Why is the tribe of Dan missing from the 144,000 in Revelation chapter 7?

Response

Revelation 7:4–8 enumerates 144,000 “sealed” or protected servants of God who will serve during the tribulation of the end times. The sealed group consists of 12,000 individuals from each of the twelve tribes of Israel: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Interestingly, the tribe of Dan is omitted, and in its place is Manasseh, one of the two tribes that descended from Joseph.

The Bible does not explain why the tribe of Dan is absent from the list of the twelve tribes in Revelation 7. However, some historical context about the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel may offer some insights. To begin, a brief overview of the twelve tribes:

The twelve tribes of Israel originated from the twelve sons of Israel—Israel being the name given to Jacob by God “And he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.'” , (Genesis 32:28). Jacob’s twelve sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 35:23-26;Exodus 1:1-4;1 Chronicles 2:1-2). The descendants of these twelve sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel.

During the time of Joshua, when Israel took possession of the Promised Land, the descendants of Levi did not receive a specific territory for themselves “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.”, (Joshua 13:14). Instead, they were assigned priestly responsibilities and were entrusted with the care of the tabernacle.

Levites were given various cities scattered throughout the land. To complete the twelve allotments, Joseph’s tribe was divided in two—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). In this arrangement, the tribes allocated territory in the Promised Land were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. In some instances in Scripture, the tribe of Ephraim is referred to as the tribe of Joseph (e:g:, Numbers 1:32-33).

After King Solomon died, Israel split into two kingdoms. Judah, to the south, included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The other tribes combined to form the kingdom of Israel in the north. Over the years, many Israelites in the north relocated to Judah in the south to escape the apostasy in their homeland (see 2 Chronicles 11:16;2 Chronicles 15:9). Eventually, the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, and most of the Israelites were either killed or deported; it’s probable that many of the Israelites who remained migrated to the southern kingdom of Judah, as many faithful had done before them.

Jesus was from Judah, Paul was from Benjamin, Anna was from Asher, and John the Baptist was a Levite, but, since the Diaspora in AD 70, identifying the tribe of any given Jew is more challenging. During the tribulation, when most of the world is following the Antichrist, 144,000 Jews will be sealed by God—12,000 from each tribe—for special service. God has kept track of the tribes, and He knows who is who. The tribes with sealed individuals are listed in Revelation 7:5–8, but it is not the same list as fo

In Joshua 13—22, the tribes sealed in the end times include Manasseh and Ephraim (under Joseph’s name), but Dan is excluded. No explanation is provided for this omission.

Additional historical details about the tribe of Dan may shed light on why Dan is absent from the list of sealed tribes in Revelation. Judges 18:1–31 recounts how the people of Dan fell into severe idolatry. Moreover, the Danites were dissatisfied with the land allocated to them near the Mediterranean Sea due to conflicts with the Amorites and Philistines. Consequently, they dispatched spies to search for a more favorable territory. In the north, the Danites discovered a peaceful community, whom they exterminated before relocating the entire tribe to that area just south of present-day Lebanon. There, they founded their primary city, naming it Dan.

Subsequently, during the divided kingdom era, the Danites were part of the northern kingdom of Israel. King Jeroboam I established two idolatrous worship centers, one in Bethel and the other in Dan (1 Kings 12:25-33). Regrettably, the man-made worship at Dan, centered around a golden calf, became a lasting legacy of Dan.

Fast forward to Revelation 7, where all the tribes of Israel are listed in the end-times tribulation except Dan. Over the centuries, commentators have suggested various reasons for Dan’s exclusion from the list:

• Dan’s historical involvement in idolatry and immorality may disqualify them from service during the end times.

• Some readings of Genesis 49:17; Deuteronomy 33:22; and Jeremiah 8:16 suggest that the Antichrist will arise from the tribe of Dan (based on certain readings of Genesis 49:17;Deuteronomy 33:22;and Jeremiah 8:16).

• By the time of Solomon, the tribe of Dan had merged with the neighboring Phoenicians.«The son of a woman from the tribe of Dan, and his father was a skilled craftsman from Tyre, experienced in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, wood, purple, blue, fine linen, and crimson. He could execute any design and work with your skilled workers and those of my lord David your father.», (as 2 Chronicles 2:14 may suggest) and thus lost their distinct national identity.

• The tribe of Dan, once the second most populous tribe, dwindled in numbers and influence until, by Ezra’s time, it had completely disappeared. This could clarify why Dan is not mentioned among the tribes in 1 Chronicles 4—7 or in Revelation 7.