8th December 2016 — John
What Are The Twelve Tribes Of Israel
“What are the twelve tribes of Israel?”It is simple to say that the twelve tribes of Israel are those tribes that descended from Jacob’s sons, but it is not quite that easy.Joseph received a double-portion, the Leviteswere set apart, and many lists name the sons, which were not the same as the tribal patriarchs. It doesn’t help that Jacob had two wives who each gave their handmaidensto him so he could bear more children.There is a difference between the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve sons of Israel. "Israel" is the name that God gave Jacob (Genesis 32:28).These are the children of Jacob and the tribal patriarchs as they were born: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 35:23-26Exodus 1:1-41 Chronicles 2:1-2).When the tribes inherited the Promised Land, Levi’s descendants did not receive a territory for themselves. Instead, they became priests and had several cities scattered throughout all of Israel. Joseph did not receive a tribe, either-Jacob had adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, essentially giving Joseph a double portion for his faithfulness in saving the family from famine (Genesis 47:11-12). The tribes as listed in Joshua:Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Adding to the confusion, the tribe of Ephraim is sometimes referred to as the tribe of Joseph (Numbers 1:32-33). After King Solomon died, Israel split into two kingdoms. Judah, to the south, included Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. The other tribes combined to make the kingdom of Israel in the north. Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, and most of the Israelites were either killed or deported; the Israelites who remained most likely integrated with the kingdom of Judah.Jesus was from Judah, Paul was from Benjamin, John the Baptist was a Levite, but, since the diaspora in A.D. 70, identifying the tribe of a modern Jew is a little more difficult. That doesn’t mean that the tribal divisions are irrelevant. During the tribulation, when most of the world has abandoned God and is following the Antichrist, 144,000 Jews will be sealed by God. This number comprises 12,000 from each tribe. So, even if we don't know who is in what tribe, God has kept track. The tribes are listed again in Revelation 7:5-8, but they are not the same tribes that were given land in Joshua. Manasseh is there, and Ephraim (under Joseph's name). But instead of Dan, Levi is included. No explanation is given as to why.
These are the children of Jacob and the tribal patriarchs as they were born:Reuben(Leah): Slept with Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid and Jacob’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). Reuben convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph (Genesis 37:21) and planned on rescuing Joseph, but the brothers sold him before he had the chance. He toldJacob that Jacob could kill his two sons if Benjamin did not return from Egypt safely. The tribe of Reuben settled on the east side of the Jordan with Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh.Simeon(Leah): When the other brothers went to Egypt to beg food, Joseph held Simeon hostage until the brothers could prove Joseph’s brother Benjamin was well (Genesis 42:24). He, with Levi, betrayed the city of the man who seduced Dinah. They killed every male (Genesis 34) and did not receive a good blessing from Jacob (Genesis 49:5-7). The Tribe of Simeon’s territory was within the boundaries of Judah(Joshua 19:1-9).Levi (Leah): Levi also betrayed the city of the man who seduced Dinah (Genesis 34), and did not receive a good blessing from Jacob (Genesis 49:5-7). The Levites did not compose a cohesive tribe. As the tribe of Moses and Aaron, and the only tribe to punish the others for worshiping the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:25-28), the Levites were given the priesthood. They did not have a single territory, but did have several cities and surrounding farmland (Joshua 20). Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father, was a Levite.Judah(Leah): Judah personally ensured Benjamin’s safety when the brothers took him to see Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 43:8-9). His was the dominant tribe of the southern kingdom; the entire kingdom took the name Judah, and the Israelites are called “Jews” because of his tribe’s dominance. The tribe of Judah settled in a large area in the south (Joshua 15).Both Mary and Joseph, as descendants of David, were from the tribe of Judah. The possible reason that God chose Judah to be the tribe of the Messiah is that Reuben slept with his father’s concubine, and Simeon and Levi betrayed and slaughtered the Hivites.Dan(Bilhah): Territory in the north (Joshua 19:40-48). Dan is not listed among the tribe from which the 144,000 come during the Tribulation; no reason is given (Revelation 7:4-8).Naphtali(Bilhah): Territory in the north (Joshua 19:32-39).Gad(Zilpah): Settled on the east side of the Jordan with Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh.Asher (Zilpah): Territory in the north (Joshua 19:24-31). Issachar(Leah): Territory in the north (Joshua 19:17-23).Zebulun (Leah): Territory in the far northwest (Joshua 19:10-16).Dinah(Leah): The only sister. Was taken advantage of by Shechem the Hivite and avenged rather viciously by her brothers Levi and Simeon (Genesis 34).Joseph(Rachel): As Rachel’s son, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite until Jacob was told he was dead. Joseph had been sold as a slave to Egypt and ultimately saved Egypt and his family from famine. Jacob adopted his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, thus giving Joseph a double-portion of the inheritance (Genesis 48:5).Benjamin(Rachel): Youngest son and favorite of Jacob after Joseph went missing; Rachel, Jacob’s beloved, died shortly after his birth. The tribe of Benjamin settled just north of Judah, in the southern kingdom (Joshua 18:11-28). The tribe was nearly destroyed when they harbored violent fugitives (Judges 19:10-28).King Saul (1 Samuel 9:15-27),Esther, Mordechai (Esther 2:5-7), Paul (Romans 11:1) were all Benjaminites.Ephraim(Joseph): Settled in the middle, between Benjamin and Manasseh (Joshua 16). Became part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was also sometimes called Ephraim.The tribe of Ephraim is sometimes called the tribe of Joseph, marking the fact he was Joseph’s oldest son and heir.Manasseh (Joseph): Settled in a very large northern territory that spilled over the east side of the Jordan.In the book of Joshua, the twelve tribes (plus the Levites) receive their territorial inheritance. The tribes are Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Of course, when the passage records the sons of Jacob, and not the tribes, Levi and Joseph are included, while Ephraim and Manasseh are not (Genesis 35:23-26Exodus 1:1-41 Chronicles 2:1-2). When the book of Revelation lists the origins of the 144,000 who will witness during the Tribulation,the twelve tribal fathers are given, except that Dan is replaced by Levi (Revelation 7:4-8).Tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Members of the Northern Kingdom, destroyed by the Assyrians: Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, Asher, Dan, Reuben, Gad, and some of the Levites.Members of the Southern Kingdom, taken into Babylonian captivity and then released: Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, and some of the Levites.Tribes from which the 144,000 come: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Naphtali, Gad, Asher,
Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Joseph (Ephraim), and Manasseh.