Session 12: Jacob's Trouble

© 2003 www.SpiritAndTruth.org¹

1. Prayer

2. Purpose of Today’s Class: to understand…

   1. [Show schedule, timeline]
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   2. The tribulation as Daniel’s seventieth seven, the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s predicted time of Jacob’s trouble.

   3. Aspects of the tribulation which are specifically Jewish.

   4. A dual purpose for the tribulation: pouring wrath on the “earth dwellers” while bringing Israel to the point of recognizing her rejection of Messiah Jesus.

   5. The tribulation as a precondition for the second coming and the millennial kingdom to follow. “[Jerusalem,] you shall see me no more ‘till you say…” (Mat. 23:39)

3. Time of Jacob’s Trouble

   1. A future time of trouble for Israel (Jeremiah 30:1-11, 24)

   2. Jeremiah’s ministry to the southern kingdom (Judah and Benjamin)

      1. 627 B.C. to at least 570 B.C.

      2. Historic Timeline <..\01_the_mystery_of_the_jews\israel_02_01_timeline.doc>

      3. warning of Babylonian judgment

      4. final fall of Judah to Babylon (3^rd captivity) in 586 B.C.

   3. A mixing of near and far prophecy
      key phrases indicate a distant fulfillment in addition to the near future return of Israel under Nehemiah at the end of the Babylonian captivity

      1. v. 7, “the day is great, so that none is like it”

      2. v. 8, “foreigners shall no more enslave them”

      3. v. 9, “David their king … I will raise up for them”

      4. v. 24, “In the latter days….”

   4. The trouble is specifically Jacob’s, that is, Jewish.

   5. Other passages which refer to this same period.

      1. Dan. 9:24-27

         1. Seventy sevens are determined for your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem).

         2. A covenant for one ‘seven’, but at the mid-point, He brings an end to sacrifice and offering

            1. Why? Probably to substitute himself in the place of worship (2Th. 2:4; Rev. 13:15). This is likely the same reason the whore riding the beast is also destroyed (Rev. 17:16-17).

         3. See session on “Seventy Sevens of Daniel” for additional details.

      2. Dan 11:36 – 12:4, not yet fulfilled

         1. The predictions of the latter part of Daniel 11 (from 11:36 on) are not characteristic of Antiochus Epiphanes

            1. "In v. 36 things are predicted concerning this person under consideration that are not historically true with reference to [Antiochus]. He was not the sort of person there described." -- H.C. Leupold (Amillennialist)

            2. "In no sense can Antiochus be called an Atheist; nor does the language of the writer of 2 Macc 9:12, 'think of himself as if he were God,' corresponding to the words of this verse. The character... finds a parallel in Paul's description of Antichrist (2Th 2:4)." -- John Ellicott (Amillennialist)

            3. “'Saying things against every god.' This does not agree with Antiochus. He was not an atheist. He even wished universal worship to Zeus. On the contrary, these words before us are expressly referring to Antichrist, 2Th 2:4." -- Keil & Delitzsch

         2. v. 1, a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation

            1. what nation? The context tells us: Israel!

            2. Who does this sound like? The words of Jesus! (see below)

            3. What sort of trouble? Jacob’s trouble.

         3. v. 2, reference to the two resurrections (both yet future)²

         4. v. 4, the words are for the time of the end

         5. v. 7, times, time, and ½ a time (3.5 years, 1260 days)³

            1. remember Daniel 9:27, in the middle of the week the “prince who is to come” apparently violates his covenant with Israel

      3. Jesus predicts this time (Mat. 24)

         1. v. 21

            1. note similarity of terminology with 12:1

            2. this is intentional

         2. Not yet fulfilled

            1. v. 3, what will be the sign of your [Jesus’] coming?

            2. v. 9, hated by all nations for My name’s sake (this had not happened by 70 A.D.)

            3. v. 14, gospel preached to all the world (Rev. 14:6, by an angel)

            4. v. 14, then the end will come

            5. v. 21, great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world … nor ever shall be (see also Mark 13:19; Rev. 3:10)

               1. great tribulation, Rev. 7:14

            6. v. 22, unless days shortened, no flesh would be saved ⁴

            7. v. 29, undeniable astronomical signs

            8. v. 30, all the tribes of the earth will mourn… and see the Son of Man coming (Zec. 12:10; Rev. 1:7, every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him)

         3. Don’t miss the Jewishness of this passage!

            1. v. 15, the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy place

               1. the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple

               2. spoken of by Daniel the prophet

                  1. Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

                  2. Da 12:11 "And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there shall be] one thousand two hundred and ninety days.⁵

            2. v. 16, those in Judea flee to the mountains (Rev. 12:14)

            3. v. 20, pray that flight is not on Sabbath

      4. The Jewish purpose for this time, repentance

         1. Mt 23:37-39 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under [her] wings, but you were not willing! "See! Your house is left to you desolate; "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

         2. Ho 5:15 I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."

         3. Zec 12:9-10 "It shall be in that day [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for [his] only [son], and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

         4. Zec 13:8-9 And it shall come to pass in all the land," Says the LORD, "[That] two-thirds in it shall be cut off [and] die, But [one] -third shall be left in it: I will bring the [one-third] through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This [is] My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD [is] my God.'"⁶

            1. “The Great Tribulation has two purposes from God’s vantage point—to destroy the unbelieving part of Israel and to purify the believing part of Israel and cause them to come to saving faith in Him”⁷

            2. “From the midst of their fiery refinement, the elect remnant of Israel will see Jesus Christ, their Messiah and call on Him as their Savior and Lord. Israel will thus be saved and restored to covenant relationship with the Lord.”⁸

            3. “Two-thirds of the Jewish nation were to perish in the Roman wars, and a third to survive. Probably from the context ( Zec 14:2–9 ), which has never yet been fulfilled, the destruction of the two-thirds (literally, “the proportion of two,” or “portion of two”) and the saving of the remnant, the one-third, are still future, and to be fulfilled under Antichrist.” ⁹

4. A Snapshot History of Israel: The Woman of Revelation 12

   1. Who is the woman (Rev. 12:1-5)?

      1. sun, moon, and stars
         Joseph’s dream Gen. 37:9 (Jacob, Leah, 11 brothers)¹⁰

      2. clothed in the sun… with the moon under her feet

         1. clothed = periball - to ‘throw around’ as in a covering

         2. standing on the moon as support

         3. sun and moon as witnesses to the permanence of Israel (Ps. 89:36; Jer. 31:35).

      3. v. 4, the dragon attempts to devour the child

         1. Historic evidence of Satan's attempt to thwart the Messianic promise is abundant: Cain's murder of Abel (Ge 4:8); the pollution of the offspring of men by the "sons of God" with the "daughters of men" (Ge 6:2); Pharoah's attempt to kill all male Hebrews (Ex 1:22); Haman's attempt to wipe out the Jews (Es 3:6); Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, attempts to wipe out all the royal heirs of Judah (2Ch 22:10); Herod's slaughter of the babies in his attempt to murder Jesus (Mt 2:16).

      4. v. 5, she bore a male Child

         1. why no mention of the father in all this? A virgin birth!

         2. The fulfillment of the promised redeemer of Genesis 3:15, the seed of the woman

         3. She represents the promise to Eve through the Jews: …of whom according to the flesh, Christ came (Rom. 9:5)

   2. The Flight of the Woman, the Casting down of Satan (Rev. 12:6-12)

      1. v. 6, to rule… with a rod of iron (see Ps. 2:8-9; Rev. 19:5)

      2. v. 6, caught up = harpaz = same word used in 1Th. 4:17 (to take, snatch away, ‘raptured!’).

         1. the church (1Th. 4:17)

         2. Paul to the 3^rd heaven, paradise (2Cor. 12:2-4)

         3. Philip (Acts 8:39)

         4. The resurrection of Jesus

      3. v. 6, she flees to the wilderness (Mat. 24:15-20)

         1. fed 1,260 days (42 months, 3 ½ years)

      4. v. 7, Michael battles with the dragon

         1. Da 12:1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands [watch] over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, [Even] to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.

   3. The continued persecution of the woman (Rev. 12:13-17)

      1. Why persecute the woman if she has already completed her mission in giving birth to the male child?

         1. Ro 11:12 Now if their fall [is] riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

         2. Ro 11:15 For if their being cast away [is] the reconciling of the world, what [will] their acceptance [be] but life from the dead?

         3. We will never understand anti-Semitism until we realize it has a demonic origin! It will never be completely eradicated until Messiah comes.

      2. v. 14, protected in the wilderness for “times, time and ½ a time” = 3 ½ years

      3. v. 17, the rest of her offspring

         1. the woman is the nation Israel

         2. the rest of her offspring are the 144,000 sealed of Israel (Rev. 7; 14)

   4. Jewish Aspects of Revelation 11

      1. vv. 1-2, a post 96-A.D. Temple in Jerusalem

      2. v. 2, the holy city (Jerusalem) tread down by Gentiles for 1260 days (42 months, 3 ½ years)

      3. v. 3-11, two witnesses with MO’s like Jewish prophets of old (their ministries are most similar to Moses and Elijah, who appeared with Jesus in the transfiguration)

      4. v. 8, their testimony and death is in Jerusalem

5. Implications

   1. The final week of Daniel’s seventy sevens is yet future and concerns Daniel’s people (the Jews) and his Holy City (Jerusalem).

   2. Therefore, expect the Jews and Jerusalem to remain an intractable ‘problem’ for the world as we move toward this time.

   3. Anti-Semitism is, at its core, demonic in origin. Double-check your Christian bones: are you already infected with the seeds of this anti-God bias from the ruler of this world?

6. Prayer

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