What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Do the 12 tribes at the gates of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 refer to the 12 sons of Jacob?"
Answer
Yes, the names of the twelve tribes at the gates of the New Jerusalem refer directly to the twelve patriarchs, i.e., the sons of Jacob. These names are immortalized for eternity, as they reflect various facets of Christ’s character that become visible in the redeemed through salvation.
The gates also symbolize that all the redeemed—whether Jews or Gentiles—are regarded as part of one of these twelve tribes, with the allocation based on their character development. While the names of the gates honor the sons of Jacob, the names of the twelve apostles are set in the city’s foundation stones as pillars of the Christian community.
The Twelve Gates and the Sons of Jacob
»In this wall there are twelve gates; in number the same as the twelve tribes of the children of Israel—the twelve patriarchs, whose names appear engraved on them in living script. ... The character portrayed in the blessings spoken over the sons of Jacob reveals the many aspects of the Son of God’s life as they manifest in redemption.«
Redeemed as Part of the Twelve Tribes
»The names of the twelve apostles in the city’s foundation stones show that it is a Christian, not a Jewish, city; while the names of the twelve tribes at the gates indicate that all the saved, both from this and from the earlier age of salvation, are counted as belonging to one of the twelve tribes; for everyone must enter the city through one of these twelve gates.«
Character Traits and Tribal Names
»The Lord names individuals according to their character, and since He has chosen the names of the twelve sons of Jacob—from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descend—as the names for the twelve divisions of the one hundred forty‑four thousand, there must be something in the character of the sons of Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel that is worthy of careful study.«
Differences in the Listing of the Tribes
»The list given in Revelation differs slightly from the list of the twelve sons of Jacob, as Dan is omitted and the additional division receives the name Manasseh, the eldest son of Joseph.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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