Our Text …
“1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 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. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”
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We often hear of the “Ten lost Tribes” of Israel. Well, God has found them! And is preparing them, Tribe by Tribe, to witness for Him during the Tribulation! All the mentioned Tribes except Judah and Benjamin are from that (so-called “lost”) northern Kingdom of Israel.
Do not fall for the false doctrine sometimes called British-Israelism. It wrongly suggests that the Anglo-Saxon people are true Israelites! That is NOT the case! God’s people the Jews are descendants from Abraham through Isaac.
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As we mentioned in Class … the Tribe of Dan was totally omitted from this list! Because of sin …
Amos 8:14 … They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again. (Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan!)
Judges 18:30-31 … 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. And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. (More proof!)
But now let me show you an example of God’s inexplicable Grace …
During the Millennium, Dan is clearly restored to full status as a Tribe of Israel and is given an inheritance!
Ezekiel 48:2, a Millennial Passage, says so … “And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.”
Wow!
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There is no mention of Joseph’s Son Ephraim either! (Joseph’s other son, Manasseh, is mentioned!) Apparently the omission is for the very same reason …
Isaiah 7:17 … The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
Hosea 4:17 … Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
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I also failed to give this data about Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, who was demoted on the list …
Genesis 35:22 … And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it.
Immorality!
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In class I called Revelation chapter 7 “parenthetical,” an “aside” to explain certain necessary concepts or events for us to grasp.
There are at least three such “interludes” in Revelation …
Here in Chapter 7, all 17 verses! (The 144,000 Preachers and their martyred converts!)
Revelation 10:1 through 11:13! (The Two Witnesses!)
Revelation 12:1 through 14:20! (The Dragon and the Two Beasts!)
Very helpful information!
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A few other little nuggets ought to be mentioned, but I will just wait and insert them in the next video lesson or two.
Now, may I invite you to watch the whole class?
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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