Shantkumar S. Kunjam An Indian, Mennonite Church, Pastor, Administrator, Bishop,

There are three opinions why Dan's name is not included in the list of the tribes of Israelite in Rev. 7:5-8.
1. The name of Dan was really there, but the copyist misread it as Man and thinking that the ending of the name Manasseh is missing, in his copy he wrote Manasseh in place Dan.
This could be right. Only objection is Why God did not see to it that His word is communicated correctly. In his Gospel writing John was already making some mistake but the Holy Spirit saw to it that that mistake is corrected. In Jn. 3:22 & 4:1 John has written that Jesus was baptizing, but in Jn. 4:2 the Holy Spirit made John to write that Jesus did not baptize.

2. John wrote the names from his memory and made the mistake.
But again the objection can be raised here also.

3. Dan's name was omitted because it is believed the anti-Christ would come from the tribe of Dan. For this Gen. 49:17 is cited.
But this is not a valid reason. In Eze. 48:1 & 33 it is mentioned that Dan's name will be there in the future city of God.

My suggestion is that either first or second is correct. In the list there is, as per the name Manasseh is concerned, unusual order of names. 1. Manasseh's name is listed before his father Joseph's name. 2. Manasseh is never a prominent tribe than his younger brother Ephraim (Gen. 48:14-19). 3. In O.T. Manasseh and Joseph are never coupled as Israelite tribes, they are always Ephraim and Manasseh or Joseph alone is listed

So why God did not see it to have correct name? My tentative suggestion is that it did not much concerned God. The list there is not to say that those 144,000 sealed were only from Israelite. I believe the round figures in thousands are not to be taken as literal numbers but they are symbolic. They are not only from Israel, they are from, as per Rev. 14:3 & 4, "the earth" and "among men", meaning they are from all back grounds. The statement "not defiled with women, for they are virgins" (v. 4 NKJV, and compare with 2 Cor. 11:2) makes it clear that they include both men and women, married and unmarried. So elsewhere I have suggested that 144,000 means 12x12x1000, that is, they include believers from Israel, symbolic of O.T. tribes and believers from non-israelite background, symbolic of N.T. apostles, destined for 1000 symbolic of God's eternal sabbath rest. 

So non-inclusion of Dan's name is not a matter of great concern to God or to us.

January 18 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report