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Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
In Psalm 122:6, we find the instruction to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem."
The practicality of praying for peace in association with Jerusalem may be rightfully questioned in light of clear Bible prophecy, which indicates the continuous degradation of peace within the city and the nation Israel until the eventual establishment of the Millennial Kingdom (1,000 year reign) of Christ upon earth. Why would God encourage a fruitless prayer?
The issue becomes clear when considering Matthew 6:10, one facet of the prayer given to His disciples as an example-prayer, which is usually called the "Lord’s Prayer."
The Interlinear Bible (Hebrew, Greek, and English) by J. P. Green, Sr. of Sovereign Grace Publishers, reveals that a literal (more accurate) translation of this verse, based on the form (tense) of the Hebrew word eltho (to come), should read:
Christ would have us pray for the establishment of His (millennial) kingdom upon earth, which is analogous to praying: ". . . Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20);" or, as Christ framed it, "Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done, as (it is) in Heaven, also on the earth." To put it another way, to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" is the equivalent of "praying for the soon return of Jesus Christ to earth to set up His kingdom, which will result in a peaceful rule on earth for 1,000 years. When, as Christians, we pray for the "peace of Jerusalem," we should understand that we are asking our Father for (and looking forward to) the soon return of our Lord and Savior back to earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom—because that is the time that Jerusalem will next experience peace.
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