The last great discourse in Matthew's gospel signals a seismic shift in redemptive history marked by signal events. Sparks fly and powers clash as Daniel's 70 weeks come to fruition... According to J.C. Ryle, this should come as no surprise to us. He writes: “.. The ending of a dispensation given with so much solemnity at Mt. Sinai might well be expected to be marked with particular solemnity; The destruction of the Holy Temple, where so many old saints had seen “shadows of good things to come”' might well be expected to form a subject of prophecy; and so it was. The Lord Jesus specially predicts the desolation of “the holy place”. The great High Priest describes the end of the dispensation which had been put in charge to lead people to Himself.” The devastating consequences of continuing the Old Covenant order oblivious to its fulfillment in Christ will be felt in pangs of apocalyptic destruction. The decisive closing of this chapter in history is marked by circling buzzards over the bodies that did not heed the word of Jesus Christ...