The Tribes (Part 2) - Manifestations of Divine Nature
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1. Introduction 2. Two Prophecies 3. Lines of Distinction 4. Conclusion: What We Know For Sure |
Introduction
Let’s begin with a brief summary of last month’s study. We are looking at the 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation according to this description: “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.” (Rev 7:4)
The Scriptures do not tell us here that 144,000 good people are sealed, or 144,000 committed Christians, or even 144,000 Church members – although they will be all these things, as we know from other verses and studies. But John’s vision itself identifies them as being of “the Tribes of the Children of Israel.” If we are, as Adventist writings urge us, to “strive to be among the 144,000,” then it is vital to our process, to our sanctification, I would say, to understand the nature of this group of groups and how it relates to the character of our Father and Savior.
Of course, the most important characteristic of this set of individuals is that they “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Rev 14:4) They perfectly exemplify the Plan of Salvation, being the pre-eminent recipients and channels of Yahweh’s grace. But they are not all uniform in characteristics, just as the Apostles were not uniform in characteristics, and they are separated into divisions, into Tribes; just as there are, for example, different kinds of angels. Diversity, and unity in diversity, is a holy principle, and one reflected in even the most fully redeemed and united of mankind.
In our last meeting, we began by looking at the verses from Revelation that go over the sealing of the Tribes. We began, even from there, to talk about the nature of Israel, with Paul’s doctrine strongly and repeatedly including Gentile believers, not only in the Church, or as Christians, but actual members of “the commonwealth of Israel.” (Eph 2:12) This is in stark contrast to the teachings of some churches that the “Church” is taken to Heaven before the time of trouble, and that the 144,000 are Jewish believers who turn to Christ during the tribulation. We do not find, anywhere in the New Testament, this idea of “two separate groups of believers.” The Jews in Christ’s day were to be saved, yes, by uniting with the Savior, and the day of salvation is Now, Now and not some future date, for all mankind.
We saw that the Sabbath, intended for Israel, was actually intended for all mankind, for in the mind of Yahweh, all men are to be Israel, those who overcome (sin) with Elohim. And you know, we as human beings, and even as Adventists, have tended to categorize things in ways that do not perfectly reflect the will of Heaven at times. For example, when talking about the Sabbath in the New Testament, Adventists will point to Yahshua’s statement that “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” (Mark 2:27) and say something like, “So you see, through Christ the Sabbath is now for all mankind, and not just for Israel.” But according to genuine New Testament doctrine, that’s not fully accurate… the Sabbath IS just for Israel. It is a sign between Yah and them. Yahshua’s statements have never once altered Old Testament teachings… the ritualistic practices that pointed to the Gospel era have of course been set aside in due course of time, but not one principle has been dissolved or even subject to the least fading of importance.
The question is, “Who is Israel?” and the last part of our study demonstrated this clearly.
We have that quote from Paul in Ephesians 2 that those who are in Christ are in Israel, for He is the Root of the nation. But we also read from Romans his exposition of this “root” idea, that should set aside any shadow of a doubt about this matter. After we discussed what the number “144,000” means in both symbol and reality, we went over to Romans and read, “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.” (Rom 11:16, 17)
We are “one” with Christ in a most intimate way. If we perfectly reflect His character, then what defines Him also defines us.
So whatever it is that makes Him “firstfruits” and the full example of Yah’s grace in humanity (for He was fully human as well, remember) also makes us the same.
The 144,000 are Israelites. We need not debate that. We need not, in fact, even specify “spiritual Israel” if the term “Israel” is rightly understood Bibilically. It often is not, however, so the term still has purpose. But in truth, Israel is dependent on the Root, which is Christ, and many branches are broken off, while many branches (such as ourselves) are grafted in. But it is the same Israel, same Root, same Inheritance, even if the vinedressers, the people who make up the “nation” (Mat 21:43, cf. Isa 5:7) have changed.
Are there any questions about this review?
Two Prophecies
The most comprehensive listing of the Tribes in terms of their (then) present and future, is found in two prophecies, one given by Jacob himself, and the other by Moses. These are some lengthy passages, naturally, and so we will go in stages, pausing to give us time to catch up.
The first prophecy is actually, and specifically, a prediction of “the last days,” as Jacob begins by saying.
“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.”
And then he begins to list them:
“Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. 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.
“Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
“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. 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? 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. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
“Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
“Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens, and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
“Dan shall judge his people, as one of the Tribes of Israel. 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. I have waited for thy salvation, O Yahweh.
“Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
“Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
“Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words.
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel) even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
“Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
“All these are the twelve Tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.”
Let me know when you have read all these.
We also find conditional prophecy. Simeon and Levi were both to be scattered, nameless, in Israel, and this was partly due to the violent revenge they exacted upon a neighboring people for the abuse of their sister Dinah. And yet, because members of the Tribe of Levi later demonstrated great zeal on the side of righteousness after Israel’s apostasy with the golden calf, the curse (that they would be “scattered” through Israel) became a blessing. Yes, both Simeon and Levi were scattered in Israel, but while we hear very little of the Tribe of Simeon in Old Testament history (or ever again), Levites were scattered among the Tribes – with no set land of their own – as the faithful teachers of the Law.
Do you see how this works? The words of a king, and certainly the King of Creation, cannot be utterly turned aside, but what the words mean can be either a blessing or a curse depending on how the prophecy is fulfilled.
“And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
“Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
“And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.
“And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Bless, Yahweh, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
“And of Benjamin he said, ‘The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him; and Yahweh shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders.
“And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Yahweh be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
“And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
“And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of Yahweh, and his judgments with Israel.
“And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
“And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
“And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.”
What we have here is an essentially an update to the destiny of the Tribes based not only on their founder’s character and history, but on the characteristics of the people themselves, the descendants. So what we can do is combine these two sets of information, and see what has transpired. We’ll go in the order of their appearance in Genesis, and I’ll put a (J) after the part from Jacob then an (M) after Moses’ statements.
Reuben: Reuben would not excel, being unstable as water, for he defiled his father’s bed by having relations with his concubine. (J) At the same time, he would not die out, but have many offspring. (M)
Simeon: Simeon and Levi were both characterized by anger and revenge. Because of their violent nature, they were to be divided and scattered. (J) Interestingly enough, Moses says nothing of Simeon in the Deuteronomy blessing… in keeping, perhaps, with the fact that Simeon’s Tribe did nothing of note to undo the influence of their progenitor.
Levi: As above, Levi’s destiny was initially intended to be poor. He was, for his revenge on the family of Shechem, destined to be divided and scattered like Simeon. (J) For their faithfulness, the children of Levi (their forefather’s attributes notwithstanding) were given the sacred office of attending the Temple, and of teaching the Law in Israel. (M) Thus, their “scattering” became a blessing to the nation, rather than the curse that it turned out to be for their brother-Tribe who received the same initial prognosis.
Judah: Judah received the longest of Jacob’s blessings, except for Joseph (the firstborn of his favored wife). It was a good blessing, full of messianic symbolism, a gathering of people, and victory in judgment. (J) In the Deuteronomy passage, Moses also mentions a “bringing” of people to Judah. In both cases, Judah is to be the point of collection for the people of Israel. (M)
Zebulun: Zebulun received a short blessing. He would dwell by the sea and have borders in common with other peoples. (J) In Deuteronomy, he is told to rejoice for his “going out,” that he will find treasure in the sea and sand, and people on the mountains. (M)
Issachar: Issachar’s main characteristic is strength, and it appears to be a useful strength. However, this strength has the potential to be abused by others, as it is written that he would become a “servant unto tribute.” (J) Now Issachar’s blessing is identical to Zebulun’s except that his rejoicing is in his tents, where as Zebulun’s is in his going out. (M) Dan: Dan, whose name means “judge,” was intended to be a judge in Israel, and a fierce one according to the symbolism used, such as the serpent. (J) In Moses’ blessing, Dan is called the offspring of a lion, but nothing is really said about his character. (M)
Gad: In Genesis, it was said that Gad would suffer a setback; his enemies would overcome him, but only temporarily. The Tribe would eventually overcome its obstacles. (J) Interestingly, Gad has a longer statement in the second Book. He is seated with the Lawgiver as an able judge, and the theme of victory continues, as a lion that can even overcome opposing kings. (M)
Asher: Asher is predicted by his father to be bountiful. He would always have a surplus of good food. (J) In Deuteronomy, the Asherites have a blessing of many children, but there seems to be an intimation of movement, as it speaks of sturdy metal shoes. (M)
Naphtali: Naphtali receives short blessings on both counts. In the first it is said that he is like a loose hind, but speaks well. (J) In Deuteronomy he is said to be “full” of Yah’s blessing, and will possess the west and south, but no further details are given. (M)
Joseph: Joseph, by contrast, receives the longest blessing of the twelve from both, I believe. This is not surprising, for not only is he the firstborn of Rachel, as I mentioned before, but he is also the father of two of Revelation’s Tribes. In Genesis we read that he is associated with fruitfulness, and although he is attacked and persecuted, he is associated with the bow – the symbol of victory in the Scriptures. (Rev 6:2) Jacob is promised help in time of trouble, and strength even though he was once separated from his brothers. (J) In the second passage, we find Joseph’s two sons mentioned, which is significant to the Revelation verses. Again and repeatedly we have symbols of prosperity, fruitfulness, offspring, preservation and glory. It is also stated the second time that Joseph was separated for a time from the other Tribes’ originators. (M)
Benjamin: The blessings of Benjamin are short, but important ones. In the first Book he is described as a wolf that devours his prey. (J) In the second it is said that he will be protected by Yahweh, and that His beloved will dwell nearby. (M)
Now, a few years ago Bro. Luke and I took a serious look at all these things, and not only did we consider the characteristics identified in both these books, but we also looked at things like the length of the blessings, the order in which they appeared (the order changes in Deuteronomy) the arrangement of the Tribes’ settlements around the Sanctuary, and so on.
We discussed the changes to the Tribes, since Dan is missing in Revelation and Ephraim is called “Joseph” after his father. We had, in fact, a spreadsheet and some diagrams somewhere, but we never did get much further than a few theories. I think, after some prayer and study, we can add a little today to our knowledge about these things. At the very least, this is a useful review to a key component of the Bible.
Are there any questions about the prophecies we have read?
Lines of Distinction
First was by Bloodline. We thought (briefly) that perhaps there was some actual blood of the genetic Israelites in individuals, and that they would belong to Tribes based on that. With the captivity of the 10 “lost” Israelite Tribes, it is entirely possible that just about everyone has some trace of Semitic ancestry. But this idea was rejected for several reasons (although I believe the Davidian Adventists still hold it to be true).
The next theory was considered was Personality. On the surface, this idea had a lot going for it. In fact, you could almost trace it down to the first century, showing that just as Simeon and Levi had a violent nature, so too did James and John. Judah was the spokesman and leader, not unlike Peter. Dan began as one of the twelve, but did not make the final count, very much like Judas. Thomas, like Joseph, was separated from his brethren, but later became a faithful and integral part of the work of the twelve.
In fact, even now those reasons still look pretty good; the only problem is that the theory is incomplete. Even if we can trace it down that far and find some striking similarities, it still doesn’t help us to discover the Tribes of the 144,000 with any certainty. We cannot give people personality tests to determine their Tribe. We wouldn’t even know what questions to ask beyond the very basics; and besides, only a portion of the Tribes’ destinies depended upon their personality traits. So we can set this theory aside for now, and see if, perhaps, it has value when combined with some other information.
We also considered the possibility of Tribes being divided by Spiritual Gifts. We read that Naphtali was associated with good and clear communication. Joseph was to be fruitful... perhaps an effective evangelist? Judah was a leader and gatherer, so we would have an apostle’s office identified by those predictions. Issachar was a hard worker, and there’s no shortage of work to be done in the routines of Church activities. Levi, associated with the Tabernacle, Urim and Thummim, would be the Tribe of the oracles, the prophets. Asher, associated with blessings of food, might be the health workers.
But this theory, like the determination by personality, is also lacking. Some individuals possess many spiritual gifts, and others one or two. In addition, Paul writes that we should “covet to prophesy,” (1Cor 14:39) indicating that we can gain, or awaken, spiritual gifts by prayer. So then, if this theory is true, what actually determines your Tribe? The gifts you start out with, or the ones you acquire? Can you change your Tribe if your gifts change? So that can’t be it either… at least, not all of it.
At this point, unsure of how to proceed, it was thought that maybe our Tribes were determined by some Inner Qualities that we were unable to easily see from the outside. In other words, the Levites were to be the priestly Tribe, but not every Levite was a priest – and certainly not every Gadite was temporarily overcome by enemies. So perhaps there was some quality of the soul that Yahweh could see, but that might not be developed to a visible level by the individual involved.
But on reflection, this is really just a non-answer, especially if we take it no further than that. We are given the list of Tribes for a reason. We are given the prophecies in Genesis and Deuteronomy for a reason. We are told that the 144,000 will have different gates of entry into New Jerusalem (Rev 21:12) for a reason. What is revealed, we are told, is for us and for our children; it is for our benefit that we have read and heard these things.
When considering any theory of the Tribes, we have to realize that what we are not told is just as important as what we are. For example, we know very little of Reuben’s destiny, and what we do know isn’t really very good… yet Reuben’s Tribe is sealed. We aren’t told much of Dan’s Tribe either, but there are none sealed from the Tribe of Dan; instead, the two from Joseph are considered separate Tribes.
But, as I said before, I think we have a “key,” and this last statement actually gives us a related clue. Remember, Yah’s word will come to pass, but since prophecy is conditional, the nature of its fulfillment can change, and also whether or not it will be a blessing or a curse. Yahweh said to Adam, after the fall, “Cursed is the ground for your sake,” intending it to be a blessing… work keeps us from the path of many temptations. But because of wars, mismanagement of resources, and human greed, the difficulty of the ground in bringing forth food has led to famine, starvation, and death for millions of people.
Conversely, as we saw above, the scattering of the Tribe of Levi was intended as divine punishment, but because of his descendants’ faith, this scattering turned out to be a blessing for both the Levites and the rest of the nation.
So then, this is an idea that may be worth considering: Just as Yah’s words can be curses or blessings depending on our faith-reactions to them, so the characteristics that the Tribes (or their founders) displayed may be either perversions or fulfillments of good principles. The good behavior of the sons of Jacob and their Tribes may be fulfillments of the qualities that Yah placed in them… the identifying qualities. And the bad behavior may be the same qualities, only inverted, exaggerated or suppressed by sin. But in either case, the core and characteristics remain, and – if indentified – might be useful in considering the divisions of the 144,000. It can potentially take into account all the incomplete theories above, regarding personality, spiritual gifts, and inner qualities.
What this does is takes the things we do know about the partial theories above, and puts them together with other information that, while invisible on their most basic level, can be manifest in either positive or negative ways. If that sounds a little confusing, give it some thought… and perhaps I can supply a couple examples to help.
As I said just now, we know little of Reuben, Tribally speaking, but what we do know is generally unpleasant. He is declared to have many offspring in Deuteronomy, however. So what is the common theme here? His crime was adultery; it was sexual, reproductive in nature. This is a perversion of the good principle (offspring, a healthy population) revealed by his descendants at the time of the Exodus. Spiritually, this could mean something related to evangelism. So you see, whether good or bad, the actions and words of an individual do reveal those inner qualities that perhaps only Yah can see clearly… but maybe Spirit-filled saints can see clearly enough to be useful.
Now look at Levi. Its Tribal father was violent, impulsive and vengeful. The descendants who redeemed the Tribe were faithful, but expressed their faith in a very forceful way… by eliminating the worst offenders at the Golden Calf apostasy. In both cases, we have a great deal of zeal… and this is something necessary for a judge, a prophet, and a witness. Levi himself perverted the principle that his children later demonstrated properly, but again we have a consistency that may be useful.
A third example… Judah. CSDAs have been told that our Tribal name is Judah. In both Genesis and Deuteronomy, there is a concept of Messianic presence, and of gathering. Because his behavior was not “cursed” in either Genesis or Deuteronomy, his characteristics are actually easier to evaluate. Judah is the first sealed in Revelation 7, and I think this is for a reason. If Judah is to be the gathering-place of all the Tribes, and if the CSDA Church has the tribal name of “Judah,” and no other Church is teaching the things necessary for sanctification in these last days…
This all becomes very significant. What is the purpose of the good principles that Yah gives to us? What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? What is the purpose of our bodies, mind and spirits? It is to serve Yahweh, and to serve our fellow man. What is the only setting in which this fulfills its divine potential? It is only in a Church setting. Thus, we can say, Judah is the Tribe of Gathering; it is the starting point for the development and right-use of talents. We can say, then… one must be gathered to Judah before one can discover his or her true place in Israel. If our personalities, spiritual gifts, inner qualities, or any combination of these measurable characteristics determine our Tribe, and these things can only be properly manifest in a Church setting, then the Tribe of Judah (the CSDA church as given that name) is the place to which we must be gathered to find these things.
Does that make sense to you?
We call Israelites in these days... what?
Judah was the gathering place for all the faithful of the other tribes after the Babylonian captivity. Same deal in the last days. We are all called CSDAs, and all identified by the title “Judah.” But within that, we have qualities that show us to be of the 12 tribes.
We consider that the twelve were, at times, called “Peter and the apostles.” There was one figure (tribe) to which the others were gathered, and by which they received an identification. It is possible to take that too far, of course, and we have the views of the Roman Catholic Church toward Peter as a warning. But these things are written as they are for a reason.
Judah’s purpose is to locate, gather, identify and seal the other Tribes. The apostle (head, father, chief, etc.) of Judah would then, logically, be the primary individual with the job of gathering the 144,000. When they are found, then their spiritual essence becomes apparent in the sanctified setting, and they will then match, I believe, the core principles of the 12 Tribes. Now, some Tribal fathers, and some Tribes altogether, failed to manifest these intended principles in history, and THIS is the reason why it has been so difficult to come up with a guideline to identify them. We must take into account three ideas: conditional prophecy, individual free-will, and the fact that Yah’s word must come true in one way or another, even if the appearance of the word’s fulfillment is altered.
I can therefore propose this: Because of those three principles, we have, between Genesis, Deuteronomy, and the rest of Scripture, enough details to be able to come up with a pattern of truth. With prayer, with thought and additional help from the Spirit, as we discuss and consider these things, we will discover this pattern. If there are errors, they will be eliminated. If there are truths, they will be expanded. We will be able to examine blessings of the Tribes, and even the “curses” placed upon the Tribes, seeing them as the perversion of misuse of talents… and therefore, what those talents were to have been. Again, all those passages,such as the ones we read, were given to us for an instructive, edifying reason.
If we consider the Scriptures about the Tribes with these elements in mind, I think the Spirit can now begin to reveal to us more and more light on the nature of the Children of Israel in this last generation.
Are there any questions about this so far?
Conclusion: What We Know For Sure
We know that the sealing is by Tribe. We know that the 144,000 are a phenomenon of the very last days of human history but, since they are gathered by the Three Angels’ Message of Revelation 14, they should also include all the individuals who believed that message. That places the origin of the 144,000 back in time about a hundred and fifty years, indicating that the full number is likely to include early Advent believers as well.
This being the case, the characteristics that identify one’s Tribe in the 144,000 is not going to be something that suddenly appears in humans right before the end, it is something that has to already be detectable before the death (and close of probation) for those individuals who now await the redemption of their bodies.
In our current understandable of “Israel,” it should be obvious that the sealing by Tribes is not some spiritualistic concept that cannot be known to us. In addition, we are teaching that the latter rain is falling now. We are teaching the sealing is going on now. Therefore, we ARE being divided into Tribes as we are located and find our place in Israel, in the Church, whether we realize it or not. And it would seem, from the history of genetic Israel, that whatever Tribe we find ourselves in, we will continue to be identified by the name Judah (and thus, CSDA) just as the Israelites today are called “Jews.” This has been a question of ours that I believe, at least this specific one, has a reasonable answer.
While the full light on this matter has not yet been given, we claim the promises of Yahweh that as we seek Him out, we will find Him. And certainly this truth, the nature of the Tribes, like all truth, must be a reflection and manifestation of His character. I believe that just as the 10 commandments, and the original 12 Tribes of Israel, were expressions of Yah’s nature, so the divisions of the 144,000 will represent various manifestations of the divine nature that we share with Yahshua. That means it will include, but not be limited to, personality, spiritual gifts, natural and developed talents, and all the other things that we acquire through our connection with the Father and Son.
But there is a work before us, and I hope that this information I have shared with you will help to stimulate and advance that work.
Are there any questions or final comments on today’s study?
I still believe that all CSDAs in this generation will be of the Tribe of Judah. The final gathering of the 144,000 will occur at the “special resurrection” when Judah gathers YAH’s people as the 12 tribes together. But, this still requires some education for the others that were resurrected, in order for them to find their respective gates of entry.
But if there are no other comments or questions, I will ask pastor to close our study, and may the Spirit continue to guide our growth in grace and knowledge.
We are thankful to be called to the “gathering of the 144,000” in these last moments of earth’s history. May we be made ready by your cleansing and our continued cooperation with your Spirit.
Thank you for your presence and power to save us to the uttermost. In YAHshua’s holy name, AMEN.
