Chart: Woman Israel and the 144,000
What is Israel’s role in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord?
The Abrahamic Covenant has never changed. God made a direct promise to Abraham that the Jewish people would grow beyond number (Gen. 15:18) and inherit the land of Israel.
The elect nation is currently in a state of rebellion, but she is still God’s chosen nation. Israel will not exercise corporate faith in Jesus until “the Deliverer comes our of Zion to turn ungodliness from Jacob. (Romans 11:25-28) God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
A remnant of the natural seed of Abraham are predestined for national salvation at Christ’s return to the earth. (see Revelation 19)
At the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week, the unbelieving nation of Israel will make a covenant of death with the Antichrist (Isaiah 28). The beginning of the Birth Pains will start. The nation will be deceived into thinking this covenant will protect them, giving peace and security. Antichrist will break the covenant at midpoint and the Great Tribulation will begin.
At the middle of the week, there is war in heaven. Michael overcomes Satan. He casts Satan out of heaven to earth, along with legions of fallen angels.
On earth, Antichrist will commit the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and Matthew 24:15 at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week. He will break his false covenant with Israel, overthrow Jerusalem, desecrate the temple, demand worship of the world, persecute God’s elect saints and the unbelieving nation of Israel.
On earth, the Great Tribulation (aka the time of Jacobs Trouble for Israel) is about to begin. A legion of fallen Angels will assist Satan in making this an unprecedented time of evil. It will be the time of tribulation known to mankind, since history began, surpassing even the Nazi Germany holocaust!
The Woman Israel; The future elect remnant nation flees to the desert and is protected for 1260 days. Initially unsaved, she will accept Messiah Jesus at end of Daniel’s 70th week. “The Woman” is a reference to Jews who are or become the part of the spiritual line of Abraham. The Woman is the faithful line through whom Messiah would come and defeat Satan (Gen. 3:15). During the events of the last days, the woman will represent a remnant of Israel who refuses to worship the Antichrist. Even though still in unbelief at that time, she will be given special protection for 3 ½ years (42 months) until Daniel’s 70th week is complete.
The 144,000 Jews are a key part of the Woman Israel. They are called Firstfruits of unsaved Israel, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes (Revelation 7). The remnant includes the 144,000, the first fruits to become part of the spiritual line of Abraham. The 144,000 are actual, living, believing Messianic Jews. They are the first “down payment and deposit” of a much larger number of Israel who gets saved when Jesus returns to the earth.
The Woman symbolizes Israel. She is protected by God from Satan’s rage and nourished in the desert for 1,260 days. The chosen remnant Israel will be purged and refined during the Great Tribulation (the Time of Jacob’s trouble and the Day of the Lord) in preparation for becoming citizens of the physical kingdom of God over which Christ will rule. However, the 144,000 firstfruits will be raptured prior to the end of 1260 days.
Zechariah 13:8-9 In the whole land— this is the Lord’s declaration— two-thirds (nation Israel) will be cut off and die, but a third (nation Israel) will be left in it (Israel has a population of 9 million. 6 million will die. 3 million will survive.) 9 I will put this third through the fire (The remnant, the part of Israel that survives); I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested (in the Great Tribulation). They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’, and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ (At the end of Daniel’s 70th week, when they see Jesus, the Messiah return to the earth with the Saints.)”
After the 6th seal, the 144,000 firstfruits see Jesus Coming on the clouds. They repent and receive the seal of living God. Sealed = Saved! Revelation 7 & 14. The Rapture 144,000 Jewish believers are sealed on their foreheads. They are the firstfruits of saved Israel (Revelation 7). The first appearance will be at His coming in the clouds, when the Church is raptured. Every eye will behold this great appearance, even those who pierced Him and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him (Rev. 1:7). His second appearance will be at His return to earth for the salvation of the rest of the nation Israel that has survived the 70th week of Daniel.
The Woman Israel; Unlike the 144,000 the majority of the Woman Israel does not repent at the Rapture and accept Jesus as Messiah. She is “left behind” to endure the Day of the Lord (God’s wrath) the 7 Trumpets (final purification). The elect will survive to witness the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth.
Isaiah 26:19-21 But your dead will live; their bodies will rise (The Resurrection of all the believing dead when the Great Tribulation is cut short.). You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you (Saints taken to heaven at the Rapture?); hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by (God’s eschatological Day of Wrath follows the Rapture). See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins (This passage clearly situates the resurrection of the saints BEFORE the end-time wrath.). The earth will disclose (display) the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer.
Following the Rapture, The Remnant enters the period of the 7 Trumpet judgements (God’s Wrath) for further purification of the nation. Isaiah 6:10-13 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “For how long, O Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted, and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” (Apparently only 1/10 Jews will survive both the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord judgments.
What is God’s purpose for the Day of the Lord (God’s wrath in the 7 Trumpet judgments)? God’s wrath will be released upon a wicked world that refuses to repent! (See Rev. 9:20,21 and 2 Peter 3:7). Every opportunity will be given to the ungodly to repent and call upon God. Instead, most will choose to worship the Beast and his image. In addition, the Day of the Lord will be used to further purge and purify the nation Israel, discarding the dross of those who eventually compromise with the Antichrist. Ongoing refining that part of the Woman coming into a saving relationship with their true Messiah, Jesus Christ. (See Isaiah 1:24-28, Amos 5:18-19 [flees from a lion – the Great Tribulation, and meets a bear – The Day of the Lord, Zech. 13:8-9.
Upon Jesus return to earth, The survivors in Israel will look on Christ the one they pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10, Matthew 23:39 , Revelation 1:7) The survivors of God’s wrath enter the millennial kingdom as human survivors in non-resurrection bodies.
Ezekiel 39:22 From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.
Jer. 31:34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me (Not some, but all will know the Lord), from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Deut 32:36 The Lord will judge his people (Israel) and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.
Jer. 30:6-7 Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it (All Israel will be saved).
After the 3 ½ years are completed the penitent survivors of Israel will be born again to new national life in a single day through spiritual regeneration of the new and everlasting covenant.
Israel will be a completely regenerate Jewish nation during the 1000-year millennium. They will enter the 1000-year millennium in the natural bodies and live in Eden-like conditions.