12 Tribes of Israel

(Revelations 7 & Genesis 29 & 49)

By Odon Bulamba (2005)

Israel means wrestling with God and God chose us as His people so we are also called Israel and therefore this message concerns all of us. Jacob had 12 sons who had to go before their father to give an account of their lives and we too will have to one day give an account of our lives before our heavenly Father. God will tell you all the good things and bad things you did and you will not be able to discuss or justify, just as Jacobs sons went through with their dad (Gen 49) God will call one after the other, in any order and we will stand alone.


Reuben “behold a son”


He was powerful and dignified, yet had his birthright removed because of what he did 40 years ago (sleeping with his father’s concubine). He could have repented but never did and Christians today will not receive from God unless they repent.


Many Christians think that because they have brought souls new birth, God’s love will increase for them but they don’t help them to grow up properly and they teach them wrong things so they are worse than before.


Don’t be misled like Reuben and think because you are first born you will inherit the birthright, we are Christians and we don’t have to rely on that but need to live as Christians.


Simeon “answered or heard”


Lost his blessing because he used violence and whenever we use our flesh instead of the glory of God we bring violence and not blessing.


Levi “attached”


He worked together with Simeon and many people today who are violent in churches try to influence others, ‘Peter, look at the pastor, lets take action against him’.


Simon and Levi were really angry and the church today is suffering because of anger. When we are angry we can destroy everything.


Because Levi repented God gave them another position (priests)


Judah “praised” LION


He was weaker and younger than his brothers but because of the glory that he gave to God, God will raise him up. The lion in the Bible represents victory and power and when you praise God, He’ll manifest his power. He was given the lion by his father for one good action (Gen 38:25) because he recognized she was greater than him and he recognized his weakness and his conscience was pushing him. Usually people today don’t recognize their weaknesses and justify their actions.


Dan “vindicated”


All of us want justice and support from God but not when we are wrong, only when we are right. When our enemies attack us we need justice but when we are attacking others we don’t need it. Dan will bring justice and bite the heal of the horse and if you have justice you will make satan fall.


Dan is not found in Revelations 7 because they had started to adore other gods.


Napthali “fighting”


We have to know what to fight against; not each other but sin.


Zebulan “haven"


Zebulan had a successful business but forget to glorify God and many Christians today think that they are great when they achieve something and others are not, forgetting God is the one who gave it to them.


A haven is somewhere you can get joy and strength and all you need and today many Christians think, ‘o everybody just wants to use me’ and they complain but if you commit yourself to God and give, you will be blessed even more. Many people who have blessings minimize those who don’t but you should keep your relationships with others good because you don’t know what will happen tomorrow.


Issachar “wages"


A donkey is strong, stubborn, naughty, arrogant, looks nice and quiet but actions are rude. Issachar was give the power of God and the power of working. When we first get saved we want to work for God, praying and reading the Bible but somewhere along the way we take a rest (lie down between two saddle bags). Issachar didn’t put his strength into practice and lost it and if we don’t practice our gifts we will lose them also. When we are between two saddle bags, it is hard to make a decision because we are caught between the power of the world and the power of God. We don’t know who to serve first; God, family, my needs.


Issachar was given enough strength and when we go through difficult times we have also been given enough strength.
Gad “happiness”


Although Jacob didn’t love Leah from the beginning, God put Gad into her womb to bring joy into Jacob’s life and God is our joy and brings us happiness but sometimes when we are going through difficult times we don’t get immediate happiness and we feel God is quiet but this is because through suffering we come close to God and if we are living a life of joy day after day it will be hard to remember the greatness of God. God allows satan to attack you, not to lose your faith but to struggle so that you will be stronger.


Gad was told in Gen 49, ‘you’ll destroy the heel of attackers’ which means we have the power to attack the heel of satan and temptation and when the heel is attacked the whole body feels it.


Gad’s name is joy and as Christians we can overcome anything if we have joy. The faith of Christians today is shaken because of a lack of joy.


Gad was called to have victory but he sometimes forgot (e.g. he was afraid of the giants but was supposed to bring courage to others) and we also forget the victory we have in Christ.


Asher “happiness”


Asher was born from a servant of Leah but his name means happiness and we can also be slaves and in the weakest position and not considered by this world but we don’t have to lose joy. We are all children of God just as Asher was as much a descendent of Jacob as the others.


Zilpah (his mother) thought that she was no one and when we humiliate ourselves like children, God will raise us up.


Benjamin “son of my right hand” by his father and “son of my sorrow” by his mother


Jacob blessed him as a wolf which are dangerous, travel in packs, strong, good eye sight, can attack, call on other wolves for help and don’t give up. In USA a wolf represents something evil because witches use them to kill people with magic.


He was left handed (Gen 35:18, Judges 3:15, 20:16) and with their left hand they could hit everything but could never fight for God’s glory. Many people today in Church are like that, they have nice gifts and blessed in many ways and can fight for God’s glory but don’t care.