The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 185

lion by supposing that, in accordanoe with a aealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of very commonly received opinion, antiehrist IBBaohar were aealed twelve thousand. would arise from this tribe-an opinion Though Levi was exoluded in the partition probt,.bly originated by a comparison of the of the earthly Canaan, he is included "serpent" of Gen. xlix. 17 with eh. xii. 9; among the partakers of the heavenly :u:. 2. ,A tbh-d group, amongst whom aro Canaan. · Ebrard, Diistordiook, De Wette, Grotius, Ver. 8.-0f the tribe of Zabulon were referring to ananoient Jewish tradition that sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of the tribe of Dan had become extinct, and 1oseph were sealed twelve thousand, Of the :relying on the omission of this tribe in tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thou~ 1 Chron.iv.-vii.-though Hushim (1 Chron, sa.nd. Ephraim is omitted, while Manasse, vii 12) may be the sons of Dan (see Gen. is inserted. Wordsworth considers that ~l.vi. 23)-believe that tbe children of Dan this is on account of the rebellious character no longer existed, and were therefore omitted. of the tribe of Ephraim (see 1 Kings xii, In the insertion of the name Manasseh 25; Isa. vii. 9, 17; Hos. v., etc.). But (i.&" Forgetting") Bengel sees an intended Ephraim is sometimes identieal with Joseph allusion to the omission of Dan, who is, he (cf. Ps. lxxviii. 67; Ezek. xxxvii. 16), who thinks, omitted for some mysterious reason. here finds a. plaoe among tbe twelve. Ewald .believes that St. John wrote ~AN, Ver. 9.-After this I beheld, and, lo,. a and that MAN.; the abbreviated form of great multitude, whioh no man could "Uanasses," was substituterl by error; and number ; after these things, I saw, and he ~ppeals to manuscripts 9, 13, whfoh, behold a great multitude, etc. Hei·e, as in however, have "Dan" in place of "Gad." ver. 1, a fresh phase of the vision occurs, !lloreover, Irenmus, Origen, Arethas, have indicated by µ.eTC/. Tavra, " after _these "!llanasseh," and state plainly that Dan was things ; " but not, perhaps, ·commencing omitted. It is certainly curious in conuec• (as so many write1·s think) an entirely new tiun with this conjecture that, if it were true, and disconnooted vision. It is the imme- that is to say, if " Dan" should be read in diate prelude to the opening of the seventh pllM!e of " Manasseh;' we should have a more seal ( see on eh. viii. 1). Oh. vi. recounts wtelligible order of arrangement. In that the terrors of God's judgments on the ·case, .11peaking generally, the elder sons wicked, and especially those of the final would come first, the younger last; all. the jmlgment; but lest the got.lly should be pa.us of brothers are kept together (only dismayed and ask, "Who is· able to stand" .that, in the case of the six brothers, (oh. vi.17) on that great day? it is revealed there is a _division into two lots): Judah that the faithful are first selected and pre- naturally .is. placed first before .Reuben, served. This occupies the fir~t eight Vel"l!ea owing to the prominent place held by him of eh. vii. But all is not yet {!Uite ready in .the Apoca.lypse in connection with _our for the opening of the seventh and last eeal. LQrd. The. order would then be- 'fhere is, besides those sealed on the last day, an innumerable company with whom ·,r_udii'., l sons of Simeon,} the former are joined in one body; and a Reuben, S Leah. Levi, sons of glimpse is afforded of their conjoint adora- Gad, ! sons of Issachar, Leah. tion and of that supreme bliss which is Aser,J Zilpah. Zabulon, entered upon, but not described, under the Nepthalim, l sons of Joseph, l sons of seventh seal. The "great multitude which [Dan,] .I Bilhah. Benjamin, S Rachel. no man could number " includes, therefore, the hundred and forty-four thousand of ver. Of the tribe of :&euben were sealed twelve 4. They have escaped the terror of the thoUl&lld. As remarked above, Judah prob- final judgment of the world (see ver. 3), ably ,precedes Reuben from the greater but have formerly experienced tribulation importance he would possess in the mind (see ver. 14). Of all na.tiollJI, and kindred.a, of the writer of the Apocalypse, who con- and people, and tongues ; out of every nation tinually exalts Christ, "the Lion of the and [all] tribes and pooples and wngues. tribe of.Judah" (eh. v. 5). Of the tribe of The classification, RB in oh. v. 9, is fourfold, Gad were aealed twelve tho11Sand. symbolical of completeness in matters of Ver. 6.-0f the tribe of Aser were sealed creation (see on oh. v. 9; iv. 6, etc.). Stood twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim before the throne, and before the Lamb; were Bll&led twelve thouB&Dd. Of the tribe standing .oofure, etc. We are carried back ot X&l1U88II were sealed twelve thousand. to the description given in oh. iv.1-4 and (For the iuaertion of Manasses and the v. 6-11. Clothed with white robes; arrayed omission of Dan, as well as the order of in (Revised Version). See on eh. iv. 4 and the namea of the. tribes, see Oll ver. 5.) vi. 2 for white-the emblem of victory Ver. 7.-0f the tribe of Simeon were sealed and righteousness. And palDll in theb' twelve thons&nd. Of the tribe of Levi were hauds. <tol111t, "palm," oocurs in the_ N:ew  cb:. m. 1-11.J Tim REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIV!NE. 200