Section 88
Inspired Translation of Revelation 7:6
The doctrine of the 144,000 sealed firstborn saints of God is central to New Covenant theology. Chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation describes how the 144,000 will be divided into 12 groups of 12,000 each, each group being from one of the tribes of Israel. However, all known MSS omit the tribe of Dan and give Manasseh an extra share, the tribe of Joseph effectively being divided into Ephraim (6,000) and Manasseh (6,000), giving Manasseh a total of 18,000. It is the belief of New Covenant Christians that the insertion of Manasseh is a scribal error, Dan being misread as "Man". As the result of this transcriptional error, a legend has arisen in Judaism that the Tribe of Dan was cursed because of its omission and will not, therefore, receive an inheritance in Israel. Some Christians also believe, therefore, that the antichrist will be a Danite, a tradition first propounded by Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. v.30.2), who claimed that such a belief was warranted from Jer.8:16 which records: "from Dan shall we hear the noise of his swift horses". There is no Biblical warranty for such a doctrine. Indeed, each of the 12 original apostles (minus Judas, who was replaced by Matthew) is appointed as the head of the 12 tribes, including Dan. The following is therefore an inspired correction of Revelation 7:6 (KJV) [Cranleigh, Surrey, England].
1. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand.
2. Of the tribe of Napthali were sealed twelve thousand.
3. Of the tribe of Dan[1] were sealed twelve thousand.
Footnotes
[1] Heb. dān, commonly translated as the active participle of dīn, 'to judge'. One of the 12 tribes of Israel and known for its aggressiveness (Gen.49:16ff; Dt.33:22). Some scholars believe that following the deportation of Tiglath-pileser III in 732 BC (2 Ki.15:29) this tribe eventually migrated across the Caucausus and into Europe to found cities (Danzig/Gdansk), name rivers (Daniepr, Daniestr) and what has become the nation of Danmark (Denmark). Samson is the best known biblical Danite (Judg.5:17).
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This page was first created on 24 March 1998
Last updated on 24 March 1998
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