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The Two Periods of Jacob’s Trouble Explained

THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE

Jeremiah predicted a “time of Jacob’s trouble” for Israel.

  • Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Many scholars think this term refers to the seven-year Tribulation, known as “Daniel’s last seven years” or “Daniel’s seventieth week,” mentioned in Daniel 9:27.

  • Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Jacob works for seven years, but when the time comes, his father-in-law tricks him into marrying Leah instead of his beloved Rachel. Laban then tells Jacob to “fulfill her week.”

  • Genesis 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

The Hebrew word for week is shabuwa, and is literally a week of years, not days.

  • Strong’s H7620
    • שָׁבוּעַ shâbûwaʻ, shaw-boo’-ah; or שָׁבֻעַ shâbuaʻ; also (feminine) שְׁבֻעָה shᵉbuʻâh; properly, passive participle of H7650 as a denominative of H7651; literally, sevened, i.e. a week (specifically, of years):—seven, week.

This word is found four times:

  • Genesis 29:27 & 28
    • Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
    • And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
  • Twice in Daniel 9:27
    • And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
      • The word week in Daniel 9:27 is a prediction of a seven-year covenant that the future Antichrist will sign.

Jacob’s trouble spans two periods of seven years. He worked the first seven years only to be deceived by Laban, then labored another seven years before finally marrying the wife he had chosen.

  • Some rabbis believe that the Jewish Holocaust, from 1938 to 1945—a span of seven years—was the fulfillment of Jacob’s trouble. However, Jacob experienced two distinct periods of “seven” in his life.
  • The upcoming seven-year Tribulation will mark the second and final period of seven years in Jacob’s (Israel’s) time of trouble.

After the second seven-year period, Jacob marries Rachel and eventually returns to the Promised Land, where he meets Esau and visits his father, Isaac. In the future, after a seven-year Tribulation, Christ the Messiah will return to Israel and reveal Himself as the suffering Messiah to the descendants of both Esau and Isaac.

  • Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
    • Jesus is the one with wounds in his hands.
      • John 20:25-27
        • The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
        • And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
        • Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.


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MAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND

MAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND

One Sabbath-day Jesus went into the synagogue, and there He saw a man that had a withered hand. By some means the muscles had lost their power, and he could neither use his hand nor stretch it out. And the Pharisees watched Jesus, to see if He would heal this man on the Sabbath, that they might bring a charge against Him of breaking the law. They asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day?” and He replied by asking who among them, if he had a sheep which had fallen into a pit on the Sabbath-day, would not lay hold on it, and lift it out. “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day.”

Then said He to the man, “Stretch forth thine hand.” And he stretched it forth, and it was made whole and healthy like the other.

Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against Him, to consider how they might destroy Him; but when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from that part, and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

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Bible Studies: Lessons from People in Scripture

Studies about People in the Bible

We are able to learn many things when we study the life of people who has gone on before us. It is interesting to learn about how God was able to work in the lives of the various people. Remember those that don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Below is a list of Bible Studies about various people. More will be added as time goes on. Bible studies about Jesus can be found here: Exploring the Life and Teachings of Jesus.

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Eternity After Judgment: New Heaven and Earth

Time Ends-Then Eternity
The time after the white throne judgment is not described in detail, but the Bible does give us some insights that are very interesting.

  1. Earth Aflame
    • 2 Peter 3:10 tells us, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.
    • The whole earth and space around it will be aflame. Everything humanity has made on the earth will be burned and destroyed.
    • Everything humans have sent into outer space will be totally obliterated. The earth and the heavens around it will be completely purged.
  2. New Heaven and New Earth
    • We look for a new heaven and a new earth.
      • Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.
      •  2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
  3. The New Jerusalem
    • John saw a beautiful city coming down from God.
      • “And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).
    • There will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new city.
      • Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions….I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
    • Revelation 21 uses wonderful imagery to describe the splendor of the eternal dwelling place of God’s people.
      • It depicts the city as 12,000 furlongs (1,500 miles) in length, breadth, and height (verse 16).
      • It is made of pure gold like clear glass (verse 18), with walls of jasper and gates of pearl (verse 21).
      • It will not need any power plant, or sun, or moon to shine, for Jesus will be
        the light (verse 13).
    • There time and eternity will meet. The temporal will cease forever, and the hope of the righteous from all ages shall be fulfilled. We shall live with our Lord Jesus Christ forever.

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The Children’s Six Minutes: Last but not Least

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

How often have we heard this phrase! You girls and boys use it, “Here I am, last but not least.”

When Jesus was on earth there was often a discussion among the disciples concerning rank among them. Some were fearful that they would be last. One day a mother, very proud of her two sons, as mothers are apt to be, asked Jesus to grant permission that her two sons might sit, the one on his left hand, the other on his right, in the kingdom. Then He made a very beautiful as well as perfectly true statement, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

There was another time, when Jesus sat at supper with his disciples, wishing to show them, by example, the utter worthlessness of station, for station’s sake, rose from the table, took a towel and basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Peter objected, but when he understood, he said, “Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” At the last Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”

Girls and boys, if you desire a high place in life, begin low. If you want to occupy a leading place you must be willing to serve in the least. It always has been so, it will never change, this great law of life, that he who would be first must be willing to be last. It is the eternal law of service.

MEMORY VERSE, Mark 10: 31

“… But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”

MEMORY HYMN

“Hark, the voice of Jesus calling.”

THE CHILDREN’S SIX MINUTES by Bruce S. Wright

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Weekly Recap of Articles for Christians Dec 21st to Dec 27th

Bible

Education

General Reference

Poetry

Stories by Bell

Inspirational

Cooking/ House Keeping

Estudio Bíblico en Español

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Understanding the Great White Throne Judgment

The Great White Throne Judgment

  • After one thousand years of the reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth, the great white throne judgment will take place.
  • It will be a judgment of all the dead from the beginning of human existence on the earth.
  • The only people who will not need to be judged will be the redeemed people, both dead and living, who arose to meet the Lord at the Rapture.
    • Revelation 20:11-12
      • And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened.
  1. The Throne
    • John saw an impressive, large white throne.
  2. The Judge
    • Jesus Christ will sit upon the throne.
  3. The Judged
    • The dead from all walks of life will be judged.
      • Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and
        hell delivered up the dead that were in them.
  4. The Evidence
    • The books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works
      • Rev. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
    • The books represent:
      • The Bible, which reveals God’s plan for humanity.
      • The recorded history of each person’s life.
      • The book of life, the book with the names of the righteous of all ages.
  5. The Witnesses
    • The saints of the church will be present with Jesus.
  6. The Judgment
    • Those whose names are not in the book of life will be cast in the lake of fire.
      • Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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Discovering Missionary life in Submarine

This is a fictional story about a Missionary family who lives in a Submarine. Parts 1 and 2 are finished. I will be writing a few more parts as time goes on.

Poems and stories by Bell

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Biblical Insights on God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit

There is one God, who eternally exists in the GodHead.

  • Colossians 2:8-10
    • Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
    • For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
    • And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
  • 1 John 5:7
    • For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
  • John 1:1
    • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  •  Genesis 1:1-3
    • In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
    • And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
    • And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
      • Notice that God spoke and things were created. It was by God’s Word that everything was created.
  • John 1:3
    • All things were made by him (Jesus); and without him (Jesus) was not any thing made that was made.
  • John 1:14  
    • And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

From the above verses it is clear that Jesus is the word of God. In the beginning God created the earth with His Word. Therefore, Jesus was there in the beginning with God and He was God. Later he became flesh.

  • 1 Timothy 3:16
    • And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) was there in the beginning as the Spirit of God.

  • Genesis 1:2
    • And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The Holy Spirit works in many ways. Here is some Bible Studies on the Holy Spirit: Understanding the Holy Spirit: Key Teachings and Insights.

The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and a voice spoke from heaven when Jesus was baptized.

  • Matthew 3:13-17
    • Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
    • But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
    • And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
    • And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
    • And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Remember that God is omnipresent.

  • Proverbs 15:3
    • The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
  • Psalms 139:7-10
    • Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
    • If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
    • If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
    • Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Jesus is the Word that came out of God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. They are all part of each other.

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Understanding the Millennium: Christ’s Reign on Earth

The Return of Christ and the Millennium


To the Mount of Olives

  • When Jesus Christ comes with His armies to Armageddon and destroys the Antichrist system, He will then
    stand on the Mount of Olives.
    • And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the
      west, and there shall be a very great valley” (Zechariah 14:4).
  • The landscape around Jerusalem will never be the same again after He comes in glory to set up His kingdom.
  • The mountain will be divided as a monument to the deliverance of the Lord.

Characteristics of the Kingdom Age

  • Jesus Christ Will Be King of the Earth
    • And the LORD shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one (Zechariah 14:9).
  • He Will Rule on the Earth for a Thousand Years
    • Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).
  • Judgment of the Nations
    • The nations of the world that have blessed or persecuted the Jews, especially during the Tribulation, will then be judged.
      • Matthew 25:31-46
        • “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
        • 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
        • 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
        • 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
        • 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
        • 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
        • 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
        • 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
  • God’s People Will Rule with Christ
    • Revelation 20:1-6
      • And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
      • And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
      • And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
      • And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
      • But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
      • Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
  • The Capital Will Be Jerusalem
    • The nations will come there annually to worship the Lord.
      • Zechariah 14:16-17 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
  • Satan Will Be Bound during this time
    • Revelation 20:2-3 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

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