This past week faithful prayer warriors from around the globe joined together to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (among other things).  Psalm 122 clearly exhorts us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, yet prophetic passages throughout the Bible tell us that there will be anything but peace in the last days.  So, is God leading us on some sort of wild goose chase, and are believers “off their rockers” to pray for something that seems ridiculously impossible?  Is this some cruel hoax perpetrated by a tyrannical God?

These are questions of a skeptical world, but I actually believe they are legitimate!  Without clear understanding, this seems to be a contradiction in Scripture that skeptics love to use as “proof” that the Bible is in error and cannot be trusted.  But, let’s dispel the confusion and provide solid evidence that the Bible is, indeed, the inerrant Word of God and can be trusted.

We will begin our study in Luke 12:51-56, where Jesus Himself makes a very poignant statement:  “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth?  I tell you, no, but rather division…”  He then goes on to indicate that houses will be divided as even family members will oppose one another.  Aha…so not only is peace not possible, but Jesus Himself brought division!

Not so fast, my friend!  Don’t jump to conclusions!

Jesus was speaking to a group of Pharisees (experts in Old Testament Scripture), and Luke 11 tells us that there was a huge crowd.  He was hitting upon something that every good Jew would know.  They were very familiar with Old Testament passages such as Isaiah 9:6, where the Messiah to be born would be (among other things) the Prince of Peace.  The Jews were looking for a peaceful Messiah…and Jesus wasn’t measuring up!  You see, division would come as a result of not recognizing the Messiah.  He came and was, in fact, standing before them, but they knew Him not as Messiah because He didn’t fit their mold!  Furthermore, He went on to rebuke the Pharisees in verses 54-56 (of Luke 12), stating that, though they were adept at analyzing the appearance of the earth and sky to forecast weather, they were ignorant of analyzing the present time.  In other words, they didn’t recognize the Messiah who stood right in front of them!

You see, when man’s inferior, fallible mind becomes the standard by which we define the Messiah, there is division!  Not because God is wrong, but because man has relied upon his own reason to determine what is true!  We cannot rely upon our own minds to analyze the season, we must rely upon the infinite, perfect and holy Word of God which is clearly before us!

Jesus’s first coming was not as a victorious warrior who would bring peace to all the earth, but as a humble Savior who would bring salvation to all who recognize and receive Him!  The prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 will be fully fulfilled at Jesus’s Second Coming when, indeed, He will reign victorious and bring everlasting peace upon the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells! (2 Peter 3:13)

But this is only half of the answer to our question: “Will there ever be peace for Israel and her neighbors?”   Come back tomorrow when we look at three different kinds of peace, and whether or not Israel may partake of those!

Blessings, friends!