Spiritual Israel

Spiritual Israel:

Scriptures contain 29 lists of the tribes of Israel in both the Old and New Testament. Never are more than 12 tribes ever mentioned. When a tribe was left out, and another inserted, it was usually the tribe of Levi. From this tribe came the priesthood. God watches over Israel even in their greatest distress.

Concerning the 12 tribes 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7, there is no justification whatsoever for spiritualizing either the number 144,000, or the names of the tribes in these passages.

The 12 tribes never represent a church. Never in Scriptures are they represented as anything other than the 12 tribes. The 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 32:28, the Lord changes Jacob’s name to Israel) were first mentioned in prophecy, in Genesis 49:16-28. The 12 sons of Jacob were born of four mothers, Jacob being the common father. Leah and Rachel were Jacob’s wives, with Bilhah and Zilpah being concubines.

These 12 tribes were on the breastplate of the high priest. Each represented by 12 precious stones arranged in four rows. Each name was engraved on a stone. Exodus 28:21-29, 39:14. When the Israelites were numbered in the book of Numbers, chapter 1, the tribe of Levi was left out. Why?

The Levites had been appointed to care for and transport the tabernacle and its furniture. Because the Levites were left out, Ephraim, and Manasseh the sons of Joseph were inserted. Levites position was divided between the two. Judah was to lead among the tribes, Genesis 49:10. The tribe of Judah was assigned the first place in the order of marching when the tribe was to move, Numbers 2:3, 10:14.

In David’s reign as king, the 12 were unified. David appointed captains over each tribe, 1 Chronicles 27:16-22. Elijah used 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel in the contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. After the death of King Solomon a second division occurred. Judah and Benjamin became one nation called Judah. The other 10 tribes were called Israel.

This division continued until both Israel and Juda were led into captivity. In 721 B.C. the 10 tribes went into The Assyrian captivity and the 2 tribes of Judah in 586 B.C. to Babylon. The destruction and dispersion of the nation wiped out this tribal distinction. The tribes are not mentioned by name again except in the devotional literature of the Psalms and in prophecy. Seeming to have been lost in time, but not to God.

In the N.T. Jesus speaks of the apostles of Christ sitting on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28, Jesus said, “That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye (the apostles) also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Luke 22:30, Jesus said, “That ye (the apostles) may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

The holy city, New Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation 21:21, will have 12 gates, each bearing the name of the 12 tribes. In Revelation 7:4-8, 144,000 Jewish men, represent the 12 tribes. Dan is left out for good reason. The 12 sons of Jacob were, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin.

Revelation 7 mentions the 12 tribes, 12,000 from each tribe, totaling 144,000. These carry the seal of God in their foreheads. Let’s compare the 12 sons of Jacob with the 12 tribes of Revelation 7.

The 12 tribes of Revelation 7 are, the 12 sons of Jacob are, Juda, —- Jacob’s son Judah. Reuben —- Jacob’s son Reuben. Gad —- Jacob’s son Gad. Aser, —- Jacob’s son Asher. Nepthalim, —- Jacob’s son, Naphtali. Manasses, —- Jacob’s son, Dan. Simeon, —- Jacob’s son Simeon. Levi —- Jacob’s son Levi. Issachar, —- Jacob’s son Issachar. Zeabulon. —- Jacob’s son Zebulun. Joseph. —- Jacob’s son Joseph Benjamin. —- Jacob’s son Benjamin Dan is missing from Revelation 7. Also, Ephraim is not mentioned but is most likely represented by Manasses.

Twelve thousand marked by God from each tribe. These 144,000 will be found with the Lord on Mr. Sion in Revelation 14. Why has the tribe of Dan been left out? The tribe of Dan was small in numbers yet productive. In 1 Kings 12:25-33, we read of the tribe of Dan setting up a golden calf in the land, also putting high places of worship, throughout Israel.

1 Kings 12:30-31, “This thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high places, and made priest of the lowest of the people, which were not the sons of Levi.”

Scripture speaks of the tribe of Dan in the following way,

Genesis 49:17, “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.”

Jeremiah 8:16, “The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that swell therein.”

Amos 8:14, “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.”

Judges 18:30, “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.”

The sin of Samaria was the worship of the golden calves, Deuteronomy 9:21. Hosea 4:15. To swear by means to worship, Psalms 63:11. The manner of worship means, the mode of worship. Psalms 139:24, Acts 9:2. Thy god O Dan, the other golden calf at Dan,

1 Kings 22:26-30. “They shall never rise up again.”

The tribe of Dan has lost its inheritance for the great sins committed by them. They worshipped the beast, and never repented. Cut off forever, they “Shall never rise up again.” Why has Manasses been inserted in Dan’s place? Manasses is mentioned in Revelation 7 as one of the tribes that receives the mark from God in their forehead. Yet Ephraim, Joseph’s other son is omitted. Yet Dan is mentioned in Ezekiel 48:2, in the 1000 year reign of Christ, in the land distribution.

At the time of the Patriarchs, the conquest of the land, the time of the Judges and in early Biblical history the land we call Israel today was called Canaan,

Psalms 105:11, “Unto thee (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) will I (Jehovah) give the land of Canaan, the Lot (the allotment) of your inheritance.”

The Promised Land is spoken of as “Canaan,” or more frequently “the land of Canaan,” meaning the country west of the Jordan, as opposed to “the land of Gilead” on the east.

Other designation, during this same early period are, Genesis 40:15, Joseph is speaking, “For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews;” in Joshua 1:4, the land of the Hittites” an expression occurring only here. Also, the name, Ta-netr, or Holy Land is found in the inscriptions of Rameses 2ed.

During the Monarchy, the name usually, though not frequently, employed, is found in 1 Samuel 13:19; 2 Kings 5:2-4, etc., and is Ezekiel’s favorite expression “land of Israel.” The pious and loyal aspirations of Hosea find vent in the expression “they shall not dwell in the LORD’S (Jehovah) land,”

Zechariah 2:12, “the holy land;” and in Daniel 11:41, ” the glorious land.”  Only in Amos 2:10, it is called, “the land of the Amorite.”

Occasionally it appears to be mentioned simply as “the land;” Ruth 1:1; Jeremiah 22:27; Luke 5:25; also in,

Luke 23:44 we read, “And there was a darkness over all the earth (meaning the land.)”

Between the Captivity and the time of our Lord Jesus, the name “Judea” had extended itself from the southern portion to the whole of the country, even that beyond Jordan, Matthew 19:1, Mark 10:1, “the coasts of Judea.” In Luke it is applied to the portion between the Plain of Esdracion and Samaria,

Luke 23:5, from Galilee to this place, though it is also used in the stricter sense of Judea Proper, John 4:3, 7:1, “Jesus walked in Galilee.”

The Roman division of this land hardly coincided with the biblical one, and it does not appear that the Romans had any distinct name for that which we understand as Palestine. Soon after the Christian era, we find the name Palaestina (Palestine) as Ptolemy in 161 A.D. applied it. Josephus usually employs the ancient name “Canaan” in reference to the events of the earlier history, but when speaking of the country in reference to his own time, styles it Judea. The Talmudists and other Jewish writers use the title of the Land of Israel.” But the name most frequently used throughout the middle age and by Christians today is, Terra Sancta, “the holy land.”

Phillip LaSpino  www.seekfirstwisdom.com