Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

The discrepancies between the two accounts center on the omission of the half-tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh from Ezekiel 48:31-34, and the omission of Ephraim and Dan, but the inclusion of Manasseh, in Revelation 7:5-8.

In my opinion, the omission of Ephraim and Manasseh in Ezekiel is explained by the inclusion of Joseph, who was the father of both Ephraim and Manasseh. This account merely represents the names of the founders of all of the twelve tribes (that is, the sons of Jacob (or Israel)).

Ephraim and Dan are omitted from the listing in Revelation as a judgment against the idolatry into which Jeroboam (who was of the half-tribe of Ephraim) led the northern kingdom of Israel after Israel separated from Judah following the death of Solomon; and the leading participation of Dan in that idolatry, since Dan was one of the two locations (along with Bethel) where Jeroboam set up golden calf idols, which he proclaimed to be Israel's gods, in order to prevent the possibility of the people of Israel going back down to the temple in Jerusalem (in the southern kingdom of Judah) to worship, and thus being drawn to leave Jeroboam's rule and reunite with Judah and Benjamin (1 Kings 12:26-30).

The fact that both Joseph and Manasseh are mentioned in Revelation 7 is a fulfillment of the blessing given by Jacob (Israel) in Genesis 48:5, where he granted each of Joseph's two sons a status equal to that of Jacob's other sons (Joseph's brothers and half-brothers) -- although Ephraim is omitted, for the reason I suggested above.

Although the names of the gates are not specifically mentioned in Revelation 21:12, I would take them to be the same as those in Revelation 7:5-8.

January 28 2016 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report