“Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” — Mission Forgotten

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We have a few brief hours to embrace an aspect of our mission that I think we’ve largely forgotten, namely, praying for the peace of Jerusalem. What does it mean to pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Jerusalem will never have peace until they recognize the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Some we can reach now, in which case they become a member of the Church. Some will not believe until it’s the last hope in a very, very dark, and painful world after the rapture of the Church. Let’s make sure that we have uttered a prayer for that nation. They are surrounded by enemies. They are facing from a human point of view, certain annihilation. You know, Henry Kissinger said in ten years there will be no nation of Israel. That’s the best joke I’ve heard in a long, long time. They will never be driven out. So how can you know? I’m asked this question all the time. How can you know? How can you know that they won’t be driven out and scattered again and things that go on for a thousand years? Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is they’re there to stay. The bad news is you don’t have another thousand years. We’d like to think that we do. But we are are at the conclusion of our short paragraph in history.

Check out Isaiah 11:11. The prophet foresaw that there would be two dispersions and two returns, and “after the second time” God will re-gather them and then will return. And, folks, it has happened! And He’s coming. Israel is not going to be driven out, but it’s going to be painful in the extreme. A third of those who survive into that time are going to believe (Zechariah 13:8).

We have a mission mandate, and that mandate is to all the nations of the world. But I do believe that there is a specific focus of that mandate and that that aspect of the mandate is with special attention to the children of Israel. Israel is a burning passion in the heart of the impossible and should be to you and me. You remember that Paul in Colossians 1:24 that it was his pleasure “to suffer on their behalf because he was filling up that which was lacking in the sufferings of Christ.” Paul saw very clearly that it was his responsibility as a member of the Body of Christ to continue what His Lord had begun, what Christ came to do. That’s what Paul was here for, and what Christ died for. That was what Paul was willing to die for and therefore to carry on Christ’s ministry. And Paul, in Romans 10:1, we see how he makes this a little bit more specific. “ Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”

You know, my friends, the Bible commands us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” comes from Psalm 122. What does it mean to pray for the peace of Jerusalem? When you and I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, there will be no peace in Jerusalem until Jerusalem and Israel receives the prince of peace. And therefore, we pray for the opening of their eyes. Have you ever thought that a prayer that you utter today could impact the soul of someone who will live in the next dispensation? A thousand years before Christ, David prayed for us in the Psalm 102. This is similar to when Paul says, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” Don’t you think, Paul, being doctrinally accurate and having the mystery of a new creation revealed to him would just say, “Who cares about them?” And “we’re done with them.” “We’ve moved on to new ground.” A thousand years before Christ came, there was someone praying for you.

David, by the way, often praise as an expression of the trials of Messiah when He would come. I like the way Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it. He said, “When you read the prayers of David, you are reading the prayers of Messiah, because the prayers that David prayed, Messiah prayed when he was here.” Interesting thought, isn’t it? Psalm 102 is picturing the whole history of the nation of Israel, which is summarized in brief in Revelation Chapter 12, which tells us that “the woman will conceive and bear a child,” and because of that child that she brings, she “will be driven into the wilderness.” The hatred against the nation of Israel that existed in David’s day and the hatred that existed against Israel in the time of Nazi Germany, and that exists today comes from the same source. It’s satanic in origin because Satan still knows that God’s plan for those people is not done. And so Satan stalks to the woman who is in travail. Psalm 102 says in part, “But you all Lord shall endure forever, And the remembrance of your name to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion for the time to savor her. Yes, the time that was set has come.” What time is he talking about? Jesus Christ’s Second Advent, right? The Psalmist continues, “Your glory for the Lord shall build up Zion. He shall appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the afflicted. He will not despise their prayer.” Did you get the message that he just said this that is promised is going to happen? “He will not despise their prayer.”

Now, get this, because here is the kicker in Psalm 102:18, “This will be written for a generation to come. There are people yet to be created, may praise the Lord.” Do you see the church there? He’s not just talking about the next generation of Jews. He’s not just talking about another generation. He’s talking about a new people. Generation is often used for race that are race yet to come of people yet to be created. I believe that David here anticipated, and maybe because of something He saw in the writing of Moses, Moses knew there was more to be revealed, but he knew that it was not for the children of Israel, it was for someone else. David knew that the things he wrote would be an encouragement and a strength to a people who did not yet exist. He didn’t know who they were. He didn’t know what they would be called. The idea of church never entered his mind. The concept of being in Christ was beyond his ability to comprehend. Although I would say that of all the prophets of the Old Testament, no one came as close to church age truth as did David in the Psalms. The Psalms are timeless and express the prayers of Christ. I would even be willing to bet that the Lord Jesus Christ had the entire Psalms memorized and uttered each of them at their proper place throughout the time of his pilgrimage on this earth may be continues to pray them. Who knows? He intercedes in our behalf. If David had a concern for a people that would not yet be created, how much concern can you and I have for a people who preceded us?

If the last are going to be first, how great will they be? Paul asked the question in Romans 11 If their casting off is the salvation of the world, what will their reception be but a resurrection from the dead? It’s going to be something amazing. Pray for the opening of their eyes. Our nation is no longer a friend to Israel as we have been. But somewhere there has to be a people that will not only pray for that nation and speak out for that nation, but if necessary, shelter that nation. Those Christians who fought in the resistance for the sake of the Jewish people, they did what the church is supposed to do. And through their dedication and devotion, many, many people of the Jewish nation have come to Christ. Many people will yet come to Christ. How many will come to Christ because you played your part?

Let’s pray that you and I can play the part through our prayers. Stand up for them, be their advocate, be their defender, and above all, be their intercessor. It will make a difference. The priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. See the previous video “I will bless those who bless you – Mission Forgotten” for more detail.

Gene Cunningham - September 8, 2022

Where's the Bride?

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We have shown in previous videos, that when Jesus talks about throwing people into “the outer darkness,” He’s making a contrast between the fate of those without faith versus verses those with faith. This video examines Matthew 22:1-14, the Parable of the Wedding Feast. Who’s the King? Who’s the son? Why is the bride missing? Who are those that eventually come to the feast? In Matthew 22:1, Jesus is still talking to the chief priests and scribes and Pharisees, from Chapter 21. Were these guys, believers, or unbelievers? Unbelievers. He starts His parable, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son. Who is the king? It's God, the Father. Who is the Son? Jesus Christ? Who is the bride? The church. The bride but isn’t even mentioned here, because the bride isn't around yet. Matthew 22:3 continues, “He set out his servants to call those who were invited,” Another way of translating the word “invited” is “called.” They were called. "... they were not willing to come.” This sounds like Matthew 23:37, where Jesus says in part, “How often I would have gathered you together, …but you were not willing.” The king is very patient. It says, “Again, he sent out other servants saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen, my fatted cattle are killed and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” The word “dinner” here means “breakfast” or “brunch.” This is important. This is not the wedding feast yet. Why not? The bride hasn't showed up. In the ancient world, the bride groom would only come and get the bride only when everything was ready (to include the feast). The anxious bride would run to meet the bridegroom with her trousseau or her hope chest. They would go to the place prepared, to the wedding feast. Meanwhile, the guests are showing up through the day and taken in and there was food for you. Jesus continues with the parable, “But they made light of it and they went their ways, one to his farm and another to his business. The rest seized his servants and treated them spitefully and killed them.” Matthew 22:7 says, “When the king heard about it, he was furious. He sent out his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.” What happened to Jerusalem? God sent an army to destroy the city. Verse eight continues, “Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.” Note, the Centurion from Chapter 8, because of his unworthiness, turns to faith, and the others don't. In the parable, the king says, “They were not worthy, therefore go into the highways.” This means the side roads, the gravel paths. “…as many as you find invite to the wedding.” These are not the normal guests that you would pick. Jesus uses this analogy because, in the mind of the Jewish people, the Gentiles, as one rabbi said, “are fit only to ignite the flames of hell.” Jesus pictures a people who are blind, crippled, and deaf to shock his audience. The parable says, “The servants went out on the highways, and they gathered together, all whom they found both bad and good.” This is bad and good in human estimation not God’s. God knows that all of us are bad and that there's only one thing that makes us good. And that's Christ. “The wedding hall was filled with guests.” Is the guest and the bride the same thing? Some preach this that way. Here's the controversy. “When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who didn't have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” According to the custom of the day, it was the king's responsibility to provide the guests with a wedding garment. What does the wedding garment picture? Imputed righteousness. We'll explain in the next video. It says, “The man was speechless. So the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” Here, “the outer darkness, the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” refers to the same thing as with the four other Matthew passages. Matthew 24:14 ends the parable, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Who are “called?” All. Who are chosen? Only those who respond to the call. When God the Father chose Christ the Son to go to the cross for sinful man; He automatically chose all who would be in Christ (Ephesians 1:4). All who would believe.