The Revelations in Revelation

Chapter 7

The Beautiful Message Told by the 144,000 Servants

Rev 7:3 tells us that the destruction of the tribulation wrath doesn’t start until after God’s
servants have been sealed with His mark (also read Ezk 9:4, 9:6, Rev 14:1). In verse 4, we’re told
that these servants are from “every tribe of the children of Israel.” But if you take a close look at
the list of the tribes in verses 5-8, you’ll see that it seems to contradict what was said in verse 4.
The tribe of Dan is not included in this list. Furthermore, it looks as if Dan’s tribe has been
replaced by Manasseh; which is somewhat odd for a number of reasons. First, Manasseh is not a
tribe. His ‘family’ belongs to the tribe of Joseph. So, why is Manasseh even in this list? Second,
why is Joseph also included in the list? It seems a bit redundant for both Joseph and his
offspring to be mentioned. Third, after Jacob adopted Joseph’s children as his direct
descendants (Gen 48:5), Ephraim, Joseph’s second son, was given Jacob’s birth-right blessing
over Manasseh (Gen 48:14). Shouldn’t Ephraim be included instead of Manasseh? Fourth, since
Manasseh is in the list, why isn’t Ephraim? Yes, we can assume that he’s technically included
since he’s of the tribe of Joseph. But, again, since Manasseh is specifically included, why isn’t
Ephraim?

Another peculiarity about this list is that some of the tribes are not given in any of the orders
presented in the Old Testament. Gen 29-30 lays out the tribe’s birth-order, Gen 49 presents the
order of Jacob’s prophesies (Ephraim and Manasseh are in Gen 48), Num 1 shows the order of
the first census. And, Num 2 and 10 give the order of encampment and departure, respectively.
The list in Rev 7 doesn’t match any of these. We can see from reading Jacob’s prophesy (Gen
49:8-10) that it’s logical for the tribe of Judah to take the first spot in this list. This also makes
sense because Yeshua is from the tribe of the Judah which is a fulfillment of the prophesy.
Based on Jacob’s blessings and the birth order it’s also logical to put Reuben in the second spot.
The next six spots seem to be in some random order, though. Then the last four tribes are listed
in order of birth. But why aren’t all of the tribes either listed in order of birth, census,
encampment or departure?

Before we try to dissect all of this, let’s look at what some Biblical scholars believe about why
Dan isn’t listed in Rev 7. Most appear to be divided into two camps. Some believe that Dan is
excluded because the tribe atrociously and irrevocably defiled themselves when they renewed
the practice of worshiping false gods, particularly Ba’al (Jdg 18:30). Others believe that they’re
not listed because the entire tribe was wiped out in the Assyrian invasion as punishment for
their idol worshiping.

There’s actually quite of bit of Biblical evidence to support these claims. For instance, Amos 8:14
says about the tribe of Dan: “They that swear by the sin of Samaria. They vow…Oh Dan…But they
will fall down and not get up again.” The sin of Samaria is talking about their worship of Ashima,

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a Canaanite mother-goddess. This also seems to support the claim that the tribe was wiped out,
as it says: “they will fall and not get up again.”

Ba’al in ancient Hebrew means: “yoked to nothing” Ba = void, nothing; al = yoke

This is why Jer 2:8 says: “…the prophets prophesied by Ba’al and followed things that do not profit
them.” They chased after a god or idols that has no value.

How prominent was Ba’al worship in the OT? You only need to look at the number of cities named
after him to find out. There’s: Ba’al-hanan, Ba’al-zephon, Bamoth-ba’al, Ba’al-peor, Ba’al-meon, Ba’al
gad, Kiriath-ba’al, Ba’al-hermon, Ba’al-berith, Ba’al-tamer, Ba’al-perazim, Ba’al-judah, Ba’al-hazor, Ba-
al-shalishah, and Gur-ba’al. When you also take into account the number of sons named after Ba’al
listed throughout 1 Chronicles, you can see that the worship of Ba’al was probably greater than any
other false god.

People are still following Ba’al to this day, particularly when they become obsessed with material
(empty) things. Yeshua speaks about this in Matt 6:19-20 when He tells us to store our treasures in
Heaven. He’s saying that anything that man considers a treasure of or from this world has no value,
it’s worthless.

Jer 32:35 tells us that when someone sacrificed a child, they were sacrificing to Ba’al and Molech. In
truth, it makes no difference if the child hasn’t been born yet. Once conceived, the baby is a gift
from God and is a part of the mother. Therefore, the unborn child belongs to the mother as a living
part of her. When does it become a living being? God tells us in Gen 9:4 that the blood IS the life of
a being. So, technically when the fetus starts to receive the mother’s blood, it is a living human.

Jer 7:9 shows us the deeds that followers of Ba’al commit in its name “…steal, murder, commit
adultery, swear by false gods.” (Matt 15:19, 19:1), Society today is really no different than the
people of the past who worshiped Ba’al. Most just don’t realize what they’re really following.

The ancient Hebrew meanings for some of the other false gods mentioned in the Bible:
Asheroth = mark of despair
Ba’al zebub = extreme conflict/opposition while yoked to nothing
Ashima = turbulent/raging despair
Asherah = fear and despair
Molech = king of shame

Although it’s not mentioned in the Bible: Allah = yoked to weariness.

Ref: “Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible” by Jeff A. Benner

Jacob’s prophesies for his sons laid out in Gen 49 also provides what appears to be more
seriously damning information against Dan. In Gen 49:16-18 he says: “Dan will judge his people
as one of Israel’s tribes. Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper on the path that bites at the
heels of horses, causing their riders to fall off. Yahweh, I wait for Your salvation.” This appears to
be another condemnation. And it presents us with a couple of other questions. If this is a

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condemnation, why does the first line of the prophecy say: “Dan will judge his people AS one of
Israel’s tribes” and the last line of the prophecy say “Yahweh, I wait for Your salvation”?

Let’s look at the serpent and viper statements first. Any time these creatures are mentioned in
the Bible it almost always signifies rebellion against God. We can see this in the narrative of the
serpent in the garden in Genesis and in the book of Numbers when vipers entered the Hebrew
camp and struck down many of them. The snake on the pole that Moses was told to lift up to
heal the people actually represented rebellion. The people were bitten by the vipers because
they, once again, spoke out against God (Num 21:5). Although some people believe that this
event was a foreshadow of Yeshua’s crucifixion, Num 21:8 makes it clear that this brass snake
didn’t represent Yeshua. It says: “Make a fiery (poisonous) serpent out of brass and fasten it to
a pole…” There is absolutely no way that Yeshua could ever be associated with a poisonous
snake! Moreover, we know from Gen 3:15 that the snake will bite the heel of Yeshua as He steps
on its head. This alone tells us that the snake on the pole doesn’t represent Him; He can’t be
bitten by the serpent and represent the serpent. This is also made explicitly clear in 2 Kings 18:4
“He (King Ahaz) removed the high places, demolished the sacred pillars, and tore down the
Asherah poles. He also demolished the brass serpent that Moses had crafted, because the Israelites
had been burning incense to it right up until that time. Hezekiah called it a piece of brass.” This
signifies that this molten serpent made by Moses didn’t have anything to do with Yeshua. So,
what did it represent? It’s actually a reflection of the actions of the people, their rebellious
nature. In other words, God was making them look at what they had become. He was saying to
them: ‘Look at yourselves! You’ve lifted yourself up in rebellion. You people are vipers! But
because of My mercy, I will heal you anyway.’

We can see this same accusation in Matt 12:34 and 23:33 where Yeshua accuses the priests and
scribes of being vipers. He called them vipers because they were injecting the poison of their
man-made laws, customs, and beliefs, which were counter to God’s laws and precepts, into the
people (Ps 58:3-4). This caused the people to sin and rebel against God. This means that these
priests and scribes had modified and dismantled God’s commandments with their own. The
same thing Adam and Eve did after being led astray by the serpent and eating from the
forbidden tree. People are doing the same thing today, particularly when they modify the
commandments with their own perceptions, say that the commandments aren’t important or
have been abolished. They are eating from the forbidden tree. When they eat this fruit they lift
themselves up in rebellion against God. The difference between these people and Adam and Eve
though, was that Adam and Eve realized what they had done and hid themselves from God in
shame. The shame of their nakedness is a representation of their rebelliousness in sin. We can
read this in Eze 23:29. Yeshua also speaks of this nakedness in Rev 3:18 and 16:15. Much like
people today, the priests and scribes that Yeshua were talking to were too proud, arrogant,
and/or ignorant to even see how they were rebelling. This is why Yeshua denounced them with
his scathing statement in John 8:44 “You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry
out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for

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truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, because he is a
liar and the father of lies.” We’ll look at this denunciation more closely later.

Going back to the analogy of the viper associated with Dan, we can see that he isn’t biting the
people directly, he’s biting at the heels of the horses which causes the rider to fall off. What
does this mean? If we look at the horses as a metaphor for someone or something carrying a
person into rebellion against God, it makes more sense. Couple this with the action of the rider
falling off and the fact that Dan will judge Israel, I think we can now deduce the meaning. Dan
represents a serpent who will hiss (speak) harsh words and at the same time he's a viper who
bites at the heels of those who are carrying people into apostasy causing them to fall. Does this
mean that Dan is helping to cause the apostasy or that he’s doing God’s work? I think we need
more details before we can answer that. But first, let’s look more into the theory that Dan is
excluded from the list because he fell so far away from God.

It does seem that when we take everything we’ve learned so far into account, we’re left to
reasonably conclude that the exclusion of Dan might mean that the tribe is no longer associated
with Israel. However, if you read Jdg 18 closely you’ll see that some in the tribe of Levi and the
families of Manasseh and Ephraim were also united with the tribe of Dan in worshiping these
idols. Yet, Levi and Manasseh are included in the list of servants. A very telling, and very
damning, piece of information against Levi is presented in Jdg 18:18-20 “…the priest [tribe of
Levi] challenged them. “What are you doing?” he asked them. They [tribe of Dan] told him, “Shut
up and keep quiet. Come with us and be our spiritual father and priest. It’s better for you, isn’t it,
to be a priest to an entire tribe and family in Israel than to be priest to the home of one man?” The
priest was happy to oblige…” This looks like they’ve taken themselves beyond just worshiping
idols here. They’ve replaced God, their true spiritual Father, with a man! This isn’t saying that
this priest is being worshiped as a god. It means that this priest, who is acting as their spiritual
father, is leading their spiritual beliefs and precepts. This is why Yeshua said in Matt 23:9 “And
do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ because you have only one Father, the One in heaven.” This is
obviously not talking about our paternal father. If it were, God wouldn’t have given us the 5 th
Commandment. This is saying that if you call a minister, priest, or religious leader ‘father’ you’re
implying that that person is your spiritual father. Since you’re supposed to obey a father figure,
you’re likely to follow him wherever he leads you. What makes this event even worse is that this
priest was happy to take on the role. Wow! Talk about rebelling against God. This will happen
again when the anti-christ comes on the scene. Many will ask him to be their spiritual father and
he will gladly oblige.

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 What happened in Jdg 18 occurred again in Yeshua’s day. When the people were given the option of
releasing Yeshua or Barabbas in Matt 27:21 and Luke 23:18, they were being offered the choice of
accepting the Son of God or the son of satan. To see this, we have to look at the Hebrew meaning of the
name Barabbas, as well as what we’re told about his character. His Hebrew name is broken down as:
Bar - son, abba - [of] your father. We’re told that he was a murderer and he was involved in a rebellion.
Now, let’s examine what Yeshua says about the priests who He calls vipers in Jn 8:44 again: “You belong
to your father the devil [sons of your father, satan], and you want to carry out the desires of your father
[sinful and lawless deeds]. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for truth
[rebellion], since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, because he is a
liar and the father of lies [this speaks to the 3rd commandment].” In other words, Yeshua is telling them
“you are Bar abba” – ‘sons of satan,’ a murder who is leading a rebellion against Me.’ All people --- past,
present, and future ---who rebel against God have also taken the name of ‘Bar abba;’ they are
rebellious murderers. The most prominent will be the next anti-christ. He is a son of satan and he will
pop up again before the Great Persecution and the tribulation wrath begins.

The 6th commandment says “Do not murder.” We take this to mean not to physically kill someone. But
it can also mean to spiritually kill someone which would cause them to rebel against God. This means
that if someone leads a person away from God (apostasy), whether intentionally or not, they are
complicit in marking that person for death. Therefore, they have committed murder. This is exactly
what satan did to Adam and Eve in the garden. This is why Yeshua said in Jn 8:44 that satan is a
murderer from the beginning. Someone can also be morally killed when they’re slandered, defamed, or
the subject of gossip. This is killing their character, which could lead them to sin and ultimately to
death. 1 John 3:14-15 puts it this way: “… He who does not love his brother abides in death [sin].
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.”

Based on everything we’ve seen so far we can understand why some scholars believe that Dan’s
sin was so abominable that the tribe has forfeited their placement or has been wiped out. But if
this is true, the tribes of Levi and Joseph should be implicated, as well. Yet, they’re both still
included in the list of servants.

Let’s look at Gen 49:16 again: “Dan will judge his people as one of Israel’s tribes.” I think this
statement helps us to debunk both of the theories posited by the scholars. This prophesy
clearly states that the tribe of Dan will be a judge against the people AS one of the tribes of
Israel. It’s also significant to note that this prophesy hasn’t come true yet. This clearly means
that they haven’t been ejected from Israel and they haven’t been wiped out. So, Dan must have
a place with the tribes somewhere within Rev 7 because it says that the list represents “every”
tribe of Israel. We also have to assume that Ephraim should be in this list because Manasseh is
included as a tribe. When Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his sons, he made them
part of his tribe.

Before we can begin our analysis of the list, we have to discuss a few more topics to get a better
understanding of the purpose behind the tribes mentioned. First, we need to look at the
function of the servants who make up the tribes listed in Rev 7:5-8. Then we’ll look at the

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significance of the meaning of names. Next, we’ll search for the hidden message behind the
names. And lastly, we’ll bring both the tribe of Dan and Joseph’s son, Ephraim, into the picture.

We know that the 144,000 servants will have a very important role. This is evident by the fact
that they will be the only people on earth who will have God’s mark. We’re told in Rev 14:1 that
the mark will be the names of Yeshua AND Yahweh. This mark is given to them because they’ve
been selected to stay on earth after His followers are raptured to minister to those left behind
during the tribulation wrath. The names are a mark of ownership and protection, and it denotes
their assignment as prophets of God. Once marked they will be made completely and
irrevocably righteous. This means that they cannot be swayed by the temptation of satan or the
world. And like the prophets of old, their only desire will be to do the will of God. According to
Rev 20:4 some of them will be murdered just like the prophets in the Old Testament. Even the
two ultimate prophets in Rev 11:3 will be murdered (compare Rev 11:3-6 with Zech 4:3 and 4:11-
16). The 144,000 servants will not have the power to administer plagues or the power to
consume people with fire as it says of the two ultimate prophets in Rev 11:5 “And if anyone
should want to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouths and burns up their enemies…” The fire is
a metonymy for how the Word of God issued by these prophets will condemn people to the pit
of fire. This means that the two prophets are given the power to judge and condemn.
Additionally, as prophets marked with the seal of God, the 144,000 will obviously not experience
any of the trials or tribulations, (i.e. plagues and devastation) of the wrath. This, together with
their deeds which will always reflect the will of God, will set them apart in the eyes of the sons of
satan (Bar abba), who will take every opportunity to harm them. The righteous blood that these
unrighteous people spill will only further condemn them (Matt 23:35, Rev 17:6). These 144,000
will remain on earth through the entire tribulation period. These prophets will be united with
Yeshua on earth at the end of the wrath, when He comes to setup His kingdom and judge those
who endured His wrath.

For the next step in our analysis we need to look at why names are often important in the Bible.
In most cases, when a list is given in the Bible, the Hebrew meaning behind the name or word
and the order in which it’s presented (if any) has significance. This is especially true with names.
Usually, the meaning of a name or word can give a more vivid picture of the story being told
and they most often reflect some hidden treasure about Yeshua. These treasures are hidden in
layers. The deeper you dig, the more amazed and awed you will be at the profound beautify of
His Word. For instance, in Ex 15:2 it says: “Yah is my strength and song, and He has become my
salvation. The Hebrew word for “salvation” is Yeshua. Yeshua is Jesus’ Hebrew name. This
name carries so much more meaning than the Greek name of Jesus. I’ll show you later that His
Hebrew name is plastered throughout the Old Testament. His Greek name can only be found in
the New Testament. Also, His Hebrew name isn’t typically presented in our English Bibles.
Because of this, we often have difficulty finding Him in the OT and understanding the true
meaning of the tri-union (trinity). This union is mentioned sporadically throughout the
scriptures, particularly in the OT, and it can be easily found when we know how to look for it.

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So, let’s look at this verse more closely. The name “Yah” is short for Yahweh. This is used many
times in the Hebrew scriptures, especially by David. But, like finding Yeshua, you can usually only
see this when you’re looking at the Hebrew text. “Yahweh” is God’s real name. He personally
spoke His name three times on earth in the presence of Moses; Ex 3:15, 6:3, and 34:6. In these
verses He says His name is: YHVH (Yud, Hey, Vav, Hey). Phonentically and collectively these
Hebrew letters are pronounced as “Yahweh.” All other “supposed names” like: God, Lord, Most
High, God Almighty, Lord of Host, etc., are titles of authority. I believe “Yah” is a name of
endearment, like you’d use with your most intimate friend or loved one. This is why David uses
the name many times in Psalms. You’re actually saying this name every time you proclaim
“Halleluiah!’ The Hebrew spelling is “Halleluyah.” This word means “Praise Yah!” You can also
see this when you look at the English names that have “iah” at the end. For example, Isaiah; his
Hebrew name is “Yeshuayahu’ which means “Yah is my Yeshua.” This would probably be
translated as “the LORD is my salvation” in your English Bible. Jeremiah’s name in Hebrew is
Yirmeyahu and means “Yah will be exalted.” Ex 15:2 is obviously saying that ‘Yahweh is Yeshua.’
This verse is just one of the many instances that shows us that Yahweh is intimately and
inextricably connected with Yeshua.

Next, look at Jer 33:2 “Thus says Yahweh our Maker.” This one is a great illustration of the
hidden treasures in names and words and it’ll show you a beautiful side of who God is. The
verse seems pretty straightforward. On the surface we’re being told that ‘God is our creator,’
which is what your English Bible probably says. However, if we look at the actual Hebrew word
for “maker” something very special pops out. In Hebrew “maker” is ‫ – עשה‬asah (ah-saw).
Embedded in this word is ‘ ‫‘ שה‬- sah (saw) which is the Hebrew word for “lamb.” The first letter
- ‫( ע‬ayin) – in ancient Hebrew is a picture of an eye and has the meaning: ‘to see/behold.’ So, in
this one verse He’s telling us that He is “Yahweh our creator” and “Yahweh, see/behold the
Lamb.” Is this saying that Yahweh is our lamb? Yes, it is! We’re told that Yeshua is our sacrificial
Lamb. I’ve already shown you that “Yahweh is our Yeshua (salvation).” They are one. You can
see this in the English Bible when you read verses like: ‘the LORD is our/my salvation’ or ‘the
LORD is our/my savior.’ The title “LORD” in the English Bible is actually written as YHVH –
Yahweh – in the original Hebrew text. And, as you’ve seen above, Yeshua means “salvation” or
“savior.” We also know that Yahweh and Yeshua are one because Yeshua tells us this in Jn 17:22
“And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are
One.” This all helps to explain the first two parts of the tri-union. As for the Spirit; we can see
Him in the opening chapter of Genesis when God’s Spirit is hovering above the waters. And
we’re also told by Yeshua in John 4:24 that “God is Spirit…” There’s the tri-union: Yahweh is
Yeshua and is the Holy Spirit. They are all one.

Let’s do one more. Ex 34:14 “…indeed, you are not to bow down in worship to any other god,
because Yahweh’s name is Jealous— I AM a jealous God…” We can read in many places
throughout scriptures where Yahweh says “I AM a jealous God.” But this verse is the only one
where He tells us that His name also means Jealous. Obviously, this is a metonymy that carries
more information than what it seems. The Hebrew word for jealous is ‘qanna.’ Strong’s

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concordance indicates that the word can mean jealous or zealous. But in ancient Hebrew the
concrete definition for this word is ‘nest’ and the abstract definition is ‘zealous or jealous.’ The
Hebrew word for nest is ‘qan’ which, as you can see, is the first three letters in ‘qanna.’ So, we
can see the Hebrew word for ‘nest’ in the word for jealous. This is a bit odd. Why would He
refer to Himself as a ‘nest’? We have to answer a few questions for this to make sense. Who
makes the nest? The mother bird. Why does she build the nest? To lay her eggs and to feed
and care for her young. And, who uses the nest? The family of hatch-lings until they can fly. I
know what you’re probably thinking; I’m stretching this one. But put some thought into this. He
made this statement just after the Hebrew’s worshiped and partied to the golden calf they had
created while Moses was on the mountain getting the stone tablets. You can probably recall
how angry God was about this. In fact, He wanted to do away with them all together. But
Moses talked Him out of destroying the Hebrews and asked Him to continue caring for and
guiding them. So, when He said His name means Jealous, He was telling them that He is their
jealous/zealous mother bird, building them a nest, feeding and caring for them to raise them
into a family. Isn’t this what He did while the Hebrews traversed the desert and went into the
promised land? This all comes together in Deut 32:10 and 16 “He found him in a desert land,
and in the waste, a howling wilderness. He encircled him and cared for him; He guarded him as
the pupil of His eye. As the eagle stirs up its nest (qan); it hovers over its young; it spreads out its
wings and takes it and bears it on its wing.” 16 “Jacob dined until satisfied; Jeshurun grew fat and
kicked. He grew fat, coarse, and gross, so that he abandoned God his Maker (asah – behold the
lamb) and spurned the Rock that was his salvation (Yeshua). They provoked him to jealousy
(qanna) over foreign gods and to anger over detestable things.” Pretty amazing, wouldn’t you
say?

An even more striking example of how the meaning of Hebrew names are used to tell a hidden
story can be seen if you compile a list of the meaning of the names from Adam to Yeshua. I’m
not going to present it to you here because it’s really not the purpose of this chapter and it’s
somewhat lengthy. If you’re interested and you don’t want to take the time to compile it
yourself, you can search for it on the Internet. In this list of name-meanings Yahweh has
embedded a beautiful message of how He will redeem us on the cross. This in itself is
remarkable because of the time span involved. It took over 4000 years for God to paint this
portrait using these names. A feat that man could not conceive of or accomplish by himself
since it would require a predetermined strategy starting with Adam and demand that each
successive father after him keeps to the program. This truly shows that the Bible is from God
and proves that it hasn’t been corrupted over the years.

Oddly, if we try to use the meaning for the names given in Rev 7:5-8 it doesn’t provide us with
anything notable. It’s one of those rare instances where the meaning of the names associated
with a list doesn’t provide us with any deeper insights. I suppose you’re wondering why I spent
so much time on this topic? Well, you’ll need to have the information about Yahweh and
Yeshua to understand what’s coming later. I also wanted to show you the beauty of His Word
and how even the smallest word can reveal His hidden treasures. These treasures are presented

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in the first sentence of Genesis and are placed throughout the entire Bible. Most of them are
really not hard to find when you know how to look for them: ”seek and you shall find…”

Because we can’t use the meaning of the names, we’ll have to attack this from a different angle.
Another rare instance in the Bible are the proclamations that were made when the children of
Jacob were born. Often when a name is given for the first time the meaning of the name is the
only other information provided. But when each of these names are given Leah, Rachel, and
Joseph make a statement about the circumstances surrounding the event. For example, in Gen
29:32 we’re told why Leah named her first boy Reuben. It says: “Leah conceived, bore a son, and
named him Reuben, because she said, “The Lord has seen my humiliation/affliction, now my
husband will love me.” The meaning of Reuben’s name is simply “Behold a son.” This is the
missing piece of the puzzle. We need to replace the names in Rev 7:5-8 with the reasons they
were given. When we do this, we will finally see the details behind the ordering of the list and
its true hidden purpose.

You can find these proclamations in Gen 29, 30, and 41.

Judah - Now I will praise Yahweh.

Reuben - Because Yahweh has seen my humiliation/affliction; now my husband will love me.
Gad - Fortune has come.
Asher - How happy am I! For daughters will call me blessed. (The ancient Hebrew word for
daughter can also mean ‘the apple of my eye.’)
Naphtali - I have wrestled mightily with my sister and I have prevailed/overcome/ persevered (the
Hebrew root word for sister is – brother. Overcoming is exactly what Yeshua tells us we must do
to win the victory in Rev 2-3. But notice here that the victory has been won.)
Manasseh - God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.
Simeon - Because Yahweh has heard that I was hated, he has given me this son. (Look at what
Yeshua says in Matt 10:22 and 24:9)
Levi - Now this time my husband will be joined/united to me. (The word for ‘time – pa’am – can
denote an interval of time or a continuation, like: at length, for all time or eternity.)
Issachar - God has given me my reward/compensation, because I gave my servant to my
husband.
Zebulun - God has endowed me with a good gift. Now my husband will live/dwell with me.
Joseph - God has taken away my disgrace.
Benjamin – Don’t be afraid! For now you will also have this son. (Rachel didn’t actually say this.
Her midwife said it because Rachel was facing a severe trial in a very difficult labor. In fact, she
died after giving birth. This information, as you’ll see later, imparts more significance to the
purpose behind this proclamation and how it relates to a certain group of people after the
rapture.)

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Here's the message that comes together so far:

Now I will praise Yahweh. Because Yahweh has seen my humiliation/affliction, now my
husband will love me. Fortune has come! How happy am I! For the apple of my eye will
call me blessed. I have wrestled mightily with my sister/brother and I have
prevailed/overcome. Yahweh has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.
Because Yahweh has heard that I was hated, he has given me this [His] son. Now, for all
time my husband will be joined/united to me. Yahweh has given me my
reward/compensation because I gave my servant to my husband. Yahweh has endowed
me with a good gift. Now my husband will live/dwell with me. Yahweh has taken away
my disgrace. Don’t be afraid! For now you will also have this [His] son.

The statement “…and all my father’s house” given about Manasseh, isn’t talking about
God’s house. It’s referring to the worldly house of affliction/misery. A house that all
humans are living in. We are presently dwelling in the house of sin. The foundation of
this house was laid by Adam, our first father. We can also see this in Gen12:1 when God
told Abram to “leave…your father’s house…” We know that Abram’s father made and
worshiped idols. This would strongly suggest that Abram also worshiped these idols.
One of the most prevalent gods in Ur was known as Nanna, the moon god. It was also
known as Sin in Aramaic. The Hebrew alphabet has a letter named “sin” which is the
picture of a thorn and means ‘to pierce.’ We know that Abram’s father, Terah, went with
Abram when he left Ur. So, obviously God wasn’t telling Abram to get away from his
father. When God told him to leave his father’s house, He was saying ‘Stop sinning
against Me by worshiping false gods of your father, and follow Me.’ I suppose a more
descriptive way to say this is ‘Stop being a piercing thorn to Me, and follow Me.’ Rev 1:7
says “Every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him.”

Pretty powerful, isn’t it?! This is why some of the names weren’t listed in the specified
orders given in Genesis and Numbers. It wouldn’t give us this message if they were. It
also explains why Manasseh and Joseph are included in the list. As you’ll see later,

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Joseph’s inclusion, and the names that follow him, are actually for the group of people
who are left behind and start their love-relationship with Yeshua after the rapture.

Now let’s look at what it says in Rev 7:9-10 immediately following this list: “After this I
looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and
of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb [do
you remember what Jer 33:2 says?], dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their
hands. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation is our God, [in other words: Yeshua is
our Yahweh -- exactly what will be written on the foreheads of the servants (Rev 7:3, 14:1)]
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” We know from other scriptures that Yeshua is
our bridegroom. We can also read that He’s our reward and that we will be joined/united
with Him. And we know that when this happens, we’ve won – prevailed. Can you see that
this is exactly what this hidden message in Rev 7 is telling us. Once we’re raptured the
marriage ceremony is complete. He is now our husband, and we are then officially
married to Him forever. We’re told this in Rev 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give
Him glory! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared
herself – fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear.” Then in Rev 19:9 it says:
“…How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb! Then he
added, “These are God’s very words!” Even today a wedding feast doesn’t occur until after
the wedding. Now look at the reasons given for the names of Issachar, Levi, Zebulun, and
Asher again:

Issachar - ‘ God has given me my reward/compensation, because I gave my servant to my

husband.’ Another way of saying this is ‘I gave myself as a servant to my husband.’ We can
read it this way because the servant belongs to the master. The servant can represent the
master and act on the master’s behalf. More importantly, in those days when a female servant
was giving birth to the child of her master’s husband, the servant would sit between the legs of
her master and recline on the master’s stomach. In this way, when the baby was born it was as
if the master had delivered the baby herself. It was the early form of having a surrogate
mother. This was why Leah and Rachel could claim the children born through their servants as
their own. This is how Issachar was born. In these cases it can be said that the master and the
servant are one. And it’s why we can change this verse to read “I gave myself as a servant to
my husband.’

Levi - ‘Now, for all time my husband will be joined/united to me.’

Zebulun - God has endowed me with a good gift. Now my husband will live/dwell with me.’

Asher “How happy am I! The apple of my eye will call me blessed.”

Do these seemingly obscure statements make more sense now? They’re talking about our
marriage to Yeshua, how the marriage vows can never be broken and how we’ll live with Him
for eternity. The story told through the 144,000 servants fits perfectly with Rev 19:7-9.

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 Rev 19:9 “How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!
Then he added “these are God’s very words.”

Asher: “The apple of my eye will call me blessed,” indeed!

Now we can tackle the questions regarding Dan and Ephraim. How do they fit in to all of this?
Rachel said she named her first son Dan because “God has judged me, He heard my voice, and
has given me this son!” (Gen 30:6). Do you remember what it says in Jacob’s prophesy in Gen
49:16-18? “Dan will judge his people...” Do you recall that as a serpent Dan will hiss harsh
words? And that the last line of the prophesy says “Yahweh, I wait for Your salvation.”? Rachel is
basically saying the same thing in her proclamation. We know that Dan should be in the list
because Rev 7:4 says that every tribe of Israel is included. Gen 30:6 and Gen 49:16-18 tells us
why he should be included. He’s a judge (prophet) who will bring people to their salvation,
Yeshua. He’s going to speak harsh words of condemnation as a prophet of God to those who
have fallen and the people will feel the sting. Jacob’s prophesy indicates that he may be
assigned specifically to the Jews. At any rate, this is the one exception when the metaphor for
the serpent/viper doesn’t directly represent rebellion. It does in the respect that the people who
Dan will be speaking to have rebelled against God. But the servants from the tribe of Dan are
not in rebellion here. Which means they are not assisting in the apostasy. This would also imply
that the tribe will be prophets during the entire tribulation period.

Next, we have to determine where he fits into the list. We’ve already decided that it’s not by
order of birth. The other ordered listings of the tribes are in Num 1:5-15, Num 1:21-43, and
Num 10:14-27. These don’t even agree with each other, much less the list we’re concerned with.
I think this is telling us that we’re not supposed to use the order of these lists for this purpose.
There’s another order of placement given in Num 2:31 that pertains to Dan. It tells us that Dan is
placed last in the order of departure from the camp “All those numbered of the camp of Dan are
157,600. They will travel last, under their standards.” Num 10:27 also tells us that Dan is the rear
guard for the camp, but it puts him in the tenth spot in this list. We can’t put him in the tenth
spot of the Rev 7 list because it’s already occupied by Zebulun. Since Num 2:31 specifically says
that he’s placed last in the order of departure, I think we should put him there. So now we know
why Dan fits into the list and we have a place for him.

What about Ephraim? Gen 41:52 says that Joseph: “…named his second son Ephraim because, he
said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my misery/afflictions.” The ‘land of my
misery/affliction’ is a direct reference to Egypt (Ex 3:17). The Hebrew word for Egypt is
‘Mitsrayim’ (Mits-rah-eem) which means: ‘abundant misery.’ Pharaoh ruled Egypt as a cruel,
hard-hearted, sniff necked, lying, idol worshiping, tyrant. We know that Babylon represents the
actions of people who have prostituted themselves with other gods. It also represents a society
that puts money and possessions above God. Egypt is a metaphor for a sinful, cruel world ruled

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by people who act like pharaoh. When Israel was in Egypt they were in misery and affliction
because pharaoh oppressed and persecuted them. When Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt
they were taking Him away from the persecution of a ruler who was acting like pharaoh. We’re
told in Rev 7:13-15 that this is going to happen again during the tribulation. “One of the elders
asked me, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they, and where are they from? Sir, I
answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great
Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb. This
is why they are before God’s throne.” You should understand that this persecution is not the
same as the tribulation wrath. The wrath is from God as a punishment. The persecution is
executed out of hatred by the sons of satan – Bar abba -- (Matt 10:21). We’re told that before
the rapture happens, some of Yeshua’s followers will be subjected to persecution (Lk 21:12).
Yeshua says in Rev 2:10 “Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! Satan is going to
throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering.
Be faithful even until death, and I will give you the victory crown of life.” The reason these people
are raptured and are standing before the throne is because they’ve been true and faithful to
Yeshua and His Word even under severe persecution. A persecution that will be administered
by rulers who will act like pharaoh. These raptured people are “followers” of Yeshua which
means so much more than just believing in Him. Yes, it’s important to believe that Yeshua is the
Son of God and He died on the cross for us, but that’s only the beginning and it can’t stop there.
To be a follower you must love Him, honor Him, have faith/trust in Him, AND keep His
commandments. We’re told this throughout scriptures. Here’s just one compilation as an
example.

Deut 6:4 “…Yahweh is your God. Yahweh is one/first; and you are to love Yahweh your God with
all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your might.” Ps 86:92 “I will praise Yahweh my God
with my whole being; and I will honor His name continuously.” 1 Sam 2:30 “The one who honors
Me, I will honor.” Mk 11:22 “Have faith/trust in God! Rom 4:5 “Abraham’s faith was credited to
him as righteousness.” Rom 4:16 “Therefore, the promise is based on faith/trust, so that it may be
a matter of grace...” Jn 14:15 “If you love Me, keep (guard, follow) My commandments” (this is a
command not a request). Jn 14:21 “The person who has My commandments (written on their
heart and mind) and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by
My Father, and I, too, will love him and reveal Myself to him.”

When we reach this level of love and commitment we strive to bring others to Him, which
means we’re being obedient and fruitful. We’re multiplying the love He gives to us. Do the
words “Be fruitful and multiply” come to mind? Another change that happens within us when
we reach this level is our compassion for others. We’re supposed to love our brothers and
sisters. We may not like or condone what they do, but we’re still supposed to love them
because we’re all from the same family. Yeshua tells us in Matt 25:31-46 how we’re supposed to

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show this love and how it will be used to separate the people who will be raptured from those
who will stay behind. This is what sets His followers apart from the norm.

You must also understand that the persecution and hatred won’t stop after His followers have
been raptured. This is why it says “These are the people who have come out of the Great
Persecution.” This is saying that the persecution continues even after His followers have been
removed. There will be many people who will start to follow Him after the rapture because of
the signs and wonders they’ve witnessed and what they hear from the servants. These new
followers, many of them were just believers before, will be persecuted to the end of the wrath
period. The “Great Persecution” will extend from almost the beginning of the tribulation period
and won’t end until the wrath is over. It will cover a period of nearly seven years. Do you think
the attacks we're seeing now on the Christian community means that it has started? We'll have
to wait to see for sure. But when we consider this, together with the great apostasy spoken of by
Yeshua in Matt 24:8-10 (known as “wokism” today), things do seem to be lining up.

The proclamation associated with Ephraim’s name gives us the reason the followers of Yeshua
will be taken out of the misery and affliction (great persecution) before the tribulation wrath
begins. Exactly what Rev 7:13-15 says! It’s also what Rev 18:4 tells us “…My people, come out of
her! (this is another command not a request) so that you will not share in her sins, so that you
will not be infected by her plagues…” God is calling His followers out of Egypt/Babylon before
the tribulation wrath starts. This is further supported by what we’re told happens after the 6 th
seal is opened. I’ll talk more about that below.

Where does Ephraim fit into the story? We can see in Gen 48:14 that Ephraim becomes first
even though Manasseh was the first born. In Gen 48:5 Jacob says to Joseph: “Now your two sons,
who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and
Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, are mine.” These verses are not only telling us why both
Manasseh and Ephraim belong in the list, but also that Ephraim is to take first place in the list.

Let’s put Ephraim and Dan into the message to make it complete.

God has made me fruitful in the land of my misery/afflictions (Egypt/Babylon – the world).
Now I will praise Yahweh. Because Yahweh has seen my humiliation/affliction, now “Yeshua” will
love me. Fortune has come! How happy am I! For the apple of my eye will call me blessed. I have
wrestled mightily with my sister/brother and I have prevailed/overcome. Yahweh has made me
forget all my toil and all my father’s house. Because Yahweh has heard that I was hated, He has
given me His son. Now, for all time “Yeshua” will be joined/united to me. Yahweh has given me
my reward/compensation because I gave myself as a servant to “Yeshua.” Yahweh has endowed
me with a good gift. Now “Yeshua” will live/dwell with me. Yahweh has taken away my disgrace.
Don’t be afraid! For now you will have His son also. God has judged in my favor; indeed, he
has heard me and given me His son!

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You can see that the insertion of Ephraim and Dan fits perfectly! The reason they’re not listed
with the tribes in Rev 7 is because what Ephraim represents precipitates the rapture (read Rev
14:14-16 for more information about the rapture) and what Dan tells us happens after the
rapture. As a whole, this message gives us an account of Yeshua’s followers being faithful to
Him and spreading the Word before being raptured, their persecution, rapture, marriage, and
the wedding feast.

This explains the huge crowd (the raptured) standing before the throne immediately following
this list of the 144,000 servants. This is also telling us “when” the rapture will happen. All of this
occurs after the 6th seal is opened. When exactly Yeshua opens this seal, we can’t say. But it’s
definitely before the 7th seal, which is when the fireworks start. Rev 8:1-3 “When the 7th seal
was opened…Then the angel took the incense bowl, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it
down onto the earth; and there followed peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning and an
earthquake.” You can follow the fire to the sounding of the first trumpet in Rev 8:7, which begins
the tribulation wrath period.

If you look closely at the statements for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan you’ll see that they speak to
the new followers of Yeshua who begin their new relationship with Him during the tribulation
wrath period.

Joseph - “God has taken away my disgrace.” Their disgrace comes from realizing too late that
they’ve been wrong in their actions toward Him and others (i.e. deeds). John speaks of this in 1
Jn 2:28 “...remain united (dwell, endure, remain, stand) with Him; so that when he appears, we
may have confidence and not shrink back from Him in shame (disgrace) at His coming.” The
Greek word for ‘shame’ is ‘aischynomai – ahee-skhoo-nom-ahee.’ It comes from the root word
‘aischos’ which means: disfigurement or disgrace. These people have merely been believers and
not followers or they’ve just realized that they’ve been following a lie about the Son of God.
Also, many believers and some followers will deny Him during the Great Persecution. They will
undoubtedly fear man’s retribution worse than God’s. This doesn’t mean that He has abandoned
them. Remember, Peter did the same thing three times and wasn’t abandoned. If they repent
and follow Him they will be given their reward and their disgrace will be removed.

Benjamin - Don’t be afraid, for now you will have His son also. Here, God is telling them that
they shouldn’t be afraid because when they persevere through this period of being put-to-the-
proof they will be united with Yeshua forever.

Dan - God has judged in my favor, indeed; He has heard me and given me His son.” They will still
be judged after the wrath, but He will show favor on them because they worshiped, followed,
and loved Him and didn’t take the mark of the beast. Again, their reward will be Yeshua.

There’s the message told by the 144,000. It’s a beautiful message of redemption,
marriage, and eternity with Yeshua. I hope it strengthens your love for Him and trust in
His Word. He is faithful, forgiving, “jealous” for every one of us, and He never changes.
Which is why we should honor and worship Him as our Father, Lord, Lamb, and Savior.

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I’m going to present the message one more time with references to some of the relevant
scriptures that provide supporting details. Nothing in the Bible stands on its own. God
has woven His Words together in a way that can only leave our human minds awed and
dumbfounded.

Ephraim: God has made me fruitful in the land of my misery/afflictions (Gen 1:28, Gen 48:4, Rev
7:13-15).

Judah: Now I will praise Yahweh (Duet 10:21, Jdg 5:3, Rev 7:10, 19:1).

Reuben: Because Yahweh has seen my humiliation/affliction, now my husband will love me
(Ex 4:31, Deut 26:6-7, Ps 31:7, Jn 2:2).

Gad: Good fortune has come (1 King 10:8, Ps 16:5)!

Asher: How happy am I (2 Chr 9:7, Rev 19:7)! For the apple of my eye will call me blessed
(Lk 1:48, Rev 19:9, 22:14).

Naphtali: I have wrestled mightily with my sister/brother (Gen 32:25, Matt 10:21) and I have
prevailed/overcome (Gen 32:28, Matt 10:22, Rev 2-3).

Manasseh: God has made me forget all my toil (Gen 31:42, 2 Cor 11:27, Rev 21:4), and all
my father’s house (Gen 12:1).

Simeon: Because Yahweh has heard that I was hated, he has given me this [His] son (2 Sam
22:18-20, Ps 69:4, Matt 10:22).

Levi: Now, for all time my husband will be joined/united to me (Isa 45:47, Matt 19:6, Rev
21:9).

Issachar: God has given me my reward/compensation (Gen 15:1, Ruth 12:2, Matt 5:12)
because I gave myself as a servant to my husband (Mal 1:6, Matt 24:46, Matt 25:21, Acts
16:17).

Zebulun: God has endowed me with a good gift (1 Sam 2:30, Matt 7:11). Now my husband
will live/dwell with me (Eph 5:23, Rev 21:2).

Joseph: God has taken away my disgrace (Josh 5:9, Ps 69:19, Isa 54:4, Lk 1:25).

Benjamin: Don’t be afraid. For now you will also have His son. (Gen 15:1, Matt 10:28, Mk
5:36, Lk 12:7, Jn 12:15, Jn 14:27)!

Dan: God has judged in my favor (1Sam 25:39, Ps 9:19, Jn 5:24, Rom 2:12, Rev 11:18);
indeed, he has heard me and given me a [His] son (Matt 22:2, Rom 8:29, Gal 4:6, 1 Jn 1:7, 1
Jn 3:23).

Matt 23:39 “I tell you, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME AGAIN UNTIL YOU SAY, ‘Blessed is
Yeshua (salvation) Who comes “in” the name of the Yahweh!’”

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