(Why is Jacob in Trouble)
In the last segment we looked at Psalm 110 which foreshadowed the Lord as a warring king from Zion (Jerusalem) taking vengeance on his enemies. In fact, if we consider the land of Israel over a longer time horizon, it has suffered wars and various battles since the time of Abraham. Those wars and battles (as well as other “signs of the times”) are building to a climax, something the prophet Jeremiah called the “time of Jacob’s trouble1.”
In Hebrew, there is a word “Moedim” (מוֹעֲדִים) which means “appointed times” or “feast times” and refers to specific divinely set “appointments.” Moedim is normally used in reference to the spring and fall Jewish festivals. But the Bible has other lesser-known appointed times such as: “in the fullness of time God sent forth his Son,” or as in the case of today’s study, the “tribulation period” or “time of Jacob’s trouble.” The Bible uses various idioms to describe this period; others include “the day of the Lord” or the “70th week of Daniel.”
A subtle theme in earlier posts and one which will guide us going forward is that of battle. Are we just talking about another war in an endless campaign of wars that we hear about on the daily news. No, this war will affect every human, every nation, and every divine being in heaven and in hell. This battle is being fought on two fronts. The front that most Christians are familiar with is for the soul of mankind and the work of evangelism. But there is an equally important front in which Israel finds itself at the tip of the spear; that front is for geography or “the land.” Christians were never promised a land or capital city, and the Jews (for the most part) have not welcomed their messiah. But there is a day coming when this separation will be reconciled. I like to refer to this twin concept as the “people and the land.”
If we look at the two fronts of this war (people and land) and only see cultural disagreements or geopolitical struggles between nations, we are missing the point. Behind all the rhetoric, bombs, and invasions is a much deeper and ancient spiritual battle between the creator and one of his rebellious creations. Looking at things from a purely humanistic perspective, the scriptures will never fully make sense, but if we can add the biblical prophetic narrative, it is hard to miss what is happening.
Trouble on the Horizon
At this point, I want to turn a corner and look at an amazing prophecy, found in Daniel, that highlights the climax of the battle we have alluded to. Psalm 110 in our last post contains references to this time.
“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9:24-27
The time of “Jacob’s Trouble” (what I’ve called the battles climax) is a tribulation time of seven years. Currently, I only want to make a few observations about the Daniel passage above. A deeper analysis would require a dedicated article, but a brief overview is found at the end of this post.
- Seventy weeks total are decreed. All scholars agree these are weeks of seven years each.
- Since a week equals a seven-year period the total time equals 490 years. (70 weeks x 7 years).
- The seventy weeks are broken into three segments: seven weeks, sixty-two weeks followed by one week. (7 + 62 + 1 = 70 weeks)
That final week or seven-year period is called the seventieth week of Daniel or the tribulation period; it is the focus of this article. Another observation we can make is that this period is for Daniel’s people and Daniel’s holy city. Notice how the prophecy begins:
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city”
This tells us that the purpose of the seventy years is to accomplish a series of events for the Jewish people and their land (specifically the holy city). In other words, the seventy weeks are not for the Christian church, but rather the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Notice how the angel Gabriel begins the prophetic word, “about your people and your holy city.” Ask yourself who Daniel’s people were and what Daniel’s holy city was. This demonstrates that the 70 weeks (490 years) will affect the nation of Israel and specifically the city of Jerusalem.
Conclusion
God has a “moedim” or appointed time of seven years at which point the ancient spiritual battle will come to a climax. The primary focus of that time will be Daniel’s people(the Jews) and Daniel’s holy city (Jerusalem). The 70th Week of Daniel refers to the final seven-year period in Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) and is often called the Tribulation. It is the time to complete the plan of God for the nation of Israel and the rest of humanity.
It is important to have this understanding before studying the Book of Revelation. In the next article we will answer the “why”; why is God still working with the nation of Israel and why does he care about that land?
Key Elements of Daniel’s 70 Weeks
The 70 Weeks: A period of 70 “sevens,” or 490 years (70 x 7).
Divisions: Divided into 7 weeks (49 yrs), 62 weeks (434 yrs), and a final 1 week (7 yrs).
69 Weeks Fulfillment: The first 69 weeks (483 years) led to the Messiah’s arrival (Jesus) and being “cut off” (crucified).
The Gap: A significant period (the Church Age) exists between the 69th and 70th weeks, a pause in God’s specific timeline for Israel.
The 70th Week (The Tribulation)
Covenant: Begins with a future leader (Antichrist) confirming a 7-year covenant with Israel.
Midpoint Betrayal: In the middle of the week (3.5 years), he breaks the covenant, stops sacrifices, and desecrates the Temple (the “Abomination of Desolation”).
Great Tribulation: A time of intense suffering and judgment, ending with Christ’s return to judge the Antichrist and establish His kingdom.
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