Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

The Church has its work cut out. Jesus stated that before he returns, Israel shall be hated by all nations for his namesake. The Church is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray that our nation not turn its back on Israel in this generation.

Psalm 122:1-9, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

Jerusalem is God’s city. Pray for its good. Jerusalem is where Christ will rule and reign forever. The psalmist said that he would pray for the good of Jerusalem for his brethren and friends sake and because it is the house of the Lord.

We are to pray that Jerusalem have revealed to her that Jesus is the Christ. Pray, that the blinders be removed from their eyes. Today their house is desolate (empty) and will remain so until they say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. The scripture speaks of this in Matthew 23:37-39 and Matthew 24:1.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

When Jesus departed the temple that day, he has not been back and will not return until Israel says, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

Now the Church is the temple of God. The Jews did not understand the scriptures that state, God will not dwell in temples made with hands. They did not understand Jesus’ saying, Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days. They did not understand that He was referring to his body. They still do not understand that the Church is His body.

The Jews worshipped the temple made with their hands, which took them 46 years to build, and missed the living God standing right before them. In fact it was the statement, Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days, that drove the Jews to take Jesus captive, put him on trial and crucify Him for the sin of blasphemy.

The nation of Israel is the apple of God’s eye and heartbeat of the entire world. How it goes with Israel is how it goes with all nations. It is because of Israel’s blindness in part to Christ that the Gentile nations have salvation. And because of this rejection of God’s Son, they have suffered many things.

However, he has not forsaken them. He said that I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. For a small season, He turned His back on this sin of rejection, but with everlasting kindness will he gather them unto himself because of His covenant with Abraham. Isaiah 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

It should be the number one desire of the Church to see Israel saved. We are to pray earnestly for their wellbeing. We are to endure all things for the elect’s sake.

In the Apostle Paul’s writings to Timothy he stated in 2 Timothy 2:10, Therefore I endure all things for the elect‘s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Paul dedicated three chapters in the book of Romans to express his love and concern for Israel, that it was his earnest desire that they obtain salvation.

Read Romans chapter 9, 10 and 11. He continued on in Romans 12:1 stating, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Paul is warning the Gentiles not to think of themselves more highly that they ought because Israel has not yet seen Christ, but to use the faith that has been given to every man to bring God’s perfect will to pass concerning Israel, which is their salvation. They already have the faith to receive Christ. What they need is the revelation that Jesus is the Christ. Paul stated that God has dealt to every man the measure of faith to be saved.