Revelation 7:5 Revelation 7:5-8 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. This the mystical number of twelve seemeth to be taken from the twelve apostles of the Lamb, whose names were written in the foundations of the holy city of God, called the New Jerusalem, \ upon which the foundations (that is, the doctrine of the twelve apostles) the gospel church of God is built, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone, \ called the heavenly Jerusalem; that is, the church of the first-born, which are written in heaven. \ So then, by those many twelve thousands, we may understand the many thousands of God’ s Spiritual Israel, both Jews and Gentiles converted to Christ under the administration of the gospel of the grace of God. \ A great multitude, which no man could number, of all the nations, and kindred’ s, and people, and tongues. Even all Christ’ s redeemed ones. \ The Lord having given his gospel churches the name of Zion, and Jerusalem and his gospel converts the name of Israel, which is for the honor and dignity of his churches of saints in the latter days. The twelve tribes of Israel, are not so reckoned any where in the Holy Scripture, as they are here:. \ For neither Dan nor Ephraim are named here; that the tribe of Dan fell into idolatry, \ and Ephraim was joined to idols. \ Those two tribes being left out by Christ, are testimony of the displeasure of God against idolatry, and all false worship. God will not have any of them sealed with his seal in their foreheads, that receive the mark of the beast in their foreheads. But to be left under the dominion of Antichrist to worship the beast and his image, \ whose names are not written in the Lamb’ s Book of Life. Not only Dan and Ephraim are omitted, but Reuben, the first-born of blessed Jacob, is passed by; for he went up to his father’ s bed. \ And Judah hath the preeminence; for our blessed Savior (who in all things hath preeminence); \ came of the tribe of Judah. \ Levi is here numbered, though, that tribe was not so reckoned among the tribes, when Moses divided the land of Canaan, the land of Israel’ s inheritance: For God chose that tribe of the priesthood and for his inheritance. \ And lastly, in this numbering and sealing the servants of God, the children of Leah are more than the children of Rachel; also the children of hand-maids are numbered before the children of married women. Whereby, we may perceive of a truth, God is no respecter of persons; he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. \