The time of Jacob's Trouble...focus on Israel!

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day [is] great, so that none [is] like it: it [is] even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Dr. David Jeremiah writes in his book, What in the World is Going On, "Why has such a tiny nation with only 6 million citizens become the geopolitical center of the world?" It is a good question that must be answered in order to fully understand end times' prophecy. We could also ask why have 22.6% of all the Nobel Prizes ever awarded been given to Jewish recipients, and why have many of the advances in medicine including the polio vaccine been made and discovered by Jewish doctors? The answer lies in the fact that in Genesis 12:1-3 God made a covenant with Abraham to bless the world through His seed. He also said that He would bless those who bless Abraham and his seed, and He would curse those who cursed Abraham and His seed. Why? Not because of Israel's power or holiness, but Because God is a jealous and sovereign God who chooses weak things to bring down powerful things just to gain glory for Himself!

In my previous post, I made the statement, "The church will be raptured out prior to the Great Tribulation period, which is coming upon the earth." In order to understand the veracity of this, we must examine the nature of the Tribulation period. Who is it for and what is it for? Is it a time for God to purify the Church as some suggest? The answer to that question and more can be found in this passage, where Jeremiah is speaking of a time that is yet to come. It is a time when the Jewish people will be gathered to their homeland, a prophecy also echoed by Ezekiel that is yet to be completely fulfilled.

Some of you Replacement Theologians and Preterists are saying, "Don't you know that the church has replaced Israel, and the promises are now the church's." No, I don't know that, because the Bible doesn't teach that. Romans 10 and 11 clearly teach that God has cut off Israel for a time until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Luke 21 tells us that Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled; and this generation that sees this take place will also see the coming of the Son of Man. Friends, that happened in 1967! We are in the last days! Our time is coming to a close. God is keeping His promises, right on time!Now, before I go any further, I need to pause and give you a little history...I hope you won't get bored!

The Children of Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, came into the Promised Land. They were able to remain in relative peace and union with God apart from some periods of backsliding under the judges until the time that Solomon sinned and married many pagan wives and subsequently worshipped their false gods. Because of this the Kingdom was divided North and South. The 10 tribes of the North became known as Israel, and the 2 Southern Tribes of Benjamin and Judah became known and Judah. Judah is also the tribal name from which we get the term Jew or Jewish. Israel became godless and served false gods. For this, god punished them under the reign of Hoshea by using the King of Assyria to conquer and scatter them throughout the world. Judah lasted a little longer until God allowed Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, to come while Zedekiah was king and take the 2 southern tribes captive into Babylon. After 70 yrs. however, they were allowed to return home and stayed in Palestine until A.D. 70 when Jerusalem fell to Titus the Roman and almost all the Jewish people were then scattered throughout Europe, Russia and the World. During this time the Messiah was also rejected by His own and cut off as Daniel had prophesied in Daniel 9. This scattering was a direct fulfillment of the prophecy found in Deuteronomy 4:27, which states, "And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you."

Now, fast forward 1847 years. In 1917, an amazing thing happened in England. The Balfour Declaration was made that stated the Jewish people's intent to form a Jewish state in Palestine, thus the Zionist movement began. Satan knew that this was significant however and raised up Adolph Hitler to try and exterminate the Jews and thus thwart God's plan. At the beginning of WWII, there were 9 million Jews in Europe, and by the end there were only 3 million. During this time, only 1 nation opened its borders to the Jews who were fleeing Hitler. I wish I could say it was the United States, but it wasn't. It was China. However, by the end of WWII, the Zionist movement was as strong as ever. England then controlled Palestine, and was set to withdraw in May of 1948. About 650,000 Jews had moved back to Palestine, and on May 14 when England withdrew, Israel declared its sovereignty. A couple of hours later at 6:10 p.m. EST, President Harry S. Truman's Press Secretary issued a statement from the President, against the wishes of most of His cabinet, including Secretary of Defense General Marshall, BTW, that recognized the nation of Israel, becoming the first nation to do so. With that the prophecy of Isaiah 66:8, which states: "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once?" It was that day!

Now, the 2nd Coming of Christ/Messiah to rule and reign on earth is a promise made primarily to Israel. It is the promise of Isaiah 9:6,7, which states, "...the government shall be upon His shoulder...upon the throne of David to order it with judgment and justice from that time forth, and even forever." Christ Jesus, according to the genealogies found in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3, is the legal heir to the throne of David. He is yet to sit upon that throne, however. BUT HE WILL!!! God will keep His promise. His callings and promises are irrevocable!

But before He will do this, Israel must be brought back into line spiritually, as prophesied in Ezekiel 36:24. The Tribulation period is what this is about. It is a time of Jacob's trouble, when she will be brought to her knees and turn to Jesus as her Messiah! This time will begin by her accepting a false peace with the Anti-Christ as Daniel 7 prophesies, but it will end with her accepting the real peace from the Prince of Peace Jesus, the one whom they had pierced. Thus, Romans 11:26 will be fulfilled, which says that "all Israel will be saved." In subsequent posts, we will look at the methods God will use to accomplish this, but the main point is this. God said it and that makes it so. Israel will return to God and Messiah Jesus Christ. She will be saved, and Jesus will sit upon the throne of David to rule and reign for 1,000 yrs.

As we see the firstfruits of this harvest coming in [over 400,000 Jews have come to faith in Jesus as Messiah over the last 30 yrs.] and God dealing again with His earthly people Israel, we know that our time as Gentiles is coming to a close. Our fullness is about to come in, and Israel's will begin. The church, God's heavenly people, are about to be raptured out, and God will deal again with Israel, His earthly people. Watch and pray! Our redemption is drawing nigh! Maranatha! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Psa 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.