s to be inaugurated, was yet four days ahead,
the city was thronged with pilgrim crowds; and among these much
questioning had arisen as to whether Jesus would venture to appear
publicly in Jerusalem during the feast, in view of the well-known plans
of the hierarchy to take Him into custody. The common people were
interested in every act and movement of the Master; and word of His
departure from Bethany sped ahead of Him; so that by the time He began
the descent from the highest part of the road on the flank of the Mount
of Olives, great crowds had gathered about Him. The people were jubilant
over the spectacle of Jesus riding toward the holy city; they spread out
their garments, and cast palm fronds and other foliage in His path, thus
carpeting the way as for the passing of a king. For the time being He
was their king, and they His adoring subjects. The voices of the
multitude sounded in reverberating harmony: "Blessed be the King that
cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the
highest"; and again: "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."[1066]

But amidst all this jubilation, Jesus was sad as He came in sight of the
great city wherein stood the House of the Lord; and He wept, because of
the wickedness of His people, and of their refusal to accept Him as the
Son of God; moreover He foresaw the awful scenes of destruction before
which both city and temple were soon to fall. In anguish and tears, He
thus apostrophized the doomed city: "If thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now
they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that
thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round,
and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground,
and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone
upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." The
multitude was increased by tributary crowds who fell in with the
imposing procession at every crossway; and the shouts of praise and
homage were heard inside the city while the advancing company was yet
far from the walls. When the Lord rode through the massive portal and
actually entered the capital of the Great King, the whole city was
thrilled. To the inquiry of the uninformed, "Who is this?" the multitude
shouted: "This is Jesus, the prophet of N