“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The city who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'” – Matthew 23:37-39
In the final days of Jesus’ ministry, he expresses his sorrow and immense desire for the repentance of the nation of Israel. And with this statement, he announces that his public teaching ministry is over – no more arguments with the Pharisees or teaching in the synagogue. What is about to follow, which we will see in the next chapter of Matthew, is called the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives and speaks about the end times. This was also amazingly predicted by the prophet Ezekiel when he spoke to the Jewish exiles in Ezekiel 11:23: “The glory of the Lord rose up from within the city and stood on the mountains east of the city.” (Mount of Olives)
Jesus ends his lamentation to Israel by quoting from Psalm 118:26:
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
