Who will rule the twelve tribes of Israel in the kingdom?
The twelve men—not Judas, whose place Matthias takes—will sit upon twelve thrones and judge or rule the twelve tribes of Israel when the kingdom is set up. This promise explains why the twelve were so focused on the kingdom.
Les explains that the kingdom follows the regeneration—the time when the planet is made over back to what it was at the beginning. Using the analogy of a storage battery that must be generated back to its original state, he says the whole planet will be delivered from the curse after the tribulation and restored like the Garden of Eden, beautiful and productive. Then He will sit on the throne of His glory in Jerusalem, on the throne of David. At that point the twelve—not Judas, because Matthias takes his place in Acts chapter 1—will sit upon twelve thrones, judging or ruling the twelve tribes of Israel. Les emphasizes this is plain English, not something to spiritualize: these twelve men will rule the twelve tribes when the kingdom is set up. This is why the twelve were so hung up on the kingdom, since for forty days Jesus had been talking to them about aspects of the kingdom and they remembered the promise that they would be ruling the twelve tribes.
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.