Jacob prophesied that Dan would judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel (v. 16). This prophecy with blessing indicates that Jacob was concerned that Dan would be cut off. According to the Mosaic law, anyone who set up an idol or worshipped an idol had to be cut off from the people (Deut. 13:5-18). Among the twelve tribes, the tribe of Dan brought in an idol. Thus, according to the law, Dan should have been terminated as a tribe. Therefore, Jacob, not wanting to see one of his sons cut off, blessed him prophetically out of a loving heart. This is the reason Jacob said that Dan would still be a tribe judging his people. This word was particularly fulfilled in Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan (Judg. 13:2, 24; 15:20).
Jacob said that Dan would judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. The Hebrew word for tribe firstly has the meaning of branch, then stick, staff, and scepter. A scepter signifies authority. Therefore, the Hebrew word for tribe actually means scepter. Every tribe has a scepter, an authority. The twelve tribes were twelve scepters, twelve powers, twelve authorities. During the time of Samson, the tribe of Dan certainly became a scepter. With Samson, the tribe of Dan was a power, a real authority. This is the meaning of Jacob's prophetic blessing concerning Dan in verse 16. Jacob's word meant not only that Dan would remain as a tribe, but also that Dan would be a scepter, an authority. This prophecy has been fulfilled.
In 1 Chronicles 2—9 the tribe of Dan was omitted in the record of the holy people of God. In 1 Chronicles 2:2 Dan's name is mentioned, but in the following record his tribe was omitted. Furthermore, the tribe of Dan is also not mentioned in the record in Revelation 7. It is a serious matter to be omitted from God's record of His people. We find this warning in the New Testament in Revelation 3:5, where we are told that he who overcomes will not have his name erased out of the book of life. This implies that the names of the defeated believers will be erased from the book of life during the coming age of the kingdom. This does not mean that the defeated believers will perish. The tribe of Dan did not perish. But because Dan fell and became one with God's enemy, becoming the serpent and bringing in a stumbling block to God's people, his name was omitted in the record in 1 Chronicles and Revelation.
Many Christians today have become Dans. Although they have become one with Satan in bringing in stumbling blocks to frustrate God's people, they seem not to care about what they have done, or to have any feeling concerning it. Yes, God will forgive them, but their names will not be found in the record during the time of the coming kingdom. There will be a certain situation in which their names will be omitted. Although Dan was omitted in the record in 1 Chronicles and Revelation because of his evil, he will still be a tribe in the millennium because of his father's blessing (Ezek. 48:1). This is a picture of God's mercy.
We should not read the record of Dan merely as history. We must see it as a shadow, a figure, of our experience as Christians. Although we may be the continuation of Judah, of Christ's victory, we must be careful. Often, after a time of victory there is the danger that our gain of Christ may immediately cause us to be proud and independent, making us unwilling to submit to others. At such a time we may set up another center of worship and thus become one with God's enemy, Satan. This will cause us a great loss. We shall not perish, because once we are saved, we are saved forever. But there is the definite possibility that in a certain period of time and in a certain situation we may be omitted in the record of God's people.