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It should be noted that Revelation is a book of symbols and taking things literally can get confusing and counterproductive. First, the tribes mentioned in Revelation 7 cannot be literal Israelite tribes for several reasons. The OT tells that 10 of the 12 tribes were carried away by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17:6). Some of the 10 tribes returned to Samaria after intermarrying with the Assyrians - their descendants, known as Samaritans, were no longer regarded as "pure" Israelites in blood or religion. In fact, because the 10 tribes have been scattered around the world and intermarry with other nations, today would be difficult to find one pure Israelite from the tribe of Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, or Simeon - much less 12,000. Second, the 12 tribes were unequal in population - Judah had a large number, while Benjamin very small. God divided the promised land in proportion to each tribe according with their number, but the 144,000 is composed of 12,000 per tribe - something doesn't add up here. Since year A.D. 34, all Bible’s prophecies have focused on the children of faith - either Jew or Gentile (Rom 2:28, 29; Gal 3:29). Another clue that these 144, 000 represent spiritual Israel not literal is the way the tribes are listed in Revelation 7:5-8. Reuben, Jacob's 1st born, is listed 2nd while Judah, 4th in birth order, is listed as 1st. Joseph and Levi are included, while Ephraim and Dan are not. This is the only time when the 12 tribes are listed in this fashion in the Bible. In the Bible, the number 12 almost always represents leadership of the church. There were 12 patriarchs from Seth to Noah, then 12 from Shem to Jacob. Twelve spies led the way to the promised land, and there were 12 judges from Othniel to Samuel. Most likely, the 144, 000 are a special group of believers (Rev 14:1) that God will use to spread the Word to every part of the globe. These people will be ‘sealed’ just before the end of time and be alive at Jesus’ glorious return.
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