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The Twelve Tribes
Comparing Ephraim & Manasseh
By John ThielThe sealing of the one hundred and forty four thousand pertains to people living now.
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind shouldnot blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of theliving God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it wasgiven to hurt the earth and the sea,7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we havesealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were]sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of thechildren of Israel.
We recall from our past studies in this series that the time and beginning of thismessage was 1848. War was about to break forth in Europe and it was stopped. Theangels held back the winds of strife. We are living ever since that time, preparing tomeet God. We must go through Character changes.
SABBATH SERMONS AUSTRALIA
Australasia is a divinely appointed center, from which the light of present truth is to radiate to many lands. {AUGleaner, June 17, 1903 par. 8}
 
Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming downfrom God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for themarriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean andwhite: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
In what way is this city being prepared? The city is being covered in a white garment- the righteousness of the saints. Gods’ people are preparing themselves to enter that city. It is to do with character building.
Revelation 21:12 And had a wall great and high, [and] had twelve gates, and atthe gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:21:21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls: every several gate was of onepearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Here are the tribes, what are these gates made off?
Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gatewas of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it weretransparent glass.
Where do pearls come from? How are they formed? Through tribulation, an irritation.Pearls are a representation of character. Each tribe has a name on each gate. Outof Ephraim and Manasseh only one has a gate. One has a character that is notrefined. The other has refined his. We now ask the question, why were Ephraim andManasseh given an opportunity to be part of the twelve tribes? They were not thesons of Jacob. Whose children were they?
Genesis 48:8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who [are] these?48:9 And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whom God hathgiven me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and Iwill bless them.Genesis 48:5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were bornunto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine;as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Ephraim and Manasseh were Josephs sons. What does Jacob say? They are mysons like Rueben and Simeon. He declares these children who were not born to himare to be brought into Israel but their source of their birthright was different. Althoughdifferent, yet given this opportunity to be part of the tribes. Who was the mother of these two children?
These youths were connected, through their mother, with the highest order of the Egyptian priesthood; and the position of their father opened to them the
SABBATH SERMONS AUSTRALIA
Australasia is a divinely appointed center, from which the light of present truth is to radiate to many lands. {AUGleaner, June 17, 1903 par. 8}
 
avenues to wealth and distinction, should they choose to connect themselveswith the Egyptians. It was Joseph's desire, however, that they should unitewith their own people. Patriarchs & Prophets page 234.
They were born to a royal beginning and pagan priest hood. Like us gentiles werenot born into the birth of the twelve tribes, they came of pagan motherhood but theyhad a privilege given to them. Which of the two will benefit. One lost, one gained.What a privilege we have to be among the tribes. Are we going to make it or lose it?
Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] uponEphraim's head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh'shead, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn.48:15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathersAbraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto thisday,48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let myname be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; andlet them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Jacob crossed his hands as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph tried to stophis father as Manasseh was the first born. His name would be upon them, that wasstill the blessing. They received the same kind of blessing. But what special blessingdid Ephraim receive? Ephraim’s seed became a multitude of nations. Ephraim wasespecially blessed, he was going to be greater than Manasseh. He would havelarger numbers. When Moses was blessing tribes he mentions Ephraim. We see arepetition of the blessing. Ephraim was prominent by numbers.
Deuteronomy 33:17 …and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they[are] the thousands of Manasseh.
However, does being blessed by numbers carry any spiritual benefit? Many peoplelook at numbers as a blessing of the Lord.
Not in our learning, not in our position, not in our numbers or entrustedtalents, not in the will of man, is to be found the secret of success. Feeling our inefficiency we are to contemplate Christ, and through Him who is the strengthof all strength, the thought of all thought, the willing and obedient will gainvictory after victory. COL page 404.
Feeling our inefficiency, contemplate Christ. Willing and obedient he gained thevictory. To enter in through the gates, there lies real power. It is quality of truth in theheart. What characteristic marks Ephraim’s legacy? Lets observe the character of Ephraim. Not much has been written about their youth, but only through the tribesdo we find out. One opportunity of recognizing is by observing Gideon. Gideon wentforth to fight. Watch how the character of Ephraim begins to reveal itself.
Judges 7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim,saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters
SABBATH SERMONS AUSTRALIA
Australasia is a divinely appointed center, from which the light of present truth is to radiate to many lands. {AUGleaner, June 17, 1903 par. 8}
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No that's not correct. The USA is the lamblike beast of Revelation 13. Britain is just one of the ten tribes. http://www.scribd.com/doc/18176370/Th... and http://imssdarm.wordpress.com/2009/08...

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