Dear Friend,

A powerful lesson is hidden in Isaiah 26-27. Let's uncover it.

Isaiah 26-27 are part of Isaiah's "Little Apocalypse," or small scroll that unveils things to come. In them, the prophet foresees Israel's faithful remnant struggling and in hiding for "a little moment," a reference to the Great Tribulation (Isaiah 26:20). During this period, Isaiah foresees God coming out of "his place," meaning heaven, to destroy "leviathan," a symbol for Satan, and the "sea monster," Isaiah's name for the beast, Antichrist (Isaiah 26:20 - 27:1; see Revelation 13:4). Here Isaiah is describing the devastating Trumpet and Bowl judgments of the Great Tribulation and, most specifically, Christ's return in power at Armageddon to destroy Antichrist and bind Satan for a thousand years (Revelation 19:11 - 20:3). But the story doesn't end here.

Great fruitfulness will follow Israel's Great Tribulation. During the Tribulation, God promises to give His faithful Jewish remnant - His cherished spiritual vineyard - His most intense, personal care: "I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night, so that no one may harm it" (Isaiah 27:3, NIV). And if its enemies remain impenitent, and even dare to defy Him, He vows to defend His remnant by punishing their enemies severely: "I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire" like a handful of useless briars and thorns tossed into a campfire (27:4, NIV). This judgment will cause some enemies to repent and convert: "Let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me" (27:5, NIV). Thus, Israel's Vinedresser will preserve its believing remnant in its worst hour.

Due to this amazingly focused, round-the-clock, personal, divine care, when Israel's remnant emerges to enter the Millennial kingdom, its troublesome enemies ("briars," "thorns") now destroyed, it will become a phenomenally fruitful vineyard nation: "Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit" (27:6). With Christ ruling the world from Jerusalem, and now personally residing there in glory, Israel will finally fulfill its destiny to be the world's leading nation (see Deuteronomy 28:1, 13). And when Israel is joyfully bearing great spiritual and natural fruit all over the globe, it won't even remember its "little moment" of great trouble. Not even a little.

The principle here is whenever God's servants endure great trouble faithfully, great fruitfulness follows. That's simple enough. Why discuss it?

Two reasons are apparent. First, at some point, we all will have to endure some kind of exceptional trouble. When it comes, one of two things will happen: we will endure our "great tribulation" well or it will end our faith in and faithfulness to Christ. Second, this great fruitfulness follows great trouble pattern is seen everywhere in Scripture. Besides the example of Israel's Great Tribulation discussed above, here are six other examples of this biblical life principle for your study:

     1. Noah - Noah and his family endured great trouble, namely, an unprecedented, awesomely terrifying, deadly, lonely, global flood. Yet when they emerged from their terrible ordeal, God pronounced His richest possible blessing over them: "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1).

     2. Joseph - For thirteen years Joseph endured bitter tribulation in slavery and unjust imprisonment in a foreign land, only to emerge afterwards to bear sweet, incalculably vast, spiritual and natural fruit as the ruler of Egypt and savior of the nations. With prophetic insight, he summarized his experience for his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good" (Genesis 50:20, NLT).

     3. Mordecai and Esther - Mordecai and Esther faced the sudden, imminent prospect of the cruelest possible tribulation - the genocide of their people! Yet after intervening providentially, God used them to bear tremendous fruit when the news of His perfectly timed rescue of His people caused many Gentiles to turn to the God of Israel (Esther 8:15-17) and enabled Mordecai and Esther, now Persian government officials, to write new laws favorable to the Jews (10:3).

     4. Lazarus - After Lazarus endured the greatest tribulation - death! - he emerged from his tomb, now the living embodiment of John 12:24, to bear "much fruit" as the church's first true celebrity. News of his mind-boggling raising by Christ spread like wildfire and "many of the Jews ... believed on Jesus" (John 12:9-11).

     5. The early church - When the early church was suddenly engulfed in and scattered by its first great tribulation - a massive, deadly persecution sparked by the apostate Jewish leaders - some believers were driven as far away as Antioch. There, however, they became amazingly fruitful, founding the first, large Gentile church (Acts 21:9-11), from which the apostle Paul would later launch his tremendously fruitful gospel missions.

     6. The apostle Paul - After Paul endured one of many periods of great tribulation - two weeks on board a ship violently tossed by a vicious Mediterranean tempest - he emerged to bear great fruit on Malta. There, for three months, he hosted healing meetings and (we may reasonably assume) evangelized and converted many (Acts 28:7-11). And we could go on.

But now let's turn our attention to the most important matter. What do all these examples mean to you? Are you a true, abiding disciple of Christ - a deeply serious, irrevocably committed, self-disciplined, student-follower of the Son of God? If so, here is God's Word for you.

If you're in great trouble, great triumph lies dead ahead - if you will only endure your tribulation well. That is, if you will just remain spiritually minded, refuse to be offended with Jesus, remain close to Him daily, and faithfully discharge your God-given duties or ministry. And that's not all.

During your "little season" of trouble, God will work large wonders in you. Your soul and character will grow stronger and more Christlike. Like God's precious vineyard, Israel, He will give you His sustained, intense, amazingly personal, divine care. He will watch over you "night and day," "water" your soul with His Spirit and Word, guide you through your troubled waters, and drastically change the way you see yourself, Him, life, your purpose in this world, and even the distressing, contrary, seemingly unconvertable "briars and thorns" in your life.

Then, one day, you will emerge from your bitter "little moment" to behold this sweet, large principle fulfilled in your life: enduring great trouble well has brought you to great fruitfulness - to enduring great fruitfulness! That is, your troubles will pass but the fruitfulness that follows will endure. Thus, your tribulation will end in jubilation! So, hold on.

In childlike faith, submit to Christ's sovereign, loving wisdom and biblical ways of working in your life, though you don't presently understand them. "Trust the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding [human reasoning]. In all thy ways [circumstances] acknowledge him [and His control of everything beyond your control], and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Endure by remaining very close to Jesus. Receive His intense, personal care as He pours His Spirit upon you, permeates you with His presence, opens timely insights from His Word, and dispatches angels to invisibly guard and guide you. Learn all the lessons He wants to teach you in your great trouble, as Noah, Joseph, Mordecai, Esther, the disciples, and Paul did. Then, in His perfect time, He will turn your great trouble into great fruitfulness.

And you won't even remember your "little moment" of trouble. Not even a little.

Enduring well, expecting great fruitfulness,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries