0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them
which are sent unto thee, how often I would have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate. Matthew 23:37,38.
It was, My Father's house, at the
beginning of the Lord's ministry, but after the rejection it was
Your house.
Many years before this Israel had so rejected their God and His laws that
they were removed from their land. Their house, their city, and their land
were desolate for 70 years. And the reason for the 70 years was that for
490 years they had not observed the Sabbaths of the land.
Every 7th year was to be a Sabbath for the land. It was not to be cultivated.
But Israel did not do this. So the 70 Sabbatical years were forced on them
all at one time. The land was desolate, waste, deserted. The temple was
in ruin.
Now Israel's Messiah had come. Their King was in the midst and the kingdom
at hand. But they did not know the time of their visitation. They rejected
their King. So His verdict was that their house was to be desolate until
such a time as they would say, Blessed
is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Those who think that the
Lord could come at any moment in these days should note these words. There
is a condition attached.
In Matt 22:2-14 is a parable that
warns of these desolations. It tells how that a king made a marriage dinner
for his son and then sent out his servants to bid guests. But they would
not come. This is the ministry of the Lord and the 12. So the king sent
out other servants and bid them again to come. This was the ministry of
the apostles during Acts. But they would not come. They treated the servants
shamefully. So the king sent his armies and destroyed these murderers and
burned up their city. This was done by Titus, A.D. 70.
So their house and their city were made desolate. That was almost 2000 years
ago and their house is still desolate. It does not even exist. A mosque
stands in its stead. Some day the temple will be rebuilt, and Babylon become
desolate (Rev 17 & 18).
