Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all. v.5
Read chapter 7
Here we have the rest of the tribes of Israel's genealogy. If you're counting you'll notice from chapters four through seven there are only eleven tribes mentioned. We know there were twelve sons of Jacob from whom came the twelve tribes of Israel, so who's missing? Well there are actually two missing: Dan and Zebulan. This would make thirteen tribes in total but if you remember Ephraim and Mannaseh are the sons of Joseph, grandsons of Jacob (Israel), still two separate tribes but from one son. Also the tribe of Levi didn't inherit land because they were priests and were scattered throughout the lands of all the tribes so are not always counted as one of the tribes. So back to Dan and Zebulun being left out. I have not yet a clue to why Zebulun doesn't appear in these chapters as he does in all the other occurrences of the twelve tribes. Yet not so with the tribe of Dan seeing cut out as well in Revelation 7. The tribe of Dan was an idolatress tribe that was the first to turn to idolatry and continued until the captivity of Assyria. Dan was the first tribe taken into captivity but interestingly enough in Ezekiel 48 of the future kingdom, Dan is the first tribe mentioned in the division of the land. One may be cut off their family for a time, but those that were sealed with a promise will one day be reunited. If that is us, let us not wait till the kingdom to reunite with our biological or adopted families or foremost our Father God, but aim to resolve now.
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