Q. How much should Christians be involved in political, human activism?

A. Jesus told us that we are the salt of the earth and, therefore, a degree of involvement is proper. We are not wise to drown in the political structure, but work for the preservation of our spiritual opportunity. We cannot, and will not, save the world, but we can press governments to continually allow the preaching of the Gospel. The Bible often warns rulers of this world concerning their morality and activities. We should be the custodians of that warning.

Q. How much of the Tribulation will Christians see?

A. We will see all of it, but not on a horizontal level. We will view the activities of earth from the vantage point of heaven. This is because, before the Tribulation, the Church will have been taken via The Rapture into the glories of heaven. Yes, the Church will be delivered from the Tribulation by the wonderful event of the pretribulation Rapture.

Q. Since there will be no lasting peace in Israel until the return of Jesus Christ, why are we to pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

A. The command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem comes from among the Psalms: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love you” (Ps. 122:6). There are several reasons for praying for the peace of Jerusalem, other than the obvious one, that the Bible commands us to. First, we must keep in mind the latter part of that verse: “they shall prosper that love you.” This goes hand-in-hand with God’s promise to Abraham: “And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

God loves the people of Israel, Jerusalem is the apple of His eye, and it goes far better for those who support Israel than for those who, like her Arab neighbors, would like Israel pushed into the sea. Although it is true that there will be wars in that part of the world until Christ returns, we should pray that at least the periods of peace, which do occur, might be extended and that warfare would be limited.

Israel was warned in the Old Testament to make no treaties with her neighbors (Exodus 23:32-33); (Deuteronomy 7:2-3). These warnings have never been rescinded, but unfortunately they have been ignored. In the future, Israel will make a near-fatal mistake when she makes a seven-year treaty with the Antichrist, who breaks that treaty in the middle of the Tribulation period (Dan. 9:26-27).

Finally, a prayer for the continual peace of Jerusalem is in reality a prayer for the Triumphant Return of Christ.