DURING THE TRIBULATION when the  nations are seeking to wipe the Jews off  the face of the earth we find Scripture  states that the Jewish believers will  be anything but depressed. We might  expect that their suffering would drive  them to dispair but on the contrary, the  

Bible indicates they will be triumphant. 

When Daniel’s three friends were cast  into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow  to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image the  fire could not harm them and the Lord  will also be with Israel in the fires of the  Tribulation. 

There is no doubt that Jews will suffer;  first from a Russian/Islamic invasion in the  first half of the Tribulation and then from  Antichrist’s Satanically devised attacks in  the second half of the Tribulation. 

When Russia invades, two thirds of the  nation of Israel will perish before they cry  out to God and trust in Jesus Christ. 

At the mid-point of the Tribulation  Antichrist will move into the Temple at  Jerusalem and the Jews will have to flee  into the mountains of Judea where God  has a place of refuge prepared for them. 

Daniel tells us that Antichrist 

“shall go forth with great fury  

to destroy, and utterly to make  away many. And he shall plant the  tabernacles of his palace between the  seas (Dead Sea and Mediterranean)  in the glorious holy mountain”  (Dan.11:44-45). 

John tells us that Satan will 

make war with the remnant of  her (Israel’s) seed, which keep the  commandments of God, and have the  

testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev.12:17). 

The final conflict will bring  

“all nations against Jerusalem to  battle; and the city shall be taken,  and the houses rifled, and the women  ravished; and half of the city shall go  forth into captivity, and the residue of  the people shall not be cut off from the  city” (Zech.14:2) and 

“Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem” (Zech.14:14)

With such cruel vengeance poured out  upon the nation of Israel they could be  pardoned if they were totally discouraged  and dejected but that is not the case.  Isaiah gives us a graphic description of  the world in the Great Tribulation and  it is the ungodly, evil nations who are  miserable. Isaiah wrote that the world 

will be in a very sorry state: 

“The new wine mourneth, the vine  languisheth, all the merryhearted do  sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the  noise of them that rejoice endeth, the  joy of the harp ceaseth. They shall not  drink wine with a song; strong drink  shall be bitter to them that drink it… all  joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is  gone” (Isa.24:7-11). 

But the suffering remnant of Israel will  be reacting in quite a different manner.  We read: 

“When thus it shall be in the midst of 

the land among the people, there shall  be as the shaking of an olive tree,  and as the gleaning grapes when the  vintage is done. They shall lift up their  voice, they shall sing for the majesty  of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from  the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the LORD  in the fires” (Isa.24:13-15). 

The Divine judgments of the Tribulation  will not touch God’s servants for they are  directed against the enemies of the Lord.  Even the 144,000 Jewish witnesses are  sealed for protection (Rev.7:1-3) from the  Trumpet Judgments and though they lay  down their lives for Christ they have the  Lord’s assurance:  

“thy dead men shall live together with  my (Jesus) dead body shall they arise” (Isa.26:19). 

Eight hundred years later John recorded  how the 144,000 Jewish martyrs will sing a new song before the throne, and  before the four beasts, and the elders:  and no man could learn that song  but the hundred and forty and four  thousand, which were redeemed from  the earth” (Rev.14:3). 

Even in the midst of terrible suffering the  Godly remnant of Israel will be able to  sing praises to God. Isaiah wrote: 

“From the uttermost part of the earth  have we heard songs, even glory to  the righteous. But I said, My leanness,  my leanness, woe unto me!” (Isa.24:16). 

Songs in the Midst of Sorrow! 

Why will redeemed Israel in the Tribulation  be able to rejoice? In the midst of Israel’s  affliction the Lord is going to be with Israel  and they will see great victories. They will  find Him to be “a refuge from the storm, a  shadow from the heat” (Isa.25:4). 

We read of the Lord Jesus –  

“who for the joy that was set before  

him endured the cross, despising the  shame, and is set down at the right  hand of the throne of God” (Heb.12:2). 

The world will suffer the judgments of  the Tribulation however they will have no  prospect of victory. But for Israel they will  know that the Tribulation is but for a little  while until the Lord comes to smite all  their enemies and to reign in great glory  and power. 

In fact the Lord assures them that the  Tribulation is but for a little time. “Come, my people, enter thou into  thy chambers, and shut thy doors  about thee: hide thyself as it were for  a little moment, until the indignation  be overpast. For, behold, the LORD  cometh out of his place to punish  the inhabitants of the earth for their  iniquity” (Isa.26:20-21). 

The final choral piece sung by the Jewish  remnant at this time is found in Isaiah  chapter 26:1: 

In that day shall this song be sung in  the land of Judah; We have a strong  city; salvation will God appoint for walls  and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that  the righteous nation which keepeth the  truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him  in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed  on thee: because he trusteth in thee”  (Isa.26:1-3). 

During the dark days of the Tribulation  there will be many military victories  over the enemies of the Lord. Israel will  witness Russia and her Islamic associates  totally destroyed and the governors of  Judah will be like 

“an hearth of fire among the wood,  and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and  they shall devour all the people round  about, on the right hand and on the  left” (Zech.12:6).

But these victories pale into insignificance  when viewed in the light of the final  victory as the Lord Jesus descends from  heaven with all the saints and angels. He  will bear the name, King of kings and  Lord of lords and He will sweep through  the armies of the Antichrist to slay them  and cast them into the lake of fire. 

In that day Israel will say: 

“Lo, this is our God; we have waited  for him, and he will save us: this is the  LORD; we have waited for him, we will  be glad and rejoice in his salvation”  (Isa.25:9). 

Jerusalem again will be the centre where  God’s name will be proclaimed and the  redeemed nation of Israel will proclaim  Jesus Christ as Israel’s King and Saviour. 

A Lesson to be Learned 

If Israel can rejoice in the midst of such  intense persecution then surely we  should be able to  

“count it all joy when ye fall into divers  temptations; Knowing this, that the  trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work,  that ye may be perfect and entire,  wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4). 

Peter encouraged the early Christians  with the truth of our great salvation when  they were being persecuted: 

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though  now for a season, if need be, ye  are in heaviness through manifold  temptations: That the trial of your faith,  being much more precious than of gold  that perisheth, though it be tried with  fire, might be found unto praise and  honor and glory at the appearing of  Jesus Christ” (1Peter.1:6-7). 

There is great reward for rejoicing in the  midst of affliction and Job is the classic  example. Job lost his family, his farm,  

his animals, his health and his wife. His  friends falsely accused him, yet he could  say:  

I know that my redeemer liveth, and  that he shall stand at the latter day  upon the earth: And though after my  skin, worms destroy this body, yet in  my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall  see for myself, and mine eyes shall  behold, and not another” (Job19:25- 27). 

Job’s faith was rewarded. His health was  restored and his wealth was doubled.  He even had a new family and he was  justified before his accusers. 

My dear brother and sister in Christ,  whatever your trial, and whatever you  suffer for Christ’s sake, “Count it all joy!”  For the more we endure for Christ the  more He will reward us. 

“If we suffer, we shall also reign with  him” (2Tim.2:12). 

If Israel will be able to sing praises to  God in the midst of the fiery trial of the  Tribulation, then surely we can find a  song of praise to the Saviour when we  are tested. Remember that the final  victory is ours at the coming of the Lord  when we shall be caught up together  with all the saints in this age to meet the  Lord in the air. 

In that day, when we look down on earth,  the trials of life will seem so small and we  will say with Israel: 

“Lo, this is our God … we have waited  for him, we will be glad and rejoice in  his salvation” (Isa.25:9).