Part 13

The “Times of the Gentiles” and The “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”

Daniel prophesied that Israel would be under Gentile rule for a total of 490 years (seventy weeks of 7 years). Taken together these years are Biblically called “the Times Of The Gentiles.” These 490 years are the penalty for Israel ’s disobedience in not permitting “the land” to “rest” every seventh year (Lev 26:34). History records that to date Israel has been held under Babylon , Medo-Persia , Greece , and Rome for 483 of the 490 years. The remaining seven years to come are Biblically called the “The Time Of Jacob’s Trouble,” when Antichrist (a Gentile) will reign over the whole world, including Israel . “…THAT DAY IS GREAT, so that none is like it: it is even The Time Of Jacob’s Trouble; but He ( Israel ) Shall Be Saved Out of It.” (Jer. 30:7)

The Biblical phrases “a time of distress,”  “the day of wrath,” the day of vengeance,” “the year of the Lord’s redeemed,” and “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble,” and others, all refer to aspects of the end-time events we call the Tribulation period or Daniel’s 70^th Week. At the end of this period the Lord will literally return to earth to destroy His enemies, save Israel , and set up His Millennial Theocratic Kingdom on earth. This will conclude the terrible times of long delayed judgments upon the Christ hating world and rebellious Israel .

“And it shall be “A TIME OF DISTRESS” such as has never occurred since people first existed on the earth until that time.” (Daniel 12:1b)

“For AT THAT TIME THERE WILL BE A GREAT TRIBULATION such as has never occurred from the beginning of the world until now, and [such as] will never again occur thereafter.” (Matt 24:21 cf. Mk.13:19)

The “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” is obliquely referenced by a particular sound among those listed here by Paul.

“For The Lord Himself Shall Descend From Heaven With A Shout, with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL , and with the trump (sound) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” (1Thes 4:16).

You might say, “How could this verse possibly relate to “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”?

Let me explain with some detail. Most believers know that when the “shout” and “Trump of God” sounds it will mark the Rapture, the catching away will end this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God” for “the body of Christ” on earth. Yet, the Rapture Also Simultaneously Marks The RESUMPTION Of The Lord’s Prophesied Program For Israel, which had been set aside since Israel fell (read Rom 11:10-11, 25). The sound of “the voice of the archangel” is that of “Michael THE Archangel,” he is Israel ’s “Prince” (see Dan 10:2). The “voice of the archangel” is more significant than we might otherwise think. Michael’s “voice” marks the resumption of Israel ’s program and its final 7-year repayment on the 490 years. The seven-year Tribulation, with its judgments will end with the appearing of Jesus in His return to earth at His 2^nd coming.

At Pentecost, before the 490 years were interrupted, Israel was under Rome . Christ had been crucified and “the last days” had nearly begun. All was ready for “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Peter stood and spoke to “ye men of Israel ,” quoting the prophet Joel, whose blessings had begun, but NOT the judgments (see Acts 2:16-20). Some of Joel’s prophecy began to be fulfilled at that time, but thank God He still hasn’t brought the “Great and Notable Day of the Lord” in judgment (Act 2:20).

Thankfully, God has in His infinite grace interrupted Israel ’s program, delaying the remaining 7 years to be fulfilled in judgments. Then Christ from Heaven revealed to the Apostle Paul His secret plan to offer to His enemies everywhere (Gentiles) salvation and reconciliation under a new program of grace – salvation coming by the free gift of grace, through faith in the crucified, risen Savior. Paul wrote the Ephesian Gentiles presuming they had by now heard of “the DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD, which is given me (Paul) to you-ward; how that By Revelation He (Christ) made known unto me (Paul) THE MYSTERY (God’s secret plan)” (Eph. 3:1-3). God’s eternal purpose in Christ is no longer a secret. Now, so long as this day of grace lasts we may be “justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

Here’s the significance of the phrase, “The time of Jacob’s trouble.” Jacob was the son of Isaac who was the Son of Abraham. Jacob’s name was changed to “ Israel ” and the “Twelve Tribes” of Israel are named for his twelve sons. “The time of Jacob’s trouble” is called such because Jacob represents unbelieving Israel . Jacob did come to see and trust the Lord at “ Bethel ” (Gen 28:10-22) and there his name was changed to the Hebrew “Yisrael,” meaning “he will rule as God.” Jacob was second in line from Abraham to whose lineage belongs the “promises” of God – both of judgment and blessing. The blessing to come on Israel is that they will rule and bless the earth in the Millennium just as God had promised Abraham, after “The time of Jacob’s trouble.”

The Church, Paul says, is “not appointed to wrath” (1Thes 5:9), therefore “the body of Christ” must be Raptured BEFORE the Lord restarts Israel ’s 7-year program with judgment on the world and Israel . The term “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” of the Gentile “church, which is the body of Christ” refers to a Rapture “Pre the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Israel ’s program was interrupted by their “fall” (Rom 11:11-12) when they killed the Messiah and soon after stoned Stephen to death (Act 7:58). The next thing that was due was Daniel’s 70^th week of judgments, but... this was interrupted “UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles (body of Christ) be come in” (Rom 11:25b). Israel ’s program was interrupted only temporarily, while the Gentiles would be offered “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) in this age of “the grace of God,” to end with the “fulness” and Rapture of “the body of Christ.” Paul here tells us exactly how long Israel is to be set aside in “blindness.” “… blindness in part is happened to Israel, (only) UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25b)

Though Israel is the focus of God in 75% of the Bible, the current day in which we live today is the God-blessed time of the mostly Gentile “body of Christ” under the terms of “the dispensation of the grace of God.” This grace age should be seen as but an intermission in God’s program for Israel and His planned recovery of dominion over the earth through recovered Israel .

Today’s grace dispensation was inserted after Israel ’s “fall”; then soon followed by Paul’s conversion. Jesus Himself appeared from heaven to save Paul and give him the “mystery (secret of God)” gospel and ministry as “THE Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom 11:13). Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” is the only “gospel” in effect today, until the Rapture. The riches and blessings of today’s grace dispensation are for ALL men of ALL races. Thus Paul wrote of today’s age of grace wherein “there is neither Jew or Gentile… ALL ARE ONE IN CHRIST” (Gal 3:28). Paul’s grace gospel is the only gospel for today. In fact, nobody could practice Judaism today because there is no Temple in Jerusalem , and no priesthood. The only way a Jew can be “saved” today is under Paul’s “grace” gospel for “ALL men” (Titus 2:11; Eph 3:9; 1Tim 2:4; 4:10).

God will again turn to Israel , but only after the last member of “the body of Christ” will have by been added to the church. Imagine being the last one saved into “the body of Christ,” just before the door closes. Then God will remove the current “blindness” from Israel and restart His planned judgments on Israel . This starts the Tribulation, to end with His 2^nd coming and believing Israel co-reigning with Him on earth for eternity.

Take note that the “FULNESS of the Gentiles (the church)” (Rom 11:25 above) is not to be confused with “the TIMES of the Gentile” kingdoms that will reign over Israel and under whom… “they ( Israel ) shall fall by the edge of the sword…be led away CAPTIVE INTO ALL NATIONS (Gentiles): and Jerusalem shall be TRODDEN DOWN OF THE GENTILES, until the TIMES OF THE GENTILES (the 490 years) be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

The Lord said I… “will cause them ( Israel ) to return to the land” and “shall assemble the outcasts of Israel ” and “gather together… Israel and Judah ” (northern and southern kingdoms) back to “the land” to re-establish Israel .

“… 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.” (Jer 30:3)

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD SHALL SET HIS HAND AGAIN THE SECOND TIME TO RECOVER the REMNANT (Heb, shear, remainder) of HIS PEOPLE (Israel), which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. ¹² And HE SHALL SET UP AN ENSIGN FOR THE NATIONS, and SHALL ASSEMBLE THE OUTCASTS of ISRAEL, and GATHER TOGETHER THE DISPERSED OF JUDAH from the four corners of the earth. (Isa 11:11-12)

You may ask, “How would God “cause them ( Israel ) to return to the Land” (Jer. 30:3 above)? Over the past century we’ve witnessed preparation for “the last days.” The 1917 Balfour Declaration that followed WWI rearranged and divided the lands of the nations in the Mideast . It assigned a portion of the land of Palestine to Israel to be its homeland, as it had earlier been for thousands of years. Being “scattered” since after 70AD, many of Israel were relatively comfortable living in the nations of the Caucasus, Western Europe, and Russia . It wasn’t til the rise of the Hitler and Stalin that many Jews were sufficiently motivated to return to “the land” that had become available to them by the Balfour Declaration. Thus the Lord has used the evils of Satan inspired men to do this (Rev 17:17). After awful conflict and bloodshed with the Muslims under the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem to hold “the land,” on May 14, 1948 the “ensign” (fulfilling v12 above) of the flag of David was raised – the Nation of Israel was reborn – exactly as God had promised thousands of years earlier. Since then we witness the ongoing birth pangs of “the Time of Jacob’s Trouble” in our daily news.

“Jacob’s trouble” will heighten greatly in the 2^nd half of the 7-year Tribulation, before the Lord returns to save Israel . The Tribulation judgments will come upon the whole Christ-hating world, but also upon Israel as a pruning or purifying fire. Jesus said the “branches” who don’t “abide in the vine (in union with Him)” will be purged and “burned” (v6 below). The word “IF” in v6 below indicates the conditionality for salvation to escape burning; thus this applies to Israel under “the Law.” Never could this be said of the church under the grace dispensation we live in today, whereby we are “saved by grace through faith, NOT of works” (Eph 2:8-9).

“I (Jesus) am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he (the Father) taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” “⁶IF a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and CAST THEM INTO THE FIRE, AND THEY ARE BURNED. (John 15:1-2, 6)

Peter also wrote of horrendous “great trials” for Israel as being “More Precious Than Of Gold… Tried With Fire”; to occur prior to the Lord’s “Appearing” on earth. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye (Israel) are in heaviness through manifold (many) temptations (TRIALS): ⁷ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory AT THE APPEARING (2^nd coming) of JESUS CHRIST: (1 Peter 1:6-7)

The Lord has warned His people Israel but they have consistently been a “rebellious,” not heeding His words of instruction. Note these prophetic words of the Lord, given to Israel through His prophet Isaiah. “Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the DAYS TO COME it may be an everlasting witness. THESE ARE REBELLIOUS PEOPLE, DECEITFUL CHILDREN… UNWILLING TO LISTEN TO THE LORD’S INSTRUCTION. They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel !”… this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you (Israel) have REJECTED THIS MESSAGE, relied on oppression and depended on DECEIT, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant” (Isa 30:8-13 NIV).

God spoke also through Ezekiel regarding the corrupt “shepherds” of Israel , His “flock.” As with all man governed institutions of religion; the corrupt “shepherds” of Israel were self-seeking, not caring for the sheep.

“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? …, but you do not take care of the flock. … You have ruled them harshly and brutally…” ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: … because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore… I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock” (Eze 34:2-9 NIV).

“I (JESUS) AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ¹² But he that is an hireling (paid), and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” (John 10:11-13)

Israel has been “Loammi,” meaning, “not my people,” from about the time the Lord’s manifested glory departed the Temple (Eze 10:18-19).

Prophetically to Hosea, “the Lord said, Call his name Lo-Ammi [Not-my-people], for you are NOT My people and I am not your God. ¹⁰ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and instead of it being said to them, You are not My people, it shall be said to them, Sons of the Living God! ¹¹ Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head, and they shall go up out of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel (Armageddon) the SPIRITUALLY REBORN ISRAEL, a divine offspring, the people whom the Lord has blessed.] (Hosea 1:9-11 AMP)

Hosea prophetically, by metaphor, tells us about Israel becoming Loammi, “not my people.” This actually happened when Israel rejected the Messiah in His 1^st coming, making them Loammi. The Lord said, “I gave FAITHLESS ISRAEL HER certificate of DIVORCE and sent her away because of all her adulteries (Jer. 3:8). The Bible calls their estrangement many things; Israel “blinded (Rom 11:25), “cast away” (Rom 11:1-2), “Loammi (not my people).” “I say then, Have they ( Israel ) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather THROUGH THEIR FALL SALVATION IS COME UNTO THE GENTILES, for to provoke them to jealousy. (Rom 11:10-11)

Still today being “blinded” (Rom 11:25) and in “unbelief,” Israel is mainly secular, not believing, and not possessing the Lord’s indwelling Spirit. God has turned His face away from the nation of Israel while it is being punished thoroughly. For about 2,000 years since the Messiah 1^st came God has hid his face from the nation of Israel . But the time is coming when the genuine believers of Israel will be spiritually reborn as the Lord’s blessed people on earth (Ez. 37:14).

As discussed earlier, Daniel prophesied about the “seventy weeks” of years of Israel under Gentile rule. Israel fell by “cutting off Messiah the Prince,” thus becoming “Loammi” – “not my people.” The time clock of the seventy weeks was interrupted and stopped when Messiah the Prince was killed. During this time God has given the Gentiles a time that Paul calls “the dispensation of the grace of God,” during which He has given the Gentiles the spiritual blessings that He has promised to Israel . Today is the time of Israel being “Loammi - not my people” and the Gentiles being “blessed with all spiritual blessings.” This is between Daniel’s 69^th and 70^th weeks. (Request my chart – “Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Israel Under Gentile Rule.”) So, Israel fell at the end of the 69th week of Daniel’s prophecy when Jesus was “cut-off (killed, Dan 9:25),” judging Israel in unbelief. Then shortly after that “The Salvation of God is Sent Unto the Gentiles (Act 28:28, below)” under Paul’s ministry.

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am THE apostle of the Gentiles…” (Romans 11:13) “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you ( Israel ): but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, LO, WE TURN TO THE GENTILES. (Acts 13:46). “Be it known therefore unto you, that THE SALVATION OF GOD IS SENT UNTO THE GENTILES, AND THAT THEY WILL HEAR IT.” (Acts 28:28)

After about 2,000 years of focus upon “the body of Christ,” after the Rapture, the Lord will again turn again to Israel . Then, initially, the judgments of the “four horsemen of the Apocalypse” who symbolize the manmade disasters by; 1) conquest, 2) war, 3) bringing famine, and 4) death, will appear. (Rev. 6:1-8)

Then the last three and one-half years of the 7-year Tribulation period will bring supernatural judgments by cosmic disturbances in the sun, moon, and stars, with earthquakes (Rev 6:12), poisoned waters of the sea and rivers (Rev 8:11) and more. Two-thirds of rebellious mankind will suffer and die during the Tribulation. “men were scorched with great heat, and Blasphemed The Name Of God, Which Hath Power Over These Plagues: and they repented (still chose) NOT to give him glory. (Rev 16:9). Then also Satan pours out his wrath on Israel .

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, NOW IS COME salvation, and strength, and THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD, and the power of his Christ: for THE ACCUSER (Satan) OF OUR BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN, which accused them before our God day and night.” (Rev 12:10)  

“¹²Therefore REJOICE, YE HEAVENS, and YE THAT DWELL IN THEM (the heavens). Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for THE DEVIL is come down unto you, having GREAT WRATH, Because He Knoweth That He Hath But A Short Time.

¹³ And when THE DRAGON SAW THAT HE WAS CAST UNTO THE EARTH, HE PERSECUTED THE WOMAN ( Israel ) WHICH BROUGHT FORTH THE MAN CHILD (Jesus, King of Israel ).

¹⁴ And to the woman (believing Israel, the Lamb’s Bride) were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished FOR A TIME, AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, from the face (expression) of THE SERPENT (Antichrist during the 3-1/2 years of the “Great Tribulation”). ¹⁵ And THE SERPENT cast out of his mouth (literal) water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. ¹⁶ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And THE DRAGON WAS WROTH WITH THE WOMAN, and WENT TO MAKE WAR WITH THE REMNANT OF HER SEED (the elect of Israel ), which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:12-17)

Israel will endure terrible times. The prophetic word (above) refers to the middle of the Tribulation period when the enraged “Dragon (the Devil)” and his angels are “cast to the earth” (v13). But, the Lord will preserve this believing remnant, being represented here as “the woman ( Israel ),” on “wings of a great eagle” (v 13-14)

Note in Rev 12:12a (above) “Ye That Dwell In Them (in the heavens),” during this persecution “REJOICE.” Some think these rejoicing are the members of “the body of Christ” who were Raptured earlier to take their place in the heavens, but most likely those rejoicing are the spirits of the dead O.T. saints, long dwelling in “the paradise of God” awaiting the resurrection of their glorified bodies in the “1^st resurrection” of Rev 20:6.

Jesus of Nazareth said the specific “gospel of the kingdom” (not Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24) would then be the gospel preached till “the end come” (Matt 24:14). The “two witnesses” and the 144,000 elect of Israel will no doubt preach the “gospel of the kingdom,” just as Jesus prophesied.

“I (The LORD) Will Give Power Unto My TWO WITNESSES, AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY (speak forth) A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THREESCORE DAYS (3-1/2 yrs), clothed in sackcloth.” (Rev 11:3)

“(Jesus said) And THIS “GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM” shall be preached in ALL the world for a witness unto ALL nations; and THEN SHALL THE END COME” (Matt 24:14).  

During the Tribulation many people of “all nations” will believe the “gospel of the kingdom” and be martyred.  

 “After this I beheld, and, lo, A GREAT MULTITUDE (of martyrs), which no man could number, of ALL NATIONS, and KINDREDS, and PEOPLE, and TONGUES, stood BEFORE THE THRONE, and BEFORE THE LAMB, clothed with WHITE ROBES, and palms in their hands; (Revelation 7:9) “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These Are They Which Came Out Of GREAT TRIBULATION, and HAVE WASHED THEIR ROBES, and MADE THEM WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. (Rev 7:14)

Many misuse Jesus’ prophetic words in Luke 21 and Matt 24. We must understand that their context is in view of the seven-year Tribulation and particularly the Great Tribulation of the last 3-1/2 years. Its true that one “sign” of Israel ’s coming restoration and the Lord’s 2^nd coming to earth is seen in its restoration as a nation in May, 1948. Yet, Gentile domination will intensify under Antichrist in the Great Tribulation until “the winepress” of the “day of vengeance” that also marks “the year of MY redeemed.”

 “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, I will stain all My raiment. for the DAY OF VENGEANCE is in Mine heart, The Year (age) of MY REDEEMED IS COME.” (Isa. 63:3-4)

Note the phrase “the year (Heb. shana, turning age) of My redeemed is come.” This refers to the all Kingdom gospel believers of all ages, those who have died and those believers who will survive the Tribulation.

The living believers will “look upon (Christ)” when He appears. Every living Kingdom believer will see Him whom “they have pierced” by their sins, Him who thereby took “away the sins of the world.”

“… IN THAT DAY, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem . ¹⁰ I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and They Shall LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zech 12:9-10)

The Old Testament saints and martyred Tribulation believers will returning from paradise to appear in resurrected glorified spirit-bodies to be there with Christ at His 2^nd coming and enter the Kingdom.

The Tribulation concludes with Christ setting His feet upon Jerusalem ’s “mount of olives.” He will establish His millennial rule on earth with a “rod of iron,” which will be necessary since many will be born during the 1,000 year Kingdom, some of those will come to believe, but some will not and need His righteous hand.