Transcript [00:00] One of the greatest signs in the entire [00:02] history of the world proving the [00:04] validity of the Bible is the fact that [00:07] the Jews now have a nation again within [00:10] the historic land of Israel since 1948. [00:14] So now the remaining prophecies in the [00:17] Bible in which God promised to restore [00:19] the kingdom to Israel are bound to [00:22] follow at the appointed time. [00:25] We have good news for the last days that [00:28] Jesus will be returning very soon to [00:30] take up his residency as King Messiah in [00:34] Jerusalem. [00:35] And the rather distressing news is that [00:38] the day of trouble for the world is [00:40] near. Yet nobody should be taken by [00:43] surprise because future events have all [00:47] been written in advance in this book. [00:50] And the promise of deliverance is [00:51] guaranteed for all who call upon the [00:54] name of the Lord. [00:57] >> The Jerusalem channel [music] is made [00:59] with the support of you, our viewers. [01:02] Thank you for watching. [01:07] >> It's great to be able to keep in touch [01:09] in this digital world. And when you [01:11] download our free Jerusalem Channel app [01:13] to your mobile phone or tablet, you'll [01:15] be the first to see all our new video [01:18] teachings. You can also explore our [01:20] bookshop and read the Bible. And you can [01:23] help to support the channel through our [01:25] donation page. So look for Jerusalem [01:28] channel in the Apple or Google store and [01:30] start to share in the good news of the [01:32] gospel. [01:44] Shalom. I'm Christine Dark. Yo, Adonai, [01:48] the day of the Lord is near, according [01:50] to the Bible prophets. When most [01:53] scholars use the phrase the day of the [01:56] Lord, they're referring to the end of [01:58] this present age when Jesus will return [02:01] to bring in justice and righteousness to [02:04] the world. He will put down evil and [02:07] lawlessness. [02:09] Now, the day of the Lord references are [02:11] found in both the Hebrew scriptures and [02:14] the New Testament. [02:16] An example is [02:19] Acts 2:20 [02:21] which states, "The sun shall be turned [02:24] into darkness and the moon into blood [02:27] before that great and notable day of the [02:29] Lord." And also the day of the Lord [02:32] appears many times in the Hebrew Bible. [02:35] For example, in Joel 1:15, [02:39] for the day of the Lord is at hand. It [02:41] shall come as destruction from the [02:44] Almighty. And Joel 2:11, [02:48] for the day of the Lord is great and [02:50] very terrible. [02:52] One of my favorites is Oadiah 1:15, [02:57] saying, for the day of the Lord is near [02:59] upon all the nations, and as you have [03:02] done, it shall be done to you. Your [03:05] reprisal shall return unto your own [03:08] head. [03:10] This verse teaches that all the enemies [03:12] of Israel will suffer just retribution, [03:15] meaning with the fate they had inflicted [03:17] on others. [03:20] At the day of the Lord, the Almighty [03:21] will reveal his majesty in omnipotence [03:24] in a glorious manner to overthrow all [03:27] ungodly powers and to complete his [03:30] kingdom being restored back to Israel. [03:33] Furthermore, Malachi 4:5 declares God [03:38] says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah [03:40] the prophet before the coming of the [03:42] great and terrible day of the Lord." And [03:45] that's why a place is reserved for [03:47] Elijah at every Passover seder. [03:51] Now, Bible scholars say there will be a [03:53] beginning point of the day of the Lord, [03:55] which will be the snatching away of the [03:57] completed church, the fullness of the [03:59] Gentiles, when the body of Messiah is [04:02] translated to heaven, marking the [04:05] closing of the church age. [04:08] Then we'll follow a time of tribulation [04:10] upon the earth that's divided into two [04:13] time periods of three and a half years [04:16] each, totaling seven years altogether. [04:20] And that's according to the book of [04:22] Daniel in the Hebrew Bible and the book [04:24] of Revelation in the New Testament. The [04:27] first will be a time of tribulation in [04:29] the second part three and a half years [04:32] will be a time of great tribulation. The [04:36] rise of the so-called anti- messiah and [04:38] his false prophet are described in the [04:41] book of Revelation. And in the midst of [04:44] these terrible times, Israel will [04:47] finally be redeemed. [04:50] No doubt the day of the Lord will [04:51] certainly be a day of trouble for the [04:53] world. But the good news of the gospel [04:56] is that we can call upon the Lord in the [05:00] day of trouble. Let's look at Psalm 50 [05:03] and verse 15. I grew up with this verse [05:06] because my grandmother had made an [05:08] embroidery of it and the crossstitch [05:10] artwork hung over a desk in my parents' [05:13] living room. And as I was growing up, [05:15] from time to time, I would gaze at that [05:17] verse, and it had an impact on my life. [05:20] That's why it's so important that we [05:22] have Bible verses on our walls in our [05:24] homes. [05:26] Actually, starting with verse 14, Psalm [05:29] 50 says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving, [05:34] and pay thy vows unto the most high." [05:37] And then follows verse 15, "And call [05:40] upon me in the day of trouble. I will [05:43] deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me. [05:48] The commentaries say the meaning is when [05:50] you offer true worship to God then you [05:53] can call upon him in the day of trouble [05:55] and he will assuredly deliver you and so [05:58] you will have great occasion to glorify [06:02] God. [06:04] But even if you don't live in the time [06:05] of great tribulation, nevertheless, the [06:08] day of trouble comes sooner or later to [06:11] everybody. Our lives are full of [06:14] spiritual warfare. [06:16] In this world, we have to endure all [06:18] sorts of trouble, business hassles, [06:21] dishonest people, domestic trouble, a [06:25] sick child or a sick spouse or an aged [06:28] parent, a weward son or daughter, [06:32] religious persecution. There's just a [06:34] thousand1 troubles. You can fill in the [06:37] blank of whatever you're going through. [06:39] You might be in the fiery furnace right [06:42] now, but God says he has a divine cure [06:46] for the day of trouble. We're to worship [06:50] him and then call upon him. He's always [06:53] at home. He's always available. [06:57] In fact, it's considered a local call to [06:59] call God in Jerusalem. But actually, we [07:02] know that he's omnipresent in the world [07:05] and he's available 247. [07:08] After [07:11] we render true worship and call upon [07:13] him, his gracious promise is I will [07:17] deliver you. And the wonderful result is [07:20] that we will glorify him with our praise [07:24] and gratitude. [07:26] So the scripture makes it clear that if [07:28] you love God, we can come to him in [07:30] times of trouble in humility, sincerity, [07:33] and confidence. And he promises to [07:36] deliver us in the way that he sees best [07:39] and by the means that he chooses and at [07:42] the time that he's sees best. [07:46] Now in this word we are given [07:48] exceedingly great and precious promises. [07:52] Yet our spiritual warfare involves real [07:55] heartache and real troubles from time to [07:58] time. Doesn't our Lord say in this world [08:01] you're going to have tribulation? But he [08:04] said, "Be of good cheer. I have overcome [08:06] the world." And so our troubles teach us [08:09] to call upon God without murmuring and [08:12] complaining. [08:14] As believers, we must always take good [08:16] care of our faith and make it grow [08:19] because faith is how we obtain God's [08:22] blessings. Prayer alone simply can't [08:25] call down answers from heaven. But it is [08:28] believing prayer, not the prayer of [08:30] unbelief, but believing prayer that [08:32] brings definite answers. [08:36] A scripture I've always clung to during [08:38] times of perplexity is Romans 8:28, [08:42] written by the Apostle Paul. [08:44] And we know that all things work [08:47] together for good to those who love God, [08:51] to those who are the called according to [08:53] his purpose. [08:56] Paul didn't say, "And we know that a few [08:58] things work together for good." No, he [09:00] said all things. And all means all. So [09:04] amazingly, all things are working [09:07] together right now for good to those who [09:10] love God, to those who are the called, [09:13] fulfilling his purposes. It's a present [09:17] tense ongoing operation that God is [09:20] causing all things to work together for [09:22] our good. [09:24] Also, Psalm 138:7 promises that though I [09:27] walk in the midst of trouble, you will [09:30] revive me. [09:32] The Hebrew rendering is even though I [09:35] walk in the center of trouble, you will [09:38] revive me. [09:40] With such a wonderful promise that will [09:42] be rescued in the midst of trouble, [09:43] let's refuse to give up. [09:47] When we're in the very center of [09:48] trouble, God works all things together [09:51] for good. And we have to fortify our [09:53] faith because the scriptures warned us [09:56] that the prophesied end times will be [10:00] full of moral depravity and peril. [10:04] Paul predicted in 2 Timothy 3, [10:07] understand this. He said that in the [10:10] last days perilous time shall come. [10:14] And I learned this this week. It's so [10:16] interesting. The only other place in the [10:19] New Testament that we find this word [10:21] that's translated perilous is in Matthew [10:25] 8:28 [10:27] where the Greek word is translated also [10:29] as violent [10:31] describing a demon craze man who lived [10:35] amongst the tombs [10:37] whom Jesus healed. So with these two New [10:41] Testament references translated as [10:43] perilous and extremely violent, we [10:46] understand that the end of days will be [10:48] full of violence and terrorism. [10:53] But we're not to fear. God will give us [10:56] grace to navigate through the times. And [10:59] he will calm our storms as we watch for [11:02] the blessed hope of his soon appearing. [11:06] Meanwhile, the great day of the Lord is [11:09] rapidly approaching. And the Apostle [11:11] Peter wrote that the elements will all [11:14] be burned with fervent heat as it is [11:17] written. Let's look in second Peter [11:20] chapter 3. [11:23] Peter said, "But the day of the Lord [11:25] will come like a thief, and then the [11:27] heavens will pass away with a horrific [11:30] roar, and the heavenly bodies will be [11:33] burned up and dissolved, and the earth [11:36] and every deed on it will be laid bare." [11:41] So then Peter said, "Seeing that all [11:43] these things are going to be dissolved, [11:45] what manner of persons ought we to be in [11:49] holy conversation and godliness, [11:52] looking for in hastening the coming of [11:55] the day of God." Amen. [11:59] So now when speaking of this topic of [12:01] the day of trouble, esquetologists, [12:04] that's those who study the end times in [12:06] the Bible, the esquetologists are going [12:09] to be drawn to the subject of the time [12:12] of Jacob's trouble that's mentioned in [12:15] Jeremiah [12:17] 30:7. [12:19] This time period concerns Israel and the [12:21] Jewish people. So let's look at that [12:23] verse. It says, "Alas, for that day is [12:28] great, so that none is like it. It is [12:31] even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he [12:36] shall be saved out of it." Hallelujah. [12:40] Now, in Matthew 24, as we rightly divide [12:43] the word of God, Jesus forewarned his [12:46] nation Israel, that there will be not [12:49] just tribulation, but great tribulation. [12:52] And prophetically, the Bible has another [12:54] name for it. We've just read it. The [12:57] time of Jacob's trouble. The last week [13:00] of Bible prophecy concerning the nation [13:03] Israel. The last seven years in Bible [13:06] code terminology. It will be the last [13:09] seven years before Jesus returns. Both [13:12] Daniel the prophet and the book of [13:13] Revelation identified this period as a [13:16] seven-year period. And the second half [13:19] will be the worst, 42 months, the most [13:22] difficult time. And if you're on earth [13:25] at that time, how will you know that [13:27] you're actually in the great tribulation [13:29] period, the time of Jacob's trouble? [13:33] Well, the indicator will be Matthew 24 [13:36] and verse 15. [13:39] In that verse, Jesus said, "It will be [13:42] when you therefore shall see the [13:44] abomination of desolation spoken of by [13:47] Daniel the prophet standing in the holy [13:49] place." It'll be when that desecrating [13:53] event happens in the rebuilt temple. [13:57] Then he said, "You'll know that you're [13:59] in the tribulation." Because Matthew [14:01] 24:21 adds, "For then there will be [14:04] great tribulation [14:06] unequaled from the beginning of the [14:08] world until now and never to be equaled [14:11] again." [14:13] So now I want to ask, why is this time [14:17] of unprecedented trouble named after [14:20] Jacob who was the grandson of Abraham? [14:24] Well, if you recall in the book of [14:26] Genesis, Jacob's name was changed by God [14:29] to Israel. [14:32] And there's a reason. Before he was [14:35] transformed into a man of God, at first, [14:37] Jacob was by disposition a cheat and a [14:41] deceiver. In fact, the name Jacob means [14:45] suppler, and he supplanted his older [14:48] brother, Esau. [14:50] Now, here's an important Bible [14:52] principle. As I mentioned already, 2 [14:55] Timothy 2:15 admonishes us to rightly [14:58] divide this word of truth. In other [15:01] words, we have to rightly dissect this [15:04] word of truth. [15:06] So, we have to learn that whenever in [15:09] the Bible, Israel is called Jacob, it is [15:12] nearly always a picture of backsliding [15:15] Israel. But when Jacob is called Israel, [15:20] he's walking straight. He's in right [15:23] standing with God Almighty. [15:26] I once heard a rabbi speaking on one of [15:28] the derivations of the name Israel as [15:30] partly meaning to walk straight and [15:34] uprightly. Whereas Jacob means suppler, [15:38] which is often interpreted as someone [15:40] who seizes, who circumvents or usurps. [15:45] And in the future, when the nation of [15:47] Israel enters into the seven-year [15:49] tribulation period, the period referred [15:52] to in the Bible as Jacob's trouble, it [15:55] will be due to their backsliden [15:58] spiritual condition. [16:00] You see, some people erroneously teach [16:02] that the church will still be around to [16:04] go through the tribulation. But the [16:06] church doesn't go through Jacob's [16:08] trouble, or that would be replacement [16:11] theology. The time of Jacob's trouble [16:14] belongs to Israel for the purpose that [16:17] God is going to corner Israel and bring [16:20] Israel back to himself. [16:23] Jeremiah chapter 30 not only predicted [16:25] the time of Jacob's trouble, but also [16:28] predicted the reathering of Israel first [16:31] in an unregenerate condition. [16:34] Verse three of Jeremiah 30 says, "For [16:38] lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that [16:40] I will bring again the captivity of my [16:42] people Israel and Judah, and I will [16:45] cause them to return to the land that I [16:48] gave to their fathers, and they shall [16:50] possess it." But spiritually speaking, [16:53] the nation for the most part will still [16:55] be behaving like Jacob. They'll be [16:58] dwelling in the land in an unrepentant [17:01] state. [17:02] Many will be secular and disregarding [17:06] God's commandments. [17:07] But during this last day of trouble for [17:10] Israel, God will save them in it. Listen [17:15] to Jeremiah 37-9. [17:20] Alas, for that day is great, so that [17:23] none is like it. It is even the time of [17:26] Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved [17:29] out of it. And then it says, "They shall [17:32] serve the Lord their God and David their [17:35] king." And David here is a Bible idiom [17:38] for their Messiah whom God says, "I will [17:41] raise up unto them." [17:44] So in the future, national Jacob must go [17:47] through a metamorphosis to become [17:49] redeemed national Israel. The nation [17:52] must return from their backsliden state, [17:55] having wandered in the nations for 2,000 [17:57] years. and they will return entirely [18:01] unto God. It will be a process. In the [18:05] book of Revelation, God calls the [18:07] capital of Jerusalem at that time Sodom [18:09] and Egypt. And why? Because even [18:13] Jerusalem is embibing of the sins of Tel [18:17] Aviv. [18:18] Tel Aviv is very proudly touting itself [18:20] as one of the sin capitals of Asia. [18:24] But the God of Israel didn't bring the [18:26] Jewish people back to the land to glory [18:28] in sin. So God is saying that if they [18:32] tolerate the sins of Sodom and Egypt, [18:34] they must go through repentance. [18:38] And when the anti- messiah's abomination [18:40] desecrates the rebuilt temple, then [18:43] those Israelis living in Judea are [18:46] warned to flee to Petra in the [18:49] wilderness. And all this I've written [18:51] about in my latest book, Appointment in [18:53] Petra. [18:55] But the repentant nation will find the [18:59] Lord. [19:00] And then the final reathering of the [19:02] Jewish people from the four corners of [19:04] the earth will take place as King [19:06] Messiah Jesus, Yeshua is his Hebrew [19:09] name, returns with his church to fight [19:13] the battle of Armageddon. All of this is [19:16] described in Revelation chapter 19. [19:19] Here's the thing. At that time, Israel [19:23] will no longer be backsliden Jacob, but [19:26] will become a prince who has struggled [19:29] with God and prevailed, which is the [19:32] meaning of the name Israel. [19:35] because of the future deception of the [19:37] anti- messiah. Tragically, the time of [19:39] Jacob's trouble will be Israel's last [19:42] major birth pain before the kingdom is [19:45] birthed and returned to them and before [19:49] their rightful relationship is restored [19:51] with the Lord. In that day, Jacob will [19:55] be transformed by God into righteous [19:58] Israel. [20:00] And the Apostle Paul foretold all this [20:02] in Romans chapter 11. He said to the [20:05] church at Rome in that chapter uh Romans [20:09] 11, I would not, brethren, that you [20:12] should be ignorant of this mystery, lest [20:14] you should be wise in your own conceits [20:17] that a partial blindness has happened to [20:19] Israel forever. No, until the fullness [20:23] of the Gentiles be brought in. And so [20:27] all Israel shall be saved as it is [20:29] written. Now listen carefully. Paul [20:32] wrote, "There shall come out of Zion the [20:35] deliverer [20:37] and shall turn away ungodliness from [20:40] whom?" [20:42] It says, "From Jacob." [20:44] So the Lord is going to return and turn [20:47] Jacob away from his ungodliness [20:51] and he will become [20:53] righteous Israel. For this is my [20:56] covenant unto them. The Lord says, "When [20:59] I shall take away their sins." [21:02] Hallelujah. [21:04] Well, this is absolutely marvelous to [21:06] me. Notice that Paul refers to Israel in [21:09] that day as Jacob. But Jacob is going to [21:12] be turned away from unrighteousness. [21:15] And so Paul in the New Testament [21:17] envisioned his beloved brethren, the [21:19] Jewish people, exactly as the prophet [21:21] Jeremiah saw them, as Jacob. But the [21:24] good news is that Jacob finally is [21:27] transformed into Israel, the prince with [21:31] God. This is prophetically thrilling. [21:36] So now, in light of the swiftly coming [21:38] day of the Lord, what should be our [21:40] outlook on life from day to day? The [21:43] world for the most part says, "Eat, [21:45] drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we [21:47] die." But that saying is actually as old [21:50] as the Bible itself. [21:53] In the 8th century BC, when Jerusalem [21:55] was being threatened with destruction by [21:57] the Assyrian army, the prophet Isaiah [22:00] was grieving over Jerusalem. And at the [22:03] critical moment when Jerusalem's [22:05] defenses could be breached, the bulk of [22:08] the population were not preparing. [22:10] Instead, they were blissfully [22:12] celebrating, even in their ignorance of [22:14] imminent danger. And too many of our [22:18] western nations today are equally [22:20] oblivious to the perils that could be [22:22] awaiting a negligent people. [22:25] Listen to Isaiah 22:13. [22:28] It says, "In that day, the Lord God of [22:31] hosts shall call for weeping and [22:34] mourning and for wearing of sackcloth, [22:37] repentance." [22:39] But what did they do instead? It says [22:41] they slaughtered sheep and drank wine, [22:43] saying, "Let us eat and drink, for [22:46] tomorrow we die [22:49] like the ancient Israelites, will we [22:52] face up to the reality of tomorrow's [22:53] world, or will nations continue naively [22:56] to go on like there's no tomorrow?" [22:59] Already the threat of invasion and siege [23:02] was imminent [23:04] and God's city Jerusalem went about [23:06] business as usual trusting in their [23:08] stone walls and weapons to protect them. [23:11] But to the prophet Isaiah their attitude [23:14] was complete foolishness. [23:16] The people should have been turning to [23:18] God in mass as the sword hung over them. [23:23] And this same mindset runs throughout [23:25] history. [23:27] Musicians on the Titanic, for example, [23:29] kept calmly playing as a ship was [23:32] sinking in the icy Atlantic. [23:34] Survivors heard the orchestra play [23:36] Nearer My God to Thee, which at least [23:39] was a very appropriate choice for the [23:43] disaster. [23:45] Well, our history books are full of [23:47] fatalism and it's a way of life in many [23:50] contemporary societies. [23:52] Inshallah or so be it in Arabic. That's [23:56] the mindset that we can have very little [23:59] control over life in such a philosophy [24:02] deceptively keeps people from taking [24:05] personal responsibility. [24:08] Today we keep hearing that we have [24:10] somehow evolved from primordial soup. [24:13] And at death, there's nothing more to [24:15] look forward to than nirvana, [24:17] nothingness. And if you believe that, [24:21] congratulations. you've bought into a [24:24] satanic lie. But the breakthrough moment [24:28] will come when you decide to repent and [24:31] turn your face back to seek God. [24:35] And let's be clear that repenting isn't [24:37] the same thing as just feeling remorse. [24:40] We all can be sorry for something, but [24:42] repenting goes a lot deeper. [24:45] The Westminster Confession describes [24:47] true repentance as when a sinner so [24:50] grieavves for and hates his sins as to [24:54] turn from them completely unto God. [24:58] You see, there's no sin so small but [25:00] that it deserves damnation. [25:03] But there's no sin so great that it can [25:05] bring damnation upon those who truly [25:08] repent. [25:11] And our Apostle Paul explained in Romans [25:13] 6:23, [25:15] "For the wages of sin is death, but the [25:18] gift of God is eternal life through [25:22] Jesus Messiah our Lord." [25:25] Think about this. Millions today are [25:28] striving for power and fame, wealth, and [25:31] wanting to leave their mark on society. [25:34] But the promise of eternal life and the [25:36] assurance of being adopted into God's [25:38] kingdom is certainly far greater than [25:41] whatever fleeting and temporary worldly [25:43] pleasures that we're chasing after could [25:46] ever give us. [25:48] Whatever we're able to achieve will only [25:51] be a fleeting moment of time compared to [25:54] eternity. [25:55] And of course, I have to mention the [25:57] most startling end time reference to [26:00] eating and drinking is found in Luke [26:02] chapter 17 [26:04] where Jesus said, "As it was in the days [26:07] of Noah, so shall it be also in the days [26:10] of the Son of Man. For they were eating [26:13] and drinking and holding wedding feasts [26:16] until the day that Noah entered into the [26:18] ark, and the flood came and destroyed [26:20] them all." And Jesus added, "It was the [26:23] same in the days of Lot, who was the [26:27] nephew of Abraham." [26:29] Jesus said, "People were eating and [26:31] drinking, buying and selling, planting [26:33] and building. But on the day that Lot [26:36] left Sodom, fire and sulfur rain down [26:39] from heaven and destroyed them all." [26:45] So my friends, we can delude ourselves. [26:47] We can eat, drink, and be merry. But the [26:49] day of trouble is coming for this entire [26:52] planet. With all my heart, I encourage [26:55] you in these days of apostasy and deep [26:57] deception to ask God to reveal to you [27:01] the simple truth about the Lord Jesus, [27:04] and God will be faithful to answer an [27:08] honest inquiry. [27:10] So seek the Lord while he may still be [27:12] found. Call upon him in the day of [27:16] trouble. For Jesus said, "I am the way, [27:20] the truth, and the life. No man cometh [27:23] unto the Father." He said, "But by me." [27:28] So listen to him and cling to him in [27:32] faith. [27:33] I also invite you to watch our free [27:36] video library and to visit our website [27:38] at exploits.tv [27:40] where you'll find my weekly teaching [27:43] blog. [27:44] By the way, our ministry is called [27:46] exploits based upon Daniel 11:32, which [27:48] declares the people who know their God [27:50] will be strong and accomplish exploits. [27:55] Now then, connect with me on social [27:58] media and don't forget to download our [28:01] free Jerusalem Channel mobile app to [28:03] watch our videos on your phones or [28:04] tablets. Until next time, I'll always be [28:08] contending for the faith and praying [28:10] earnestly for the peace of Jerusalem. [28:13] Marinatha, come quickly, Lord Jesus. The [28:17] grace of the Lord be with you. I'm [28:20] Christine Dar. Shalom. [28:37] [music] [28:38] Heat. Heat. [28:59] >> [music]
