Should I pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

Rich Gregory 

As the war in Israel ramped up over the past week, social media accounts across the Christian spectrum exploded with quotations from Psalm 122:8, which commands, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” That statement raises some critical questions: should we be praying for the peace of Jerusalem? Or even, Why do we pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

I want to answer those questions by covering 

1) What is happening in Israel, 

2) What it means, and 

3) How we should think about it as followers of Jesus Christ.

What is Happening?

These following paragraphs represent a rather grotesque oversimplification, but understanding how to think requires a basic understanding of some broad brush strokes in the geopolitical context. 

On May 14, 1948, the modern state of Israel was formed. The Jewish people – fresh off the horror of the holocaust – began returning to the land of their forefathers from a multi-millennial exile. While this return is certainly evidence of God’s sovereign providence, it is not the direct fulfilment of any particular biblical prophecy. 

Now, in the kindness of God, he may choose to use the modern state of Israel in his final plans for human history, but he is not bound to do so (Dan. 4:35). His promises are to the Jewish people, not the modern country of Israel (Ps. 105). Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, having sworn by Himself, will fulfil all His promises to the Jewish people – both Israeli and non-Israeli Jews alike (Gen. 22:16). Through what specific political entities He intends to do this – as of yet – largely unknown to us.

In the wake of modern Israel’s establishment, the land's previous inhabitants (what had been known up until that time as the British Protectorate of Palestine) were largely displaced during the turbulent decades that followed. 

Since then (and here’s where we’re skipping over quite a bit), the Palestinian and Jewish people have been largely segregated into various territorial areas within the borders of national Israel. One of those areas (established under Israeli control in the wake of the Six-Day War in 1967) is the Gaza Strip, a territory roughly the size of Canberra but home to 2.2 million Palestinian residents. If it were counted as a country (which it is not), it would be the world's third most densely populated country.

In 2005, the Israeli Defense Forces turned the governance of the Gaza Strip over to the Palestinian people. Shortly thereafter (in 2006), a radical group known as Hamas seized control of Gaza. Hamas is a terrorist organization that:

• It is primarily funded by Iran (which explains many of the potential international repercussions of this conflict)
• It is dedicated to Radical Islamic Extremism (which explains many of the similar tactics to ISIS)
• It is devoted to the destruction of Israel (which sets up an impossible situation given that they are located WITHIN Israel)

In the 17 years since their governance began, this organization has run a corrupt governmental regime that has taken advantage of the Palestinian people and stirred up violence and chaos within the Israeli people.

With that background in mind, this terrorist organization (Hamas) is responsible for initiating the recent attacks. In response, the State of Israel is now rightly seeking to defend itself through the total destruction of this organization and to wrest governmental control out of the hands of extremists. 

This action (though necessary for Israel’s security) will obviously come with significant and tragic collateral damage amongst the local Palestinian population into which Hamas has embedded itself. This will be a compounded tragedy on top of the atrocities already occurring to the Israeli population.

So… now that we understand what’s happening, we must ask the questions that many ask: “Is this the beginning of the end, and should I pack my rapture bag now or later?

What Does It Mean?

It is important to state upfront that no precursor events prophesied would allow us to “time” the beginning of the end. The church's rapture is the next event in God’s prophetic calendar (I Thess. 4:16-17). 

This is known as a belief in the “Pretribulational Rapture.” This event prophesied in the New Testament, is an event that could happen at any time and is not contingent upon any particular set of geopolitical circumstances (I Cor. 15:51-52). That’s why we talk about the rapture as being “imminent.” It can happen at any time.

This is why Christians have always had one eye on this life and the other on heaven. We are called to be people who eagerly yearn and actively look for the return of Jesus (Phil. 3:20-21; I Cor. 1:7; Titus 2:13; I Thess 1:10).

So, is this “war and rumour of a war” a sign that we’re in the End Times? Biblically speaking, Jesus was evident to his disciples in Matthew 24:5 that there would be “wars and rumours of wars…in various places.” And many might say, “See, this is precisely the proof that we need to speculate that the end times are upon us!”

But Jesus continued by saying, “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet…all these are but the beginnings of the birth pains.” 

Jesus’ point in that text is to instruct us that during the intervening time between his first and second comings, human history would be marked by constant war, devastation, and death. And indeed, in the 20 centuries that have passed since the first advent of our Lord, this has been our shared human experience. 

This new war, on top of the Ukraine war and all the other wars, is just like all the conflicts that have been gone before it and will be like those that will likely come after it (barring the immediate return of Jesus). It is evidence of humanity’s fallen foolishness and our need for the Prince of Peace to return and bring justice (Is. 9:6-7).

As you read the news at every turn, you should be reminded about the significant sickness our fallen condition has produced (Rom. 8:19-22; 2 Cor. 5:2). The great evils perpetrated by Hamas this past week are evidence that mankind is hopelessly lost. 

The death of thousands of innocent civilians that will necessarily result from the coming urban siege and invasion is a reminder that we need a ruler of whom it can be said: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you” (Ps. 89:14). 

In the meantime, it is only because of the Lord’s great love that we are not all consumed. Even in the face of evil, we must always remember that His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness! (Lam. 3:22-23).

Eschatologically speaking, we can’t know whether or not the current events in Israel are the beginning of the end. But here’s what we CAN know, and this was Jesus’ point: the events happening today in Israel are a reminder that the end is coming. And it’s towards that end that we should look and live. When Jesus shows up, He will rule with such perfection that there will be a lasting peace (Zech 9:10; Is 11:6-9).

So…when is Jesus going to return? 

And are these events a sign that He is coming now? It’s important to know that the Scriptures are silent on the sequence of events leading up to the beginning of the period that we know as “The Second Coming.” As we’ve said, the church's rapture is the next event in God’s prophetic calendar.

Once the church has been removed and the dispensation known as the church age has concluded, it’s at that point when God’s attention will return to His chosen Jewish people (this is the theological position known as Premillennial Dispensationalism). 

On that day – as was foretold by the prophets – His attention will return to the Jewish people (Ezek. 39:25-29; Zech 1:14; Dan 9:26), and through the Tribulation period, they will be preserved even through great trial (Matt 24:21-22; Rev. 7:3-4). All this will occur even as the judgment of God is being poured out upon all mankind (Rev 6-19). 

At the end of that Tribulation period, the Jewish people will turn en masse back to God, and with one voice, they look upon Jesus whom they have pierced and cry out for His salvation. As Isaiah 53 teaches us:

On that day, the Jewish people will confess their sin: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

On that day, they will look to Him for their atonement: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

On that day, they will acknowledge their need for Him: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

And in that day, they will all be saved: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”

Romans 11:23-32 recounts what that day will look like. That day, when the Prince of Peace returns to establish a reign of peace, salvation will come to the Jewish people both spiritually and politically (Rev 19:11-20:6). But that day, tragically is not today. Today, they are in the condition of spiritual blindness that has characterized them ever since they finally rejected Jesus and He hid himself from their eyes (John 12:35-43; Is 6:10).

The result is that today, lasting peace continues to allude the Jewish people. As a nation, Israel can (and must) defend their interests and security as a sovereign nation. They do deserve the support of the United States in this endeavor. Not only are they an ally, but they are also a democratic ally critical to the safeguarding of our own national interests and security. The integrity of our own American nation depends upon us standing with our commitments to their nation. To date, those commitments have been honored, as well they should be. Our own national integrity demands it.

In all likelihood, Israel will be successful in their endeavor, because the keen observer of Israeli history will note their tendency to not just get even, but to get ahead. But even though they may win for themselves a temporary armistice, they – having turned their back upon their Messiah – are yet lost in the darkness and thus can have no true peace (Jer. 6:14). That peace will only come to them on the day when their eyes are unblinded and the Lord restores their spiritual vision so that they can look with appreciation and wonder upon Him whom they have pierced.

And it’s this knowledge that leads us to a final question:

How Should We Think About This?

These events do matter:

because they remind of us what Israel needs and doesn’t have: theknowledge of their Messiah (John 12:44-50).

because they remind us of what humanity needs and doesn’t have: salvation from evil and death (Romans 6:23).

because the global and economic instability that always rushes into the wake of war reminds us that this world is not our home: we do not store up our treasure here because we live for the One King who reigns over all (Heb 13:14; Matt 6:19-21)!

This knowledge should drive how we think – and more importantly – how we pray about these current events. When Psalm 122:8 tells us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” It’s not talking about geopolitical peace. Indeed, as we’ve learned, that’s presently impossible! A permanent lasting peace cannot be forged in Jerusalem – or anywhere else for that matter – until Jesus has returned.

But even though permanent, political peace cannot be had until that day, that doesn’t mean spiritual peace can’t be had today. And that’s the message of our gospel: Jesus is the one who is our peace today with God (Eph 2:14), ruling our hearts so that we can have peace in the midst of a disordered world (Col 3:15). Because of Him, we can rest with our hearts and minds guarded in that perfect peace (Phil 4:7). This is a condition that can only be ours when our hearts and minds are staid in Him (Is 26:3). This is the gospel – and it is the only hope for the peace of Jerusalem. And this is what it truly means to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

So here’s how this should translate into your prayer life:

We should pray that the eyes of Jewish people who have been blinded to the gospel’s glory would be opened by the divine power of the Holy Spirit and that individuals would come to see Jesus as their only hope and source of peace (John 3:15-16).

We should pray that individual Palestinian people whose lives are now being threatened would abandon the Satanic falsehood known as Islam and would turn to Jesus as the only eternal King who is worthy of worship and capable of salvation (John 14:6).

We should pray for the cessation of hostility to preserve the life of innocents on both sides as blood is surely going to be shed. All those noncombatants are men and women made in the image of God, and in need of salvation from God (Gen. 1:27).

We should pray for wisdom to be divinely granted to the leadership of our nation and the nation of Israel. Who – though they have universally rejected the gospel of God – desperately need wisdom and skill to bring justice, to love mercy, and restore temporal peace in a troubled region (Prov. 21:20; I Kings 4:29; Dan. 2:21).

We should pray for one another, that we would not allow our hearts to be troubled, for the ending isn’t in doubt. Jesus has overcome this world already and it’s still catching up to that reality, so let not your hearts be troubled! (John 14:1; 16:33)

Our prayer should be one with the Apostle John when he finished writing the book of Revelation: “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus (Rev. 21:20).”