Question from a Site Viewer
I was raised Catholic with 12 years of their thoughts and ideas. I am confused. I know Jesus was born to die for our sin and the next time we will see him is when the tribulation starts. What do the Jews believe? They are still waiting for the Messiah but who do they think Jesus was and why do they think he died on the cross?
I read so many books now that say we must be prepared for the tribulation so that we are not left behind. In your opinion, what must we do?
Is there a site to go to for praying for Israel?
Thank you for your time and inspired answers.
Tim’s Answer
Thank you for your questions. You ask: What do the Jews believe about Jesus? The Jews do not all agree on who Jesus is anymore than do the Gentiles. Some accept Him to be the Messiah and worship Him. Some see Him as an ordinary Jewish man who did good things, was killed by the Romans, and the Christians thereafter invented myths about Christ being the Messiah. Some see Him as a trouble-maker. Some Jews are agnostic, simply not taking a stance on who Jesus is. Some Jews are atheists, who believe there is no God and no Messiah. For those who practice the Jewish faith, most would see Jesus as an ordinary Jewish man who was killed by the Romans because of His teachings. They would not accept the four gospels or the other New Testament writings as representing the teachings of Christ, nor would they accept that Jesus died for them or for us.
As for the tribulation, there are many books in circulation that state that we must prepare ourselves to go through the tribulation. While I believe that many of God’s people have suffered, are suffering, and will suffer, I do not find Scripture to teach that we will go through the tribulation. You can look at our article on the tribulation to see some of the reasons why we do not believe that believers will go through the tribulation. We believe that there will be those who are saved during the tribulation who will need to endure, but we find the Bible teaching that God has not appointed us for that time of God’s wrath on the earth.
Nevertheless, in direct answer to your question, what we should do is focus our lives on pleasing Christ. We should worship God, pray, meditate on His word, love one another, and do good deeds. If we do these things, we will be well-prepared for any trial we may need to endure. We should not be afraid, withdraw, prepare hoards of food, build a safe house, or do many of the things I have seen some urge. This is not the way Jesus lived or taught us to live. Read Matthew 6 for some good teaching on how we are to live.
As for a site that has prayers for Israel, I am not aware of such a site. But I believe that we do not need such a site to pray for Israel. God listens to our hearts. If we beseech God to bless and protect Israel and to draw its people into the saving knowledge of Jesus, we will be doing well. If we pray for peace for Israel and for its neighbors, we will be praying rightly. If we pray for wisdom for Israel’s leaders and the nations around Israel, we will be praying rightly. All of this we can do without any formal written prayer. We can simply ask God.
May the Lord Jesus and His Spirit lead you as you seek to serve Him,
A fellow pilgrim,
