Sermon Tone Analysis

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[[@page.2.13.4]]!!!! 2.13.4 - Jacob's Trouble and the Great Tribulation

Two other titles which are related to the coming /Day of the Lord/ are /the Time of Jacob's Trouble/ and /the Great Tribulation/.1 Notice that all three involve the concept of an /unparalleled/ time of trouble.

/Unparalleled/ implies two things concerning the time periods involved:#.

Since there cannot be more than one /unparalleled/ time of trouble, their time periods must overlap.2

#.

These events have not transpired in the past.3

Regarding the timing of the Great Tribulation, Jesus said"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.

And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

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; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."

(Mtt.

[[24:15-22|bible.61.24.15-61.24.22]])

Jesus referred to this Daniel [[9:27|bible.27.9.27]] "overspreading of abominations" in Matthew [[24:15|bible.61.24.15]].

Then He said, "then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Mtt.

[[24:21|bible.61.24.21]]), thereby indicating that the Great Tribulation will begin when the overspreading of abominations of Daniel [[9:27|bible.27.9.27]] occurs.

Since the Great Tribulation will begin when the overspreading of abominations occurs in the middle of the 70th week, we can conclude that the Great Tribulation will begin in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel, or after the first three and one-half years of that seven-year period have transpired.4

Notice Jesus says, "let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" and "pray that your flight may not be . . . on the Sabbath."

There is an explicit Jewish element to this entire passage.

This is because the events are related to /the Time of Jacob's Trouble/ described by Jeremiah:'For behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,' says the LORD.

'And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.'

Now these /are/ the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah.

For thus says the LORD: 'We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child?

So why do I see every man /with/ his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale?

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.'

(Jer.

[[30:3-7|bible.24.30.3-24.30.7]])

Notice several important aspects within this passage:#.

*Jacob is Israel* - Jacob fathered the 12 tribes and was given the name Israel by God (Gen.

[[32:28|bible.1.32.28]]).

Thus, this is describing a time of trouble specifically for the Jews.

#. *Gathering in the Land* - This time of trouble occurs /after/ Israel is gathered back in the Promised Land.

#. *Birth Pangs* - The passage refers to every man acting "like a woman in labor."

How similar this is to the words of Jesus, "All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Mtt.

[[24:8|bible.61.24.8]]).

/Sorrows/ (ωδιν [ōdin] ) indicates "a pang or throe, *especially of childbirth*."

[emphasis added]5

#. *A Unique Day* - There is /no other day like it/.

#. *Results in Salvation* - "But he shall be saved out of it."

Although the Jews undergo an extremely troubling time, salvation comes at the end.6

The Jewish aspect of this period can also be seen in the wider context of Micah's well-known prophecy concerning the birthplace of Messiah:Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; they will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, /Though/ you are little among the thousands of Judah, /yet/ out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth /are/ from of old, from everlasting.

*Therefore He shall give them up, until the time /that/ she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel.*

And He shall stand and feed /His flock/ In the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth.

(Mic.

[[5:1-4|bible.33.5.1-33.5.4]]) [emphasis added]

Scripture record's /two/ pregnancies in relation to Messiah.

The first labor terminates in First Coming of Messiah (Rev.

[[12:2-4|bible.87.12.2-87.12.4]]+).

The second labor terminates in the ushering in of the Millennial Kingdom.

It is this second period of labor, subsequent to the going forth of Messiah from Bethlehem, which Micah sets forth.

This second labor leads to the millennial age: "For now He shall be great to the ends of the earth."

The time of Jacob's trouble describes the labor pains associated with the second pregnancy."She

who travaileth" does not refer to Israel bringing forth (giving birth to) Messiah, but to her last-day Tribulation travail (Jer.

[[30:5-7|bible.24.30.5-24.30.7]]) in bringing forth a believing remnant, . . .

Israel's greatest and most anguishing sufferings of all her long and checkered history of woe will take place during the coming Great Tribulation (Rev.

[[8:1|bible.87.8.1]]+-[[20:3|bible.87.20.3]]+).

Her terrible travail pains that in God's plan precede the joy of birth (cf.

Mic.

[[4:9|bible.33.4.9]]; cf.

John [[16:21|bible.64.16.21]]), will bring forth a regenerated nation to enter the joy of the Kingdom, which will be as unparalleled as the agony that introduces it.7

This period is mentioned in the book of Revelation and also Daniel which provides additional details as to its duration:8 Revelation [[12|bible.87.12.1]]+ states the length of time this persecution and hiding of the Jews in the wilderness will last . . . it will last 1,260 days (Rev.

[[12:6|bible.87.12.6]]+) . . .

Revelation [[12:14|bible.87.12.14]]+ states that Israel will hide in the wilderness from Satan for "a time, and times, and half a time."

Daniel [[7:25|bible.27.7.25]] uses this identical time designation for the length of time that the Antichrist will persecute the saints of the 70th week. . . .

Revelation [[13:5-7|bible.87.13.5-87.13.7]]+, when referring to this same persecution of 70th-week saints by the Antichrist, declares that it will last for 42 months, which equal three and one-half years. . . .

The Jews will be persecuted and will hide in a wilderness area for three and one-half years, exactly one-half of the seven-year 70th week. . . . the Great Tribulation will be finished when God has completely shattered the obstinate rebellion of the nation of Israel against Him [Dan.

[[9:24|bible.27.9.24]]; [[12:7|bible.27.12.7]]].

In other words, the Great Tribulation will end when Israel's rebellion against God's rule ends.9

Scofield summarizes the character of this unique period:The elements of the tribulation are: (1) The cruel reign of the "beast out of the sea" (Rev.

[[13:1|bible.87.13.1]]+), who, at the beginning of the three and a half years, will break his covenant with the Jews (by virtue of which they will have re-established the temple worship, Dan.

[[9:27|bible.27.9.27]]), and show himself in the temple, demanding that he be worshipped as God (Mtt.

[[24:15|bible.61.24.15]]; 2Th.

[[2:4|bible.74.2.4]]).

(2) The active interposition of Satan "having great wrath" (Rev.

[[12:12|bible.87.12.12]]+), who gives his power to the Beast (Rev.

[[13:4|bible.87.13.4]]+, [[5|bible.87.13.5]]+).

(3) The unprecedented activity of demons (Rev.

[[9:2|bible.87.9.2]]+, [[11|bible.87.9.11]]+); and (4) the terrible "bowl" judgments of Rev. [[16|bible.87.16.1]]+.10

Although the book of Revelation indicates that all those living on the earth immediately prior to the return of Jesus will be involved in troublesome times, this is especially true for the Jews.

This is because God applies judgment first and more fully to those who have greater revelation and responsibility (Amos [[3:2|bible.30.3.2]];

Luke [[12:48|bible.63.12.48]]).11

While it is true that all will suffer during that time, Israel will suffer more so.

The basic reason for this lies in Israel's relationship to God as God's first born (Ex.

[[4:22|bible.2.4.22]]) and, therefore, Israel receives double, both in blessing and cursing.

The principle that Israel receives double for all her sins is stated in Isaiah [[40:1-2|bible.23.40.1-23.40.2]] . . .

It is also found in Jeremiah [[16:16-18|bible.24.16.16-24.16.18]].

The principle of Israel's receiving double for all her sins is the reason why the Tribulation is uniquely the Time of Jacob's Trouble.12

Stanton shows the Jewish character of the period by saying: "The tribulation is primarily Jewish.

This fact is borne out by Old Testament Scriptures (Deu.

[[4:30|bible.5.4.30]];

Jer.

[[30:7|bible.24.30.7]];

Eze.

[[20:37|bible.26.20.37]];

Dan.