2133.-The Tribe of Dan

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 26, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 26.

2133.—The Tribe of Dan.

What is the reason that the tribe of Dan is left out in the numbering of the hundred and forty-four thousand in Rev. 7: 1-8? O. J. S.

Frankly, we do not know. There are two suggestions which have been made in regard to the matter. 1. That because of the first apostasy of the tribe of Dan that tribe itself was about lost; consequently was not numbered with the others in the sealing work. See Judges 18. So also Ephraim is omitted and Joseph added. See Judges 17; Hosea 4:17. 2. Another suggestion is that Dan means judge. The tribe of Dan was the tribe of judging; the sealing work comes in the time of the judgment. In a sort of way all of the tribes come under that one tribe in the judgment and therefore that tribe was not mentioned. We have no definite light ourselves on the omission.