The Time of Jacob's
Trouble
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Let's ask God to help us:
Lord,
Your prophetic Word has shown us that the period of probation You have granted us, so that
we may accept Your offer of salvation in Jesus, will very soon come to an end.
Today, we wish to know what will happen after the close of probation, during this period
which will lead to the Second Coming of Jesus.
Please open our hearts and minds to Your valuable teachings. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 16:1
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the
seven angels,
«Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.»
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In our last lesson, we have seen that, when everyone has received either the
seal of God or the mark of the beast, God will put an end to the period of probation
granted to mankind.
After a short delay, whose exact length is unknown, the seven last plagues contained in
the seven bowls God's wrath (which we will study in detail in future lessons) will be
poured out on unrepentant men.
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Revelation 16:8,9
Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and
power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power
over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
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Deprived of the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit, those who did not
receive the seal of God will no longer be able to find the path of repentance.
This is why, when the seven last plagues strike them, they won't examine their conscience,
nor admit any personal liability for the coming of these calamities. They will actually
curse God.
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Revelation 16:2,3
So the first [angel] went and poured out his bowl upon
the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast
and those who worshiped his image.
Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead
man; and every living creature in the sea died.
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After the first two plagues, the rage of the rebellious men will already have
reached an unprecedented level, as we will see in detail in future lessons.
Then they will be fully set up for the last and most powerful deception of Satan...
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2 Thessalonians 2:9,10
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working
of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception
among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they
might be saved.
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With a dazzling spectacle, Satan will imitate the return of Jesus.
Introducing himself as Christ coming down from heaven, he will walk among men, speak like
Jesus, and perform powerful miracles, easily deceiving all those who «did
not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved».
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2 Thessalonians 2:11,12
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion,
that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the
truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
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If all these unrepentant people had obeyed God, and studied what His Word
teaches about the second coming of Jesus (as we will do in our next lesson), they would
not have been deceived by this counterfeit performance of Satan.
Unfortunately, probation being closed at that time, and God's Spirit no longer working in
their hearts, they will be filled with «strong delusion».
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Matthew 24:23-25
Then if anyone says to you, «Look, here is the Christ!»
or «There!» do not believe it.
For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to
deceive, if possible, even the elect.
See, I have told you beforehand.
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2 Corinthians 11:14
No wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an
angel of light.
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Many times, the Word of God warns us against Satan's dangerous counterfeits.
Yet, in spite of all these warnings, Satan, the angel of light, will succeed in deceiving
all the unrepentant men.
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Revelation 14:9,10
If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives
his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation.
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Revelation 16:2
So the first [angel] went and poured out his bowl upon
the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast
and those who worshiped his image.
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Satan knows that the plagues will fall to punish the apostasy of those who have
rejected God and His commandments, and thus have received the mark of the beast.
But, of course, Satan will avoid telling men the truth...
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Revelation 13:15-17
[The beast coming up out of the earth] was granted power
to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak
and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark
on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who
has the mark.
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Still imitating Jesus, Satan will tell men that God is sending these plagues to
punish those who still refuse to recognize Sunday as the day of rest.
He will maintain that the plagues will continue to fall until all the inhabitants of the
earth, without exception, observe this day of rest.
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Revelation 13:15
[The beast coming up out of the earth] was granted power
to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak
and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
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The nations, headed by the United States, will already be working to make
everyone recognize the authority of «the image of the beast»,
that is, the religio-political coalition in the image of the papal system.
But this statement of Satan will lead them to take a step forward.
They will then issue a death decree against all those who keep the commandments of God,
including the fourth one which requires the observance of the Sabbath.
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1 Kings 18:17,18
Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to
him, «Is that you, O troubler of Israel?»
And he answered, «I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in
that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed the Baals.»
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This situation will be an exact reproduction of the experience of the prophet
Elijah, who was regarded as being responsible for the upheavals shaking Israel, although
the trouble was, in fact, due to the apostasy of the king, who had abandoned the
commandments of God and turned to pagan gods.
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Daniel 11:44,45
News from the east and the north shall trouble [the king
of the North]; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy
mountain.
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The prophecy of Daniel chapter 11 speaks of this
death decree, issued after receiving «troublesome news».
This decree, coming from the murderous madness of «the king of the
North», that is, the papacy and its religious coalition, will be aimed at «many» people and «the glorious holy
mountain».
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Revelation 17:13,14
[The ten kings] are of one mind, and they will give their
power and authority to the beast.
These will make war with the Lamb.
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Psalm 94:20,21
Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
have fellowship with You?
They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.
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On Satan's orders, the nations, led by the United States, and the religious
coalition, led by the papacy, will attack the people of God.
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Esther 3:8,9
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus,
«There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces
of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep
the king's laws.
Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a
decree be written that they be destroyed.»
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The book of Esther describes a similar situation,
in which the Jewish people had to face a death decree, because they were keeping the
commandments of God, that is, «laws different from all other
people's».
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Esther 4:3
And in every province where the king's command and decree
arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and
many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
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This death decree plunged the Jews into great distress.
These people were already vulnerable, since they were «scattered
and dispersed among the people» (Esther 3:8).
This intense distress of the Jewish people helps us to understand what the people of God
will experience in the last days, when the death decree is issued, on the orders of Satan
impersonating Christ.
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Matthew 24:21,22
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.
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Daniel 12:1
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.
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So, these passages don't describe only the distress of the nations...
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Jeremiah 30:4-7
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. (...) Why do I see (...)
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.»
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The prophetic Word describes this distress of God's people before the return of
Jesus as «the time of Jacob's trouble», from which we get
the title of this lesson.
Now, what does this expression mean?
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Genesis 32:3,6,7
Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother.
(...)
Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, «We came to your brother Esau, and he also
is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.»
So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.
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As Jacob was just about to meet his brother Esau, whose birthright he had
usurped a few years before, he dreaded that Esau might still be prompted by hatred towards
him.
The news brought by his messengers only tended to confirm his fears, plunging him into
great distress and trouble.
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Genesis 32:9-11
Then Jacob said,
«O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, (...) I am not worthy of the
least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant (...).
Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him,
lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.»
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In his distress, Jacob cried out to God, asking Him to save him and his family
from the attack of Esau and his troops.
As Jacob was praying in the darkness of the night, a strange event happened...
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Genesis 32:24,26-28,30
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him
until the breaking of day. (...)
And He said, «Let Me go, for the day breaks.» But he said, «I will not let You go
unless You bless me!»
So He said to him: «What is your name?» And he said, «Jacob.» And He said, «Your name
shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men,
and have prevailed.» (...)
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: «For I have seen God face to face, and my
life is preserved..
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That night, God put Jacob to the test, and Jacob struggled with Him until God
recognized his perseverance, and granted him deliverance.
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Psalm 25:17-19,22
The troubles of my heart have enlarged; oh, bring me out
of my distresses!
Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.
Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. (...)
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!
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The trouble of spiritual Israel - God's people -, at the end of times, will
call to mind that of Jacob.
But let's carefully note the words used in the prayer of the troubled soul: his distress
is not caused only by the threat of many enemies, but also by the feeling that some sins
still remain unforgiven.
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Psalm 25:7,10
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my
transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.
(...)
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His
testimonies.
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At that time, Jesus will have ceased His intercession in the heavenly
sanctuary, and will be coming to gather His people.
Deprived of a mediator, each believer will go through terrible distress, wondering if he
has forgotten to repent and ask God's forgiveness for one of his sins.
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Job 4:13-17 (New American Standard)
When deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me, and
trembling, and made all my bones shake.
Then a spirit passed by my face; the hair of my flesh bristled up.
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form was before my eyes; there
was silence, then I heard a voice:
«Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?»
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Satan will take advantage of this distress to try to discourage the believer,
suggesting that some of his sins still remain unforgiven, and that these unforgiven sins
will deprive him of salvation.
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Zechariah 3:1 (New International Version)
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before
the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
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Revelation 12:10
For the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before
our God day and night, has been cast down.
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With the passing centuries, Satan has become an expert in the art of
discouraging the believer, of making him believe that his spiritual condition is hopeless
before God.
But the Bible has an antidote against this poison...
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Zechariah 3:1,4
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before
the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. (...)
And to [Joshua] He said, «See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe
you with rich robes.»
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Revelation 12:10,11
For the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before
our God day and night, has been cast down.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
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The very verses following the two previous passages clearly show that the
believer who is clothed with Jesus' robe of righteousness, and who remains in Him, will be
saved.
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1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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1 John 2:1
These things I write to you, that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
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So, in preparation for this time of Jacob's trouble, each believer must from
now on confess each day his sins to God, and, if possible, put right the harm done to
others through these sins.
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Then, we must let the Holy Spirit work within us to sanctify us:
«Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you
completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ.» (1 THESSALONIANS 5:23)
«[Jesus Christ] will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of
our Lord Jesus Christ.» (1 CORINTHIANS 1:8)
«(...) that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.»
(PHILIPPIANS 2:15)
«And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all
discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere
and without offense till the day of Christ.» (PHILIPPIANS 1:9,10)
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Isaiah 33:15,16
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who
despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops
his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: he will dwell on
high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his
water will be sure.
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Maintaining a close relationship with God, marked by obedience to His will,
provides us with the best possible preparation for going through the time of Jacob's
trouble.
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Revelation 22:11
He who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is
righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.
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John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you.
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The strong relationship which the believer develops with God, before the close
of probation, will enable him to remain steadfast and confident during this time of
trouble, continuously remembering God's promises.
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Psalm 25:7,10
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my
transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.
(...)
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His
testimonies.
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Before Satan's insinuations, the believer will then be able to rely firmly on
God's «mercy and truth», revealed towards those who «keep His covenant and His testimonies», having accepted the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and having let the Holy Spirit sanctify his whole being.
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Revelation 16:12,15
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great
river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east
might be prepared. (...)
«Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest
he walk naked and they see his shame.»
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This message of perseverance is here strengthened by Jesus Himself, as the
bowls are poured out on the earth.
He reminds His people, who are in distress, that they must watch and stand firm for a
short time yet, because He is just about to return, with all His angels, to save them.
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Jeremiah 30:7,10
«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. (...)
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.»
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Just like Jacob, who was called Israel after his victory, spiritual Israel -
God's people - will come out victorious of this trial, and will be delivered by Jesus
Christ.
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When He returns, Jesus will deliver us and give us eternal life:
«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)
«For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in
their own land. (...) You will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:
"How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased!" (...) The whole earth is
at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing.» (ISAIAH 14:1,4,7)
«And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.» (MATTHEW 28:20)
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Let's pray:
Father,
The apostle Paul wrote: «For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.» (Romans 8:38,39)
Please help us build a close and firm relationship with You, and please work within our
hearts through Your Spirit, so that we may have the confidence and assurance of Paul,
which we will need to go through the time of Jacob's trouble.
In the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 79 is waiting for you!