The Conflict of Two Natures, Two Kingdoms

What is Jacobs Trouble? It is a reference to the Jews of a today coming into the Kingdom at the end and accepting Jesus Christ as their Messiah. I will present a different point of view, in the light of present truth. There are points of view that confuse this to be wrapped in the Tribulation of the Church and catching away of the saints before that great and terrible day. Firstly the Great Tribulation from Jesus teaching already occurred in AD 70 when Jerusalem was under siege by the Romans soldiers, history records that event as a very gruesome event and a warning just prior to that event was given to the Ekklesia they were warned to flee Jerusalem and many lived through that destruction.

So now let me unravel what was Jacobs trouble, Firstly when you are presenting an answer there are particular timelines that must be taken into consideration in order for the answer not to appear to contradict itself. We can not begin with the conclusion that Jacob is Israel, and Israel is Jacob, no, because there are particular events in the Life of Jacob that ascribes his nature, which constitutes his name- Jacob which means supplanter, or heel grabber. Remember the Hebrews named their child because of the prophetic nature of their identity, so the The time of Jacob troubles, ends when God makes a Covenant with him in Gen 31:43 and he buries the love of his life Rachel, and changes his name to Israel. Thereafter scripture calls him Israel. He now does not live for himself (Jacob) anymore but lives to see the same covenant that was made to Abraham, Isaac, now extended to him. God zooms out to show you the application over a nation, not a man anymore.

So then "The Time of Jacob's Trouble" occurs from Genesis 25, Deceiving Esau to Genesis 31, Covenant with God resulting in the name change. I will break this down into two parts, Biblical events and spiritual application.

Biblical Events: Jacob flees his Fathers House and find himself praying at Bethel after he sees the spiritual portal between the Kingdom and the earth, he then promises God that he will give to him a rock and a tenth of all his future wealth, should God protect and bless him, what a trade off? Can you see his nature, the nature of an orphan and slave. He then meets Laban, his father-in-law, who happens to be just a schemer as he is. He promises Rachel to him, who he loved very deeply, should he work for seven years for him but on the night of the honeymoon, Laban pulls a switch and Jacob goes in to Leah instead the elder of the two sisters, the deceiver has just been deceived. So an agreement is made with Laban again for Rachel for another seven years but on this occasion he gets the love of his life but then finds out the she cannot bare children, hopes dashed. In the mean time Leah produces four sons for him,Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah but still Rachel has Jacobs heart. (this stuff is like a soap opera,very exciting) Rachel allows her maidservant Bilhah to go into Jacob and Rachel shadows the delivery and Dan and Naphtali are born. Then more sons are born through Zilpah, Leah's maidservant in the same manner,Gad & Asher are born but still no attention is given to Leah. Then God sees Leah desperation for love and he reopen her womb and she bears 2 more sons Issachar & Zebulan and Dinah a daughter. Finally God sees Rachels plea and opens her womb and she produces Joseph and later Benjamin but dies in the delivery.

We hear of how Jacob had to work for another 6 years for his flock and how Laban changed his wages 10 times over. Through all these event God is with him and he as angelic visitation with regards to the speckelled and stripped livestock, God prospers him. Eventually Jacob could take this no longer and decides to hightail it out of there in the middle of the night, taking his wives, his children and his livestock with him. Rachel does something absurd and steals the House Idol of Laban, you see Laban was a heathen. He gets up to find his children and grandchildren gone the Idol also missing. He then is on the hot pursuit of Jacob and eventually catches up with and demand the return of the Idol which Jacob as no knowledge of, pregnant Rachel hides it under herself and gets away with it. In Genesis 31:36, Jacob is highly angry at the deception of Laban and tell him like it is. They eventual make up and and cut a covenant and share a meal together at Mizpah and all is forgiven, they go their separate ways.

Just when you thought is was safe to come out of the closet. Jacob discovers that Esau is on the hunt for him with 400 men and becomes very afraid. He then send out a gift of the flocks to Esau, so that maybe this will ease his anger and he will not destroy his family but he staggers the gifts into mini gifts along the journey, hopeing that this will soften Esau before his arrival. Jacob then has to cross the Jabbok river and after he had sent all over, he was alone and wrestled with God and before day break, the Angel dislocated his hip and permanently gives him a limp. Jacob finally meets Esau and there is a reunion between the brothers, gifts are exchanged, tears are shed and hugs exchanges and the love is reinstated and Esau leave in peace.

Jacob comes to Shechem, purchases land and sets up camp. Unfortunately things dont just stay peaceful. Dinah has been seen by the prince Shechem, and he is very attracted to her and lays with her against her will, he rapes her, this brings more disgrace and shame to Jacobs household and Jacobs sons are not very displeased with the outcome. The prince now wants Dinah for his wife, a deal is made with him and the men of Shechem that they should be circumsided in order for this marriage to be legitimate, this is done. But while the men are recovering from this, Simeon and Levi attack and kill every male in the city and loot the city because Dinah was defiled. So they immediately leave there to go back to Bethel.

Jacob now brings his entire Household under order, see Genesis 35, removes foreign gods build an Alter to God and calls it El-bethel, because he has a revelation of God there. God then make a promise to Jacob and changes his name to Israel, and delivers a great promise and prophetic destiny to him, Genesis 35: 11-12. In the meantime Rachel is in labor and delivers another son but dies during delivery and was about to name him Ben-oni, which means son of my sorrow but Jacob intervenes and renames him, Benjamin meaning Son of my Righthand.

Spiritual Application: These events in the life of Jacob was God changing his nature (soul nature). Moving him from Jacob which means Surplanter and thief to Israel, Prince of God most High. The Father will take the events in your life to change your nature too. The many "wasted years" of hard labor, working for something that you never expected and being deceived by a man, your own family, being rejected by his brother Easu and afraid of his life. Parting with his hard earned wealth just to have a relationship restored. Facing the shame of the rape of a daughter. Wresting with heaven over your spiritual identity, crippling your natural walk, and finally, reinstating your purpose and destiny for what you where called to do on the earth, which is the Fathers Will. Reconnecting him with the divine purposes of Abraham and Isaac (Spiritual). Paul calls this the Baptism of Fire, through much suffering and tribulation you finally undersatnd who you are and that your inheritance is nothing that you work for, it has always been yours for the taking if only you would conform to the pattern and the image of the firstborn Son and take your righful place as a prince in the Household of the God the Father in the Kingdom.

Only when you are completely stripped of every notion that you can help God the Father, by your religious activity then will He give you the right to rule as a Son in His Household. You must encounter a change in your character so that you can fully represent Him in image and likeness. He will frustrate very attempt of your hands to produce after the flesh and the soul, until he so changes you that you know that you know that your hands have not gotten you the blessings and ultimately your destiny. He does this by requiring of you to trust in Him for your provision and protection, that means ceasing from your labor and laboring to enter His rest. You must lay down your life, and that is all that you have built up to that point that means life to you. YOU MUST DIE, LET GO OF EVERYTHING. Jesus would require this of the rich young ruler to sell all and give it the poor and take up his cross and follow him. This is the pathway of Sonship,

When I discovered this truth, I knew that anything less than that is not worthy of the the Call of the highest life imaginable. Both Jennifer, I and the four children, took the plunge into letting go of everything, house, cars, business and fully trusting the Father for our provision and protection. Many want to have a fully funded walk of faith, thats not faith. The "Just shall live by Faith". became my new reality. I had to learn to stop trying to work but to enter into the finished work of my Father and to do His work. He goes ahead of me and prepares the way and I just afford Him the right of the incarnation of my body in time, to put on display his love to whomever He send my way. I learned how to live from the Throne of my Father, because as a Son I have an inheritance. Sowing and reaping an harvest are for orphans and slaves, not Sons. The Father appointed for me a spiritual father, that walked with me through this process and I have learned to live from an alternate dimension of existence, the forth dimension of the spirit, the all in all. This position is only found in Christ in you, the hope of glorious expression of the Father. Choose this day, to enter into his rest.

Grace, mercy peace and love.