Michael Demory
With the events that continue to occur in the Middle East, we constantly hear of the ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine. War and death has been common place in that area of the world since 1948, when the United Nations stepped in to grant land to Israel. Land that had belonged to the Palestinians. This was done, we are told, to fulfill the promises given to Israel by God centuries before. Denominations often quote Psalm 122:6, which says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee,” as if this has any application to us today. There is nothing wrong at all in praying that Israelites repent and turn to God through the gospel. But Christians are not to uphold any person or nation that stands in rebellion against the will of God.
The context of “praying for the peace of Jerusalem” as found in the 122nd Psalm, was given to the Jews by King Hezekiah, at a time in history when the twelve tribes of Judah had become divided by Solomon’s son Rehoboam, and Solomon’s and Jeroboam one of Solomon’s servants (1 Kings 11:26-12:16). Hezekiah was king over the Southern two tribes of Judah and Simeon, while the Northern ten tribes had mostly been taken slaves by Assyria years before. Hezekiah encouraged the remnant of the Northern Tribes to come to the city of Jerusalem for Passover (2 Chronicles 30:1). They, the Jews, would prosper, who loved the city of Jerusalem where dwelt the house of God. For approximately 250 years the tribes had been divided, the majority having never grown up knowing that Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish political and religious economy.
The Northern tribes have been invited, not for the purpose of being reprimanded for their continued unwillingness to fellowship their brethren of the South, but to unite in praise to Jehovah their God once again. Praying for the peace of Jerusalem has nothing at all to do with Gentiles today prospering because we pray for its peace and protection, but everything to do with the Israelites coming back together at that period of time to lead peaceable lives in all godliness. It is impossible for anyone to pray for peace in Jerusalem in the sense Pre-millennialists seek it as Jews continually rebel against God and Christ! There was a time when the Jews ‘were’ God’s chosen, but that time passed away over 1900 years ago (Psa. 135:4; Acts 13:46).
Concerning the land God promised to give to the Israelites, sadly for them, that time has also come and gone. They received every bit of the land that God promised them as described in the book of Joshua; “And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein…” (Josh. 21:43, Emph. MD), and “….That not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you (Israel); All are come to pass unto you (Israel), and not one thing has failed thereof” (Joshua 23:14-16; 21:45, Emph. MD).
Before allowing the Israelites to possess the land God was about to grant them, He issued the Law of Blessing and Cursing:
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among the nations, whither the Lord thy God has driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey His voice according to ALL that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul….but if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. (Deut. 30:1-2, 17-18, Emph. MD).
Israel did lose their land, when taken into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity. Only a remnant returned to a smaller portion of the land God originally gave them. God never promised to return the original area of land promised to Abraham; they lost that when they refused to follow God’s law (Jer. 3:25). God’s only chosen people today are New Testament Christians, members of the church of Christ which consist of both Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:24; 2 Thess. 2:14). John warned there were many antichrists in his day (1 John 2:18), referring to the Jews, Gnostics, et al. These antichrists (Jews, Muslims, Pentecostals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Church of God, Christian Science, Nazarene fellowship, La Luz del Mundo, et al) continue to exist today. We are not to bid God’s speed to those who teach another gospel, especially to those who are antichrist (2 John 7-11). Denominationalists, like the Jews, possess a skewed materialist view of end time events.
Pre-millennial doctrine takes passages out of context in order to defend their support of Israel, as God’s chosen. However, Christians and those claiming to be, should know better! Should we “pray for the peace of Jerusalem?” Yes, we should, but not in the sense of what Psalm 122 speaks about, or what Premillennialists teach by misapplying Scripture. Instead, we should not only pray for Jerusalem and its citizens, that they find the true peace that leads to a heavenly hope, but we should be praying that men and women everywhere find that peace that passes all understanding. There will never be the type of peace men seek in this life because there is sin in the world. What we can pray for, is that Israel turns from their wicked ways, towards the only peace that God offers through His Son Jesus Christ—Remission of sins (Acts 3:26). When Jesus said He came to bring a sword, He also said that sword would bring division. A boundary line between those who choose to obey the will of God, and those who reject it. The faithful are commanded to have no fellowship with those who reject it (Eph. 5:11).
Refusing to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in the sense that they are still God’s chosen, is not being hateful or antisemitic. Instead, we should only be praying and hoping the Jews of today will open their hearts and minds to hearing the truth of God’s word and obey it so they may have the true peace God desires for all men and women. The Jewish people have always been stiff-necked (Exo. 33:3; Acts 7:51). The apostle Paul desired greatly that his Jewish brethren would one day be saved (Rom. 10:1). He said they held a zeal for God, which they still do today, however, it is not according to knowledge (Rom. 10:2); like so many denominational and non-denominational people.
As always, we encourage you to come visit us anytime and freely ask any Bible question you may have, and we will study it out together through God’s Word.
