Matthew 23:36-39

Mat 23:36 (KJB)
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Since the Jews had shown that they really wanted nothing to do with God and were leading Israel into apostasy, which included the murder of prophets sent by God, the time for Israel to be dissolved was coming upon them. In 70 A.D. the Romans would raze Jerusalem including the Temple and that would signal the end of their country. Their rebellion against God will be filled up and judgment would come. They would now be forced to assimilate into Gentile countries. (Dan 8:11 KJV) Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Mat 23:37 (KJB)
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

For many years Jerusalem had been the center of worship for Israel. It had the temple and it was where the kings lived such as David and Solomon. It then became the center of worship for the Southern Kingdom Judah. Jesus was moved by compassion for Jerusalem as seen in His words and his comparison to a hen who would protect her young by placing her wings over them. However, over the years it became more and more corrupt and instead of being a true place of worship it became a place of extortion and murder and false religion. The last four words of this verse states it well, “and ye would not.” That is because they thought themselves to be independent and that they had a relationship with God and nothing could happen to them as a result of the relationship and this mindset resulted in them being destroyed in 37 years. Those words showed a willfulness in their rebellion.

Mat 23:38 (KJB)
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Desolate - Abandoned, uninhabited, laid waste

Jesus now pronounces the final decree on Jerusalem and Israel for all of its rebellion from the time they left Egypt to the persecution of the Apostles. The pride of the religious leaders was the fact that Israel was the place where God chose to place His name and that they had the temple and the Scriptures. In reality, this meant nothing to them because their history proves this. So now because they have filled up their cup of iniquity, the nation of Israel will cease to exist among the nations of the world. It will become an uninhabited place as if it never existed.

Mat 23:39 (KJB)
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

The departure of Jesus, which is His death, will be linked to the departure of God from the temple. This will happen when Jesus physically dies and the veil in the temple is torn from top to bottom. God no longer would dwell in the temple as He will now be dealing with the entire world. The Gospel was now going to go worldwide. Jesus death is also connected to the destruction of Jerusalem. No longer would the Mosaic law be in force with all its ceremonies because salvation will come by grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus places a conjunction in the statement that they shall see Him no more until they see Him as coming in the name of the Lord. (Psa 118:26 KJV) Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. There will be a remnant from Israel who will come to know Christ as Savior and He will show Himself to them but not to those who will not believe. (Isa 10:21-22 KJV) The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. {22} For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. This will be salvation on an individual basis and not on a nationwide basis as some false teachers teach.

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