Jerusalem and the Rock of Ages

Zechariah 12: 3, the above verse, is unfolding now, yet many churches aren’t even praying for the peace of Jerusalem as the Bible commands in Psalm 122: 6.

Shame on the churches for dereliction of duty in preaching the whole counsel of God!

Many in the churches behave as if the war in Israel has nothing to do with the Church because, they say, it’s not a church issue.

But it is!

Fighting against Israel means fighting against our God—the God of Israel—and his Messiah who is forever Jewish. (Psalm 2; Revelation 5: 5)

The LORD says in Malachi 3: 6, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

The New Testament teaches that the Church is to be involved with Israel intimately.

Jesus, the Rock of Ages, calls the immovable rock of Jerusalem “the City of the Great King” in Matthew 5: 35.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 11: 13-18,

“I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. For if their [temporary] rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches. Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”

Furthermore, Romans 15: 27 states,

“For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” Why? Through faith in Christ, many former Gentiles have now received a permanent place in God's family, something once available only to God's chosen people the Jews.

It’s been estimated that 31% of the Bible is said to be about God revealing future events. Our Heavenly Father wants His children to know what the future holds!

Bible prophecy has been given to us to help to authenticate the Word of God.

The Bible centers around the nation of Israel, yet only about a quarter of American Christians say the Bible influences their views on Israel.

According to an article published at Harbingers Daily, Lifeway Research, in collaboration with The Philos Project, conducted a survey asking 1,252 American Christians for their views on the Israel-Hamas war. Respondents were asked what has "influenced" their views about Israel and only about 27% of Christians selected the Bible. A much higher share of Protestants (32%) and non-denominational Christians (37%) pointed to the Bible as an influence on their views about Israel than Catholics (16%).

Meanwhile, anti-Zionism is the new post-Holocaust form of Jew-hatred. Since the horrifying October 7 massacre, a new level of antisemitism has been sweeping the nations. As a result, Israel is experiencing the most severe mental trauma wave since its founding, according to psychiatry experts. The mental health system is already inundated with unresolved requests for help. About 30% of the population may develop post-trauma disorders in the next few months, according to an article in The Jerusalem Post.

Psychiatry experts predict that one in three persons in Israel who have been affected directly or indirectly by the war might develop post-trauma disorders in the coming months. These persons include families and friends of the kidnapped, injured victims, or those who have lost loved ones. One distress hotline reported that it is already dealing with over 100,000 calls, unprecedented since that hotline's inception.

Every church should be praying for Israel at this time, especially since the Gospel baton is about to be handed back to Israel after the Rapture of the Church. God is not finished with Israel! Her redemption is drawing nigh and will be completed during the future period known as the Great Tribulation.

Chart courtesy of Phil Davies from his new book, The Rapture of the Church

Believers are duty-bound to pray for Israel at this critical time. Isaiah 62: 6 declares, "On your walls, Jerusalem, I have APPOINTED watchmen. All day and all night they will never keep silent.”

In John 15: 16 Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. I APPOINTED you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”

So watchmen are APPOINTED by God on the walls of Jerusalem and we are APPOINTED by the Saviour to bear fruit as his watchmen.

Presently Israelis are praying, striving to increase their good deeds according to their understanding of the rabbis’ teachings. They’re trying to fulfil more of God’s commandments in order to bring on the Messiah. They’re asking…..”God, what else do You want from us?”

The answer is in Zechariah 12 : 10 onward. He’s waiting for the national mourning over the One who was pierced:

Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the …the land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, …and all the remaining clans and their wives . . . .

The answer is also found in Hosea 6: 1-2, which I believe is shortly coming to pass:

Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will [a]bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.

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