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Forecast of the World’s Destiny
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judgments upon Jerusalem, their minds reverted to that coming, and
they asked: “When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign
of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Matthew 24:3
.
Christ presented before them an outline of prominent events
before the close of time. The prophecy He uttered was twofold in
its meaning. While foreshadowing the destruction of Jerusalem, it
prefigured also the terrors of the last great day.
Judgments were to fall upon Israel for their rejection and cruci-
fixion of the Messiah. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy
place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be
in Judea flee into the mountains.”
Matthew 24:15, 16
.
[21]
See also
Luke 21:20, 21
. When the idolatrous standards of the
Romans should be set up in the holy ground outside the city walls,
then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight. Those who
would escape must make no delay. Because of her sins, wrath had
been denounced against Jerusalem. Her stubborn unbelief rendered
her doom certain. See
Micah 3:9-11
.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem accused Christ of being the cause
of all the troubles which had come upon them in consequence of
their sins. Though they knew Him to be sinless, they declared His
death necessary to their safety as a nation. They concurred in the
decision of their high priest that it would be better for one man to
die than for the whole nation to perish. See
John 11:47-53
.
While they slew their Saviour because He reproved their sins,
they regarded themselves as God’s favored people and expected the
Lord to deliver them from their enemies!
God’s Long-suffering
For nearly forty years the Lord delayed His judgments. There
were still many Jews who were ignorant of the character and work of
Christ. And the children had not enjoyed the light which their parents
had spurned. Through the preaching of the apostles, God would
cause light to shine upon them. They would see how prophecy had
been fulfilled, not only in the birth and life of Christ, but in His death
and resurrection. The children were not condemned for the sins of
the parents; but when they rejected the additional light granted to