THE REAL 144,000

We are often told that the 144,000 Jews are, for some reason of another, missing the tribe of Dan in representation. But Revelation tells us that,

And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
(Revelation 7:4 KJV)

Is Dan "of all the tribes of the children of Israel" or is he not? I say, "So." When we examine the list of tribes, we must conclude that Ephraim is not listed. It is found in Revelation 7:5-8, that all 12,000 from Manasses are also the same 12,000 descended from his father Joseph:

Juda, twelve thousand. Reuben, twelve thousand. Gad, twelve thousand. Aser, twelve thousand. Nepthalim, twelve thousand. Manasses, twelve thousand. Simeon, twelve thousand. Levi, twelve thousand. Issachar, twelve thousand. Zabulon, twelve thousand. Joseph, twelve thousand. Benjamin, twelve thousand.

This leaves only 132,000 specifically mentioned. The remaining 12,000 must be descended from Dan. The reasons typically given for Dan's "exclusion" are that he was "disfavored" by God in Genesis:

Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
(Genesis 49:17 KJV)

This is, in reality, God's word simply praising Dan for his skills at warfare as can be seen in the previous verse:

Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
(Genesis 49:16 KJV)

Dan is, in reality, numbered in the real 144,000. It is Ephraim who is not. Why not? There is not a single remaining descendant of Ephraim alive today. Ephraim was said to be "broken" and "not a people" in Isaiah:

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
(Isaiah 7:8 KJV)

Isaiah prophesied until about 700 BC. This gives the elimination of Ephraim's descendants some 65 years later at about 635 BC, at the latest.

I hope you have reconsidered Rev 12. Only the last verse, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ", speaks of Christians. The first 16 verses speak of the lost (but soon to be saved) Jews. If they were part of the saved group, they would, well, "have the testimony of Jesus Christ". They are saved at the last moment, when they see Him appear. They are saved physically when they are sealed as the 144,000. This should not be a shocker.

Notice that there is no Scripture implying that the 144,000 will evangelize the world as is commonly taught. Only after they are "redeemed from the earth" as "the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb"; do we see them "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." The purpose of the 144,000 is to serve as an all-male choir (Rev 14:3) in the Millennium. But today's Christian is so enthralled with the 144,000 that they may fall for a completely fake 144,000 during the Tribulation. You will know the fake 144,000 because it will include 12,000 claiming to be from Ephraim.

Read it carefully. Ephraim died out and cannot be numbered in the 144,000. And, yet Christian commentators claim his descendants are still alive. They say that Dan is not mentioned, but he is the only remaining source to complete the 144,000. But, numbering 12,000 from Ephraim and 12,000 from Manasses would signify 24,000 from Joseph, not the specifically listed 12,000.

But, how could God know that this group of 144,000 would be sealed prematurely, and not saved until the appointed time, at his coming? God only knows, but it can be said that for God this is EASY.

Please contact author Zach Anderson at zmanderson@gmail.com. Originally placed in public domain at ultrafree.org. Feel free to reproduce, free of charge.