Correspondence: Praying for Peace and Prosperity in Jerusalem?

From: Young Christian: Volume 34, 1944

• 2 min. read • grade level: 8

Question: Is it consistent for Christians to pray for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, or to help along any of the present schemes to reinstate the Jews in their land?

Answer: God has given Christians a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1¹Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)). A heavenly inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3‑4)); and blessed them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)).

For their sins the Jews were driven out of Palestine. They smote the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek ... Therefore Jehovah gave them up as a nation till the time when she which travaileth hath brought forth (Mic. 5:1,3¹Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. (Micah 5:1)
³Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Micah 5:3)). Then Israel as a nation will be restored. At the present time, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24²⁴And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)). God’s word about Israel now is, “Not My people” (Hos. 1:9⁹Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (Hosea 1:9)). And they are now as described in Hosea 3:4⁴For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: (Hosea 3:4). As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for the Gentiles sakes; they were broken off from the olive tree of God’s testimony on the earth, that the Gentiles might be grafted into it. Their only escape now from judgment is in the mercy of God shown alike to Jew and Gentile (Rom. 11:28-32²⁸As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. ²⁹For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. ³⁰For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: ³¹Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. ³²For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Romans 11:28‑32)). Those who receive the gospel of the grace of God, cease to be Jew or Gentile, and are in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)).

Consistently, therefore, as Christians, we pray for their conversion to the Lord Jesus (whose name they now hate), that they might be saved (Rom. 10:1¹Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (Romans 10:1)), and thus be children of God, the Father (Gal. 3:26²⁶For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)); members of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)); temples of the Holy Spirit, (1 Cor. 6:19¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)). Israel, as a nation never had, nor in the future ever will have these blessings. Every Christian has them now, and for eternity.

We know also that their national place will never be theirs in possession until the coming of Christ, their true King, in His glory (Zech. 12:10; 13:1; 14:4-5¹⁰And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)
¹In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1)
⁴And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. ⁵And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:4‑5). Rom. 11:26-27²⁶And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: ²⁷For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:26‑27)).

The Apostle Peter, who was chosen to feed Christ’s sheep, converted from among the Jews (John 21:15-17¹⁵So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ¹⁶He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁷He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:15‑17); Gal. 2:7-8⁷But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; ⁸(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) (Galatians 2:7‑8)), wrote 1 Peter 5:8⁸Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8),

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

He said nothing of them getting back to their own land.

Christians have nothing to do with that, except that we look forward to the day when our Lord will reign, and we shall reign with Him.

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