The half-tribe of Manasseh is mentioned, but not his brother Ephraim, and this despite the fact that Joseph had put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh in the blessing (
Genesis 48:20).
In
Revelation 7:4-8, Joseph is named aside Manasseh and not Ephraim.
Some reconcile this strictly with the absence of Dan. "Ephraim is included when Joseph is named and Manasseh takes Dan's place ..." due to the serpent thing mentioned earlier.
Others say that Ephraim is excluded because of the events listed in
Judges 17, and
Judges 18. The Levite in the story was from "Mount Ephraim..." The Mountains of Ephraim form the uplands of Samaria, immediately below Mount Gerizim. This included the environs of Shechem where Jesus met the Samaritan women at the well (
John 4).
From this angle, both Dan and Ephraim are excluded due to the sins of the Northern Kingdom Israel (
1 Kings 12:29 & ff.). Bethel was in Mount Ephraim. Both Dan and Bethel (Ephraim) were sites established to compete with the worship in Jerusalem. It's no wonder they should be excluded from the New Jerusalem.
Jesus seems to allude to this in
John 4:19-24.
The woman at the well actually had a case, though: God had appeared to Abram at the site of Shechem (
Genesis 12:6-7) and promised the land at this place. Jacob purchased the land from the children of Hamor and erected a shrine there that he called El Elohe Israel. The blessing of the people was done from Mount Gerizim (
Deuteronomy 27:12).
But all of the events had more to do with the earthly promises and inheritance for Israel. That seems to also be the point that Jesus is making when He says what He does in
John 4:24. And, there was also the unfolding revelation of God that the Northern Kingdom seems to have sort of missed out on. See
Exodus 20:24 and compare with
Jeremiah 7:11-14.
Jeremiah warns the people of Jerusalem that they are about to be judged just as the Northern Kingdom. After that judgment the people rebuild the House of the Lord at Jerusalem and God promises to fill it with His "glory" (
Haggai 2:3-7). There was no report of the Shekinah appearing in the Second Temple, however. When Ezekiel saw the Shekinah leave the First Temple - Ezekiel chapters 1 - 10, that was it... until a babe was brought to the Temple for dedication (
Luke 2:21-28).
And notice
Luke 2:38 - "those who look for redemption in Jerusalem..." Jerusalem was the focus of redemption. Simeon and Hannah were looking for the redemption and the promise Haggai spoke of concerning the return of the Lord's glory. It was all to be focused on Jerusalem. The other cult centers were a distraction at best, and even a snare. That's what Jesus was telling the woman at the well.
He also offered her the promise of seeing
Ezekiel 47 fulfilled, but to get those waters she had to turn her gaze from the earthly inheritance of Shechem and see the spiritual inheritance promised in Jerusalem.
Linear Mode
