One of the most egregious errors in the contemporary church regarding eschatology is the idea that the “Great Tribulation”, also known as the “Time of Jacob's trouble” has only to do exclusively with Israel and that it doesn’t concern the church whatsoever. However, nothing could be further from the truth. This is a specious idea that many tragically have been inculcated and indoctrinated into. The truth of the matter is that the church of Jesus Christ has an extremely important and vital role to play in the end times that sadly too many Christians seem to be completely in the dark about. This lack of prophetic clarity is the end result of a poor eschatological understanding primarily due to biblically deficient and even errant teachings regarding the end times. Consequently, the idea that the church has no part to play during the time of Jacob’s Trouble has also led to a myriad of other exegetical and eschatological problems causing many Christians to be essentially in a state of confusion in regard to their last day’s purpose both corporately and individually. As author Fred London in his book “Morning Comes But also Night” so succinctly stated it; “Most Christians believe and act as though the time of Jacob’s Trouble….is Jacob’s problem.”. He then goes on to astutely observe that, “Israel’s welfare is the Church’s welfare, with their destinies inextricably linked, that apart from the remnant of Israel, the Church cannot be made perfect or complete.”
Some may bristle at that idea; however, I completely concur with that evaluation because the scriptures themselves attest to that fact. Paul’s whole point contextually in Romans 11 is indeed the explaining of this truth. “For if they’re (Israel) being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”. Paul explicitly ties the resurrection of the dead (which immediately precedes the rapture cf./1 Cor. 15:51-52 & 1 Thess. 4:15-17) with the regeneration of national Israel. The writer of Hebrews also bearing witness speaking of the Old Testament saints, speaks of how theirs (Israel) and our destinies are inextricably linked, “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us”. (Hebrews 11:39–40).
The Old Testament saints could “not be made perfect” without the gospel going forth to the gentiles, and likewise, “the Church” cannot “be made perfect” apart from the regrafting of natural Israel back into the olive tree! Again, this is precisely Paul’s whole argument and point in Romans 11: “For I speak to you Gentiles…you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, (therefore) do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you…And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? …For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:13;17-18; 25-26)
Those who hold to the erroneous belief or viewpoint that the church is removed during the time of Jacobs trouble, generally base their belief, in one form or another, around the question; “To what purpose does the church have to be here? After all, it’s the time of Jacobs trouble!” The question itself belies several mistakenly held presuppositions, not the least of which it could also be asked, what is God’s purpose for persecution and tribulation in any Christian’s life at any time? The Lord Himself was very clear that, “In this world you will have tribulation!” (Jn.16:33 & Rev.2:10). Nevertheless, that is not the intended focus of this article so I’m not going to address that issue here. However, despite the arguments which are put forth by many which are in many cases founded upon false premises, what I do want to address is that the question, “to what purpose does the church have to be here?” does have an answer as it pertains to the church and its relation to Israel during the time of Jacob’s trouble. The scriptures are clear and abundantly show that the church is indeed here during the time of Jacobs trouble and that it has a great and divine purpose!
It's all about purpose!
I don’t think any Christian would argue the fact that God calls us to walk in His purpose, and especially “For such a time as this…”; “But know this, that in the last days perilous (some translations say “difficult”) times will come…” (2 Timothy 3:1) Yes! These are the days that were foretold! I don’t think any would argue that we are not living in difficult and perilous times. But I have some sobering news, it is going to get worse, a lot worse. Jesus said of those days, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…” (Matthew 24:21-22). In fact, Jesus was quoting from both the prophets Jeremiah and Daniel: “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.” (Jeremiah 30:7) “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…” (Daniel 12:1). Take note that both Jeremiah and Daniel both state that Israel will be delivered and saved out of this most terrible period of history!
Yes, to be sure, the time of Jacob’s trouble concern’s Israel, BUT it doesn’t ONLY concern Israel! And yes, God uses this period to ultimately bring Israel back to Himself and to regraft the natural branches back into the olive tree. However, that’s not the ONLY purpose for the time of Jacob’s trouble! It’s also the time for the judgement on the nations for how they’ve rebelled against God and how they’ve treated Israel. “I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel…” (Joel 3:2)
The time of Jacob’s trouble will also be the time when God will use His church to be the light that we were and are meant to be to Israel! And we will teach them and lead them in the midst of their trouble to the understanding and knowledge of their true messiah! To quote once more Fred London’s book “Morning Comes But also Night”;
“Soon, the Church will be the only friend Israel has left on earth. This is the ultimate end-time calling and purpose of the Church. The combination of prophetic Scripture, along with Jewish, Church, and World Histories convinces me that, in the future, God will be calling the “True” Church to be as a Corrie Ten-Boom family, the Dietrich Bonhoeffers, the Oskar Schindlers, and countless other lesser known unsung heroes…In Jeremiah Chapter 30, where it makes reference to Israel in the latter days, it says, “All your lovers have forsaken you, they do not seek you.” (Jer.30:14). Notice the term, “lovers” is used. In a very short time, all nations will prove to have been just that—mere lovers. We can already see nations once friendly to Israel, not merely turning their backs on her, but directly turning on her…So, if all the nations have forsaken her in the time of her greatest national crisis, who does that leave to be that “friend who sticks closer than a brother?” The Church! It is for this very reason that the Church must be made aware and prepare for the days ahead when Israel and the Jew scattered abroad will need her the most.”
Many Christians have what I call an “emotional eschatology” which is in direct conflict and in contradiction of a truly biblical “exegetical eschatology” with much of their end times beliefs founded on faulty premises and emotions that will not change the realities that exist nor the seriousness of the issues that are already pressing in on every side! Author Michael Snyder in his book End Times said: “God put you here with a purpose and a destiny and a job for you to do. If you understand that, you will be really excited about the future, even though things will be chaotic and wild…”
Christians who do not comprehend and who fail to understand what their last day’s purpose and divine calling is will almost certainly flounder about and be distressed and dismayed by what they will see transpiring all around them, and sadly, many will fall away because they have believed in falsehoods! As it is written: “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint…” (Proverbs 29:18 (ESV). Therefore, as Peter also admonished us, take heed, “… since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked…” (2 Peter 3:17–18)
Therefore, it needs to be clearly understood that the time of Jacob’s Trouble is not “for Israel only” as many teach. Although, without question the time of Jacob’s trouble concern’s Israel of course, and God will use this period to ultimately bring Israel back to Himself and to regraft the natural branches back into the olive tree, however that’s not the ONLY purpose for the time of Jacob’s trouble! It’s also the time for the judgement on the nations for how they’ve rebelled against God and how they’ve treated Israel. “I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel…” (Joel 3:2)
And also; (Zechariah 14:2-3) “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.”
Moreover, the church itself has several very important eschatological purposes as well, which is its Divine calling! Several of the church’s purposes in the time of “the great tribulation” will be to:
1. To provoke Israel to jealousy:
As author Dr. Brock Hollet notes in his book, "Jesus, The Jews, and The End of The Age", “…it was Moses who had prophesied about the end-time relationship between the nations and the Jewish nation. The Song of Moses includes this statement: “They [the children of Israel] have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation” (Deut. 32:21). This verse does not speak about the foreign invaders...Rather, it refers to the “foolish nation,” the predominantly Gentile Church, proclaiming and living out the gospel so as to “provoke them [the Jews] to jealousy” for their Messiah (cf./also Rom. 10:19; 11:11).
2. To be “the wise” who will nurture Israel in the wilderness: What does Daniel say in Chap 11 of his book? Right smack in the middle of his description of the Antichrist waging war against the saints and the setting up the abomination of desolation, Daniel declares!
“…but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.” (Dan. 11:32-35)
The Antichrist will deceive with intrigue and flattery those who seek to undermine the holy covenant, yet “those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev.12:17) Viz. “the people who know their God” (Dan. 11:32) will show strength and perform miracles and “carry out great exploits”! (Dan. 11:32). The believing saints will “instruct many,” leading them to a proper understanding of the gospel, yet many will become martyrs (“they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering” Dan. 11:33).
(This is in complete consistency with Rev.12)
Revelation 12:13–17 “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”
Who might it be that is nourishing Israel in their wilderness? When they Flee to the mountains? Will it not be the redeemed church? Explaining to them and opening their eyes to what is going on like those disciples on the Emmaus road who Jesus explained the meaning of the scriptures to, when they were in their state of dismay and confusion?
(As an aside, some folks like to think that those two wings given to the woman in Revelation represents America… No. No, they don’t. Those two wings represent the Lord Himself. He is the one who lifts Israel up on Eagles wings! John is drawing upon the imagery from the Exodus.)
Exodus 19:4 “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”
What He did in the first Exodus He will do again in the final Exodus!
He is the help and defense of Israel. God is not the one persecuting and seeking the destruction of Israel, Satan the dragon is. Satan seeks to destroy that which God seeks to restore, and it is the Lord God of Israel who is using the time of Jacob‘s trouble to bring Israel back to Himself! At the end of it all He will deliver them! “The deliver will come for Zion’s sake” (Is.59:20 LXX) and “..all Israel will be saved!”. (Rom.11:26). God Himself will defend Israel! (Zechariah 14:3-4) "Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives..."
And there will also be “the righteous from among the nations” who will be there as well to help the woman! Notice the earth swallows the flood of the dragon! “So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.” Rev.12:15-16)
When the enemy comes in like a flood! God will raise up a standard against him! – CHURCH! WE ARE THE STANDARD BEARERS OF THE LORD! “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, (Israel) and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (The church)” (Rev.12:16)
Therefore,
3. Another end time purpose of the church will be to witness to the truth of the gospel, and be a witness against the deception and evil of the Antichrist, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:9-14)
Again, quoting from Dr. Brock Hollet in his book “Jesus, the Jews, and the end of the Age” in commentating on this passage he sums it up this way: “In one sense, this passage depicts the general sweep of tribulation which Christians have experienced from the era of the apostles until the unprecedented tribulation (Acts 14:22; Rev. 1:9; 2:10, 13; cf. 1 Pet. 5:9). Nevertheless, the book of Revelation in particular, coupled with other eschatological prophecies, reveal that tribulation will reach a crescendo during the period of the great tribulation (cf. Matt. 24:15ff). As Jesus indicated, the “labor pains” of tribulation will increase in intensity just prior to God’s final deliverance of His people at the day of His return (Matt. 24:8; cf. 1 Thess. 5:3). During that period of unprecedented tribulation, the holy Church will complete the task of the Great Commission, which Christ commanded us, saying, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
4. The Great Tribulation is also for the testing of the saints: Rev.2:10;
"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life…“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)
And for the completion of the number of martyrs for the name of Jesus (Rev. 6:9-11)
Rev. 6:9-11 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
Among the many reasons that the church must and will go through the tribulation along with Israel, the greatest reason of all will be to purify and refine all of God’s people that, “Many should be purified, made white, and refined” (cf./Dan. 12:10; cf. Dan. 11:35; Zech. 13:9; 1 Pet. 1:7, 18; Rev. 3:4-5, 18; 7:14).
“And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.” Daniel 11:33–35 (ESV)
In conclusion:
The Bride of Christ, both Jew and Gentile are being made ready for the wedding day! And then the end will come when all heaven will rejoice and shout! “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7–8)
I want to challenge us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and as Christians who believe that the Bible is true, we need to step up to the plate so to speak in regards to our relationship in these last days as it relates to both the Jewish people and Israel as well as the rest of the nations. The lord has a controversy with Israel, and He has a controversy with the nations. And who will it be that is to be the witness to both Israel and the nations during this time? The church! We have an incredibly important role to play in God’s plan and purposes for Israel, and yes for the whole world in these days! Even so Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!
- Andy White -
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