Why is the tribe of Dan missing from Revelation 7:5-8?

Question

We have been studying the book of Revelation and it was noted that the tribe of Dan was missing from the list of tribes of Israel listed in Revelation 7:5-8. Is there any biblical explanation why Dan was excluded from this list?

⁵ From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
(NIV)

Answer 1

Here is the list of 12 tribes of Israel from Genesis, Numbers and Revelation:

Genesis 29-30    Numbers 1    Revelation 7

Reuben           Reuben       Reuben
Simeon           Simeon       Simeon
Levi                          Levi
Judah            Judah        Judah
Dan              Dan
Naphtali         Naphtali     Naphtali
Gad              Gad          Gad
Asher            Asher        Asher
Isaachar         Isaachar     Isaachar
Zebulun          Zebulun      Zebulun
Joseph                        Joseph
                 Ephraim      
                 Manasseh     Manasseh
Benjamin         Benjamin     Benjamin

Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 29:32 - 30:24 and Genesis 35:18). However the twelve tribes turned into thirteen when Jacob gave Joseph a ‘double portion’. This meant that each of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, became a tribe, rather than just the one tribe of Joseph (Genesis 48:5). However this thirteen became twelve again as the tribe of Levi received no land. The Levites were only given certain cities and was the tribe of the priesthood who received the tithes of the other twelve tribes who tithed from their land.

Therefore the difference between the first and second column is that Joseph was split into Ephraim and Manasseh, while Levi was dedicated to the Lord. In Revelation Levi is very conspicuously brought back along side of the others. Obviously this is very symbolic, indicating that the priesthood is over. Now, bringing Levi back is effectively going back to the time before Jacob gave Joseph the double portion, so technically Dan should still be on the list and Ephraim and Manasseh should not, being that they are already represented in Joseph! Truly this is odd and must have some symbolic meaning.

If we assume Dan is removed due to its idolatry (Judges 18:30-31), then Manasseh is added to fill Dan’s place to keep the number twelve. Possibly the return of Levi and exclusion of Dan indicates that the Levitical priesthood was over and original election according to the flesh really did not matter any more. These tribes are actually symbolic of the whole invisible church ‘extended’ through history. This means they are not a strict grouping at a given time in history, otherwise Joseph and one of his sons would not be on the same list.

Answer 2

I was listening to a sermon by Voddie Baucham a while ago on exactly this, and thought it was quite interesting, maybe it will be of some help to understand the issue. You can listen to the full thing here: Voddie Baucham - The 144,000 (skip to around minute 26 if you only want to hear the explanation as it pertains to the question).

Basically, he says that this list is not a list of the tribes of Israel, nor a list of the children of Israel/Jacob (there is a difference between the two.. which he explains). He says that this is not a list that is used to represent "all Israel", nor the remnant of Israel, nor ethnic Jews either. His position is that this is a figurative list that represents all believers ("the people of God as a whole"), ie, the redeemed Church (made up of both Jews and Gentiles), and that the inclusion of Menasseh (who's mother was Egyptian) is to show that gentiles are included in this list.

He also points to the fact that the list is out of birth order, and the significance of this (out of the scope of this question, but still interesting, and in support of the other points he makes).

He mentions that the presence of Levi and Joseph would imply this is a list of sons, but Dan is missing; and that the presence of Menasseh would imply that this is a listing of the tribes, but Dan and Ephraim are missing, and neither Levi nor Joseph represent tribes (in that they didn't inherit any land -- their allotments were awarded to Ephraim and Menasseh instead).

He states that the exclusion of the tribe of Dan was not merely because of their idolatry, but because, as a tribe, they led the ten northern tribes into idolatry, and to go on to lose their ethnic identity. In the context of the book of Revelation, the fact that the mark of the Beast is placed on idolaters would lend credence to that conclusion.

Anyways, I hope that sheds at least a bit of light on this interesting question.

Answer 3

First of all, Genesis 49:16 says that Dan will provide justice for Israel and be a serpent along the roadside, a viper that will bite at the horses heel. All this means is, that Dan will protect Israel from those who will attempt to do harm to Israel.

It's funny, that when people see the word serpent they immediately refer to it as being something evil. But I would like to bring to your attention, how YAHWEH uses the serpent to administer justice to all:

1. in Exodus 4:2-5 he took the staff of Moses and turned it into a serpent to show Israel that the GOD of their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had appeared to Moses and had come to set them free from bondage.

2. In Exodus 7:8-12 He took the staff of Aaron and turned it into a serpent that swallowed up the two serpents that the Pharaoh's wizard had produced through witchcraft.

3. When Israel became impatient and spoke against The Most High, he sent venomous serpents to attack those who spoke against him in Numbers 21:6.

4. The only way that Israel could be healed from the snake bites was that they had to look at a bronze snake on a pole that YAHWEH had given Moses instructions to erect to heal Israel.

5. We are told by Jesus to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

So you see that the reference made that the tribe of Dan were serpents and that the Antichrist will come out of the tribe of Dan, is a lie from the enemy and will only cause more confusion among YAHWEH'S chosen people. The tribe of Dan is the Judges that was prophesied by Jacob in Genesis 49:16, also in Isaiah 1:26 YAHWEH promises to restore the judges first as in the days of old or the beginning. Remember Dan is referred to has the one who will administer justice or judge.

I also believe that the reason why the genealogy of Dan is not mentioned in 1st Chronicles and in Revelations 7:4-8 is because the tribe of Dan is the one who will ultimately administer justice and judgement to all and that there are those who would rather not see that come to pass. So, the Tribe of Dan was removed deliberately to hide the fact about the practices of the ones who called themselves Jews, but are the synagogue of Satan mentioned in Revelations 2:9.

I know that what I just said about why I believe Dan was removed is not scriptural, but neither is all the other assumption that was posted of why Dan is not included is also speculative. But, what it does, is it give you reason to look further into why the Judges have been removed and why is there no mention of it?.

Answer 4

We may look first to the first tribe mentioned in the list of Revelation, which is the Tribe of Judah. this is interesting because Reuben should have been first, but we will remember from Hebrew history that Reuben lost his position of first because of his gross immortality and thus it was given to Judah.

Genesis 49:8-10:

(8) Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
(9) Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
(10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Genesis 49:3-4:

(3) Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
(4) Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

This shines light onto the subject, showing us the history of the people was being adhered to in this particular list. Other list have other names, and in other orders, and this is because God is communicating something different in those list, but this list deals with the history of the people.

We may accordingly remember that Dan was the first tribe to fall to idolatry after Israel was led into the promised land.

Judges 18:30-31:

(30) 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.
(31) And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Dan is also where the calf was set up when Israel was split as a nation after Solomon.

1 Kings 12:27-30:

(27) If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
(28) Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
(29) And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
(30) And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

If you were paying attention to the text above, then you saw that the golden calves were established under the king Jeroboam, who just happens to be of the tribe of Ephraim.

1 Kings 11:26:

(26) And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.

This just so happens to be the other tribe which is not included to be a witness for God in the end days.

The list given in Revelation is a list of the 144,000 witnesses in the last days. These tribes lost their witness because of sin.

Answer 5

Many, including myself, have been perplexed by the apparent omission of the tribe of Dan from the list of "all" the tribes of Israel in Revelation 7:5-8. This has led to much speculation in an attempt to explain this strange occurrence. A possible explanation alluded to in the Pulpit Commentary is that Dan was omitted due to a scribal error.

Looking at the list it's difficult to understand why the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted in place of Levi, Joseph and Manasseh especially when we note the following:

1. The apostle John states those sealed were from "all the tribes of the children of Israel" (v. 4). The Greek word υἱός (huios Strongs 5207) translated as "children" literally means "a son." Accordingly in Young's Literal Translation this verse is rendered: "And I heard the number of those sealed, (one hundred and forty four thousands were sealed out of all the tribes of the sons of Israel)." Thus, the 144,000 were of "the sons" of Israel. If, therefore, Dan is included in place of Manasseh, a complete list of all the sons of Jacob (or Israel) is furnished.

2. The double inclusion of Manasseh in the existing arrangement presents for us another problem that must be questioned. This is apparent by the appearance of Joseph, whose name usually stood for both Ephraim and Manasseh. Yet, if Dan is omitted Manasseh is included twice (vv. 6, 8). One would think direct mention of sons is unnecessary when the name of the father appears.

Accordingly the Pulpit Commentary notes:

...Ewald believes that St. John wrote ΔΑΝ, and that MAN., the abbreviated form of "Manasses," was substituted by error; and he appeals to manuscripts 9, 13, which, however, have "Dan" in place of "Gad." Moreover, Irenaeus, Origen, Arethas, have "Manasseh," and state plainly that Dan was omitted. It is certainly curious in connection with this conjecture that, if it were true, that is to say, if "Dan" should be read in place of "Manasseh," we should have a more intelligible order of arrangement. In that case, speaking generally, the elder sons would come first, the younger last; all the pairs of brothers are kept together (only that, in the case of the six brothers, there is a division into two lots); Judah naturally is placed first before Reuben, owing to the prominent place held by him in the Apocalypse in connection with our Lord. The order would then be:
Sons of Leah—Juda, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon
Sons of Zilpah—Gad, Aser
Sons of Bilhah—Nepthalim, Dan
Sons of Rachel—Joseph, Benjamin

In this way, Judah would lead the list since the Davidic monarchy and the Messiah originated from his tribe. Reuben would naturally follow being the firstborn of Jacob. Both are thus separated from the rest of the sons of Israel due to their status respectively. Gad, Asher, Naphtali and Dan, the sons of Leah and Rachel's handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah comes next. Then the remaining sons of Jacob's first wife, Leah, follow, that is, Simeon, Levi, Issachar and Zebulon. And finally Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) and Benjamin, the sons of his beloved, Rachel.

Answer 6

Jacob's vision for the future of his sons states Dan will judge his people:

“Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O LORD. (Genesis 49:16-18 ESV)

You cannot be a judge and a witness both. So just as some Old Testament lists of the 12 tribes omit Levi while they are in service to the LORD, Dan is omitted because they are in service.

The 144,000 consisting of 12,000 from each tribe will be witnesses during the tribulation. This make sense to me.