Nothing in the Bible is insignificant. When reading the Word of God, we should always keep that in mind. Lists of names can be boring and some are even hard to pronounce, but by skimming over those details, we miss out on treasures contained within the Bible. Take the listing of the 12 tribes of Israel mentioned in Revelation 7 for example.
The angel tells John that 12,000 from each tribe of Israel (144,000) will accept Jesus as the Messiah shortly after the Tribulation begins. Seems simple enough, right? Look at the order that the names are given along with their meaning:
Judah - praised
Reuban - behold a son
Gad - immeasurable fortune or worth
Asher - blessed or happy
Naphtali - struggle or strife
Manasseh - causing to forget
Simeon - obedient or listening
Levi - joined or attached
Issachar - reward
Zebulun - gift and to dwell
Joseph - may God give increase
Benjamin - son of the right hand
The message to the Jews during the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7, aka the Tribulation) is this: Praise the Son! His worth is beyond measure and we are blessed! Though we struggle, He causes us to forget through listening to Him. We are joined to Him and our reward will be to dwell with Him. Our increase will come through the Son seated at the right hand of the God!
In Numbers chapter two, God gave instructions to the tribes of Israel how they were to surround the Tabernacle. This was a clue for the Jews regarding their Messiah.
Before the Jews entered into their promised land, God was revealing to them their need for a Savior!
