In Part 1, I discussed the ‘Daughter of Zion’ as Israel’s Kingdom queen and mother figure, from whom the Kingdom’s children will be “birthed.” She is referred to in scripture as the “mother of all” and the “mother of nations.” I also described how she is the symbolic “mother” to Jesus himself in the book of the Revelation (Ch. 12) story and is also a mother- or sister-type to end times ‘Jacob.’ And in addition to Jesus and ‘Jacob,’ there will be other holy children of the ‘Israel’ remnant who are “birthed” to her in the last days prior to the Millennial Kingdom. (I will address God’s end times holy children in a future passage).
In the meantime, in the next two passages (Parts 2 & 3), I will address the prophetic significance of travails with and “birthings” of God’s holy children as far as how these relate to last days events and the timing of those events. I will present this information within the following sections:
- Initial travails and pains
- The time period of travailing and “birthing” in the last days
- Travails, “birthing” and the war on the country of Israel
- Travails, “birthing” and the war on ‘Babylon’-U.S.
In order to discern end times events, we must keep an eye on happenings with God’s people, ‘Israel.’ Travailing and “birthing” processes involving ‘Israel’s children give us key indications about these. As a type of father-figure, the prophet Isaiah in some instances represents a ‘type’ of end times ‘Jacob.’ Isaiah refers to his own children, whom I will address in Part 3. Meanwhile, what Isaiah says as follows about his children has more broad meaning applicable in a last days context, such as that which can be applied to end times ‘Jacob.’ Isaiah said:
- “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” (Is 8:18)
In this passage (Part 2), I will address how travailing with and the spiritual “birthings” of God’s children are indicative of last days signs, wonders, events, etc. This will cover the first two items listed above. In Part 3, I will address “birthing”-related signs and ‘Israel’s children who are “birthed” as these apply to the coming wars on the countries of Israel and ‘Babylon’-U.S., respectively.
Background and context- Initial travails and pains
In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that our “whole creation” has been travailing and “groaning” in childbirth pains, even until now (Rom 8:22). The apostles during Jesus’ time on earth surmised how we were already in the “last days.” Most scriptures referring specifically to pains and “sorrows” associated with “birthing” of ‘Israel’s children are an instant flag for prophetic signs and events in the last of the last days.
Recall in my passage, the ‘Daughter of Zion’ (Part 2), how her birth pains in scripture are linked directly with last days trouble, even that of entire nations. They are a sign about the anti-Christ Chaldean army coming out into the open in the worldwide kingdom war that will manifest worldwide. The Chaldeans’ powerful, organized criminal cabal with its lawless and corrupt leaders will heavily impact societies around the world. This will cause social unrest and division not only within nations, but also between nations. This is a direct consequence of the Satanic dialectic model that Chaldean leaders perpetuate to keep themselves in power and their citizens deceived. It is designed to invoke conflict, fighting and destruction. Do you recognize this process in place today?
I have shown in prior passages that both the ‘Babylon’-U.S. and the country of Israel, in particular, are nations that will first be destroyed from within and then attacked and plundered from without. This is a result of the anti-Christ Chaldean kingdom’s war that is first and foremost targeted against God’s people, with the U.S. and the country of Israel being nations where relatively large populations of them exist.
“Before all these things…”- Persecution
The general prophetic time period of “travailing” aligns with the “beginning of sorrows” (i.e. birth pains) that Jesus described as not yet the end. Jesus described quite a few signs of this last days time period (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) that will manifest worldwide. The signs Jesus gave included great deception, including the appearing of many false christs and false false prophets, along with other signs such as lawlessness, famines, pestilences, earthquakes and the strife and division between nations such as that which I mentioned above.
In relation to his people (i.e. last days sheep), specifically, Jesus pointed to heavy spiritual warfare and persecution. This will come at the hands of the anti-Christ Chaldean powers who will cause true Christ believers to be betrayed, “delivered up,” and “handed over to be persecuted.” Jesus also spoke of betrayal by friends and family amidst intense persecution at this time. All of these are consistent with the ‘Jacob army’s unconventional war versus the Chaldeans that happens very quietly, behind the scenes, during this time. Interestingly, in one account of Jesus’ explanation of last days travails and sorrows, he appears to indicate that this heavy persecution of his sheep happens even prior to the time of sorrows. Note that Jesus said:
- “But before all these (sorrows), they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.” (Luke 21:12)
Again, the important point here is that severe persecution of God’s people will very likely already be underway once we witness the beginning of “sorrows.” This time will be symbolized by the travails of the ‘Daughter of Zion.’
Then, at the time Zion’s holy children are actually “birthed,” spiritually speaking, they will be fiercely pursued by the enemy in this spiritual war. This will be somewhat analogous to the time when Pharoah ordered firstborn Israelite baby boys to be killed in ancient Egypt or when Herod ordered babies to be killed at the time when Jesus was born. Last days events related to persecution will continue to intensify throughout the Tribulation period.
Zion not able to bring forth children for a period of time
‘The Daughter of Zion’s extreme travailing, birth pains and subsequent symbolic “birthing” of children are a clear sign of a raging spiritual kingdom war in the last days. In fact, the highly tumultuous environment in which she travails is the reason that we are shown in scripture examples of prophecies about bereavement, the inability to deliver, or a lack of strength in giving birth. This represents the time of last days ‘Israel’s children that God promised to Eve that she (in part, as a foreshadow of the last days ‘Daughter of Zion’) would have “sorrows” in bringing forth.
Indeed, we know that ‘Israel’s mother, the ‘Daughter of Zion,’ will be heavily persecuted herself in the last days, and is looking out for sons to “guide her” or “take her by the hand” (Is 51:18). However, the following scriptures show the condition of her holy children, some of whom appear to be “birthed” at this time, yet are described as “desolate,” and are also held captive themselves. In other words, they are not fully “birthed” yet:
- “Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.” (Is 51:20)
- “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street. The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.” (Lam 2:19, 21)
- “The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.” (Lam 1:4, 6)
The language about Zion’s children fainting, fallen, desolate, etc. in scripture is indicative of bereavement of children or of children not “brought forth.” The ‘Daughter of Zion’s and her children’s captivity in the last days is God’s plan. They are being disciplined, both for themselves as well as for prior generations of God’s people who have been disobedient. God strongly and prophetically warned his people and promised in ancient scripture (Deuteronomy, Ch. 28) about the coming consequences and hardships of persecution on them as a result of their disobedience.
God’s children sold into captivity in the last days
One major consequence given for God’s disobedient people is that they would eventually be scattered “among the nations.” As a general principle, we have seen before that when God’s sheep are scattered, they are vulnerable. And when they are vulnerable, “wolves” take them captive and persecute them. A couple of specific, prophetic promises in scripture related to God’s people’s captivity are as follows:
- “Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.” (Deut. 28:32)
- “Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.” (Deut. 28:41)
As for being held captive, this applies to both ‘Israel’s “spiritual” children as well as its actual children in the last days. God tells the righteous ‘Daughter of Zion,’ “you were sold for nothing” (Is 52:2). She is held and is persecuted by the anti-Christ Chaldeans. Zion’s spiritual children including end times ‘Jacob,’ who we know is “in bonds,” have also been “sold” into captivity. This is a fulfillment of God’s prophetic promise, again, from the book of Deuteronomy (Ch. 28) that I mentioned above. Speaking further about this last days time period, God says through the prophet Joel that, at that time,“ I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem” (Joel 3:1). God also prophetically foretold:
- “And they have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.” (Joel 3:3)
Here, in the book of the prophet Joel, we are told that the children of Judah and Jerusalem have been sold to the Grecians and “scattered.” In the end times, as explained in the curse in the book of Deuteronomy, God warned his people that they would not be able to hold onto their own children due to captivity. In ‘Babylon’-U.S., this could translate, practically speaking, to God’s people “losing” their children as a result of anti-Christ Chaldean-arranged, planned-marriage-followed-by-planned-divorce schemes. This is likely at least one reason we learn in prophetic scripture that it will be better to be “barren” than with children in the last days. It is also likely a reason that we are told the following about ‘Israel’s final regathering:
- “Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.” (Is 49:22)
God’s people, ‘Israel’s broken families, will ultimately be reunited upon their final “birthing” as a people and their subsequent regathering in the holy land at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of royal lions taken captive
Additional indications of the captivity of God’s holy children not fully “birthed” in the last days may remind some of the Judah remnant that was spared by Nebuchadnezzar but was taken back to ‘Babylon’ in captivity. This is the remnant the prophet Ezekiel lives among and addresses in his day with clear end times implications and meaning.
In one of Ezekiel’s visions (Ch. 19), there is a prophetic lament for ‘Israel’s princes and their royal mother- the latter likely referring to the ‘Daughter of Zion.’ (Note: She is referred to as a “lioness,” rearing her whelps. The lioness reference is likely pointing to her Judah tribal lineage. She is also referred to later in the same chapter as a “vine in the blood”; one that is “fruitful” and has strong branches for the “scepters of them that bare rule.” This appears to be further reference to her association with the end times holy, royal Judah-‘house of David’ remnant).
Ezekiel’s vision shows how the ‘Daughter of Zion’s vine and tree gets “plucked up in fury” by God and how her branches (“rods”) become “broken and withered.” Both the ‘Daughter of Zion’ and her royal house are devoured in this last days vision. Ezekiel’s vision shows how a couple of her whelps “learn(ed) to catch prey,” likely meaning exposing anti-Christ Chaldean criminal activities, but that both of these whelps are taken captive and quieted in the “land of Egypt.” One is quieted directly by the king of ‘Babylon.’ In our last days context, these are likely a couple members of the ‘Jacob army,’ possibly even ‘Jacob’ himself, learning to fight in the unconventional surveillance war in ‘Babylon’-U.S., but were identified as such, taken hostage, and quieted by the anti-Christ Chaldeans. This is consistent with the last days time period Jesus spoke about when God’s people will be “delivered up.” (For more about the last days quieting of God’s message and his people, you can refer to my prior post entitled, God’s people and message silenced in the last days).
Overall, spiritual “travailing” and the awakening of God’s holy children is very dangerous in the last days anti-Christ Chaldean-controlled world. In Ezekiel’s vision and lament, the ‘Daughter of Zion’s hope is lost, at least temporarily, when she sees (possibly symbolically) that her end times whelps are captured. To the extent that any of God’s spiritual children are discovered by the anti-Christ Chaldean “all seeing eye” surveillance system (as shown above), you can be assured that they will be quieted and persecuted.
Meanwhile, spiritual “travailing” and the subsequent awakening by God’s holy children in the last days is necessary for God’s children to have eyes to see and ears to hear the anti-Christ Chaldean matrix and imprisoning system, and is furthermore necessary for a coming to a realization that they are the primary targets. Certainly, those in the ‘Jacob army’ have had this spiritual awakening. I have described in previous passages how God’s ‘Jacob army’ are at least given the strength to fight back in this spiritual kingdom war. The Lord himself joins them.
The time period of travailing and “birthing” in the last days
In the last days, birth pains and spiritual “birthings” of God’s holy children are signs of very significant worldwide events, both in-progress and still to come. This is due to the ongoing kingdom war that is being waged. In general, the order of events in the last days as they are told relative to “birthing”-related signs is:
- Heavy persecution of God’s people (likely beginning prior to #2 and then ongoing throughout).
- Pre-Tribulation (i.e. “not yet the end”); (“Beginning of sorrows- i.e. birth pains)”
- First-half Tribulation period events (i.e. actual, spiritual “birthings”)
- Second-half Tribulation period events (i.e. birthing of the nation of ‘Israel’- at the end)
I have already addressed the first two time periods (i.e. persecution and travailing) in the earlier section of this passage entitled, Initial travails and pains. These initial pains and sorrows through the pregnancy cycle culminate in Zion’s “birthing” of ‘Jacob.’ Once ‘Jacob’ is spiritually born at the general time period of the beginning of the Tribulation, then Zion’s additional children will begin to be “birthed” as the kingdom war more fully commences. These are actual spiritual birthings of God’s holy, royal children. So it naturally represents a more intense stage of the spiritual war that is already raging (i.e. “kingdom versus kingdom”). Due to this very dangerous kingdom war, all of these “births” will be largely kept quiet, hidden and unrecognizable to the public. As it is, do you ever hear this topic discussed, even among bible prophecy teachers?
The continuing “birthing” of God’s holy children amidst persecution, pains and tumultuous world events will happen in the first half of the Tribulation period. In the second half God’s people will be forced to flee, wander and hide as the Anti-Christ temporarily takes over full power and authority. The ‘Daughter of Zion’ will return at the end of the Tribulation period to give “birth” to the larger nation of Israel remnant at the time Jesus returns.
I discuss “birthing” related signs as these apply to both the first half and the second half of the Tribulation period, respectively, in the remainder of this section.
‘Jacob’s and Jesus’ “birthings” as bookends to the first half of the Tribulation period
It appears that end times ‘Jacob’ is the first child to be symbolically, spiritually “birthed.” I discussed this in Part 1. At this time, significant troublesome events such as those Jesus spoke of as the “beginning of sorrows” (Matt, 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) will only intensify, similar to birth pains in physical birth that we know increase in frequency and intensity as the baby(ies) come(s) closer to birth. To re-state these signs, Jesus instructed us to look for false christs, false prophets, lawlessness, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, etc. After ‘Zion’ travails and ‘Jacob’ is spiritually “birthed,” these events and the ongoing persecution of God’s people will become increasingly noticeable.
Next, I also showed in Part 1 how Jesus, the manchild himself, is likely the last child (in sequence) of God’s holy, royal sons to be born to the ‘Daughter of Zion.’ ‘Jesus’ re-birth (Rev. Ch. 12) we are told in scripture occurs at the point of mid-Tribulation, coinciding with even more severe events that include God’s judgments on earth at this time, not to mention increased occurrences of supernatural signs and wonders.
So, in terms of time markers, ‘Jacob’s “birth” and Jesus’ “re-birth” appear to be bookends for the first half of the Tribulation period (i.e. 3 ½ years). In between their respective “births,” Zion’s travailing and “birth” pains continue during this time as other children are “birthed.” These coincide with spiritual kingdom war events Jesus mentioned above that become amplified as the seals are opened and the horses in the book of Revelation (Ch. 6) begin to ride. It is not my intent to cover the book of Revelation in this passage, but the general idea about this initial time is that there will be great wars (via the “sword”), famines, pestilences, a great earthquake, and the resulting deaths of a fourth of those living on earth. The “sword” of large-scale war will be particularly troubling and unnerving at this time.
To once again link these events back to the ‘Daughter of Zion’s travailing and birthings, you will recall that she is a very strong indicator for events in both Zion- the country of Israel- as well as for ‘Babylon’- the United States. I have demonstrated this strong link and association in prior passages and I have also already written in detail on this site about certain war that is coming to both of these countries. In Part 3, I will describe more about these wars in terms of how they are directly tied to “birth” pains and the “birthings” of God’s people, ‘Israel.’
The Daughter of Zion is delivered from travails in the second half of the Tribulation period
After giving “birth” to Jesus the manchild at the point of mid-Tribulation, and before Jesus’ return, the ‘Daughter of Zion’ will flee the dragon (Rev. Ch. 12). Her holy remnant (God’s children who have been spiritually birthed) will also have to flee the dragon-serpent and seek refuge at this time. (Note: The remnant here are likely symbolized by the stars surrounding the ‘Daughter of Zion’ in the book of Revelation (Ch. 12) story). This time of fleeing will coincide with the Anti-Christ committing the abomination of declaring that he is God and is to be worshiped. Here, God tells the ‘Daughter of Zion’:
- “Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.” (Mic 4:10)
It appears that Zion continues to travail at this time, even after the birth of the manchild as she remains in ‘Babylon’-U.S. There is scripture that indicates she continues to mourn because of being separated from the one who comforted her. Then, she will eventually give “birth” to the larger remnant of the nation of ‘Israel’ that will finally be re-gathered at the end of the Tribulation period. I have addressed this larger remnant’s regathering in prior passages and will address it again in Part 3 as it applies specifically to the people of ‘Ephraim.’
Although scripture related to the regathering of ‘Israel’ and it being “born in one day” is most commonly applied by bible prophecy teachers to the establishment of the country of Israel in 1948 and its ongoing status as a growing nation of Jewish people, this scripture clearly has a last of the last days meaning that is not often discussed.
In fact, this refers to the final “birthing” that is done by the ‘Daughter of Zion’ for the remnant of God’s people, Israel, along with the “glory of the Gentiles,” who go into the Millennial Kingdom. They will come from the “north” to a land of Israel that has been made desolate. This is a time that God tells Zion and his people ‘Israel’ that their “seed” will remain as the “new heavens and new earth” (Is 66:22).
In terms of this final “birthing” by the ‘Daughter of Zion’ at the beginning of God’s new Kingdom, here is what scripture tells us:
- “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” (Is 66:7-8)
The man child here appears to refer again to Jesus, though this time upon his return. Recall that when Zion “births” Jesus at mid-Tribulation she is in travail. Here, she is not. In this line of scripture in the book of Isaiah (Ch. 66) there is a strong association with and indications for the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom at this time.
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In summary, in the current last days time period in which we are living, we should assume that the persecution of God’s people (Jesus Christ’s sheep) is underway. Just as travails and “birthings” happen quietly and behind-the-scenes, so does Chaldean persecution via a plethora of unseen, undetectable psychological operation techniques that are employed. This is happening currently in ‘Babylon’-U.S. as the spiritual kingdom war progresses.
In my next passage, Part 3, I will discuss what will be the very obvious last days sign of large-scale wars and how these are associated with and relate to “birthing” signs.
Grace & Peace,
Lion’s Lair (LL)