The Day of Acclaim

Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:41-44

GOLDEN TEXT: “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”—Mark 11:9

THE Prophet Zechariah (9:9-12) had foretold that the Messiah would present Himself to Jerusalem, riding upon a “colt, the foal of an ass.” It was therefore necessary that Jesus carry out this part of the prophetic testimony concerning Him. Some (possibly of the 500 “brethren” mentioned in I Corinthians 15:6) hailed Him as King and gave Him a royal welcome to the city, but later circumstances prove that they were not the ones, nor were they in sufficient numbers, to be able to start a popular movement in Israel to make Jesus their real King. It was only a few days after this that the Master was nailed to the cross, and one of the charges that brought the death penalty was that He claimed to be a king.

Jesus’ presenting Himself thus to Israel, and His rejection by this stiff-necked and rebellious people, marked the climax to centuries of half-hearted obedience to God on the part of this favored nation which God had alone recognized as His since the death of Jacob. Now their iniquity had come to the full, and as the prophet Zechariah indicates, this final rejection of the Messiah marked the turning point between God’s favor and disfavor toward them—“even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.”—Zech. 9:12

The Prophet Jeremiah (16:18) foretells the coming of this “double,” and Isaiah (40:1,2) tells of a time when it would be completed; while Zechariah clearly indicates the beginning of it as being at this very time when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the “foal of an ass.” Jesus confirms Zechariah’s prophecy on this point in that it was at this time that He said to Israel, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” (Luke 13:35) In today’s lesson, He also tells of the difficulties that were ahead for the Jewish people.

Just as the full weight of God’s disfavor did not come immediately upon Israel when! Jesus pronounced desolation upon them, so the full warmth of divine favor is not felt by them as soon as their “double” of punishment is accomplished. This is indicated in Isaiah 40:1,2, by the fact that a commission is given to comfort Israel with the message that her double has been accomplished. If the completion of the double meant the full end of their national suffering there would be no occasion to give them a message of comfort.

The period of Israel’s favor from the Lord dated from the death of Jacob and as noted above ended at the close of Jesus’ ministry. This was a period of 1845 years, The “double” of this brings us approximately to the year 1878, the year of the Berlin congress of nations. Three and a half years later, or 1881—the double of the ending of the 490 years of Daniel’s prophecy in 36 A.D.—was about the time the Zionist movement came into being which marked a slight stir among this ancient people relative to their national hopes. Developments in connection with Israel and with the promised land have continued since. It hasn’t been rapid, although there are now five hundred thousand Jews actually living in Palestine and they are gradually reclaiming the land.

The decline of Israel from the time of Jesus’ death was also slow. Their city was not actually destroyed and the people scattered until A.D. 70. This may in some way suggest a similar period of restoration. In any event, now that we have reached the end of the age we may know that the time is near when, having been chastened of the Lord (Psa. 118:18-24) they will recognize their Messiah, and say, as Jesus foretold, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”—Luke 13:35

Many acclaimed Jesus when He rode into Jerusalem at the time indicated in our lesson, but the leaders of the people took exception to this acclaim. (Luke 3:15; Mark 11:18; Matt. 21:8-11; John 12:19) They took the King and crucified Him. But when, during His second presence, divine favor fully returns to them, they will recognize that the One whom they rejected and pierced was indeed their Messiah and King, and then the whole nation will join in that blessed and prophetic acclamation.

QUESTIONS:

Who took exception to the acclaim of Jesus as, King when He rode into Jerusalem on an ass shortly before His crucifixion?

What prophetic period pertaining to Natural Israel is identified by the narrative of today’s lesson?

Will the time ever come when the nation of Israel as a whole will say of Jesus, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord”?

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