THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE

INTRODUCTION

There is very little we at ANTIPAS MINISTRIES can say beyond what we have already said as we approach that period of time the Bible calls -

"The time of Jacob's trouble"

Jeremiah 30:7

NOTE: The ASV translation of Jeremiah 30:7 describes this period of time as –

"... great [terrible], so that none is like it."

The re-birth of the nation of Israel after 2,000 years of dispersion.

The words in the ASV translation – "there is none like it" – make it obvious that Jeremiah is referencing the "Tribulation Period" at the end of the age - a time wherein Israel will be purged of her sins and restored into her rightful place in "GOD' PLAN AND PURPOSE IN THE AGES," and a time also when the church will be purged and cleansed of her sins.

THE RE-GATHERING OF ISRAEL
TO HER ANCIENT HOMELAND

In Jeremiah 30:3, the prophet says that this period of time will be preceded by a re-gathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland after a long period of dispersion:

"For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people ISRAEL and JUDAH, saith the LORD: AND I WILL CAUSE THEM TO RETURN TO THE LAND THAT I GAVE TO THEIR FATHERS, AND THEY SHALL POSSESS IT. (Jeremiah 30:3)

NOTE: in referring to ALL the descendants of Abraham (by Sarah) as "JEWS," we are using the term as it is commonly used – as encompassing the entirety of the descendants of Abraham (and Sarah), including (1) those descendants of Abraham who were carried away during the "Assyrian captivity" (740BC), and (2) those descendants of Abraham who were subsequently carried away during the "Babylonian captivity" (605 BC).

Jeremiah refers to those Jews who were carried away during the "Assyrian captivity" as "ISRAEL," and those Jews who were carried away some 150 years later during the "Babylonian captivity" as "JUDAH." It is in this sense that -

The LAND BRIDGE between the Middle East and Europe – the Caucasus Mountains.

"ISRAEL" is said to be composed of the ten northern tribes – known erronously to history as the "The Ten Lost Tribes" (they were never really "lost" except in the feverish minds of those connected to the tenets of "British Israelism") – ie., Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtalin, Joseph, Ascher and Gad. These so-called "Ten Lost Tribes" never returned to Israel, but instead attempted to settle permanently in northern Assyria. These are the Jews referenced in the Book of Esther. They were subsequently forced to abandon this area as a result of the Islamic conquest beginning in 700AD. They then transversed the land bridge between the Middle East and Europe proper – ie., the Caucasus Mountains (hemmed in by the black sea to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east) - and settled finally in eastern Europe in an area known as the "Pale of Settlement." These are the Jews immortalized in the play (book, movie), "Fiddler on the Roof."

The so-called "Pale of Settlement" where the Jews of the Assyrian Captivity ultimately settled.

"JUDAH" is said to be composed of those Jews of the two southern tribes – ie., Benjamin and Judah - who were carried away during the "Babylonian captivity" (605 BC).

Unlike the Jews who were carried away during the Assyrian captivity, these two tribes returned again to Israel (cf., the books of Ezra and Nehemiah); but they were dispersed yet again by the Romans in 70AD. These are the "Jews" who have become known to history as (1) the Ashkenazi - ie., those Jews who settled in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), North Africa and the Middle East - and (2) the Sephardim - ie., those Jews who settled in Western Europe proper) after their dispersion by the Romans in 70AD.

HATRED OF ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE
IS ONCE AGAIN REACHING A CRESCENDO.

The re-establishment of Israel in May of 1948 was greeted favorably by most of the nations and peoples of the world. Indeed, 72% of these people greeted the re-establishment of Israel favorably – WITHMUCH OF THAT FAVORABLE FEELING BEING GENERATED OUT OF THE VERY REAL SHAME THE WORLD FELT IN CONNECTION WITH ITS FAILURE TO ACT AS HITLER KILLED THE JEWS OFF DURING THE HOLOCAUST.

But most of that shame has long ago evaporated, and - like a nightmare that won't go away, like a cancer that goes into remission, feigning a cure, only to reappear again in some other part of the body and in a more virulent form - anti-Semitism is once again raging against the Jewish people and the state of Israel.

Why is it that hatred of the Jews is so rigidly implanted in the minds of men? Famed psychoanalyst Dr. Ernst Simmel of the University of California had the answer when he said that -

Such a PROCESS can be explained in no other way than to say that it is SATANIC, making THE IMPULSES THAT GENERATE ANTI-SEMITISM TOO POWERFUL FOR PEOPLE "OUTSIDE CHRIST" TO RESIST.

SO POWERFUL HAS ANTI-SEMITISM GROWN ...

And so now we can begin to comprehend the power and might that undergirds anti-Semitism, and understand why after some 66 years following the unmitigated HORROR of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is beginning to reach the same crescendo that it reached prior to the Second World War.

Indeed, Andrew Higgins of The New York Times reports that a fear of rising anti-Semitism in Europe has prompted nearly a third of European Jews to consider emigration because they do not feel safe in their home countries any longer.

Moreover, this is true not only in the world at large, but in large sections of the American public – especially that portion of the American public that supports the presidency of Barack Obama. The truth is, most of those who surround Obama would find no difficulty in agreeing with the sentiments of Rev. Jeremiah Wright - a preacher that Obama once declared was his "spiritual mentor" - that Israel is an apartheid state like the former South Africa.

Wright has long been a vocal critic of Israel and Zionism, which he has blamed for inflicting "injustice and ... racism" on the Palestinian people. He has referred to Israel as a "dirty word," asserting that the -

BIBLICALLY SPEAKING -

Biblically speaking, the "TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE" will, as Sir Robert Anderson has pointed out in his superb work, The Coming Prince, commence when Israel, finding itself desperate and standing alone against the HATRED and LOATHING of the world (as it is doing today), will accept an offer to join in a FORMAL defense arrangement (pact) with a new American government that --– one way or the other (whether by an illegal military coup or an election) --- has swept the so-called left-leaning, pro-Palestinian constituencies that have come to power since the election of President Obama out of office.

BUT by signing such an agreement with the U.S., Israel will unwittingly enter into an alliance with God's great enemy, "BABYLON THE GREAT," which the prophet Isaiah labels an "OVERFLOWING SCOURGE" – an OVERFLOWING SCOURGE that will BETRAY Israel (Is. 28:18) -

NOW STOP AND THINK WHAT THIS MEANS

Now stop for a minute and think what all this means: it means that most Christians in the United States – meaning very probably most of YOUR relatives, friends and neighbors – will enter the Tribulation Period (ie., the TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLES) ON THE SIDE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST, BECAUSE IT IS PRECISELY THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO WILL "CAUSE TO PREVAIL" THIS DEFENSE PACT BETWEEN AMERICA AND ISRAEL – something that almost all American Christians will undoubtedly support. (cf., Daniel 9:27)

Moreover, when it is discovered by YOUR relatives, friends and neighbors --– presumably most of whom will claim to be Christian and who are in one way or another connected to the "evangelicalism" (so-called) of people such as John Hagee, Rod Parsley, Rick Joyner, C. Peter Wagner, Derek Prince, the ICEJ, CUFI, ad nauseum, ad infinitum --- that you are not rejoicing with them, the

Bible says that they will HATE you and will deliver you up -

WHAT IS THE BIBLE SAYING HERE?

What's the Bible saying here? The Bible is warning us that at this period of time there will be groups of so-called "Christians" who will betray other Christians "into the hands of others (ie., their enemies], and they will HATE one another."

In other words, the motivation for those who will "deliver you up to be afflicted and killed" will be HATRED.

This slaughter of God's people will be encouraged by the many false prophets who will arise in those days. They are psedoprophetes - a false prophet (taken from the compound pseudes, meaning "lying, deceitful, or false;" and prophetes, meaning "prophet)." This is what a psedoprophet is: a lying prophet.

Finally, this will be a period where iniquity will increase to the point that the love of self will become so great that the love of the many (meaning Christians) for Christ will become cool.

But the ones who remain to the end will be saved - their love for Christ will transcend their love for self. This group will experience hard times and will be persecuted, and many will be killed, but the Lord will bring their souls through to the end. These are those whom John the Apostle saw -

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord: by now we in Antipas have exhausted the biblical prophecies concerning these matters, as well as many others, in the NEW ANTIPAS PAPERS as well as some 450 other articles and essays.

There is very little more we can say that we have not already said regarding these things.

Both my wife and I have pretty much exhausted our "three score years and ten" – and what is true of us is true also of my beloved co-worker in the faith, Fred Palmquist.

All this to say nothing of my dear, dear son, Jack who has sacrificed everything for the sake of this ministry.

There is very little left for us at Antipas Ministries to say as we approach the "end of days" and -

"THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE"

by: SR Shearer
August 5, 2014

Jeremiah 30:1-7