Psalm 122:6 fairy commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. This often-battered city, now in the hands of the Israelis, is a focal point for international intrigue.

One must ask himself why this is so, but at Prophecy Matters, we teach that Jerusalem is a burr under the saddle of all nations for only one reason: God decided it would be so.

Jerusalem is mentioned very early in Scripture, as the king of Salem came out to meet Abraham.

If you visit Israel today, you will hear Jews and Arabs alike say “Shalom!” It is a city that will one day know eternal peace, but to this point it has been a focus of conflict.

Many Bible prophecy teachers—myself included—are criticized for holding-up the Jews as God’s Chosen People. This is scriptural, by the way.

Yet we also know that the Creator loves all people, and this is obvious with a reading of the entire Bible. It is one of His precious themes, and provides the basis for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

God’s plan from before the creation of the world is to provide a means of redemption for mankind, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ sufficed. Now, as we hurtle toward a consummation of history that is unpleasant, we must hold fast to the fact that in the end, while the Jews will be preserved, their Lord will be our Lord, as well.

On my first trip to Israel, I had the pleasure of seeing beautiful Palestinian children play in parks and walk to school. As a fierce supporter of Israel, I can also be confident that God’s love is inclusive and available to all, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Let us remember that as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem (I daily remember my many friends there), that prayer must rightly include all its inhabitants.

We will one day witness the eternal peace that the Lord has set aside for the Holy City. It will be a place where people from all nations will come up to God’s holy mountain to worship.

What a day that will be!