Peace
Got a great question from a friend I really respect. I think this is helpful to more people, so I'll post it here:
Question: Tom, I've appreciated your posts, but I guess the 1 thing that I'm struggling with is this: Why WOULDN'T leaders try to 'make peace'? I understand that ultimately Israel won't have peace until the Lord's return, but why shouldn't they try a 'peace plan' if they can? If I knew 2 non-believers who were fighting and I could help them work it out, I would do it--even if they didn't come to Christ first. I'm interested in real 'dialogue' about this. Is it just any 'peace plan' in general (as past Presidents have tried), or is it THIS one at THIS time that concerns you?
My answer: It's a good question. The answer is that the Bible lays out a REALLY clear narrative of how this happens. Politicians continually try to make peace by negotiation. That is Gentile power that God will judge.
The problem is the CHURCH backing a peace plan...any peace plan...for Israel that is contrary to the narrative in the Bible.
This is the first time that has ever happened. It's a big deal. God retains the prerogative of bringing Israel to repentance. His plan to bring her to repentance is laid out clearly as letting her have indignation and trouble until she relents and repents.
The church trying to physically thwart that plan is antichrist. We are supposed to be involved, by praying that she would repent, that He would protect, that we would agree from the inside out by letting Him be our protector as well (our own repentance is integral to this plan).
Jesus went to the cross to be the salvation of Israel. Any other savior, human or otherwise is an abomination to Him. He won't share His glory with any other.
It is HIS glory to rescue Israel and give her peace. There is only ONE thing that makes for her peace. It isn't a choose your own adventure, and it isn't some neutral piece of ground...it's His throne...the City of the Great King.
Jesus has a very specific way to bring peace to Jerusalem:
Luke 19:41-44 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, (42) saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (43) For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, (44) and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
What she must get until she accepts Him is desolation:
Matthew 23:37-39 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (38) See! Your house is left to you desolate; (39) for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' "
He will literally not return until she invites Him to be Messiah. We are supposed to want Israel saved and for Him to return...both. Giving her a negotiated peace any other way is a. ineffective, and b. contrary to his return.
He wants them to MOURN, not celebrate:
This is the only set of events that will precede His return. We are seeing them unfold, yet the shepherds have no clue. They can't understand, and the people following them will follow them into rebellion and judgment:
Zechariah 12:1-14 The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: (2) "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. (3) And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (4) In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. (5) And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.' (6) In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. (7) "The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. (8) In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. (9) It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. (11) In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. (12) And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; (13) the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; (14) all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Those who WAIT on the Lord are unashamed. Those who try to take Jesus' place and do what only he can, and PAID to do, are antichrist.
The gentile rulers aren't supposed to know this. The church is. The church has taught this for centuries. We live in a very strange moment of time where the church relies on logic more than the word.
Think of it like this:
You have a son who is unsaved and in rebellion. You have prayed and the Lord has assured you that when he comes to the end of himself, he will turn to the Lord and be saved, but your wife keeps bailing him out and talking his way out of trouble for him so he never repents. Is that good?
If the Lord already told you for sure how he will be saved, you would tell your wife to stop interfering in the process and to pray for him to come to the end of himself.
That is LITERALLY what the Bible says must happen
There are several passages that call the church to pray day and night for the redemption of Israel in a very specific way. Here are a couple:
Isaiah 52:5-10 Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail," says the LORD, "And My name is blasphemed continually every day. (6) Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' " (7) How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (8) Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion. (9) Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. (10) The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.
Isaiah 62:1-7 For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. (2) The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name. (3) You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. (4) You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married. (5) For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. (6) I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, (7) And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
So, we pray for the things God will do, and we do the things he tells us. The only thing he tells us...and he tells us a lot...with regard to Israel is to preach Jesus and pray. The idea is if we live by the flesh, we are at war with the Spirit. The salvation of Israel is what the Spirit is leading in to. Comfort for Israel as she is is what the flesh wants.
Question: Tom, I've appreciated your posts, but I guess the 1 thing that I'm struggling with is this: Why WOULDN'T leaders try to 'make peace'? I understand that ultimately Israel won't have peace until the Lord's return, but why shouldn't they try a 'peace plan' if they can? If I knew 2 non-believers who were fighting and I could help them work it out, I would do it--even if they didn't come to Christ first. I'm interested in real 'dialogue' about this. Is it just any 'peace plan' in general (as past Presidents have tried), or is it THIS one at THIS time that concerns you?
My answer: It's a good question. The answer is that the Bible lays out a REALLY clear narrative of how this happens. Politicians continually try to make peace by negotiation. That is Gentile power that God will judge.
The problem is the CHURCH backing a peace plan...any peace plan...for Israel that is contrary to the narrative in the Bible.
This is the first time that has ever happened. It's a big deal. God retains the prerogative of bringing Israel to repentance. His plan to bring her to repentance is laid out clearly as letting her have indignation and trouble until she relents and repents.
The church trying to physically thwart that plan is antichrist. We are supposed to be involved, by praying that she would repent, that He would protect, that we would agree from the inside out by letting Him be our protector as well (our own repentance is integral to this plan).
Jesus went to the cross to be the salvation of Israel. Any other savior, human or otherwise is an abomination to Him. He won't share His glory with any other.
It is HIS glory to rescue Israel and give her peace. There is only ONE thing that makes for her peace. It isn't a choose your own adventure, and it isn't some neutral piece of ground...it's His throne...the City of the Great King.
Jesus has a very specific way to bring peace to Jerusalem:
Luke 19:41-44 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, (42) saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (43) For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, (44) and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
What she must get until she accepts Him is desolation:
Matthew 23:37-39 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (38) See! Your house is left to you desolate; (39) for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' "
He will literally not return until she invites Him to be Messiah. We are supposed to want Israel saved and for Him to return...both. Giving her a negotiated peace any other way is a. ineffective, and b. contrary to his return.
He wants them to MOURN, not celebrate:
This is the only set of events that will precede His return. We are seeing them unfold, yet the shepherds have no clue. They can't understand, and the people following them will follow them into rebellion and judgment:
Zechariah 12:1-14 The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: (2) "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. (3) And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (4) In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. (5) And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.' (6) In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. (7) "The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. (8) In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. (9) It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. (11) In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. (12) And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; (13) the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; (14) all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Those who WAIT on the Lord are unashamed. Those who try to take Jesus' place and do what only he can, and PAID to do, are antichrist.
The gentile rulers aren't supposed to know this. The church is. The church has taught this for centuries. We live in a very strange moment of time where the church relies on logic more than the word.
Think of it like this:
You have a son who is unsaved and in rebellion. You have prayed and the Lord has assured you that when he comes to the end of himself, he will turn to the Lord and be saved, but your wife keeps bailing him out and talking his way out of trouble for him so he never repents. Is that good?
If the Lord already told you for sure how he will be saved, you would tell your wife to stop interfering in the process and to pray for him to come to the end of himself.
That is LITERALLY what the Bible says must happen
There are several passages that call the church to pray day and night for the redemption of Israel in a very specific way. Here are a couple:
Isaiah 52:5-10 Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail," says the LORD, "And My name is blasphemed continually every day. (6) Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' " (7) How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (8) Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion. (9) Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. (10) The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.
Isaiah 62:1-7 For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. (2) The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name. (3) You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. (4) You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married. (5) For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. (6) I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, (7) And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
So, we pray for the things God will do, and we do the things he tells us. The only thing he tells us...and he tells us a lot...with regard to Israel is to preach Jesus and pray. The idea is if we live by the flesh, we are at war with the Spirit. The salvation of Israel is what the Spirit is leading in to. Comfort for Israel as she is is what the flesh wants.
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