JOSEPH #41 | JOSEPH IN EGYPT #23 | LAST WORDS OF JACOB#12
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3637
JOSEPH #41
JOSEPH IN EGYPT #23
LAST WORDS OF JACOB#12
7. DAN #3
WHY IS DAN EXCLUDED FROM BOOK OF REVELATION 7:4-8?
Dan remains a controversial enigma especially as to why his tribal name is excluded from the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 7:4–8 mentions that people from the twelve tribes of Israel will be sealed. The selection of the twelve tribes does not include the names of Ephraim and Dan, although their names were used for the twelve tribes that settled in the Promised Land.
It has been suggested that this could be because of their pagan practices. This led some to propose that the Antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan.
As a result, there are many theological debates on this vexed issue.
It is interesting to note that the tribe of Dan is also left out of the genealogies of I Chronicles 1-9, although Dan the founder member of his tribe is mentioned in I Chronicles 2:2.
This historical point of interest helps explain why the tribe of Dan is not mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8.
The tribe of Dan as a whole was guilty of gross idolatry—even to the point of stealing the idols, they used to practice their religion (Judges 18:14-31).
Theirs was the first organized idolatry in ancient Israel and the longest in duration.
It continued "until the day of the captivity of the land" by the Assyrians - nearly 500 years later (Judges 18:30).
Jewish tradition says that Dan was the first tribe to follow Jeroboam into his sin of idolatry, and in their literature, the term "Dan" is often used to represent idolatry.
From this summarized history of the tribe, it becomes clearer why Dan would not be among the 144,000 "servants of our God," as they are called in Revelation 7:3.
Dan thoroughly rejected God's true religion for thousands of years, substituting a continuous tradition of idolatry.
Quoting Jacob's prophecy, some commentators offer this compromise view that the End-Time descendants of Dan will say, "I have waited for your salvation, O LORD" (Genesis 49:1, 18).
In other words, they believe that the vast majority of Danites must wait for salvation until after the sealing of the 144,000.
For some, it is reassuring to know that Dan and all the other tribes of ancient Israel will be saved ultimately.
In fact, Dan is mentioned first in the apportioning of land in the coming Millennium (Ezekiel 48:1).
The apostle Paul assures us, "All Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26).
The 144,000 are only a very small portion of the people of all nations who will eventually be saved. Hence there is the hope of salvation and restoration offered out to Dan.
Whatever the view, let us pray that idolators worldwide will accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour and come under the saving grace and mercy of God instead of His wrath.
