Revelation 7:5-8 (The Complete Restoration of Israel In The Last Days)

We’re going to change gears for a moment. We are going back to Revelation 7:5-8, because this needs to be revealed pertaining to the complete list of the twelve tribes of Israel in this chapter. Here’s another interesting mystery revealed from the Holy Bible. When you compare the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament (Genesis 49) with the list provided by the Lord in Revelation 7. You will see that Dan is no longer mentioned as an Israeli tribe. Why?

This is not an error of any type. It’s something mentioned deliberately as a warning from God to all His children (both Israelis and Gentiles, Jews and Christians). It’s the same kind of warning of the “golden candlesticks” we saw in the throne room of God, which concurs with Romans 1:18-32/Revelation 3:5.

And the Lord’s warning to all His children: “If we do not continue to abide in Christ (or in the case of the Old Testament standards) abide in God Most High, which means to love Him with all our circumcised heart. To hearken unto His voice and obey His commandments (which by the way is still New Testament living according to Jesus Christ in John 14:15); He will eventually reject those who continually rebel and sin against Him. And that’s exactly what happened to the tribe of Dan.

To understand this, we must examine what they did. Because obviously through the comparison of Old and New Testament Scriptures today, the same standards then still apply today. And that is, God will reject those who are continually rebellious against Him. Because He is holy and doesn’t allow sinners to abide in Him. And the sinful and rebellious are those who hate God.

You see, the same message of the gospel which was preached in the Old Testament is the same as in the New. The message never changed (Hebrews 3:7-4:6). Jesus Christ was not preaching anything new. He was preaching and teaching the Old Testament, because the New Testament did not exist yet until decades after Jesus Christ death, resurrection and ascension. He simply clarified the same ol’ message from God His Father from the beginning.

What did the tribe of Dan do to eventually be rejected by God? The quick simplified answer is, “They never entered God’s rest! They never stopped sinning against the LORD! And they never repented from their backsliding!” We know through Jesus Christ that all Scriptures (The Holy Bible) are eternal (Matthew 24:35). Meaning they can never be erased or eradicated. All the words of God are eternal. And since the Holy Scriptures are eternal, they are written for our admonition today (1 Corinthians 10:1-12).

We need to learn what not to do, going all the way back to the Old Testament. And be reminded of an important promise of God many look over or don’t believe today. For the Scriptures teach, God changes not (Malachi 3:6) If He rejected certain people and individuals (such as Cain, Esau or King Saul) yesterday, that means He still does today in the New Testament which also concurs in (Roman 11). His standards never changed. His character and the way He judges never changed. What He did unto Dan, He still does unto all His children today,

Genesis 6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

The Lost Tribe of Israel

When you compare Genesis 49 with Revelation 7:5-8, You see that God replaced the tribe of Dan with the tribe of Manasseh. In fact this was prophesied in the last visions of Ezekiel,

Ezekiel 47:13 Thus saith the Lord God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

This shows us that God already had in mind to reject Dan because of their continued sinning against Him when He showed Ezekiel this vision about the far future of Israel. Because why else would God give Joseph a double portion of land, when the tribe of Dan was mentioned in Ezekiel 48? Manasseh is the son of Joseph and according to the Scriptures, Joseph is one of the tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:8).

When you do the math in Ezekiel 48, it already added another portion of land to Manasseh. And according to the Scriptures, there are thirteen portions of land when you count them. Where the Tribes of Dan and Manasseh are included. But when you read Revelation 7, there’s only twelves tribes. Dan is excluded. And according to the law, the twelve tribes only get a portion of land in Israel. Here’s the historical facts about the tribe of Dan according to the Holy Bible. Going all the way back to the Book of Judges chapters 17-18.

Before the land inheritance of Israel was divided up by lots and given to each tribe (Joshua 14-19), but after God had given His law to the Hebrews. There was a man by the name Micah who was idolatrous, and had a house of idols on Mount Ephraim. And according to the Holy Bible, there is a specific law that forbids this practice of worshiping idols in (Exodus 20:4-6).

And Micah appointed his own son to be his personal priest, which is also forbidden to do according to the law of God. God Most High was the only One who can appoint and anoint a Levitical priest for Himself (Numbers 16). Not just any Levite was appointed by God. Only certain ones of God’s choosing, and not man’s.

Yet Micah appointed a traveler to replace his son from being his personal priest, who just so happens to be a Levite. Who showed up at his house one day and became Micah’s personal “father” (Matthew 23:9) and priest. All these sins against God are just the beginning of the end for the tribe of Dan. You may be asking yourself, ‘how does this connect to the tribe of Dan?’

In those days, the Danites had no land to inherit yet, because it wasn’t settled at this time. And the Danites sent out spies to search out land for themselves according to the promise of God. They came to Mount Ephraim where Micah lived and saw the priest and stole the idols. And given the priest a choice to stay or leave to go with them. And the appointed priest chose to go with the Danites, where they eventually settled in the central region of Canaan/future Israel between Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. The end of their story is spelled out for us in,

Judges 18:30-31 And 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. And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Now notice, the tribe of Dan and Manasseh sinned against God in idolatry together as long the Tabernacle was in Shiloh. So then, you may be asking yourself these questions, ‘What’s the difference between Dan and Manasseh? They both were in sin against God. Why did God reject Dan and not Manasseh also? For they both were guilty of the same sins against God.’

The big difference between the two is, one repented and the other did not. Manasseh repented from sinning against God. Never continued in sin and never went back to that same sin again. And that’s what true repentance is. Just like king David, he had sinned a couple of times in his lifetime against God as is recorded in the Holy Scriptures… And when he realized he had done wrong, he turned away from sinning, and never went back to that same ol’ sin again.

The tribe of Dan on the other hand, were an idolatrous tribe that never repented from their sins against God. And was eventually conquered by the Assyrians. Here’s how that history unfolded: Dan were driven out of the land of their inheritance, where they settled in the Northern region of Israel (above the land of Naphtali) in the year of 1 Kings 12, where Jeroboam set up two idols (1 Kings 13:32-33). He set up one Idol in Bethel and the other in Dan, which further damned the tribe of Dan. For they never rejected the idol. They continued to worship it.

Then Ben Hadad I, the King of Assyria came and conquered them (1 Kings 15:16-24) around the 10th Century BC. And the Assyrians again conquered them in 722 BC. Which caused the tribe of Dan to exile out of Israel. And dispersed throughout Assyria which was the land of Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey today.

All this took place before Ezekiel’s last vision. Because the 70 year captivity to Babylon did not occur until 605 BC. Ezekiel was appointed by God to prophesy the Judgment of God to Judah, which was the last group of the Israelites to Exile into Babylon around 597 BC. And he prophesied while He was in captivity in Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1-3).

Ethiopian Jews today claim to be the “Lost tribe of Dan.” Also some Historians claim the Danes or Denmark are descendants from the tribe of Dan. If that is true, then they continued to sin against God with mixed marriages in which God forbade (Deuteronomy 7/Ezra 7-9). And God’s reason behind this, ‘Lest these nations lead you away from God to sin.’ These principles are still taught in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit of God ministered this through the Apostle Paul in,

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

And because they never repented from their sins and backsliding; after they….knowing the truth, continued to rebel against God. Therefore God eventually rejected the tribe of Dan as His own people. God gave them over to the lust of their hearts! The lust of their flesh and minds; and became a reprobate, where there is no longer a time of repentance just as it is written for us today (Romans 1:18-32).

This is why they are dubbed the “lost tribe of Israel!” Not just because they vanished from human history, but also because they are eternally lost… rejected according to the Scriptures. Blotted out from God Most High’s remembrance (Psalm 34:16) as reprobate sinners who continually blasphemed God, the Holy Ghost, and would not turn back unto repentance. Filled with all sorts of abominable unrighteousness.

This is the path they chose to the point of no return (Hebrews 10:26-30). Them not being mentioned in Revelation 7 is the collateral damage of the eternal rejection for all the tribe of Dan as we see in the Book of Revelation. The principle of this teaching for all of us, using the Tribe of Dan as God’s example is: ‘Because they first rejected God and all His holy ways and standard of living; God rejected them!

Restoration of Israel Continues To The End

And lastly, you can’t help to view Revelation 7:4-8 as a prophetic utterance, about the future of Israel. As of right now…today, The Nation of Israel is not divided up among the twelve tribes of Israel. Yet, according to Ezekiel’s last vision (Ezekiel 40-47) coupled with (Revelation 7), it shows that there will be twelve tribes of Israel once again in the “last days.”

This is not a prophecy about life in the “new heaven” and the “new earth.” This is just one facet of the promise of God concerning the restoration of His people and the Nation of Israel, physically, geographically and spiritually.

The Old Testament speaks much about many other facets of restoration of Israel that will occur in the latter times; which means, the “last days.” In fact, the Prophet Daniel was sent to Babylon, by God, to encourage the Israelites that all is not lost. The Nation of Israel will thrive again under the blessings of God in the future. Showing them that there is still a future and hope for His people back then. And His prophetic utterance, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, reveals a slow restoration process through the ages to Jesus Christ’s second advent. And this is all summed up in,

Daniel 9:24-26 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

This verse marks the judgment of God unto the children of Israel known as “70 years of captivity” to Babylon and Persia. It also reveals God’s intention for His judgment upon His people, “to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.”

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

This prophecy reveals the beginning of God’s restoration plan after the 70 year captivity, a rebuilding of the temple, the wall and its streets in Jerusalem for the sole purpose of the first advent of the Messiah (Jesus the Christ; God Most High’s Prince; Son of God). And this was fulfilled through Ezra and Nehemiah just as this Prophecy said it would happen. And who are they that would rebuild…The children of Israel when they returned. And according to Nehemiah’s account, they did rebuild in troubled times. Whereas they rebuilt with one hand and fought with swords in the other hand.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

This Prophesies, when the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) comes in His first advent, He will be the sacrifice for the sins of many, (as it reads) “Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself:” And this was revealed in the Book of Hebrews. In fact, there is an interesting parallel in identical chapter and verses, when you compare the two Scriptures together like it’s a continuing thought:

Hebrews 9:26-28 For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

But the prophecy doesn’t stop there at the purpose for the first advent of Christ. Remember in a past study, the Holy Spirit of God ministered that there is an expanse of time between the first advent of Christ and the antichrist where no major events was prophesied throughout the Old testament; known as, “The dispensation of Grace?” That fact is found here in this very verse. Because it jumps from the death of the Messiah to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary under the rule of the antichrist.

There are some ministers in the past who have mistakenly interpreted this passage of Scripture to prophesy the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Roman empire in 70 AD. And at first glance it appears to be so. But when you rightly divide the word of truth by the Holy Spirit and understand this passage of Scripture in the perspective of the Holy Spirit of God, He gives you a greater understanding of this passage.

There is a key phrase and key words that point to Revelation 17-18 dealing with the destruction of Jerusalem and a sanctuary (which is known in the Book of Revelation as the “temple of God.” And the key phrase is, “people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

To understand, we must first ask the questions, who are the “people of the prince?” And, who is the “prince?” It’s not Rome! Notice: “people of the prince that shall come.” Rome was already there occupying Israel namely “Jerusalem” before Jesus Christ’s first advent. But here in this passage of Scripture reveals whoever the “people” are, hasn’t arrived yet. So this alone excludes Rome from being the “people of the prince.” But there will be 10 Kings who will give their allegiance to the antichrist for a very short time, and will hate the woman (Jerusalem) and destroy the city (Revelation 17:16-18).

Next, the Book of Revelation reveals that when the antichrist rules the world from Jerusalem, he will gather the armies of the world to Israel known as Armageddon by the authority (permission of God Most High). This will happen before the second advent of Jesus Christ. (In fact, Armageddon is the very reason why Jesus Christ returns, to put an end to Armageddon, and establish His Reign for a thousand years, and restore Israel completely, lest He tarry any further where no flesh could be saved (Matthew 24:22).

And that’s what Daniel is prophesying by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, not the war of Rome, but Armageddon. Even though the war of the Roman empire in 70 AD. caused a desolation to occur in Israel, Daniel is not prophesying that. There is another desolation that will occur in the great tribulation period (according to Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15-28) which hasn’t happened yet, because the Gospel was not preached in all the world in the days of the first desolation (Matthew 24:15).

But when another desolation occurs in the great tribulation period in Jerusalem, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will already be preached in all the world (Revelation 14:6 & Revelation 11:3-9) And the times and season for all this to occur is determined by God, as is prophesied again through Daniel, “and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

And who is the “prince?” It’s not Jesus Christ! Because the word “prince” is not capitalized. It’s not Rome either. So, this passage is only pointing to the antichrist who was prophesied much about in the Book Daniel. And this verse also reveals there will be a sanctuary, “temple of God” in Jerusalem in the great tribulation period, where the antichrist will rule the world from which causes the desolation to occur.

In the process of all that, Jerusalem and a sanctuary will be destroyed again (Revelation 17-18). All because they were defiled and corrupted by satan who inhabited the physical body of the antichrist. And God cannot put His holy name nor enter into a place that has been defiled, corrupted or touched by anything unholy. So these things must be destroyed and purified by fire in order for Jesus Christ to completely restore (Malachi 3:2-3).

After Jerusalem and the sanctuary are destroyed and Jesus Christ comes. The antichrist and the false prophet, and all the people that received the mark of the beast be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 14:9-11/Revelation 19:11-21). And satan is bound for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-4). Then a new temple be built (Ezekiel 40-47), and Jesus Christ takes away the sins of His people Israel (Romans 11:25-27, which is rooted in Isaiah 27:9 & Isaiah 59:20-21) and rule the world from Jerusalem in His “Millennial Temple” for a thousand years. Thus ends God Most Highs’ promise of the complete restoration of Israel. And the completion of that restoration will be done when Jesus Christ … The world’s real Messiah, returns in His second advent.

And why will this all occur? Hadn’t God rejected Israel since they rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah. No! Anyone who preaches that is a liar. The truth is not in them and they are not speaking by the Holy Spirit of God, but by a lying spirit of satan. Ignorant and devoid of the truth!

You see, all through the ages, God Most High, The Father of Jesus Christ, through His mercy, has always sent His prophets to remind His people of the future. Because human nature shows that we all can get a little near sighted in times of trouble and great distress. Causing them to wonder if they are in His perfect will, plan and purpose of God. And all His prophets answered that doubt with a resounding YES…! There is still a future and hope for Israel to the end of the world! From the Prophets of the Old Testament, through the Apostles in the New Testament and also in the Book of Revelation.