have certainly had God for our assistant in this war, and
it was no other than God who ejected the Jews out of these
fortifications."[C]--_Id., book 6, chap. 9._

Rather, we would say, in the light of Scripture teaching, the
destruction that came upon the city was but the fruit of its own way.
God's guardian care had long protected the city of David. When His
protection was finally thrust aside and the people put themselves in the
power of the great destroyer, divine justice could no longer save the
city from the judgments that were bound to fall upon persistent
transgression against light.

The lesson is one of those written "for our admonition upon whom the
ends of the world are come." Jerusalem, in that generation of great
light and high privilege, fell because it knew not the time of its
visitation. Still Christ's sad lament bears its warning to the ears of
men: "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace!" Luke 19:42.

Part II

Having foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and given to the believers
signs by which they might find deliverance in the day of its overthrow,
Christ yet more fully answered the second part of the disciples'
question, "What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the
world?" Matt. 24:3.

[Illustration: THE CATACOMBS NEAR ROME

In these underground passages persecuted Christians found a hiding
place, held their services, and buried their dead.]

The Period of Tribulation

Quickly He passed to the events of the latter days. But first He
sketched, in a few words, the tribulations through which His church was
to pass during the intervening centuries. Daniel the prophet had written
of this experience, foretelling the long period during which the papal
power was to "wear out the saints of the Most High." Dan. 7:25. Of these
times, Christ said in His prophetic discourse:

"Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of
the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days
should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's
sake those days shall be shortened." Matt. 24:21, 22.

It is evident that Christ referred to the time of tribulation foretold
by Daniel, not to the trials attending the flight of the Christians from
Jerusalem, for their flight was a deliverance of the elect from trial.
However much the weak may have suffered temporarily in fleei