Twelve Sons, Twelve Tribes of Israel

God promised Abraham that through him, he would become the father of many nations, and Abraham was later renamed Israel. His son Isaac marked the beginning of this promise. The twelve tribes of Israel, named after the sons of Jacob (also named Israel), hold significant divine importance. Jacob's twelve sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin—became the tribe's patriarchs (Genesis 35:23-26; Exodus 1:1–4).​

When the tribes inherited the Promised Land, the Levites did not receive a territory but became priests. In contrast, Joseph's tribe was divided between his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who received a double portion (Genesis 47:11–12). The tribes that received land were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.​

After King Solomon's death, Israel split into two kingdoms: Judah in the south (Judah and Benjamin) and Israel in the north. This division stemmed from longstanding political and religious tensions, leading to the North's eventual destruction by the Assyrians. Many northern Israelites fled to Judah.​

Identifying modern Jewish tribes has become difficult since the diaspora after A.D. 70, but the tribal lineage remains relevant in biblical prophecy. During the tribulation, 144,000 Jews will be sealed by God, 12,000 from each tribe, as stated in Revelation 7:5-8. While these tribes differ from those in Joshua, with Levi included instead of Dan, the divine plan continues to unfold in profound ways.