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Been a long time since I've read the related Scriptures.

As best as I can recall, I thought Joseph was given two tribes. Seems to me there would still be 12 tribes.

In any case, I'm confident from other Scriptures that God WILL HAVE HIS ORDAINED 12 TRIBES for blood Israel. I don't care how He workes it out.

I don't think mention of New Jerusalem's foundations etc. is all/only symbolism.

As best as I can recall, I thought Joseph was given two tribes. Seems to me there would still be 12 tribes. >>

Nope. Ephraim and Manasseh were 2 half tribes, as per: the scripture itself, but Dan is one of the 12 tribes. No KINDA way to make a "literal" interp out of this. Sorry. There is no evidence anywhere for the removal of Dan from the "irrevocable covenant,"....., that is, unless you are willing to listen to Paul in Romans 9 where he says clearly that the covenant promises were always to the "remnant"...., which means that the NT believers are the true Israel, and that the covenant promises belong to US, and not some atheist Zionists.

I have always been confused at the insistence of "bringing back" the OT geopolitical system. It has been clear to me since my conversion that everything in the OT was like a scaffolding for the NT universal, worldwide "Israel of God."

Why, when someone has completed the building, people insist that the "real" plan is to drag the scaffolding back out and gold plate it, while looking for the building itself to mysteriously vanish......, it is just past my understanding.

I see no such promises by God to do this.