Jacob, Israel, & the Day of the Lord

            So far in our video series on restoring the end-time terms and concepts, we’ve looked at Jesus’ before and after statements concerning the tribulation. We’ve seen that the various terms such as the beginning of sorrows, the tribulation, the six seals of Revelation, and the great tribulation are all synonyms that describe the same period of birth pains surrounding the Church Age.
            Here we will look at another synonym that looks at this same time period from a different perspective—that of the Jewish nation. It’s called the time of Jacob’s Trouble. The word for trouble in Hebrew refers to feminine distress. So how do we find a male name (Jacob) tied to feminine distress?
           We’ll answer that question with another question from Jer. 30:6. “Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child?” Unheard of, you say! Yes, and that is the point. The Holy Spirit is shocking us with an unusual situation to alert us to pay attention. “So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale?” In short, Jacob is in trouble, distress, and pain—the kind that leads to a birth.
            Jesus explained that this time of trouble for Jacob would begin with the destruction of the beloved Temple. It occurred in 70 AD when the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem and not one stone was left upon another. They were scattered among the nations (what is historically called the Diaspora). The trouble continues to our current time. Even though they have returned to the Promised Land as a nation, they still reject Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
            So why does the Holy Spirit use the name Jacob, whose offspring became the 12 tribes that would become the nation of Israel? You may recall that Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, supplanted Esau as the heir apparent of the lineage of Israel, and wrestled with God all night (Gen. 32:24-30). It was a poignant struggle for it prophetically pointed to this same time period that precedes the Day of the Lord and Christ’s coming.
            Jacob’s dark period of wrestling with God and rejecting the Messiah would end at daybreak with a blessing. God changed his name to Israel—literally, one who wrestles with God. Likewise, Jacob’s period of darkness in this age will end at Daybreak, at the dawn of the last Day, which is the Day of the Lord.
            The heavens will scroll back to reveal Jesus Christ seated next to God’s throne. Jacob’s remnant will finally recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They will rend their hearts and turn to the Lord. It will be their 3rd Day revival as prophesied (Hosea 6:1-3)—“His going forth is established as the morning.”
            So what does this have to do with feminine distress as a woman in labor? Birth pains ramp up big time when a woman goes into the transitional stage. Or in this case, when Jacob doubles over in pain. As this age comes to a close, the nation will think they are dwelling in relative peace and safety due to their military prowess. Then suddenly destruction shall come upon them (1 Thess. 5:3). It’s the initial invasion of the Antichrist and his coalition of armies just before the Day of the Lord.
            The invasion will come to a screeching halt when God turns out the celestial lights as the final sign of this present age. The Day of the Lord will dawn with a birth—the rapture of the Church that is birthed from death to live forevermore with Jesus Christ as the New Man. Our resurrection triggers their acceptance of Christ.
            The revived Jewish remnant, who are now part of the redeemed, experience their latter rain outpouring of the Spirit, which empowers them to go forth as mighty men in the Day of battle. For the first 3½ years of the final 1,000-year Day of God’s prophetic Week brings the last 3½ years of Daniel’s 70th Week prophecy, including the final war for Jerusalem. Needless to say, they shall prevail, compliments of the raptured Church now seated as the heavenly court.
            Jacob’s transgressions have ended. They are now part of the redeemed. The bottom line is this: the time of Jacob’s Trouble is another synonym of the tribulation of those Days—Days 5 and 6 of the prophetic Week—from the perspective of the Jews. For nearly 2,000 years they have wrestled with God after rejecting the Messiah. But when the Day of the Lord comes and they accept Jesus as their Savior, they shall receive the Daybreak blessing of being children of God and part of the family of the redeemed.