There has been major resistance to get this message published. I believe the war I have sensed to prevent me putting this down is just indicative of what the enemy would like to do, which is deceive believers in a contextual Biblical view of what is going on for Jerusalem and Israel as a nation. Then there is the spiritual implications of the acceleration of what is going on, spreading around the world dividing opinions, dividing emotions, revolt and the horrors of the way the conflict currently enveloping that whole region. I started to pray about the current conflict in the context of our series, regarding “what must take place” of Revelation 1:1. The Lord gave me a clear demarcation between a classic and traditional view taken by the Church in these times. Yet in seeing this clearly I have come through a week of intense warfare like I have never seen. It surely was reminiscent of Daniel 10. It seems what I was seeing and discerning was coming from the heavenly realms, and the enemy sent all armies to prevent me from publishing. Yet today in obedience I will attempt to complete this task.

The problem resides with the Psalm so often quoted in times of conflict in Jerusalem.

⁶  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

They shall prosper that love thee.

 The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 122:6). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Psalm 122:6 is the verse very often quoted. The Lord this week took hold of me and told me it is quoted and applied out of its context, both historically and Biblically. We are going to examine what this verse really speaks to, and what our attitude should be in the context of end times issues.

Jerusalem is set in history as being a city of conflict of resisting and killing the prophets, of captivity, of destruction and of trembling.

The city is a city of heartbreak for all of us, knowing its history, knowing the displacement, divisions, and our hearts grieve at these things.

The command in the verse is to pray for peace for Jerusalem, but we must know how to pray for Jerusalem effectively. In no time do I have a insensitive heart to the suffering all residents of cities around that region, however for me to pray with God’s heart we must know what the Psalm commands, how it commands, and what it points to.

When Jesus went up to Jerusalem in Luke 19, paints the picture of how Jesus saw Jerusalem:

⁴¹ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, ⁴² Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ⁴⁴ And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

 The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 19:41–44). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

This is the description of many emotions, truths Jesus spoke over Jerusalem. His first emotion is to weep over Jerusalem, the city, its residents. It should be our emotion and is our emotion too. Then look at this statement “The things which belong unto your peace” this is reminiscent of Psalm 122:6, this is a covenant with Jerusalem to extend His Shalom, but unfortunately they are hid. There are purposes in Jerusalem that are still hid, because what Jesus saw was 40 years down the road, when Titus would come and destroy the city. It is rumoured that the only house standing was the Upper Room that was still a church and a relief centre. What has made God’s purposes be hid? The politicisation and hatred surrounding the refounding of the State of Israel. The injustices surrounding the restoration to those who were residents and were taken from their homes. All these things makes us not see God’s purposes, and they are hid to us, due to what is in our hearts. We seek for peace, we pray for peace without knowing what that looks like.

If we look down history to the present day we see conflict and controversy, and the prophets spoke into this too. They saw days of great global warfare and trembling because of Jerusalem. The most recent controversy is the partitioning of the city in 1967, which waves still are felt from that conflict.

Just as Jerusalem shall be the centre of controversy and conflict so God will unveil what is hidden in the revealing of His eternal Kingdom

Jerusalem is the place where God will break the antichrist in the city and the temple, and establish the reign of Christ

We know from end times scriptures that Jerusalem will be the place where a global conflict will take place. Yet it is precisely here that God will confront the world antichrist system and the man of perdition himself. The 4th Temple: 1st Solomon 2nd Zerrubabel’s temple 3rd: Herod’s temple, shall be constructed and it will not be for the Messiah but his anti Messiah, the man of perdition who shall unveil the greatest deception, that which they recognise as their political Messiah shall be a imposter and traitor. From this betrayal so the true Messiah be revealed, Zechariah 12, and Revelation 1. Once He is revealed so a river shall be opened in her midst and peace shall come. Jerusalem is one of the few if the only Capital city without a river, all the major capitals of the world have a river. God shall be its river. Just as the 2 disciples of Luke 24 understood the hard road with Jesus’ death set in Scripture, fulfilled to the letter, so the people of Jerusalem, of the houses of David, Levi and Nathan shall understand the purposes of God, so that which was hidden will be unveiled.

So praying for the peace of Jerusalem is a prophetic and eternal prayer which must come out of controversy and conflict to bring her to her true Messiah and His Kingdom from the New Jerusalem

Therefore as we pray this we are echoing the prayer Jesus taught us: Let Your Kingdom Come!

Once Psalm 122:6 is set in its true context we embrace God’s purpose with open eyes. It makes far more sense in the sense that it embraces God’s eternal programme in which what comes out of heartbreak, displacement comes a new reality.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Re 21:4). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

This is what God will do with Jerusalem and the world as a result. This is the fulness of Psalm 122:6 when we pray the peace of God upon Jerusalem, we are prophesying toward this reality from Revelation 21:4.

When I wrote “12 Foundations of New Jerusalem” I saw the end times with new eyes. I encourage you to order a hard copy. Go to “Store” page in the navigation banner above.

So I encourage you to pray for Jerusalem, but now as you pray you will understand what your prayer is praying toward. In this way you embrace the beauty of what is to come, whilst we may pass through pain, heartbreak on the way we will meet the Messiah who will open a river.

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: ⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. ⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

 The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Re 22). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

What a beautiful vision of those eternal times. This river is healing, there is light where once reigned darkness. When His face hidden by our imperfection and sin is now made bear for all to see. And His Name is in our forehead, because He marked us in times of darkness when we held to the light of faith, when we held onto His Word in the midst of secularism, held onto His Love when the world came to hate.

Let us all pray for the peace of Jerusalem, because in Her peace is our eternal estate!

Shalom!