THE TRIBULATION AKA TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE

THE TRIBULATION (AKA THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE)

                Constantine was a shrewd Emperor. He saw that rather than killing Christianity, persecution was causing it to grow like wildfire. So he brought an end to persecution and then in a conversion of sorts, he began to integrate Christianity into his pagan empire. Times of ease came to Christians and over few hundred years, what had started out as a handful of persecuted Messianic Jews became a composite whore known to us today as pagan Christianity. Millions of Messianic Jews and noncompliant Christians were slaughtered in the process.

                From that time to this pagan Christianity has ruled from the Vatican and even though in modern times she has pulled in her claws, she still reigns over the kings of the earth and under many disguises she still remains the hidden source of nearly all wars and manipulations of nations.

                Throughout her generations she has had her eye on one prize… Jerusalem. She set the city free by conquering the Ottoman Empire and then went in and set up her holy sites and even identified certain key spots such as the Temple Mount, the site of the Nativity, the crucifixion, the burial tomb and the upper room where the last supper took place.  They even falsely placed Mt. Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula.

                In recent years two of the sites have been proven wrong. The Bible says that Mt. Sinai was in Arabia and sure enough with that information, the actual route of the Exodus has been discovered across the Red Sea and the real Mt. Sinai has been found, complete with an astounding amount of artifacts in Saudi Arabia. Even more recently it has been discovered that the current temple mount is not the actual location of Solomon’s Temple or Herod’s temple. The Wailing Wall was actually the wall for a Roman Garrison seated on the top of the mountain and just below it and to the south by a hundred yards is the City of David, where the Bible says that the Temple was actually placed.

                If they had paid more attention to the Bible they would have known that Jesus said that not one stone would be left upon the other and that it would become like a plowed field. Today much excavating is going on in the City of David and the evidence for a new location of the temple is compelling. For one thing, the slaughtering of hundreds of animals would have required a huge amount of water, but there is no water on the traditional temple mount, but in the city of David the Gihon Spring pours forth an abundant supply of water, right next to the spot where the animals were slaughtered and the trough for the blood has been found and much more.

                For the Vatican it has been a long march toward ownership and control of Jerusalem. I believe that God has prevented it until now because Jerusalem plays such an important role in the Tribulation also known as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” The issues of the last days will be centered in Israel and in Jerusalem and everyone can scratch their heads and wonder why this tiny little ancient biblical site would be at the center of a power struggle among the nations.

                There can only be one real answer. Satan desires to rule in the place of Christ in the City of the Great King. And wouldn’t you know it? In this one tiny spot the three major monotheistic religions lay claim to the same small parcel of land. (Jews, Muslims and Christians)

                The strategy of the Vatican at this point, in order to maintain a low profile, is using Muslims to divide and conquer the land   and I think that in the end the antichrist will make an offer that none of the religions can refuse. He will offer the Jews their third temple, and the Muslims one half of Jerusalem as their capital. But the Vatican will preside over it thus satisfying apostate Christianity and when the time comes their candidate of choice will enter the temple declaring himself to be God in an act that we famously know as “THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION” It is spoken of as occurring during the 70^th week of Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11 and then placed in the last days by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 as being centered in Jerusalem forcing the flight of the Jews seen in Mt. 24:15-24 and Mark 13: 14-20.

                Because of the Vatican’s clever doctrine of Replacement Theology, the issues have been hidden throughout much of the Christian era. Even to this day much of Christianity remains clueless as to where we are in time, or that the Jews have anything to do with last day events in spite of the fact that the Bible screams it out from Genesis to Revelation. The biggest conspiracy of all time is going on right under our noses and much of the world and even the Christian world remain unaware.

                The biggest conspiracy in all of history begins in Genesis 3:15 with a seed war between the seed of Christ and the seed of Satan. It came to a head at the cross, but that which Yeshua won for us on the cross will come to fruition in one final 7 year period at the end known as the time of Jacob’s Trouble or,  the 70^th week of Daniel 9:27.

                There are some very interesting clues embedded in that final week. Daniel 9:26 says that after 62 weeks the Messiah will be cut off. So it carefully says that the crucifixion takes place after the 62 weeks, but it says nothing about the 70^th week. Then we have to read carefully for it goes on to say that the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. So in order to understand what this is saying we have to ask, who are the people that destroyed the city and the sanctuary? It was Rome under Titus that destroyed the city and the sanctuary. So that tells us that the prince who is to come will be from among the Romans.

                Then continuing on in verse 27 we find that he (this prince) will make a covenant with many for one week. This one week can only be the missing week, the 70^th week at the end of time when all of the mandates listed in Daniel 9:24 will be brought to completion at the end of the age. So here in Daniel 9:27 we see that this prince will commit the Abomination of Desolation. It says, that in the middle of the 7 years, this prince will put an end to their sacrifices and grain offerings (things that can only take place in the 3^rd temple) and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.

                Herein is Jesus’ warning concerning the last days, that when they see this abomination of desolation they must flee for their lives, not even bothering to return home for their hat and coat.

                Some say that this all took place in A.D. 70 and indeed those who heeded Jesus’ words were able to escape the slaughter that occurred under Titus. But Jesus placed this event in the last days just prior to His return and we can see that all through the book of Daniel the angel keeps telling Daniel that these visions pertain to the end of time. Daniel was instructed to seal up his prophecies until that appointed time.

                In Daniel 8: 17, 19 the angel explains this saying to Daniel, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end. “ And he said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.” This appointed time of the end is a very specific period of time and I believe it to be the 70^th week of Daniel 9:26, 27.

                Then in Daniel 12:4 the angel tells Daniel to conceal these words and to seal up the book until the end of time, when travel and knowledge will increase. Then in verse 9 he says: go your way Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. And then in verse 7 in order to identify the specific time of the end, the angel swears that it would be for a time, times and a half time, In other words in the middle the week, 3 ½ years the abomination of desolation will take place as seen in Daniel 12:11 and reiterated as an end time event by Jesus in Mt. 24:15.

                These things can be understood if we lay aside our traditions that were built on the basis of Replacement theology when everyone thought that God was done with Israel and the Jews and that they had no further significant role to play in the world. But now that Israel is back in their land as promised, we simply have to take a new look at these prophecies, because they can only take place with Israel back in their own land and a temple built in which the antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation.

                This is why Romans 11 serves as an important wakeup call to the church. In verse 17 Paul says that the church did not replace Israel, but was grafted into it. Then verse 23 says that God is able to graft Israel back into the tree. Then verse 25 tells us that a partial hardening has occurred among the Jews until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (we have yet to understand fully what the fullness of the Gentiles means. Does it indicate a harvest (Rapture) of the Gentiles before the time of Jacob’s trouble or does it simply indicate that once every Gentile has come in, then God will begin to deal with the Jews again in what is known as the time of Jacob’s (Israel’s) trouble.

                Either way we look at it, this indicates that the final week of Daniels 70 weeks is soon to occur and when it does, there will be a 3^rd temple built… Israel will be back in their own land, which they are, and the prince who is to come will put a stop to their sacrifices and grain offerings in the middle of the week and will set up the abomination of desolation.

                We can literally see these things being set up right before our eyes as all of the nations jockey for position. Right now there is a peace agreement being signed with the many between Israel and many of the surrounding Arab nations and it looks like peace is about to happen for the first time in history.

                The question is this: will this peace accord usher the world into a time of unity, peace and prosperity, or will it end in sudden destruction? According to Daniel 9:26 the end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war and desolations are determined.

                But Jesus said that when we see all of these things taking place, to lift up our heads for our redemption is drawing nigh. Mt. 24:23. Furthermore Jesus tells us that the generation that sees the fig tree (Israel) put forth leaves we will know that summer is near. We will know that the season of His coming is right at the door. Mt. 24:33 And then He goes on to say that the generation that sees the fig tree put for leaves will not pass away until all of these things take place. Mt. 24:34. This year marks the 70^th year for Israel’s return. I am 70 years old. Does that mean that I will yet see all of these things take place? I kind of think so.

                I don’t think we can ignore or deny the fact that we are in the final countdown to the time of Jacob’s trouble.  Make note of the fact that right after He says that this generation will see all of these things take place He then says: “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words shall not pass away.” Mt. 24:35

                Jesus could not have been talking about His own generation, for they did pass away without seeing all of these things. He had to be talking about our generation. We saw Israel miraculously come back into their land. We saw the desserts bloom like a rose. We see that Jerusalem is indeed a cup of trembling and that all nations are involved and moving towards a final conflagration. We see all of the signs listed in scripture taking place and we have witnessed signs in the heavens in the form of blood moons and solar eclipses, the sign of Revelation 12 and the Bethlehem star all occurring in the last few years. They are all lining up with the appointed times (Moedim) of the Lord and they are fulfilling scripture just as surely as the signs of Jesus first coming were fulfilled like clockwork.

                It is time for the church to wake up. It is time for the virgins to make sure they have oil. It is time for Laodicea to anoint its eyes with eye salve and to buy gold tried in the fire and to put on the white garments of the Lord. It is time to repent for the Lord is standing at the door and knocking. The Bridegroom is on His way.

                This is the way I see things now, but I don’t make them into doctrine, because there are some things that Jesus told us that we would not fully understand until they actually take place. But let us suffice to say that every sign is now pointing to the soon return of Yeshua. Even so, come Lord Jesus.