The tribulation is primarily and especially God's time of dealing with the nation of Israel — a seven-year period that fulfills His covenant purposes and paves the way for Christ's Kingdom.
Les Feldick teaches that the tribulation is not the church's program; it is God resuming His dealings with Israel after the body of Christ is removed. Israel rejected their Messiah, and the seven years of wrath and vexation will fall especially on them. Afterward, God will set His King upon Zion, and the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be fulfilled.
Jeremiah 31:35-36 — God's promise that Israel will never cease to be a nation is the foundational basis for the tribulation as a period of Israel's future dealings.
Daniel 9:27 — Daniel's prophecy of a covenant confirmed 'for one week' is the scriptural anchor of the seven-year tribulation period.
Psalm 2:6 — This verse shows the result of Israel's period of wrath — God's King set upon Zion.
The Bible declares that God's purposes for the nation of Israel are permanent. In Jeremiah 31:35-37, God anchors His promise to the fixed order of creation: as long as the ordinances of the sun, moon, and stars remain, the seed of Israel shall not cease from being a nation before Him forever. Since heaven above cannot be measured and the foundations of the earth cannot be searched out, God will not cast off the seed of Israel. Israel's place in God's purposes is therefore certain. Paul writes in Romans 11:25 that blindness in part has happened to Israel 'until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.' This indicates that Israel's present condition is temporary and that a turning back to Israel will follow the completion of the Gentile age. Daniel 9:27 speaks of one who 'shall confirm the covenant with many for one week' — the prophetic seven-year period that frames the end-time dealings in the Old Testament program. Psalm 2:6 sets the outcome of that period: after the wrath and vexation, God says, 'Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.'
Les Feldick teaches that the tribulation is 'primarily God dealing with Israel.' It is not part of the church program: the church 'would be a fish out of water' in the tribulation because it is not part of the Jewish program and not part of the law. Instead, when the church age is completed, the body of Christ is taken out of the way so that 'God can pick up where He left off' with the nation of Israel (Romans 11:25). Israel's rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah interrupted the Old Testament prophetic flow. According to Les, the Old Testament program expected the Messiah to be crucified, the seven-year tribulation to follow, and then Christ to return and set up His Kingdom. But Israel 'blew it' — they rejected it — so the tribulation was postponed. It will come in the future, 'especially directed to the nation of Israel.' Les also explains that during the tribulation Israel will be back under the Law. Since 'you cannot mix Law and Grace,' the church has to be removed before God can resume His dealings with Israel. At the end of the seven years of wrath and vexation, God will set His King upon Zion, and Israel will be 'the apple of His eye' and the center of all activity. God has not cast away Israel; the tribulation is the period in which His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will finally come to fruition.
Les teaches that the tribulation is 'primarily God dealing with Israel.' He points out that everything God has done with the human race revolves around the nation of Israel, and the tribulation is 'primarily God pouring out His wrath on Christ rejecting Jews.' The church is not part of the Jewish program and would be 'a fish out of water' in the tribulation.
In the Old Testament prophetic program, the Messiah would come, Israel would crucify Him, and the seven years of Daniel's 70th week would follow, after which Christ would return and set up His Kingdom. But Israel rejected it — 'they blew it,' as Les puts it. The tribulation, that 'terrible period of time,' is still coming and will be especially directed to the nation of Israel.
Les argues that when the tribulation begins, Israel will be back under the Law, and Law and Grace cannot mix. Therefore the church must be removed. He bases this on Romans 11:25, where Paul says Israel's blindness remains until the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in. When the body of Christ is complete, God takes the church out and picks up where He left off with Israel.
After the period of wrath and vexation, God declares in Psalm 2:6, 'Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.' Les teaches that Christ will return and set up His Kingdom, and Israel will be 'the apple of His eye' and the center of all activity. The covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be fulfilled, and God will never cast off Israel.
God Will Never Cast Off Israel
Les explains from Jeremiah 31:35-37 that God's covenant promises to Israel are as fixed as the ordinances of creation, so the tribulation is a future fulfillment of those promises, not a sign that God is finished with Israel.
The Tribulation Is Israel's Program
Les says the church would be a fish out of water in the tribulation because it is not part of the Jewish program; the tribulation is primarily God dealing with Israel, and it begins with the Antichrist's seven-year treaty with Israel.
Israel's Blindness Is Temporary
Les connects Romans 11:25 to the tribulation: Israel's spiritual blindness lasts until the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in, and then God will take the church out and begin dealing again with Israel.
What Israel Did With Their Opportunity
Les shows that the Old Testament program expected the tribulation to follow the crucifixion, but Israel rejected the plan, so the seven years of Daniel's 70th week await a future fulfillment.
The Coming Wrath and Kingdom
Les teaches that after Israel rejected and crucified their Messiah, the wrath and vexation of the tribulation would come, and then Christ would return to set up His Kingdom with Israel at the center.
Tribulation Especially Directed to Israel
Les describes the tribulation as a terrible period that will be 'especially directed to the nation of Israel,' followed by God setting His King on the holy hill of Zion.
Everything Revolves Around Israel
Les quotes Deuteronomy 32:8 to show that every boundary God set for the nations revolves around Israel, and the tribulation is primarily God pouring out His wrath on Christ-rejecting Jews.
Law and Grace Cannot Mix
Les argues that because Israel will be back under the Law in the tribulation, and Law and Grace cannot mix, the church must be removed before God can deal with Israel again.
Jeremiah 31:35: Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
God grounds His promise to Israel in the fixed order of creation — the first of three verses Les quotes to prove God is not finished with Israel.
Jeremiah 31:36: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Israel's existence as a nation is guaranteed as long as God's ordinances stand.
Jeremiah 31:37: Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
Because heaven cannot be measured, God will not cast off the seed of Israel.
Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Paul marks Israel's blindness as temporary, lasting until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in — the point at which God resumes dealing with Israel.
Psalm 2:6: Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
The period of wrath and vexation is followed by God's King being set on Zion.
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.
Les identifies this 'one week' covenant with the seven-year tribulation that will involve the nation of Israel.
Jeremiah 23:5: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
One of the Old Testament promises to Israel that Les references in the context of Israel's future program.
Deuteronomy 32:8: When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
Les quotes this to show that all God's dealings with the nations revolve around Israel.
Les Feldick teaches that the tribulation is primarily for Israel. The church would be 'a fish out of water' in the tribulation because it is not part of the Jewish program. When the church age is completed, the church is taken out of the way so God can pick up where He left off with the nation of Israel.
When the tribulation begins, Israel will be back under the Law, and God's premise is that Law and Grace cannot mix. So the church must be removed for God to deal with Israel under the Law. Paul's words in Romans 11:25 say the same thing: when the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in, God turns again to Israel.
No. In Jeremiah 31:35-37 God declares that if the ordinances of the sun, moon, and stars depart and if heaven above can be measured, then He will cast off the seed of Israel. Since neither can happen, God will never cast aside Israel.
Immediately following the seven years of wrath and vexation, God will set His King upon Mount Zion. Les teaches that Christ will return and set up His Kingdom, and Israel will be the apple of His eye and the center of all activity in bringing people to the knowledge of God.
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