comprising the 144,000.
Twelve Tribes of Israel
Before starting, some might ask, “How can there still be 12 tribes if two names are missing?” When we study the 12 tribes, we should remember that there were originally 14 names. This is because Joseph’s two sons—Ephraim and Manasseh—were added. Why were their names added?
In the times of the patriarchs, the firstborn received three exceptional heritages that the other siblings could not receive: a double portion of the property, the priesthood of the family, and the progenitor of Christ. Rueben, the firstborn of Jacob, had lost these privileges. It was because he had sinned, defiling one of his father’s concubines (Genesis 35:22). Therefore, his heritage as the firstborn was taken away from him. Instead, it was given to three of his brothers. Levi received the priesthood of the family; Judah received the privilege of being the progenitor of Christ; and the double portion of property was given to Joseph by his two sons, who both received a blessing from Jacob. In this way, Joseph’s two sons’ names were added to the 12 sons of Jacob, as tribes of Israel.
Then how did they maintain the perfect number of 12 tribes with 14 names? First of all, the tribe of Levi was not counted as part of the 12 tribes. As the people of Levi were dedicated to the service of the Sanctuary, they were regarded as part of the sanctuary, not a tribe. For this reason, the tribe of Levi was not counted when the census was taken to count the Israelites in Numbers 1. Also, when the 12 tribes were instructed to divide into four groups and build tents in each direction (North, South, East, and West), the tribe of Levi was told to stay around the Tabernacle, unlike the other tribes.
“But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. For the Lord had spoken unto Moses, saying, Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel: But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.” Numbers 1:47–53
For the same reason, Levi did not receive any land, but only cities when they entered the Land of Promise. They were given 48 cities, six of them being the cities of refuge. “Only unto the tribes of Levi He gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said unto them.” Joshua 13:14
Who is the other name that was not counted as part of the 12 tribes in Ancient Israel? It is Joseph. This is because his two sons’ names were there. In other words, Ephraim and Manasseh were present as two tribes of Joseph; therefore, there was no need to count Joseph’s name directly.
In this way, the number 12 was maintained, comprising the tribes of Ancient Israel, yet with 14 names. However, we can see a difference between the 12 tribes of spiritual Israel and the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. In Revelation, we see that Levi and Joseph are back on the list. However, Dan and Ephraim’s names are gone. Levi and Joseph’s names were originally not counted, for exceptional reasons: for being special servants to God and for receiving double portions of blessings. Whereas, Dan and Ephraim’s names were removed for very unfortunate reasons.
Dan
Probably, the most frequently mentioned Bible verse when we study about Dan would be 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.”
This Bible verse shows that Dan was sneaky and intentional in committing sins and betraying others. Whereas, his other brothers’ sins came from impulsivity and intemperance. However, like a snake hiding in the bushes and attacking a horse’s heels from behind, Dan’s sins are intentional and planned. In other words, his mind and will to commit sins are determined and purposeful, making it harder to repent. We can easily understand his character when we think about the betrayal of Judas Iscariot or Satan the serpent.
However, the first part of this blessing is rarely mentioned. Jacob said, Dan shall judge his people. Jacob saw intelligence and talents in Dan. Before entering Canaan, Moses also blessed Dan with beautiful words as follows “Dan is a lion’s cub that jumps out from Bashan.” Deuteronomy 33:22
Indeed, throughout the records in the Bible, we can see that this tribe was blessed by God. One of the crucial ways to study the 12 tribes is by looking for significant figures born from each tribe. And, yes, many talented people came from this tribe.
Firstly, we can see Aholiab, who performed an essential role in building the tabernacle in the wilderness. “And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office, And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.” Exodus 31:6–11
Another descendent of Dan also took a significant role in building the temple of Solomon. “Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved His people, He hath made thee king over them. Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdom. And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of
Huram my father’s, The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.” 2 Chronicles 2:11–14
But, probably the most famous person in the tribe of Dan would be Samson (Judges 13:2, 23–24). He is known as the strongest man in history. As a Nazarite, he was consecrated for a sacred purpose before his birth. Even though he made many mistakes, he is still recorded as one of the important judges who fought against the enemy to protect Israel.
We can see more evidence of the blessings given to Dan in their numbers at the census made just before entering Canaan. Population, or the number of descendants, was an important indication of blessings in ancient times. At this census, the population of Dan was 64,400 people (Numbers 26:42–43), the second highest number after the tribe of Judah. As Judah was the tribe in which Jesus would be born, taking second place after Judah in population had a significant meaning. Also, when we compare this number to the average population of all the tribes, which is around 50,150 per tribe, we can see that the tribe of Dan is indeed a large one.
Since Dan was a richly blessed tribe, how come it was removed from the 144,000? It was not due to his character or weakness. It was not because he was sneaky and intentional in committing sins. There are no sins or weaknesses which cannot be corrected.
“When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sinner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits. That which will help you is to look to His light. Acknowledge your sin, but tell the enemy that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ and that you may be saved by His matchless love. 1 Timothy 1:15. Jesus asked Simon a question in regard to two debtors. One owed his Lord a small sum, and the other owed him a very large sum; but he forgave them both, and Christ asked Simon which debtor would love his Lord most. Simon answered, ‘He to whom he forgave most.’ Luke 7:43. We have been great sinners, but Christ died that we might be forgiven. The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf. Those to whom He has forgiven most will love Him most, and will stand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great love and infinite sacrifice. It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin. When we see the length of the chain that was let down for us, when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition.” –Steps to Christ, p. 35
If Dan had truly repented, no matter what his sins may have been, he would have been forgiven. Therefore, it was not his nature that prevented him from being a part of the 144,000, it was his choice.
“And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.” Judges 18:30–31
The tribe of Dan had chosen a different god, leaving behind all the opportunities, blessings, and privileges that the God of Jacob had given them. Many modern Christians repeat the same mistakes. They choose modern idols, such as money, talents, and positions, even though God blesses them with intelligence, talents, numbers, and blessings. In this way, many people whose talents could be blessings and contributions to the work of the gospel become the bitterest enemies of God’s faithful people.
The tribe of Dan cannot make an excuse for not being part of the 144,000. He cannot blame God for creating him in this way. Dan’s name was not removed because of his temperament. There are no sins or weaknesses that we cannot overcome through the blood of Jesus.
Ephraim
The history of Ephraim starts with him being blessed more than his older brother. “And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them…. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn…. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” Genesis 48:9–10, 13–14, 17–19
Though it was a custom to bless the firstborn more, Jacob blessed Ephraim over Manasseh, even though Ephraim was the second son. Jacob’s blessings indeed came true. Many significant individuals came from this tribe. Joshua, the leader of Israel who conquered Canaan, was a descendant of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20–27). Hannah, the mother of Samuel and the example of a woman of prayer and faith, was of the tribe of Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1–2). Abdon, one of the judges of Israel, was also from the tribe of Ephraim (Judges 12:13–15).
Finally, there is Jeroboam. After King Solomon died, the kingdom was divided into two pieces. God gave 10 of 12 tribes to Jeroboam; thus, he became the northern kingdom’s first king.
“And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:” 1 Kings 11:26, 29–31
Ever since that time, the tribe of Ephraim became a loyal family of northern Israel until Babylon destroyed it. If Ephraim was blessed so much by God, how did this tribe end up being excluded from the 144,000? Again, it was his own choice.
“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.” 1 Kings 12:28–29
Just like the tribe of Dan, Ephraim chose to leave God and worshipped idols. It was not Ephraim’s character, personality, or weakness. After all these blessings and privileges from God, Ephraim’s failure could not be blamed on his nature or tendencies. It was his choice.
“How have we shown our love for Christ? How many have allowed their attention to be diverted from Him to their own pleasure, their own enjoyment? We are all taking sides, and by the choice we make we are either honoring or insulting the One who for our sake became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich. Those who refuse to receive and obey the Lord’s instruction show contempt for the sacrifice made for them, and will be called upon to answer for the choice they have made.” –An Appeal for Missions, p. 26
Simeon
Contrary to these two blessed tribes, we can see the opposite case in Simeon. There might not be a better word to describe Simeon than being “cursed.” Even though it is called Jacob’s blessing, we can see from his words that it is instead a curse for Simeon. “Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” Genesis 49:5–7
This was because of the sin of Simeon and Levi. There was a time when Dinah, a sister of Simeon and Levi, was defiled by a heathen man. “And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.” Genesis 34:1–2
As revenge, Simeon and Levi destroyed the whole city with their swords. “And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.” Genesis 34:18. Due to this sin, Simeon and Levi were cursed by Jacob.
Later on, Levi received blessings, as they stood firm against the worship of the golden calf under Mount Sinai; thus, God accepted them as the tribe of the priesthood (Exodus chapter 32). However, the curse remained on the tribe of Simeon throughout history. At the census before entering Canaan, this tribe had only 22,200 men. It was the smallest of all the tribes. Notably, this number is not even half of the average population of each tribe. Also, Simeon was the only tribe that Moses did not bless before his death.
Even when the Israelites received the land of Canaan, God did not give any significant portion of land to Simeon, like He did to the other tribes. Simeon was only given several cities within Judah’s territory (Joshua 19:1–9). In
this way, Jacob’s prophecy that Simeon would be divided and scattered among Israel was fulfilled. Interestingly, this prophecy was also fulfilled in Levi, as they did not receive any lands except cities of refuge. But, what a contrast in its reason! While Levi did not receive lands due to its consecration, Simeon could not receive any due to their sins.
Furthermore, there is no significant figure that came out from Simeon. The only individual from Simeon mentioned in the Bible is as follows: “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel…. And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand…. Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.” Numbers 25:1–3, 6–8, 14–15
This shameful name, Zimri, is the only figure from the tribe of Simeon whose personal life is written about in the Bible. Except for this figure, the names that are written as Simeonites are as follows: Salu who is Zimri’s father; Simeon’s direct sons (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15); elder, representative, chief or spies of Simeonites mentioned with other tribes’ representatives (Numbers 1:6; 2:12; 7:36; 10:19; 13:5; 34:20; 1 Chronicles 27:16); the family tree of Simeon (Numbers 26:12–14; 1 Chronicles 4:24–42). As you can tell, none of these names are of significant people.
However, even with all these curses and disadvantages, the tribe of Simeon made its way into the 144,000. What can we learn from these interesting contrasts between two tribes that were blessed, but did not make it to the end, versus a cursed tribe who made it to the end?
Our salvation does not depend on our temperament, tendencies, or weaknesses that we were born with. We cannot make any excuse. We cannot say “I have this weakness. I was born with this weakness and tendencies. So I cannot make it.”
“Today angels are sent to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, to help them to escape from the thraldom of Satan’s power, and stand as faithful volunteers in the army of Him who in their behalf came to this world and endured suffering and affliction. Each human being is given the freedom of choice. It is his to decide whether he will stand under the black banner of rebellion, or under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. With deep solicitude heaven watches the conflict between good and evil. None but the obedient can enter the gates of the city of God. Upon those who choose to continue in transgression, the death sentence must at last be pronounced. The earth will be purified from their misdoings, their defiance of God. . . .
“Those who refuse to conform their characters to the divine similitude can never enter the city of God. They have cut themselves off from the happiness, and hope, and peace, and joy that might have been theirs. Had they accepted the grace of Christ, they would have been made strong to resist the temptations of the enemy; and they would at last have been received into the holy city as sons and daughters of God, to be eternally blessed, to live a life measuring with the life of God.” –The Review and Herald, March 15, 1906
Some might wonder why Simeon was cursed so much. However, let us remember that God never holds grudges. God was not giving Simeon a hard time due to the past. Instead, all these curses were given so that they could remember what the consequences of sin can bring into their tribe. The purpose was to remember the past so that they would not repeat it in the future. They humbly accepted the lessons, and in the end, they will be honoured by being able to be a part of the 144,000.
When we see our own weaknesses, what do we think? When we remember the sins and mistakes of our fathers, what do we think?
My dear brothers and sisters, the blood of Jesus is enough to atone for all our sins. The army of heaven is waiting to fight against the powers of evil. Among every weakness we were born with, none is strong enough to shut the power of salvation off from us. Everything is our choice. My dear readers, what is your choice today? May God bless us that we will all be found entering the gates of New Jerusalem as part of the 144,000. Amen.
Makoto Matsumoto