The Role of the Church During the Great Tribulation
The Great Tribulation is not only a time of unprecedented testing but also God’s appointed season to purify His people.
Daniel 11:35
“Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.”
Daniel 12:10
“Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.”
Through suffering and persecution, the Lord will refine His Church, removing every impurity and leading us into spiritual maturity. The Church will increasingly reflect the very image of Christ—the faithful, sacrificial, and overcoming Bride. Like Jesus, the global martyr Church will embrace the cross, and at the end of this age, she will share in His resurrection and reign with Him forever.
Revelation 20:4
“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
Provoking Israel to Jealousy Through Love
The Church is also called to grow in love and maturity in order to provoke Israel to jealousy, fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose. This holy provocation will not come through pride or superiority but through Christlike love. As Christ laid down His life for us, so the Church will lay down her life in love for the Jewish people.
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Romans 11:11
“Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.”
Comforting Israel During Her Time of Suffering
The Church is called to comfort Israel in her time of suffering. As they endure unimaginable hardship, believers are to stand with them, offering encouragement, hope, and the promises of God’s Word. This comfort comes from speaking to her in love and sharing the Gospel of salvation. It also comes from telling her that her King is coming to rescue her from all her enemies who are seeking to annihilate her.
Isaiah 40:1–2
“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
Providing Practical Care
The Church is also called to provide practical care by offering food, shelter, and protection to those who flee into the wilderness. Just as God has always cared for His covenant people, He will use His mature Bride as an instrument of His provision and mercy. The Church will be like Joseph—one who has been blessed with a double portion in order to provide for her needs. Also, like Joseph, she is to be an agent of salvation to Israel.
Revelation 12:6
“The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.”
A Watchman and Intercessor
The Church is also called to be a watchman and intercessor for God’s end-time purposes to be fulfilled, which include Israel’s salvation, Jesus’ return, and Jerusalem’s vindication.
Isaiah 62:1–2
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.”
Isaiah 62:6–7
“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”
Reflecting Christ to Israel
Ultimately, Israel is meant to see the face of Christ reflected in His Church. As the Bride is transformed into His likeness and walks in sacrificial love, Jesus will be revealed through her life. A mature Church, filled with humility, holiness, and unwavering love, will become a living testimony of the Messiah, preparing many in Israel to recognize Him and receive Him as their Ki