Question: Should we pray to God for a national revival?

Question: You once stated that “…‘my people’ refers to Israel, not to the church; and ‘I will heal their land’ refers to the promised land of Israel, not to the United States.” If Christians are not God’s people, then who are they? What about Nineveh? Do you not believe that God might heal our nation just as He did Nineveh? I understand that God will not answer prayers addressed to other gods, but is it in vain to pray to Him for a national revival? 

You also said that “Christians are ‘not of this world’ but have been called ‘out of this world’ to be in it but not of it.” If Christians and Israelites are two distinctive people in God’s eyes, and if Christians have been called out of this world, then to where are the Israelites called? Are they destined to stay on earth during the Millennium, while Christians are not? I am confused. Would you please clarify these issues for me?

Response: That Christians are distinct not only from Jews (“Israelites,” as you call them) but also from Gentiles (i.e., from all non-Christians) is clear: “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Corinthians:10:32Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
See All...). The gospel is both to Jews and Gentiles; and when either believes, he or she becomes a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians:5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
See All...; Ephesians:2:8-10 [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
See All...) and a new member of His body, the church (Ephesians:2:19-22 [19] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; [20] And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; [21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: [22] In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
See All...; 5:30, etc.). Nor am I the one who said Christians are “not of this world” but have been called “out of this world.” Christ said that: “Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John:15:19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
See All...). Of His followers, Christ said in prayer to His Father: “…these are in the world…. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John:17:11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
See All..., 15-16).

I don’t say it is vain to pray to God for national revival or to heal our nation. I have often prayed for that myself, and it should be the heart’s desire of every Christian in this country. I only say that there is no biblical promise that such a prayer will be answered, as there is for Israel in 2 Chronicles:7:14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
See All.... Prayers for America legitimately express our longing for God’s blessing and salvation to come upon all mankind. We are, however, to pray with understanding.

Thus, when we pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we realize that will never happen until Christ returns and reigns. Yes, Christians are “God’s people”—not His earthly but His heavenly people. The church has no land; it is the Jews to whom God gave a specific land. God never gave America to the American Christians or Germany to German Christians. Therefore I cannot properly apply God’s promise (that when His people cry to Him He will “heal their land”) to anyone but the Jews, His people, and to the land of Israel, which He promised to them.

To inherit the kingdom eternally on earth, Jews must have the same faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that those patriarchs had. In my opinion—and many Bible scholars disagree—everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who believes in Christ both before and after the Rapture, but before the Second Coming, will be in the church. Jews who have rejected Him but who at His Second Coming “look upon” Him and believe in Him when He descends from heaven to rescue them at the Battle of Armageddon (Zechariah:12:10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
See All...)—like Gentiles who believe at that time as well—will continue into the Millennial Kingdom to experience Christ’s earthly reign on David’s throne.

Jews, of course, will be gathered by angels “from the four winds” on earth to Israel (Matthew:24:30-31 [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
See All...). They are destined to dwell upon the earth in the Millennium and in the new heavens and new earth. The prophets promised this blessing to Israel (Isaiah 62; 65:17-25; Jeremiah:30:8-11 [8] For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: [9] But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. [10] Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. [11] For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.
See All...; 31:1-12, 27-40; Ezekiel:34:11-31 [11] For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. [12] As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. [13] And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. [14] I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. [15] I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. [16] I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. [17] And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. [18] Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? [19] And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. [20] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. [21] Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; [22] Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. [23] And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. [24] And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. [25] And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. [26] And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. [27] And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. [28] And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. [29] And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. [30] Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. [31] And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.
See All...; 36:8-15, 22-38; 37:21-28; 39:21-29; Zechariah:12:10-14 [10] And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. [11] In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. [12] And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; [13] The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; [14] All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
See All...:21, etc., etc.). All of Israel will believe in Christ when He appears to rescue her in the midst of Armageddon. There will not be an unbelieving Jew left upon the earth, as the verses just referred to declare and so do many others, such as Matthew:24:13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
See All..., Romans:11:26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
See All..., etc.

Christ’s bride, the church, will be united with Him eternally. She will always be at His side and will comprise people from all nations, including Jews. All will be made one in Him to rule and reign, both during the Millennium and throughout eternity (Matthew:19:28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
See All...; Luke:19:12-19 [12] He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. [13] And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. [14] But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. [15] And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. [16] Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. [17] And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. [18] And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. [19] And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
See All...; 22:30; Revelation:20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
See All..., etc.).