Revelation 7:5-8

5-8. Of… tribe Wordsworth gives a table of the six catalogues of the twelve tribes in scripture. 1. The births of the twelve patriarchs, Genesis 29:32; Genesis 30:1-24; Genesis 35:16 to Genesis 20:2. in the blessing of Jacob, Genesis 49:1 to Genesis 29:3. The list of Exodus 1:4. The order of the twelve standards at the tabernacle, Numbers 2:5. Order of tribal inheritance; and 6. The present list in the order of sealing.

Here, 1. Judah, as the tribe of the Messiah, stands first, in place of Reuben, first in all other lists, as being the firstborn. 2. For ethical reasons, the idolatrous tribes of Ephraim and Dan are excluded. Their place is filled by Levi and Joseph; Levi having been, as the uninheriting priestly tribe, omitted from the distribution of tribal territory, and Joseph having been omitted as being represented by his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. 3. The order of birth and the division of names according to the concubine and legitimate mothers, is disregarded. These changes arise from the new view introduced by the gospel.