The Great Tribulation

The Great Tribulation is described in at least three different ways:

(Dan 12:1)  "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; 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, Every one who is found written in the book.

Daniel 12:1 is an illustration of the third category that we mentioned.  It is obviously something that will occur at the end of time as illustrated in the next verse:

 (Dan 12:2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and ever-lasting contempt.

This is obviously the resurrection of the last day, and the judgment that will follow.

But What about the Time of Jacobs trouble?

 (Jer 30:7) 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.

But what is the Context of this Verse?

 (Jer 30:1-14 NKJV)  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

(Jer 30:2) "Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.

{3} '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.'"

This is now a historic fact!  Israel has returned to the land of Israel or Palestine.

(Jer 30:4) Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah.

Now listen to the description of the day of Jacob’s trouble:

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

 Jer 30:6 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?

  Jer 30:7 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.

So it is a time of great trouble.

But some will be saved out of it.  How?

Daniel 7:21"I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, {22} "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

 Jer 30:8 'For it shall come to pass in that day,' Says the LORD of hosts, 'That I will break his [most likely the antichrist] yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.

 Jer 30:9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them.

This is apparently speaking of a day after the resurrection since David has been raised.

  Jer 30:10 'Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,' says the LORD, 'Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, And no one shall make him afraid.

Is this the state of Israel today?

 Jer 30:11 For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. 1st indicator

Jer 30:11b) But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.'

{12} "For thus says the LORD: 'Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe. {13} There is no one to plead your cause,

[Remember! They crucified their Savior!]

That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines.

 Jer 30:14 All your lovers have forgotten you; [Does this mean the time is coming when things will change in Washington, and the United States will no longer help Israel?]  They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the chastisement of a cruel one, For the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased.

(Zec 13:8-9 NKJV)  And it shall come to pass in all the land," Says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one- third shall be left in it: {9} I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

 (Zec 14:1-7 NKJV)  Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. {2} 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.

(Zec 14:3) Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. {4} And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; [This hasn’t happened yet.  This is still future!] Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.

  (Zec 14:5) Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You. {6} It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish. {7} It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD; Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.

 (Isa 16:3-5 NKJV)  "Take counsel, execute judgment; Make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day; Hide the outcasts, Do not betray him who escapes. {4} Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; Be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler. [The Spoiler, or the antichrist] For the extortioner is at an end, Devastation ceases, The oppressors are consumed out of the land. {5} In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness."

(Joel 3:1-3 NKJV)  "For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, {2} 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, Whom they have scattered among the nations;

Joel 3:2: They have also divided up My land.

 {3} They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

(Joel 3:9-17 NKJV)  Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. {10} Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'"

 {11} Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. {12} "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. {13} Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow; For their wickedness is great."

 (Rev 14:19-20 NKJV)  So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. {20} And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. [200 miles]

  Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

{15} The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. {16} The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

 {17} "So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again."

(Isa 14:1 NKJV)  For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob.

The Great Tribulation will really affect Israel, but I think in some way it will affect all of God’s people.  There is escape for some.