Yes—Israel's suffering is the result of God sovereignly dealing with His covenant people, climaxing in the coming 'time of Jacob's trouble.'
Scripture describes a coming day of distress so great that none is like it, and Jeremiah 30:7 calls it 'the time of Jacob's trouble.' Les Feldick explains that throughout history Israel has been at the center of God's dealings with the human race, and the Tribulation is primarily (though not exclusively) God dealing with the nation of Israel.
Jeremiah 30:7 — This verse explicitly names the coming great day as 'the time of Jacob's trouble,' directly tying the predicted distress to Israel.
Jeremiah 30:5-6 — These verses show the fear, trembling, and labor-pain imagery that accompany the coming day.
Jeremiah 30:5-6 says, 'For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?' The text uses the imagery of childbirth to describe a coming day of overwhelming anguish. Verse 7 then names that day: '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.' This is the plain biblical statement about a coming time of suffering that surpasses anything else, and it is directly connected to Jacob. The passage also promises that Jacob 'shall be saved out of it.'
Les Feldick says the question of Israel's suffering is valid, but he is careful to note that we should not question God and His sovereignty. He teaches that the Tribulation is primarily God dealing with His covenant people Israel, not the Church. He reads Jeremiah 30:5-7 and points out that Jacob is Israel, so the final seven years are 'the time of Jacob's trouble.' Les emphasizes that this coming day will be worse than anything in past human history. He even says the Holocaust will be 'almost a Sunday school picnic' compared to the last three and a half years of the Tribulation. He also reminds viewers that Israel is at the center of all of God's dealing with the human race, and that the end result of this time of trouble will be a remnant of believers coming out of Israel.
Jeremiah 30:7 calls a coming day 'the time of Jacob's trouble.' Since Jacob is Israel, Les Feldick identifies this period as primarily God dealing with His covenant people. He says the book of Revelation and the Tribulation are primarily, though not exclusively, about Israel. Les adds that God's wrath and vexation during that time will end with a remnant of believers coming out of Israel.
Les Feldick takes Jeremiah 30:7 at face value: the day is great and none is like it. He says when you think back through human history at the horrible things that have happened, they all pale in significance compared to the final seven years. He compares the Holocaust to the closing three and a half years of the Tribulation, saying the Holocaust will be 'almost a Sunday school picnic' by comparison. He also describes the nation of Israel being overrun by Gentile armies in the events surrounding the battle of Armageddon.
Les points to Jeremiah as a prophet who foretold these things and warned Israel and Judah. He notes that by the time of Jeremiah 44, the Israelites had turned their back on everything God had tried to do with them. Les states plainly that this is why God had to deal so severely with them.
Les Feldick teaches that the covenants God made are with Israel, not with the Gentile church. He says you cannot run the church into God's dealing with His covenant people, because those covenants are Jew-only and will come to fruition during the Tribulation. The Tribulation is primarily Israel's time of trouble, though not exclusively about the Jew.
Why Has Israel Suffered So Much? The Bible's Answer
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Framing the Question
Les tells viewers that the question of Israel's suffering is valid, and that the next study will show from Scripture why the nation has gone through turmoil and still faces seven years of Tribulation.
God's Dealing With His Covenant People
Les says the Tribulation is primarily God dealing with Israel, not the Church, and reads Jeremiah 30:5 to show the fear and labor-pain imagery attached to the coming day.
The Time of Jacob's Trouble
Using Jeremiah 30:7, Les identifies the final seven years as the time of Jacob's trouble, worse than anything in past history, with a remnant of believers as the end result.
Israel's Rejection of God
Les says Jeremiah warned Israel and Judah, but by the time of Jeremiah 44 Israel had turned its back on everything God tried to do, which is why God had to deal severely with them.
Terrible Days Ahead
Les compares the Holocaust to the closing three and a half years of the Tribulation, saying even the Holocaust will be 'almost a Sunday school picnic' by comparison, and that Israel will be overrun by Gentile armies.
Israel at the Center
Les reminds viewers that in all of God's dealing with the human race, Israel is at the center, and the great day of trauma is the time of Jacob's trouble.
Primarily for Israel
Les reiterates that the Tribulation is not exclusively for the Jew but is primarily God dealing with the nation of Israel, and points to Jeremiah 30 as the explicit source for the phrase 'time of Jacob's trouble.'
Jeremiah 30:5: For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
This is the beginning of the passage Les uses to show the terror associated with the coming day.
Jeremiah 30:6: Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
The pain described is like a man in labor, with every face pale—a portrait of anguish that Les applies to Israel's upcoming trouble.
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.
This is the key verse identifying the final time of distress as 'Jacob's trouble' and assuring Israel's eventual deliverance.
Les Feldick says Israel has gone through turmoil and suffering because God is dealing with His covenant people. The Bible points to the coming 'time of Jacob's trouble' as the greatest period of suffering, with Israel at the center, yet it ends in a remnant of believers.
No. Les Feldick says it is not exclusively for the Jew, but it is primarily God dealing with the nation of Israel. The covenants involved are Jew-only, so the Church is not part of those covenant dealings.
Jeremiah 30:7 says 'he shall be saved out of it.' Les Feldick teaches that a remnant of believers will come out of Israel during that final seven-year period.
Watch the Teaching: Why Has Israel Suffered So Much? The Bible's Answer